# What story can Beethoven's symphonies tell?



## Ivanbeeth (Nov 30, 2015)

Hi, TalkClassical! It has been a little time since I signed up and I'm really enjoying the forums. I hope you enjoy this post!

So, Eroica's first movement talks about a battle, right? I wonder if you have listened to other "stories" in the rest of the symphonies. It would be really interesting to merge these stories to create one that encompass every movement. I think I came up with a decent one, and I'd love to read yours. The format is (Symphony's number:movement number). Here is mine:

The story begins with a prologue that tells us about some evil times, injustice, etc. (5:1st). The story, then, begins in a village (6:1st) where we meet A., who in the river’s bank sings a monologue (6:2nd) about love; he/she is loved by all the other villagers, but he/she yearns for a more intimate feeling. Next we see a stranger arriving, named B. (2:1st). He/she is a charismatic warrior. They meet, and A. introduces him/her to the rest of the village. They get along well, and decide to throw a welcome party next day. Night comes and everyone dreams a tempest (9:1st) that destroy their home. Nobody minds the nightmare, however, and with the next day’s sun (7:1st) carry on with the preparations for the party. A and B fall in love, and A. tells him/her about the evil times (2:2nd). Next, the party commences (6:3rd), but suddenly the dreamt storm crashes it (6:4th): a band of bandits ravage the village (5:3rd), but stop after seeing A’s beauty. They kidnap him/her, and everyone laments it (7:2nd). B. steps in and talks about bringing peace to the land (9:4th). B. rally the villagers and some other warriors (8:1st) and they set forth to rescue A. The village sings them farewell (5:2nd). The warriors travel to the bandit’s lair (9:2nd). Upon arriving they fight (3:1st); B. kills the bandit leader but ends up terribly wounded. The rest of the bandits and warriors keep up fighting, the warriors feeling a nearby triumph (7:4th). They win the battle and rescue A., but B. dies. They lament his/her death while traveling back home (3:2nd). When they arrive, A. praises B’s heroism and how he/she felt loved by him/her (4:2nd). That night they dream pleasantly the peace now won (9:3rd), and on the next day celebrate it (3:4th). Finally, the story ends with the villagers singing gratefully (6:4th).


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## Sherkel (Jul 27, 2014)

For me, Beethoven's music (as well as Romantic music and music in general) is about the feelings and experiences that a story can't describe. A program or narrative can certainly be devised that fits with the piece and enriches one's personal listening experience, as you've demonstrated. Mahler frequently wrote programs to accompany his symphonies, but ultimately withdrew all of them from circulation, and the same went for the names "Titan" and "Tragic". I think this was most likely because the music described something beyond words as we know them, and that they may even restrict listeners' interpretations of the pieces. (I suspect a certain user will describe what I just wrote in much greater detail with plenty of references to that four-volume biography if he ends up seeing this.)

That's my take, anyway. I never thought of Beethoven's symphonies in terms of a narrative, and the same probably goes for most users here.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Different people hear music different ways (no surprise there). I can well imagine people who imagine stories in the music they hear. For the most part, I don't, but that's just me. I enjoy reading the stories others hear in the music, though!


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

That he is the original rock star!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

gellio said:


> That he is the original rock star!


In his time and long after that.:tiphat:


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