Symphony No. 4 in B‑Flat Major

Beethoven began sketching what was to be his Fifth Symphony in 1804, not long after finishing the Eroica (No. 3). But he seems to have realised that the ideas needed more time to germinate, so he put them aside and composed another symphony, the Fourth, in 1806. So was this a case of symphonic rest and recuperation? Superficially the Fourth does appear a lighter proposition than Nos. 3 and 5. Scored for the smallest orchestra Beethoven used in a symphony, its proportions are more broadly Classical, and in character it does seem sunnier, on the whole, with plenty of examples of Beethoven’s much-undervalued sense of humour. But look closer, and its subtle audacity strikes home at almost every stage. Though the symphony is in a bright major key, it begins with a long, darkly exploratory slow introduction—almost a movement in its own right—and the explosion of light that heralds the “Allegro” is one of the most dramatic things in all his symphonies. The “Adagio” is beautiful and profound, with touches of light and shadow that border on Romanticism. A thrilling, formally circling scherzo is followed by a helter-skelter finale, which ends with a moment of tenderness followed by a burst of wild laughter. While it may not have the epic character of its symphonic neighbours, the Fourth is every bit as remarkable.