Beethoven Symphony 2 Analysis

Composed in 1840, Felix Mendelssohn’s “symphony-cantata after words of the Holy Bible”, “Lobgesang,” was originally created to celebrate the 400th anniversary of moveable type. Although the composer left no indication for the piece being his second symphony, editors posthumously published it as “Symphony No. 2.” He divides the work into two sections: a symphonic prelude and a larger cantate section. The latter half consists of nine movements for chorus and soloists. The lyrics of the vocal movements concern the praise of God and mankind’s journey to enlightenment. The piece bears some similarities to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony due to its structure of three instrumental movements followed by a large section for vocals. However, Mendelssohn illustrates that he wanted a choral work, not just a symphony with a choir and soloists in the last movement. Due to the Ninth Symphony’s relatively young age and popularity at the time, Symphony no. 2’s allusions simply provide an homage to Beethoven’s Ninth.
Movement one, “Maestoso con moto - Allegro,” opens with a the brass fanfare, producing a sober and noble theme by the trombones. From that theme the movement gathers momentum until finally, at cadence point, the lighter, second theme, a gently rolling motif from the strings, balances the piece. Mixing proves itself to be another prominent theme throughout the first movement; fanfare and smooth motifs mix as well as the different tones in the orchestration. For example, Mendelssohn juxtaposes the bright brass section against the soft strings and woodwinds in order to capture the audience’s