The opinion that Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony is a work of gentle spirit and restrained drama stems from hasty comparisons with the Third and Fifth symphonies. In reality, it is a score with a far more ambitious expressive scope than it appears.
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It is not universally agreed that this symphony is all joviality and poetic exaltation. Despite the light and lively spirit of the two main themes of the first movement, there is no reason to overlook the somber atmosphere established in the long introductory section, nor the unpredictability of the dynamic contrasts in the central section, the Development. Like almost all slow movements, the Adagio invites ambiguous interpretations. It allows one to imagine a romantic idyll, but also the dramatization of a stubborn spirit in meditative pause. The Minuet, with its Trio, features particularly playful orchestration, full of “dialogues” between the different instrument groups, yet it does not miss opportunities to set the ensemble in demonstrations of unwavering strength. In the same vein, the rush of the final movement suggests something more than simple jubilation. It carries memories of conflicts and frustrated expectations, culminating in a Coda that avoids ecstasy, amid surgically calculated hesitations.
With attentive listening, we recognize the same irreverence and creativity that—growing increasingly throughout his life—distinguished Beethoven. A clear sign that this symphony was not the result of a stylistic regression is the severity of the criticism it received at the time, as soon as it was publicly performed.
Rui Campos Leitão
Image: Manuscript of the First Page of the Adagio from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 | Source: IMSLP