Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60

Quick Facts

• Written in 1806; premiered in 1807 in Vienna conducted by the composer
• Four movements:
  1. Adagio – Allegro vivace
  2. Adagio
  3. Allegro vivace
  4. Allegro ma non troppo 
• Dedicated to Graf Franz von Oppersdorff, a Silesian nobleman who commissioned the work¹

About the Piece

• While beautiful and beloved by many fellow composers of the 19th century, Symphony No. 4 had the unfortunate circumstance of being created between two great pillars of classical music: “Eroica” and Symphony No. 5.
  • Robert Schumann described Beethoven’s 4th Symphony as “a slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants.”
• Symphony No. 4 uses a smaller orchestra than No. 3 and is altogether more compact, lasting only about 30-35 minutes total. It is also more “classical” in sound than No. 3, following the conventionality of Beethoven’s predecessors.
• On a more personal note, musicologists have noted that the joyful character of Symphony No. 4 coincides with the period of time when Beethoven was deeply in love with Josephine Brunsvik. While Symphony No. 3 is often affiliated with the Heiligenstadt Testament, Symphony No. 4 is associated with Beethoven’s most famous love letters <3.²

1. “Symphony No.4, Op.60 (Beethoven, Ludwig van),” IMSLP, accessed October 17, 2024, https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.4%2C_Op.60_(Beethoven%2C_Ludwig_van).
2. “Symphony No. 4 in B-flat, Op. 60 (1806),” Eastman School of Music, accessed October 18, 2024, https://www.esm.rochester.edu/beethoven/symphony-no-4/.