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Europe, that it became an accepted, respected staple of the repertoire, recognized as
the masterpiece it is.

Beethoven headed his manuscript with a punning inscription that can be rendered
in English as “Concerto clemently written for Clement,” but he published the work
in 1808 with a dedication to a childhood friend, Stephan von Breuning. In 1807, the
Italian composer-pianist Muzio Clementi, who had become a wealthy publisher and
instrument-maker in London, persuaded Beethoven to rewrite the Violin Concerto’s
solo part for piano, which he said would be much easier to sell, but that version of the
work has never become popular.

[Relevant to our performance: When Beethoven rewrote the Violin Concerto solo part
for piano, he also wrote a special cadenza for it featuring the solo piano in a duet with
the timpanist from within the orchestra, similar to the piano/timpani cadenza Beethoven
composed for his Fifth Piano Concerto, the Emperor. In 2009, violinist Christian Tetzlaff
transcribed that piano/timpani cadenza for violin and timpani. It is that cadenza Mr.
Velinzon performs with our orchestra. – sk]

The Violin Concerto is a huge work, longer than anything Beethoven had written until
then except the Eroica Symphony. The number of musical ideas Beethoven employs is
not large, but they are considered at such great length that the whole work becomes
monumental. The five strokes of the timpani that open the first movement, Allegro
non troppo, are at once a quiet demand for attention, the start of the opening theme,
and a motto-like rhythmic element that pervades the movement. The slow movement,
Larghetto, is a set of variations on a theme that can sound like a halting recitative or a
flowing melody. It runs without pause into the final rondo, Allegro, a brilliant, exuberant
virtuoso piece.

The score calls for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two
trumpets, timpani, and strings.

Symphony No. 5, in C minor, Op. 67 Ludwig van Beethoven

The 19th century composer Robert Schumann, gave Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
the greatest praise possible when he wrote that, although it is often heard, it “still
exercises its power over all ages, just as those great phenomena of nature that, no
matter how often they recur, fill us with awe and wonder. This symphony will go on
centuries hence, as long as the world and world’s music endure.”

Symphony No. 5 has always been popular and recognizable because of the famous four-
note phrase with which it opens. Since the symphony was first performed, critics and
commentators have attempted to give that phrase some programmatic significance.

2021/22 SEASON Just Add Music! PAGE 15