# A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Pastoral Symphony, The (Beethoven)

From volume 2 of the work.
​PASTORAL SYMPHONY, THE. 'Sinfonia Pastorale, No. 6,' is the title of the published score of Beethoven's 6th Symphony, in F, op. 68 (Breitkopf & Härtel, May 1826).
The autograph, in possession of the Baron van Kattendyke, of Arnheim, bears the following inscription in Beethoven's own writing, 'Sinf$^{ia}$ 6ta. Da Luigi van Beethoven. Angenehme heitre Empfindungen welche bey der Ankunft auf dem Lande im Menschen erwa—Allo ma non troppo—Nicht ganz geschwind—N.B. die deutschen Ueberschriften schreiben sie alle in die erste Violini—Sinfonie von Ludwig van Beethoven': or, in English, '6th Symphony, by Luigi van Beethoven. The pleasant, cheerful feelings, which arise in man on arriving in the country—Allo ma non troppo—not too fast—N.B. [this is to the copyist] the German titles are all to be written in the first-violin part—Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven.'
Besides the 'titles' referred to in this inscription, which are engraved in the 1st violin part, on the back of the title-page, Beethoven has given two indications of his intentions—(1) on the programme of the first performance, Dec. 22, 1808, and (2) on the printed score. We give the three in parallel columns:—
| First Violin Part. | Programme of Concert, Dec. 22, 1808. | Printed Score. |
| Pastoral Sinfonie oder Erinnerungen an das Laudleben (mehr Ausdruck der Empfindung als Mahlerey). | Pastoral Symphonie (No. 5), mehr Ausdruck der Empfindung, als Malerey. | Sinfonia Pastorale, No. 6. |
| 1. Allegro ma non molto. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bey der Ankunft auf dem Lande. | 1stes Stück. Angenehme Empfindungen, welche bey der Ankunft auf dem Lande im Menschen erwachen. | Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bey der Ankunft auf dem Lande. All$^o$ ma non troppo. |
| 2. Andante con moto. Scene am Bach. | 2tes Stück. Scene am Bach. | Scene am Bach. Andante molto moto. |
| 3. Allegro. Lustiges Zusammenseyn der Landleute. | 3tes Stück. Lustiges Beysammenseyn der Landleute; fällt ein | Lustiges Zusammenseyn der Landleute. Allegro. |
| 4. Allegro. Gewitter, Sturm. | 4tes Stück. Donner und Sturm; in welches einfällt | Gewitter. Sturm. Allegro. |
| 5. Allegretto. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm. | 5tes Stück. Wohlthätige, mit Dank an die Gottheit verbundene Gefühle nach dem Sturm. | Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm. Allegretto. |
| Pastoral Symphony, or Recollections of country life. (More expression of feeling than painting.) | Pastoral Symphony (No. 5) more expression of feeling than painting. | Sinfonia Pastorale, No. 6. |
| 1. Allegro ma non molto. The awakening of cheerful feelings on arriving in the country. | 1st piece. The pleasant feelings aroused in the heart on arriving in the country. | The awakening of cheerful feelings on arriving in the country. All$^o$ ma non troppo. |
| 2. Andante con moto. Scene at the brook. | 2nd piece. Scene at the brook. | Scene at the brook. Andante molto moto. |
| 3. Allegro. Merry meeting of country folk. | 3rd piece. Jovial assemblage of country folk, interrupted by | Merry meeting of country folk. Allegro. |
| 4. Allegro. Thunderstorm, tempest. | 4th piece. Thunderstorm, interrupted by | Thunderstorm, tempest. Allegro. |
| 5. Allegretto. Song of the shepherds. Glad and thankful feelings after the storm. | 5th piece. Pleasurable feelings after the storm, mixed with gratitude to God. | Song of the shepherds. Glad and thankful feelings after the storm. |
A book of sketches for the first movement, now in the British Museum, is inscribed 'Sinfonie caracteristica. Die Erinnerungen von der Landleben'; with a note to the effect that 'the hearer is to be allowed to find out the situations for himself'—'Man uberlässt dem Zuhörer sich selbst die Situationen auszufinden.'
The work was composed in the neighbourhood of Vienna, in the wooded meadows between Heiligenstadt and Grinzing, in the summer of 1808, at the same time with the Symphony in C minor. The two were each dedicated to the same two persons, Prince Lobkowitz and the Count Rasoumoffsky; their opus-numbers follow one another, and so closely were the two connected that at the first performance—in the Theatre an der Wien, Dec. 22, 1808—their numbers were interchanged, the Pastoral being called 'No. 5' and the C minor 'No. 6.' This confusion lasted as late as 1820, as is shown by the list of performances of the Concerts Spirituels at Vienna, given by Hanslick (Concertwesen in Wien, p. 189). ​The titles of the movements were curiously anticipated by Knecht, more than twenty years earlier, in a 'Portrait musical de la Nature.' [See Knecht, vol. ii. 66a; and Programme Music.]
Beethoven himself (a very rare occurrence) anticipated a part of the storm movement in his Prometheus music (1801), in the 'Introduction' following the overture.
[ G. ]