Symphony No. 6 "Pastorale" / "Leonore" Overture cover

Symphony No. 6 "Pastorale" / "Leonore" Overture

Leonard Bernstein · 1984

59 min · 6 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 carefully connected five-movement arc is vividly realized, though the appended overture makes the album a pairing rather than a single continuous design.

What we noticed

  • The five-movement symphony moves from a gently rocking opening to the brookside scene, then a country dance abruptly gives way to the storm.
  • Flute, oboe, and clarinet imitate bird calls in the brook movement; the storm’s timpani and piccolo recede into the sustained calm of the finale.
  • After that quiet resolution, the separate Leonore III overture restarts the album with a slow introduction and a sharply more dramatic, forward-driving arc.
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 "Pastorale": I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings upon Arrival in the Country: Allegro ma non troppo 11:44
  • 2 Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 "Pastorale": II. Scene by the Brook: Andante molto mosso 13:28
  • 3 Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 "Pastorale": III. Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Allegro 5:24
  • 4 Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 "Pastorale": IV. Storm: Allegro 3:43
  • 5 Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 "Pastorale": V. Shepherd's Song: Happy and Thankful Feelings after the Storm: Allegretto 10:21
  • 6 Overtüre: Leonore III, Op. 72a: Adagio. Allegro 15:03

What to play next

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Reference: MusicBrainz