Symphony No. 2 in D major

Portrait of Beethoven in 1803, a year after the premiere of his Second Symphony.

Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D major (Op. 36) was written between 1801 and 1802 and is dedicated to Prince Lichnowsky.

Background

Beethoven's Second Symphony was mostly written during Beethoven's stay at Heiligenstadt in 1802, at which time his deafness was becoming more apparent and he began to realize that it might be incurable. The work was premiered in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on April 5, 1803, and was conducted by the composer. During that same concert, the Third Piano Concerto and the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives were also debuted.^[1] It is one of the last works of Beethoven's so-called "early period".

Beethoven wrote the Second Symphony without a standard minuet; instead, a scherzo took its place, giving the composition even greater scope and energy. The scherzo and the finale are filled with Beethovenian musical jokes, which shocked the sensibilities of many contemporary critics. One Viennese critic famously wrote of the Symphony that it was "a hideously writhing, wounded dragon that refuses to die."^[2]

Instrumentation

The symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in A, two bassoons, two horns in D and E, two trumpets in D, timpani and strings. The composer also made a transcription of the entire symphony for piano trio which bears the same opus number.

Form

This symphony consists of four movements:

1. Adagio molto, 3/4 — Allegro con brio, 4/4
2. Larghetto, 3/8 in A major
3. Scherzo: Allegro, 3/4
4. Allegro molto, 2/2

A typical performance runs 33 to 36 minutes.

First movement

The Introduction, Adagio molto, begins in D major, changing to B♭ major in measure 11. In measures 26-28, it briefly modulates to A major and immediately back to D. The exposition (Allegro con brio) begins in D major with the A theme lasting until measure 57. A transition towards the B theme lasts until measure 72, modulating to A minor at measure 61. The B theme begins in A major at 73, moving to A minor again at 113 with a codetta from measure 117-136 (moving to D major in measure 120). The development uses material from the A theme, going through several modulations throughout and making use of the main idea from Theme A in sequence. At measure 216, the A theme returns in the recapitulation, lasting until measure 228. There is a retransition from 229-244, bringing back the B theme at measure 245, this time in the tonic key. At 327, B♭ major returns briefly, moving back to D in 334 with a Coda from measures 340-360.

Second movement

This movement, Larghetto, is in the dominant key of A major and is one of Beethoven's longest symphonic slow movements. There are clear indications of the influence of folk music and the pastoral, presaging his Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral").

Third movement

This movement, Scherzo: Allegro, encloses a melodious oboe and bassoon quartet within typical-sounding Austrian side-slapping dance.

Fourth movement

The fourth movement, Allegro molto, is composed of very rapid string passages.

Use In Popular Culture

• Featured in the film Born Yesterday (1950)

Notes

External links

• Analysis of Beethoven Symphony No.2 on the All About Ludwig van Beethoven Page
• Complete performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra. (Interview only)
• Symphony No. 2 is available in PDF format created from MuseData.
• Symphony No. 2: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.