BACKGROUND

The nine symphonies of Beethoven are landmark works in the history of the genre and the fifth symphony is probably the best well-known of all works from the entire gamut of European classical music. The first two symphonies (1800 and 1802 respectively) were written during Beethoven’s early period and are very much in the Classical style and idiom. The key work, Symphony No 3 ‘Eroica’ marked a departure in Beethoven’s style away from purely abstract music to music that was essentially Romantic in spirit (in this case with the subject of the celebration of an heroic figure). Symphonies 4-9 were all written in the spirit and ethos of the Romanic Period. The last symphony - Symphony No 9 ‘Choral’ is unique too in that a chorus and soloists are used in the last movement in which they sing Schiller’s setting of ‘Ode to Joy’.
The fifth symphony was written between 1804 and 1808 which was a long period of gestation but was equally a time in which Beethoven was particularly productive. In fact, the fourth and sixth symphonies were composed during this period too as was the first version of Fidelio, the ‘Appassionata’ Piano Sonata, three ‘Razumovsky’ String Quartets, the Violin Concerto and the Fourth Piano Concerto.
In the fourth symphony, Beethoven contrasted the dual feelings of humour and joy, whereas in the fifth he deals with the darker world of the man’s struggle for victory, as expressed in his own words ‘I will grapple with fate; it shall not overcome me’ Beethoven’s personal battle, of course, was against his increasing deafness at this time. In the world at large too, the period saw much unrest with the Napoleonic Wars and Vienna occupied by Napoleon’s troops. These ideas of personal conflict and struggle to overcome, or become victorious ‘against the odds,’ are central ideas behind the notion of romanticism in the Arts. This struggle for victory is represented in the symphony by the eventually tonal shift from C minor to C major – rather akin to light at the end of a dark tunnel! Indeed, the symphony has often been seen as a journey from darkness to light as the whole work concludes with a triumphant finale in the major key.
The first performance of the symphony, which was dedicated to Prince J.F.M. Lobkowitz and Count Rasumovsky, took place in Vienna’s Theater an der Wien on December 22^nd 1808. It soon became established as a seminal work in symphonic writing and was a source of inspiration for other romantic composers such as Berlioz, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Bruckner and Mahler.
The work comprises four movements, with the outer movements in Sonata Form (see below). The second movement is in variation form (variations on two themes in fact) and the third movement is a Scherzo and Trio (ternary – ABA form).


Sonata Form

A typical sonata form movement consists of three main sections:
I Exposition
Begins with a main theme or first subject, followed by a second theme or second subject in another key (often the dominant)
II Development
Develops material from the Exposition, often modulating into one or more new keys; the last part of this section prepares for the Recapitulation:
III Recapitulation
Begins with a return to the main theme and the tonic key. It then restates some or all of the main material from the exposition, and the second theme is transposed to the tonic key.
The movement concludes either with a cadence in the tonic key paralleling the end of the exposition, or with a coda following the recapitulation

NOTES ON THE MUSIC:

Melody: Expressive and dramatic melodies are the hallmarks of romanticism in music. One of the most important techniques used by Beethoven in this work (and later adopted by Brahms and others) was the idea of taking a short melodic idea (or motif) and then developing and transforming this idea throughout the work. This is a kind of organic growth or thematic transformation and is represented in this symphony by the opening four note motif discussed below. The melodies in the Sonata Form movements (I and IV) are also contrasting themes both in key and character. Contrast is also achieved in the different character of the two melodies of the Scherzo and Trio (movement III).

