Beethoven's Fifth Symphony

Today you will listen to probably the most famous symphony of all time. Beethoven's fifth symphony; specifically, the first movement of that symphony. If you've read my previous post, you would know that a symphony is generally made of four movements; if you haven't, I would strongly suggest that you go back and read my previous post "The Symphony".

Now that I've made sure that you've read my post on Mozart's Symphony 40, click on the play button and listen to it again. You don't have to listen to the entire movement, just listen to it long enough to remind yourself of it. Now play the symphony below it, Beethoven's 5th Symphony. What is the first thing you notice? The first noticable thing about this symphony is that it is a very dark piece, unlike Mozart's symphony which sounds very sophisticated and maybe even happy. You should know that Mozart was a generally "happy" composer, most of his compositions seem happy. The opposite is true for Beethoven, who was a tormented musician, and signs of that are clearly heard throught his pieces.

Like Mozart's Symphony 40, and most other symphonies, Beethoven's 5th symphony starts off with a movement is sonata form. Exposition - Development - Recapitulation. That is all I am going to say about that. You are free to compare this movement with Mozart's first movement of Symphony 40, you would find many similarities in the forms of the two pieces. As I said, they are both in sonata form.

Beethoven was already 60% deaf by the year 1801, and he started composing his 5th symphony in 1804. Beethoven spent four whole years perfecting this symphony. His frustration with his increasing deafness is evident in throughout the piece's dark mood. And even after the long time he spend in its composition, people were not at all impressed with his symphony. It wasn't seen as the masterpiece it is until long after its first performance. The first movement, has the tempo markings "Allegro con brio". As we already know, allegro means fast and lively. Con brio means with spirit, so the movement is meant to performed "fast and with spirit".

So yeah, I don't know what else to say. Watch out for the "Dit-Dit-Dit-DAAH" theme, its the first thing you hear in the movement, and also the last. This theme is now EVERYWHERE, used for everything. It just shows you how famous this symphony is. The theme is called "fate knocking on your door", for some reason. It is quite ppossible that Beethoven gave it that name.

If you want to see this movement performed by an orchestra, click here.
If you want to download Beethoven's 5th Symphony, Allegro con brio , click here.

Now go be happy, you know the most famous symphony ever.