The YouTube clip below is of Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic dating back to 1985. Program notes by Dr. Beth Fleming (for a much more recent performance follows).
Program notes by Dr. Beth Fleming.
Ludwig van Beethoven (b. Bonn, Germany December 16, 1770; d. Vienna, Austria March 26, 1827)
When a commission to provide a music score for Goethe’s Egmont was offered in 1809 for the first Viennese performance of the play, Beethoven eagerly snatched up the opportunity. An admirer of Goethe’s writings, he was particularly drawn by Egmont’s subject: the struggle for freedom. Goethe’s play depicts the Spanish persecution of the people of the Netherlands during the inquisition of 1567-68. Count Egmont, a Catholic who is loyal to the Spanish, nevertheless sees the injustice of their actions and pleads for tolerance from the Spanish King. Greatly displeased, the King sends the cruel Duke of Alva to command the Spanish forces in the Netherlands to do the King’s will. Egmont is arrested and sentenced to death. Yet he knows that rebellion is in progress, and firmly believes that soon the people will be free.
A performance of Beethoven’s complete incidental music for Egmont, including two songs and several orchestral interludes, would take approximately 40-45 minutes. It is seldom heard today in its entirety; but the Overture is a staple in the concert hall repertoire because of its strength, nobility, and triumphal character. Still incomplete for the play’s initial performance with music in May of 1810, it was first heard at the fourth performance of the drama on June 15, 1810.
The Overture begins in a somber and serious mood. Marked Sostenuto ma non troppo, or sustained, without hurry, the dark music of the opening conveys profound oppression of the spirit, and the opening motive clearly represents the ominous tyrant of the play. Soon the tempo picks up, speeding into a vigorous Allegro featuring the cellos; and we hear the hero’s onfidence and heroic defiance as he descends into the depths of battle. The tyrant’s motive from the introduction evolves throughout the overture, becoming increasingly rhythmic and dark until at last Egmont’s execution can be heard. Immediately the mood of the work turns triumphant and celebratory, featuring the strings in the highest register and the shimmering sound of the piccolo. The music embodies Egmont’s conviction that death is not an end when hope thrives and ideals remain intact.
- Egmont Overture - 1809-1810
When a commission to provide a music score for Goethe’s Egmont was offered in 1809 for the first Viennese performance of the play, Beethoven eagerly snatched up the opportunity. An admirer of Goethe’s writings, he was particularly drawn by Egmont’s subject: the struggle for freedom. Goethe’s play depicts the Spanish persecution of the people of the Netherlands during the inquisition of 1567-68. Count Egmont, a Catholic who is loyal to the Spanish, nevertheless sees the injustice of their actions and pleads for tolerance from the Spanish King. Greatly displeased, the King sends the cruel Duke of Alva to command the Spanish forces in the Netherlands to do the King’s will. Egmont is arrested and sentenced to death. Yet he knows that rebellion is in progress, and firmly believes that soon the people will be free.
A performance of Beethoven’s complete incidental music for Egmont, including two songs and several orchestral interludes, would take approximately 40-45 minutes. It is seldom heard today in its entirety; but the Overture is a staple in the concert hall repertoire because of its strength, nobility, and triumphal character. Still incomplete for the play’s initial performance with music in May of 1810, it was first heard at the fourth performance of the drama on June 15, 1810.
The Overture begins in a somber and serious mood. Marked Sostenuto ma non troppo, or sustained, without hurry, the dark music of the opening conveys profound oppression of the spirit, and the opening motive clearly represents the ominous tyrant of the play. Soon the tempo picks up, speeding into a vigorous Allegro featuring the cellos; and we hear the hero’s onfidence and heroic defiance as he descends into the depths of battle. The tyrant’s motive from the introduction evolves throughout the overture, becoming increasingly rhythmic and dark until at last Egmont’s execution can be heard. Immediately the mood of the work turns triumphant and celebratory, featuring the strings in the highest register and the shimmering sound of the piccolo. The music embodies Egmont’s conviction that death is not an end when hope thrives and ideals remain intact.
