Beethoven’s first sketches of the Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op 68, appeared in 1802. Beethoven was a lover of nature who spent a great deal of his time on walks in the country. He frequently left Vienna to work in rural locations. He said that the Sixth Symphony is "more the expression of feeling than painting," and annotated the first movement “Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the countryside.”

The Sixth Symphony was composed simultaneously with his more famous—and more fiery—Firth Symphony. Both symphonies premiered in a long and under-rehearsed concert in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on December 22, 1808.

Children who listened to classical music for one hour a day over a six-month period exhibited brain changes that indicated greater levels of relaxation—even when the children were not asked to pay attention to the music. Additionally, if testing anxiety causes sleepless nights, classical music can help reduce insomnia. A team of researchers at the University of Toronto found that tuning in to classical music before bedtime helped people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. The study found that works by Brahms, Handel, Mozart, Strauss, and Bach were effective sleep aids because they use rhythms and tonal patterns that create a meditative mood and slow brainwaves.

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