The immortal 5th Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven is easily the best know work in all of classical music. First drafts of musical ideas and thematic material are extant from 1804. During this period he was also at work on other monumental works including the Appassionata piano sonata, the 4th Symphony, and the Violin Concerto, as well as finalizing a first version of his opera Fidelio.
Beethoven's most intense work on the piece came in the year 1807-1808, and the piece premiered on 22 December, 1808 at the Theatre an der Wien in Vienna. The program was huge and included premiers of the 6th Symphony and the Choral Fantasy as well. Beethoven was Conductor (and soloist for his 4th Piano Concerto - also on the program).
The symphony gained almost immediate acclaim and was hailed by famed author, composer, and music critic, E.T.A. Hoffman as,
". . .one of the most important works of the time."
Beethoven was struggling at the time with his increasing deafness, and Vienna was in the midst of political turmoil as Napoleon's forces were occupying the city. His new symphony, written in the midst of this, was dubbed (not by Beethoven), the "Schicksals-Sinfonie" (Fate-Symphony); based certainly in part on the iconic opening motive, 'Da-da-da-Dum!', which was known as the "Schicksals-Motiv", or "Fate Motive".
The piece is in four movements:
Beethoven clearly loved bold, stark, profound openings for his music. Recall the thunderous chords from F minor, moving through Eb to Ab Major at the beginning of Egmont- or even the C7 (dominant) chord that opens the C Major First Symphony. Examples abound. Like everything about this piece, the opening "Fate Motive" is the pinnacle of bold, stark, and profound. It sets the stage for the entire symphony. Beethoven uses it as the ubiquitous unifying element of the first movement. It is so profoundly simple- so easily recognized- that once the listener has latched on to it, its presence throughout the movement is as ubiquitous as it is unmistakable. Beethoven pushes this motive through iterations leading to a brash diminished chord which is a transition to the second theme in Eb; and how is it introduced? Yes, by a clarion call of the lead horn sounding the Fate Motive. The legato second theme provides a pastoral contrast to the sharply punctuated opening.
In the Development Beethoven incorporates both ideas- the motive and the legato texture as the music glides through a harmonic labyrinth taking the listener from Eb through Ab to F Minor, to Db, to D before circling back to C Minor for the start of the Recap. After the arresting return of the Fate Motive proper, the motive proceeds in the strings like the opening, only this time, out of the texture emerges a beautiful sustained oboe. The rest of the orchestra- almost as though newly aware of this emerging line- stops; giving the floor to oboe, which proceeds with a quasi mini-cadenza. The second theme is introduced like it was in the Exposition, though this time it is a bassoon, not a horn that gives the clarion call, and this time it is in C Major (the parallel major) rather than Eb (the relative major). Following the pastoral restatement of the second theme, the music embarks on another harmonic excursion all the while winding its way back to the terse C Minor. The movement ends with the dramatic punctuated reiteration of the V-i progression in the home key.
Movement II begins with the melody played by viola and cello in the related key of Ab. The dotted rhythmic design and undulating contour provide a compelling sense of motion to the line. Though Beethoven begins the movement in an "acceptable" (think Classical Period) key, his liberal use of secondary harmonies is "forward looking" (Romantic) infusing the music with richness and depth. Unlike the jarring start to the first movement, this theme is marked by a sense of serenity. Of course, this serenity is not to last as the melodic figure adds a chromatic half-step turning the peaceful Ab Major into a hushed diminished chord on A natural- leading by way of an Augmented Sixth chord to a resoundingly bright (and seemingly unrelated) C Major. The brass take up the triumphant second theme squarely in C. Hushed chromatic harmonies provide the transition right back to a variation of the Ab theme- again in the low strings. This back-and-forth continues, contrasting ever more intricate variations of the bucolic Ab theme with the increasingly joyous C Major theme. When we return to first theme for the final time, in place of the rolling character of the first theme Beethoven writes a contrasting variation employing pizzicato strings and staccato winds- now in Ab Minor. This turns out to be a grand transition to a glowing rendition of the first theme back in the Major key but borrowing the mood of the C Major theme; a final triumphant statement.
Movement III has the same tempo marking as the final movement- Allegro. These two allegros are very different in character, however. The third movement is in 3 (felt in one) while the fourth is in 4 (felt in two). The structure of the third movement is A-B-A, and Beethoven returns to the key of C Minor. But though this all seems very straight-forward in the Classical sense, this music is, of course, anything but typical. Beethoven innovates- this time by essentially bifurcating the theme of the first A section.
It begins with a pianissimo (very quiet) line in the lowest strings that blossoms into a hushed G Major chord. Then, after a pause, the phrase repeats with the addition of some chromaticism for good measure. After a second pause on G Major, suddenly a strident repeated G from the horns at fortissimo (very loud) bursts forth with punctuated chords from the orchestra. Because of their stark contrast these would seem to be two themes (albeit quite short). In reality, they are two distinct halves of one theme.
The B section is in C Major. Like the start of the A section, the theme is played by the low strings. Unlike the opening section, this second theme has a completely different character- buoyant, and playful. There is a much greater use of polyphony in this music as well. In place of stacked chords with the entire orchestra all playing the same rhythm, here the harmonies are woven through the main musical idea as woodwind lines dance around the flowing eighth-notes in the strings.
Eventually we return to the second A section- which begins as it did originally. Now we are prepared for the blast of the repeated G, and of course, Beethoven doesn't oblige- choosing instead to have the repeated note intoned in a susurration, and reducing the rhythm of the marcato to its most elemental state. Winds play staccato (very short) notes, barely above a whisper while the strings play pizzicato (plucked) notes beneath. We anticipate the end of the movement on a final short C Minor, and Beethoven leads us right to it and then- doesn't. Instead of C Minor, the strings land on an Ab Major chord and the repeated note motive is sounded by the timpani. It is a steady pulsating low C. The strings wander around the Ab as though a shroud has been thrown over the musical landscape. But ever so gradually the tonality begins to change and the music becomes more hopeful. The dynamic continues to grow gradually louder and the harmony moves to an unmistakable G7 chord, and suddenly-
The Finale has begun in a bright, even joyous C Major. The music is full of dance and song, mirth and triumph- reminiscent of "Eroica". Beethoven abandons the drama so carefully crafted over the other movements and the audience is able to bask in the sunny Major harmonies of this allegro- wholly different in character from what came before. Here again Beethoven flouts convention- which would have the last movement of the symphony written in the original key of C Minor.
But Beethoven addresses this thought:
"Many assert that every minor piece must end in the minor. Nego! . . . Joy follows sorrow, sunshine - rain."
The fourth movement is structured as a sonata-form movement- though here again Beethoven takes liberties. What serves as the Development is a return to the music of the third movement, complete with time change (back to one) and in C Minor. The transition out of this and into the Recap is a truncated version of the same transition we heard headed into the Finale from the third movement- and the Recap then begins as a literal repeat of the opening of the Finale.
There is an extended Coda in which the composer revisits all of the thematic material from the movement compressing the musical ideas and finally increasing the tempo to Presto. When we have reached the end, we witness one of the other hallmarks of this piece- an extended V-I progression in C Major that continues for 29 bars played fortissimo. The American pianist and writer Charles Rosen, in his book, The Classical Style, suggests that Beethoven is employing a sense of balance with this "unbelievably long" cadential ending. Rosen argues that Beethoven felt this ending was necessary " . . .to ground the extreme tension of this immense work."
- © 2020; Darrell Lee Music