logo
episode-header-image
May 2021
53m 48s

Beethoven Symphony No. 4

JOSHUA WEILERSTEIN
About this episode

Beethoven often gets the reputation of being a composer of extreme seriousness, shaking his fist at the heavens while dealing with a litany of medical ailments and heartbreak, and there is some truth to that as well. But the 4th symphony, a very strange and mysterious introduction aside, is a piece of almost unadulterated joy. It is another side of Beethoven: bouncy, funny, silly, and quite simply, happy. How and why did he write such a happy symphony? How does music become "happy?" Join us to find out..

Up next
Sep 3
Grieg: Peer Gynt
Grieg's Peer Gynt suites are among the best-known and best-loved works of classical music in the world. They are practically embedded into popular culture, being used in a dizzying number of cartoons, advertisements, and films. In the classical music world, as with Beethoven's 5t ... Show More
1h 7m
Aug 20
Mozart Clarinet Concerto
When it comes to a piece like the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, a few words or phrases regularly come up: the concerto is described as "mellow" or Mozart's "swan song," but most often it is described as "perfect." Such a perfect piece as Mozart's Clarinet Concerto must have been huge ... Show More
51m 41s
Aug 6
Bohuslav Martinu Symphony No. 1
It took a lot to make the composer and critic Virgil Thomson happy. He was famous for savaging new works he didn't like, and the truth is, he didn't like very many new works at all. One exception was Bohuslav Martinů's very first symphony, written in 1942. Thomson said this: "The ... Show More
1h 1m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2015
Symphony No. 8: A Musical Look Back
A fun, almost comical, moment before Beethoven stepped away from the symphony for a decade and wrote his ultimate triumph. 
15m 56s
Sep 2020
THE 5TH — MOVEMENT II, From Struggle to Victory
In the first movement of his famous symphony, Beethoven sets up a battle between hope and despair. The dark side of that spectrum is represented by the anguished opening notes of the first movement: DUN DUN DUNNN. Over the course of the next three movements, Beethoven keeps tryin ... Show More
27m 4s
Oct 2015
Symphony No. 2: Desperation and Determination
Ludwig van Beethoven's Second Symphony came at a pivot point in his life. Musically, the composer moved toward the more epic, revolutionary style that would define his later symphonies. Personally, Beethoven sank into despair as his hearing loss worsened. 
14m 48s
May 2019
“There is only one Beethoven”
Everybody knows the Beethoven story: He’s a brilliant composer who faced hearing loss; a genius who couldn’t listen to his own masterpieces. But there’s a different way to consider the story we think we know. 
35m 31s
Nov 2015
Symphony No. 7: Rhythm And Restlessness
Ludwig van Beethoven's Seventh Symphony pulses with rhythmic invention. The reliance on the beat gives the piece an immediacy that rivals the music in any of Beethoven's symphonies. 
14m 9s
Feb 2013
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
<p>More than just 'da da da dum! </p><p>Beethoven's 5th Symphony accompanied Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on the regular Bombay to Basra route he sailed during his early days in the Merchant Navy. </p><p>Archaeologist and crime novelist, Dana Cameron, spent many a long day in a dark, ... Show More
27m 34s
Sep 2020
THE 5TH — MOVEMENT IV, What Beethoven Would Have Wanted
When we listen closely to the Fifth, we hear a testament to self-expression and determination. Which means that we get to decide how to honor this symphony today, whether that means taking a break from Beethoven to commission new works from underrepresented composers, bringing ne ... Show More
30m 23s
Dec 2015
Symphony No. 9: A Joyous Epic
Its power and sheer ambition influenced and intimidated scores of composers who followed Beethoven. 
14m 53s