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5 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Beethoven’s 7th Symphony 23 July 2019

Think you know Beethoven's 7th Symphony inside-out? Check out your knowledge with seven facts you may not already know.
  1. Beethoven was staying in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice in the hope of improving his poor health when he began composing his Symphony No. 7 (and very soon after, No. 8) from 1811-1812.
  2. During the premiere, the piece was conducted by Beethoven himself, who was so engaged with the music that he would jump in the air to introduce fortes.
  3.  When the work was premiered in December 1813, it was so well received that the second movement was encored immediately (you can imagine the outrage if that was done today!)
  4. Tchaikovsky apparently described the finale as ‘a whole series of images, full of unrestrained joy, full of bliss and pleasure of life’.  While Wagner described it as ‘the apotheosis of the dance.  The sheer physical energy of the work – expressed in bracing, muscular rhythms – can, in some performances, border on the unnerving.’
  5. The sombre second movement is probably the most well-known movement within the work.  It has been featured in countless adverts, TV shows and movies.  One example is the climactic scene from the 2010 Academy Award Best Picture winner, The King’s Speech.