Beethoven Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major Full Score

Author: Jonathan de Mares
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-06-01
Features: Slurs in repeated notes: This must have been something Beethoven could have thought of, so we still retain them as they appear in the original source material. In this edition of the full score, we follow modern standard notation methods: the slurs used by the two players on the upper and lower stems are separate, but when two notes share a stem, one slur is sufficient for both. The same applies to the treatment of broken chords and tied notes. This edition is the first to preserve the personal style from the early materials of Op. 60: all woodwind instruments, and even including timpani, have complete and precise markings written by Beethoven himself in their parts. During Beethoven's time, woodwind instruments dominated performances, a typical feature of concerts in Vienna. Without a doubt, other symphonies were performed in the same way, but they did not preserve detailed original markings, which are designated as S and T here. However, it is evident from practical performances. The Fourth Symphony is not one of Beethoven's more thoroughly marked symphonies, so instead of treating it as a definitive score, it is better regarded as an important and distinctive historical document. To make this edition more convenient and practical, we have retained the traditional rehearsal letters, which have always been included in various performance editions of Beethoven's symphonies.