Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827})

THE STORY:

Now perhaps the most recognizable work in all of classical music, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 became the standard against which other symphonies were measured.
      It was composed between 1804 and 1808, when Beethoven was in his mid-30s and beginning to lose his hearing.
      Beethoven worked on many other works simultaneously, and the Fifth Symphony was finally premiered at a marathon concert that lasted more than four hours and featured an entire program of Beethoven premieres—also including the Symphony No. 6.
      Knowing that Beethoven composed the Fifth Symphony at a time of personal struggle, it is often considered to be a symphony about fate. It has also become a symbol of victory—in fact, during World War II, the Allied Forces used it to signal victorious moments in battle.
      One of the aspects that makes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 so remarkable is its cohesiveness and organicism—all four movements seem to grow from and are connected by musical ideas in the opening few measures.
      The music critic E.T.A. Hoffman helped to build public appreciation for the symphony with his extraordinarily glowing review. He wrote that “until the final chord—indeed, even in the moments that follow it—[the listener] will be powerless to step out of that wondrous spirit realm where grief and joy embrace him in the form of sound…”

LISTEN FOR:

• The ubiquitous four-note opening motif—a rhythm with the pattern “short-short-short-long”—which is often interpreted as fate knocking at the door; listen as this rhythm moves around the orchestra, continues to take on various characters throughout the movement, and even reappears in other movements

• Two alternating themes, the first sweet and lyrical and the second more forceful, in the second movement

• The whisper-quiet ending of the third movement leading straight into the joyful fourth movement without pause—considered one of the greatest transitions in all of symphonic music

• The surprising conclusion of the symphony in the bright key of C major rather than C minor, the home key of the work; Beethoven explained, “Many assert that every minor piece must end in the minor. Nego! ...Joy follows sorrow, sunshine—rain.”

INSTRUMENTATION:

Piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, strings