Is that so both roaring thunder can sound powerful, distant, or immediate while a bubbling brook can sound calm, delicate, and nuanced?
What an entre to Beethoven's 6th Symphony, "The Pastorale". I can't resist - it's one of my very favorites. Here is true program music, illustrative music. B wrote a title at the beginning of each movement.
Mvmnt 1: Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the countryside
Mvmnt 2: Scene by the brook
Mvmnt 3: Merry gathering of country folk
Mvmnt 4: Thuder, storm
Mvmnt 5: Shepherd's song. Cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm
Beethoven writes: "One leaves it to the listeners to discover the situations."
The 2nd's 'Scene by the brook' and the 4th's 'Thunder, Storm' are the most memetic of the piece.
You can hear the murmur of the brook in the repeated triplets of strings. Trills and melodic figures in higher registers speak of birds flying across the scene. B even names the birds -- solo flute is the nightengale, the oboe is the quail, and two clarinets play the cuckoo.
The storm that chases the merry gatherers to shelter develops realistically. Tremolo from lower register strings sound distant thunder. The music builds as the storm comes closer, you can almost feel the rain drops pelting you. A timpani roll and raspy trombones signal the thunder and heavy rain which passes. Sunshine breaks out and the peaceful pastoral feeling is restored.
Böhm on DG is excellent. DG 2530 142
My fav is Cluytens. HMV ASD 433
