In a letter to his publishers, Schott and Sons, Beethoven wrote: “I have received letters from Berlin informing me that the first performance of the Ninth Symphony was received with enthusiastic applause, which I attribute largely to the metronome markings.” In taking such care in this matter (which was unprecedented) he assumed that he was leaving for future performers not only precise indications of the speeds (and hence the characters) of the various and sections, but also the key to the successful realization of the works’ wholes. He headed each movement of his symphonies, and each section of each movement, with both an Italian descriptive phrase (such as Allegro molto vivace or Adagio) and a metronome marking. In fact, Beethoven cared so much about such issues of tempo that he left more detailed instructions on the subject than did virtually any other composer. For Beethoven cared so deeply about the tempi at which his works were performed that, according to his friend Anton Schindler whenever he heard about a performance of one of them, “his first question invariably was: ‘How were the tempi?’” Every other consideration seemed to be of secondary importance to him. He cannot possibly have heard it both at the slower tempo and at the faster one, and it is unlikely that he was indifferent about the matter – just as unlikely as that he would have been indifferent as to which notes were played. But which is the “true” version?Ĭlearly, when Beethoven was composing that opening he must have had some particular “meaning” or sound in mind. If we hear it performed as slowly as it was by such great conductors as Furtwängler, Stokowski, and Klemperer, the music speaks with majesty, force, power, “Fate knocking on the door.” If, on the other hand we hear it at the tempo indicated both by Beethoven’s Italian direction Allegro con brio and by his metronome marking MINIM = 108, it seems driving, violent, impetuous, headlong, as though a gauntlet were being thrown down in defiance. Let’s take the opening of the Fifth Symphony – certainly the most famous four notes of music ever penned. This recording is the first in a series that sets out to present the symphonies according to Beethoven’s marked tempi.īut how did this situation arise? Is there a right and a wrong way of performing this music? Or is its interpretation purely a subjective matter? Over the past few years a number of recordings have been released that claim to follow Beethoven’s indications, but which, to varying degrees, have made compromises in their realization and in some cases seem to have misled listeners as to the implications of these indications. In doing so they radically altered the “meaning” of the music and established a tradition of performance that is far removed from what Beethoven seems to have intended. It seems that from the very beginning conductors chose to disregard or simply didn’t look at the metronome marks Beethoven left for his symphonies. It will surely come as a surprise to most listeners that works as familiar as Beethoven’s Fifth and Seventh Symphonies have rarely received performances that realize Beethoven’s stated wishes as to how the music should be played, and that this tradition of ignoring the composer’s intentions began in Beethoven’s own time! “I look upon the invention of the metronome as a welcome means of assuring the performance of my compositions everywhere in the tempi conceived by me, which to my regret have so often been misunderstood.” – Ludwig van Beethoven
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