Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92

The first movement opens with a long, spacious introduction before settling into a dancing 6/8 rhythm that Beethoven repeats obsessively, building a sense of unstoppable momentum. Listen for a single dotted rhythm that seems to power the entire movement, whether loud or soft.

The second movement, marked Allegretto, is the piece's calling card: a steady, marching rhythm in the low strings that a simple melody rides above, growing from a hushed murmur into a full-orchestra climax and receding again. Its combination of solemnity and forward walking pulse has made it one of Beethoven's most recognizable movements, sometimes played on its own.

The third movement is a scherzo, a quick, playful movement in triple time, full of sudden dynamic contrasts and a slower trio section that returns twice, giving the movement an unusual five-part shape instead of the expected three.

The finale is a headlong rush, built from a whirling repeated figure that never lets up, driving to an ending of real physical excitement. It is often described as Beethoven at his most exuberant, and audiences frequently respond to its sheer energy before the final chord even lands.

Beethoven composed his Seventh Symphony in 1811 and 1812, while recovering his health at the Bohemian spa town of Teplitz. It was first performed in Vienna in December 1813, at a charity concert for soldiers wounded at the Battle of Hanau, on a program that also included Beethoven's own "Wellington's Victory." The Allegretto second movement was so well received that it had to be repeated immediately, and it quickly became the symphony's most requested movement, sometimes performed alone at other concerts even before the full work was well known. Richard Wagner later called the symphony "the apotheosis of the dance," pointing to its insistent rhythms as the source of its energy. It has remained one of Beethoven's most frequently performed symphonies since its premiere.