Symphony No. 4 · II. Adagio

At a glance

• What it isthe second movement of Symphony No. 4, a slow Adagio in E-flat major in three beats.
• Who, when, whyBeethoven wrote it in 1806, at about thirty-six, and dedicated it to Count Oppersdorff.
• What to listen forthe 'da-dum' rhythm repeated in the accompaniment, and the long, gentle melody above it.

Listen for

• The first barthe second violins quietly tap out a rhythm pairing a short note with a long one. It returns throughout the movement like a heartbeat.
• The songabove it, the first violins sing a long, gentle melody.
• The clarinetaround the middle, the clarinet sings alone. It is a moment when the orchestra holds its breath and gives its ear to a single instrument.

When it was written

In the summer and autumn of 1806 Beethoven stayed at the Silesian castle of his patron Prince Lichnowsky. There he met Count Oppersdorff, who asked for a symphony, and Beethoven dedicated this one to him. At the time, despite the torment of his worsening hearing, he was producing large works one after another, including the Violin Concerto and the Fourth Piano Concerto.

The Fourth Symphony was first performed in March 1807 at a private concert in Prince Lobkowitz's palace in Vienna. Schumann later, it is said, likened it to a slender Greek maiden standing between two giants.