Movement1 - Theme 1.The famous opening four note motif (mentioned above in the text) appears throughout the work in one form or another and here forms the basis of the first subject in C minor (Music example 1: movement 1 bars 1-21). This is often referred to as the fate motif. This is a theme made up of a motif or fragment. However, as the music grows continuously and the motif is used in sequences and imitation it sounds as one long continuous theme
Movement 1- Theme 2. This is a much more lyrical and piano (quiet)theme in the relative major key of Eb. Beethoven cleverly uses the four note motif in the accompaniment to this second theme. (Music example 2: movement 1 bars 63-94).
Movement II. The Theme is a melody in unison played by violas and cellos. This is characterised by its 3/8 time and dotted rhythms. The theme undergoes various types of variation treatment. (Music example 3: movement II bars 1-48)
Movement III. Scherzo. Theme is based on a c minor arpeggio (G,C,Eb,G,C,Eb). The use of broken chords or arpeggios clearly establishes the key of the music. (Music example 4 bars: 1-18)
Trio. Theme is in C major and is written in a contrapuntal texture. It is made up of running quavers and strong crotchet rhythms. (Music example 5: movement III bars 141-159)
Movement IV - Allegro This is in Sonata form and is based on two principal themes, although the second subject is made up of two smaller themes.
Theme 1 is a triumphant ‘fanfare’ march like melody in c major (Music example 6: bars 1-22)
Theme 2 is made up of two melodies heard at bars 45 and 64 (Music example 7: movement IV bars 45-50 and 64-71)

Rhythm:
As has already been mentioned in connection with the melodies, rhythm plays an important part in defining the character of the music.
The dramatic opening 4 note motif (short-short-short-long) is a rhythm that permeates the music through all the four movements. It is powerful, and when used in repetition, it sounds insistent and emphatic. (Music example 8: movement 1bars 25-57).

Straight crotchet/ quaver/ minim rhythms are effectively used too in lyrical melodies e.g. see music examples. 2, 4, 5 and 6. The opening to the last movement is a particularly good example of strong on beat rhythms used to hammer out the martial nature of the fanfare music of the fist subject.

Dotted rhythms are a feature of the first theme of movement 2 (music example 3)
In addition, Beethoven uses syncopated rhythms, triplet figuration, semi- and demisemiquaver passagework as basic rhythmic ideas throughout the symphony.
However, this said, it is interesting to note that a large proportion of the music is made up of pretty conventional on beat rhythms.

Harmony:
The music is tonal with modulations to related keys in the main. The tonic key of C minor finally yields to the tonic major for the finale of the work - victory has been achieved!
Harmony features the diatonic primary (I, IV and V) and secondary triads (II and VI). Standard romantic harmony of the dominant 7th, 9^th, 11^th and 13^th are used, as well as the diminished seventh and augmented 6^th chords.

Texture: There are many types of subtle musical textures in the work. These textures constantly vary and change, but include many examples of:

Homophony - this is the overriding texture in the symphony. Listen to music example 6, the opening of the Finale as one example.

Dialoguing – there are many short examples of the melody shared between instrumental families in the form of a musical dialogue e.g. towards the end of the first movement bars 440-470 (Music example 9: movement 1bars 440-470). Here the woodwind and strings are in a simple four crotchet dialogue with each other.

Monophony - Many short unaccompanied solo passages are evident throughout the work.

Octaves – There are many examples of this particular texture, for example the opening five bars of movement 1 (see ex. 1) or the opening of movement 3 (see ex. 4 bars 1-5)

Contrapuntal – Melodies treated in counterpoint, e.g. a passage from the Scherzo – listen to music ex. 5

Pitch: A full range is exploited and now with the addition of the piccolo the upper pitch range has been extended, and in the opposite direction, the contrabassoon extends the pitch further down into the bass register. These extremes of pitches are demonstrated in the Discovering Music programme.


Structure: Four movements

• I) Allegro con brio in sonata form
• II) Andante con moto in variation form
• III) Scherzo and Trio in ternary form and
• IV) Allegro in sonata form (Finale).

Instrumentation:
Full romantic scoring including new instruments to the orchestra of the piccolo, contrabassoon and three trombones making the full orchestral complement of: Piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contra bassoon, 2 horns in Eb and C, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones (alto, tenor and bass), timpani and strings.