Symphony no. 6 "Pastoral" / Overtures cover

Symphony no. 6 "Pastoral" / Overtures

Herbert von Karajan · 1987

58 min · 8 tracks · classical music

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental
85 /100
Summit
Higher than 97% of albums we've rated

Beethoven’s symphony and overtures supply strong contrasts and a clear dramatic arc; the appended overtures make the programme less unified than the symphony alone.

What we noticed

  • The first two Pastoral movements are followed by a continuous three-part run: country dance, abrupt storm, then a finale that turns the storm into a hymn-like recovery.
  • After the symphony’s five-movement arc, three shorter overtures reset the scale, moving from Coriolan’s terse drama to two more expansive, ceremonial pieces.
Composition 25% of the score
9/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
8/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
8/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
6/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
7/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 3/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 Symphony no. 6 in F major, op. 68 “Pastoral”: I. Pleasant, Cheerful Feelings Awakened in a Person on Arriving in the Country. Allegro ma non troppo 9:08
  • 2 Symphony no. 6 in F major, op. 68 “Pastoral”: II. Scene by the Brook. Andante molto mosso 11:27
  • 3 Symphony no. 6 in F major, op. 68 “Pastoral”: III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk. Allegro 5:39
  • 4 Symphony no. 6 in F major, op. 68 “Pastoral”: IV. Thunderstorm. Allegro 3:29
  • 5 Symphony no. 6 in F major, op. 68 “Pastoral”: V. Shepherd's Song: Happy and Thankful Feelings to the Deity After the Storm. Allegretto 8:42
  • 6 Overture, op. 62 “Coriolan”: Allegro con brio 9:04
  • 7 Overture, op. 43 “The Creatures of Prometheus”: Adagio - Allegro molto con brio 5:25
  • 8 Overture, op. 113 “The Ruins of Athens”: Andante con moto - Allegro, ma non troppo 5:24

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Reference: MusicBrainz