Beethoven Symphony No. 6 "Pastorale" -- or Nature Symphony
Setting: Spinning into the countryside, outside of Vienna, 1808 -- villages, farms trees, streams, a peasant dance, a thunderstorm, and then a race to the top of the hills to see a rainbow and the setting sun. Profile: Very challenging, fast cadences throughout, running with resistance for over 40 minutes. All cadences within standard cycling ranges: 70 to 112. Format: We'll take the symphony as a whole, but one can take movements 1 and 2 independently, but 3, 4, and 5 are linked but can be taken together (close to 20 minutes without stop). Fitness Objective: High aerobic ranges, with borderline anaerobic threshold pushes. Speed and endurance, only two breaks for the entire 40 minutes. Stage I: Fast on the flats. Stage II: Low gear fast cadence. Stage III: Rough Dance! Stage IV: Into the storm. Stave V: Out of the storm running to the top of the hills. |
Stage I: Fast Run out of the gate With Resistance: Quick Cadence @ 108, Resistance Levels Moderate 20-30%
10 minutes. A beautiful, warm, spring day in 1806. We've escaped the city and headed to the countryside on a firmly packed, dry dirt road. Elated, at a fast cadence we try to keep up with the carriage just a head, past the beautiful meadows, stands of trees, and bucolic farms and villages, the clean smell of nature all around. Up and down in the saddle we go. We veer from the main trail, and run along a bubbling brook, which seems to be moving as fast as we are, the sun shining brightly and reflecting almost blindingly upon it. Our meanderings gradually bring us back to the main road, in terrain similar to that we started out upon, moving fast, fast, fast all the way until at last, we view our selves spinning off into the distance. |
Stage II: Pedaling in a very low gear, quick, @ 96, Resistance 30%-40%
12 Minutes, After a brief rest, we decide to do something different -- spinning INTO the shallow little brook we cycled along in Stage I. It's free of rocks, with a smooth sandy bottom -- so we use a very low gear, but high cadence to work our way against the water and the sand. This part of the brook is broad, the water just meandering in a relaxed way under an overhead canopy of lush trees. The water just covers our wheels and swirls about them, as we enjoy the peace and beauty of the moment. At the end we nearly stop to listen to birds calling in the trees high above -- a nightingale, a cuckoo, and a quail. |
Stage III: Running (dancing) with resistance @ 90, Resistance 40-50%
FAST, 5 Minutes! On our all-terrain bikes, we spin into a bustling village wildly engaged in their spring festival. Bands, dancing all about us -- we join in the dancing on our spin bikes. Happy villagers, drunk on new wine are all about, the village band plays (sometimes badly) -- a bright happy atmosphere. But then, in the distance we can hear distant rumblings, and suddenly the villagers scatter .... |
Stage IV: Fast Into a Gale @ 70, Resistance 60% + 5 minutes: as we are struck by a violent thunderstorm. We spin up the hill, out of the village, right into the teeth of the gale, lightening bolts, thunder crashing about us, the wind howling, cutting us -- and we cutting right into it. Determined to press on, we go on, and on, until, at last the storm gradually passes we made it through to .... |
Stage V: Very Fast Climb @ 112, Resistance 40-50%
9 minutes: the clouds dissipate, and gradually the skies brighten, hints of the sun peek through, lighting the wet green hills above the village. We're determined to make the top of this great hill, to watch what we hope is a rainbow and the setting sun. Around us the shepherds gather their scattered flocks as we press on, and up, in and out of the saddle. We near the top, the sun almost breaks through, but doesn't, but then just as we reach the top, just before setting over the distant mountains, it shines through in all its glory, illuminating the valley below before falling behind the mountain. Twilight ---in the distance we can hear the song of the shepherd -- a prayer of thanksgiving -- for surviving the storm, and we quietly join in, thanks for surviving this spin! |
Instructor's Notes:
The Symphony No. 6 named by Beethoven the “Pastorale” is sometimes called the Nature Symphony. It is one of his few works that is very programmatic, and seeks in music to portray scenes of the country and country life:
For a YouTube Performance, try this one for size -- Bruno Walter’s 1958 early stereo recording which I was introduced to in 1962 -- still unsurpassed and the one I’ll be using in class:
YouTube performance Beethoven 6th
To go back to "Biking to Beethoven" Click Here
The Symphony No. 6 named by Beethoven the “Pastorale” is sometimes called the Nature Symphony. It is one of his few works that is very programmatic, and seeks in music to portray scenes of the country and country life:
- I.Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the country
- II.Scene at the brook
- III.Happy gathering of country folk
- IV.Thunderstorm; Storm
- V.Shepherds' song; cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm
For a YouTube Performance, try this one for size -- Bruno Walter’s 1958 early stereo recording which I was introduced to in 1962 -- still unsurpassed and the one I’ll be using in class:
YouTube performance Beethoven 6th
To go back to "Biking to Beethoven" Click Here