How many parts does Beethoven's symphony consist of 5. Beethoven

This symphony became the most popular in Beethoven's legacy. It was completed in 1808, and was first performed in Vienna in December of the same year under the direction of the author, simultaneously with the 6th Symphony. The composer worked on it for quite a long time - for four years, in parallel with the 4th and 6th symphonies.

Symphony 5 reveals the main theme of Beethoven's symphony - the heroic of the struggle. The symphony embodied this idea in the most concentrated form, developing "From darkness - to light, through struggle - to victory".

A distinctive feature of the content of the 5th symphony (in comparison with other orchestral works dedicated to the same theme - the 3rd and 9th symphonies, "Egmont") is rock problem ... Beethoven, usually stingy with verbal explanations, himself pointed out to Schindler the main theme of the symphony as a sound symbol of fate (“this is how fate knocks at the door”). "The Voice of Rock" sounds in many Beethoven's works (piano sonatas Nos. 8, 17, 23 can serve as an example), but nowhere else has the theme of fate been the core of all dramatic development.

The 4-part cycle of the 5th symphony, in comparison with the 3rd, is even more monolithic due to:

a single concept;
through the development of the leading image - “the motive of fate”. As an epigraph to the entire work, it permeates the symphony from beginning to end, each time deeply transforming;
the presence of a pre-ordinal link between the 3rd and 4th movements of the symphony, thanks to which the victorious march of the finale begins not just an attacca, but immediately from the climax;
with a palatal orientation from minor to major ("from darkness to light"). Finale key - C - dur , which "colors" all the triumphant episodes of the first three parts (reprise I parts, marching theme Andante, trio III parts). All these episodes are "aimed" at the ending, being, as it were, its harbingers;
intonation connections between parts. So, for example, c is a minor march from III parts are repeated in the development of the finale, elements of mass heroic genres make the lyrics related Andante with the ending;

1 movement (c-moll)

The sonata allegro of movement I (c-minor) is almost entirely based on the principle of derivative contrast. It is clearly manifested in the very first, famous, theme of the main party ... It is impossible to say unequivocally whether it is contrasting or homogeneous? On the one hand, there is an obvious contrast between the harsh categorical nature of the first four bars (the emphatically powerful unison of the orchestral tutti on ff ) and strong-willed aspiration of further continuation. However, the basis of the contrast is the same motive. Strikingly transformed, it is perceived both as a “fatal element” and as a symbol of heroic resistance, that is, opposing rock start.

The fighting fanfare of French horns leading to the secondary theme (link) is based on the same "pounding" rhythm as the bass counterpoint that accompanies the secondary theme. The commanding intonation of the ascending fourth in the rhythm of the "motive of fate" reminds of itself throughout side party ( Es - dur ), which dramatizes the light lyrical image, “exploding” its calmness from within. The activation of the lyrical principle leads to the affirmation of heroism. At the end of the exposition - at the final batch - it is embodied no longer in a minor-pathetic (as in the GP), but in a major, fanfare guise. Subject RFP ( Es - dur ) is another version of the original motive.

main feature development - monotonousness. The side theme is almost completely removed, all development takes place under the sign of the "motive of fate." It sounds in two contrasting versions - severely imperative and woefully restless. As a result, the entire development is permeated with a single rhythmic pulsation, which contributes to its integrity. The tonal development plan is based on T- D ratios: f - c - g - G - g - c - f.

The culmination of development atff in orchestral tutti, amid mind. VII 7 the "motive of fate" sounds. This moment coincides with the beginning of the reprise.

In the reprise of the main part, the sorrowful beginning is intensified: it contains the recitative of the oboe, similar to the voice of a person who has gone through life's trials.

Part 2 (As-major)

Part II - Andante, As-major, double variations. This music is perceived not so much as a comprehension of past events, but as a premonition of the future. Much in it anticipates the finale: the 2nd, marching, theme of variations is clearly related to the victorious theme of the finale. This is evidenced by the inviting hymn intonation, the stamped marching gait, the festive sonority of C - dur ′ A (moreover, the new key is distinguished by anharmonic modulation from As - dur ). Each of the two themes is a completely independent image:

1st - calmer and more songful, contains a lyrical element;

2nd - fanfare and marching.

At the same time, both themes are so connected with each other that they can be considered as a two-way manifestation of a single beginning. In the process of variation, the inner relationship of the themes is revealed with complete evidence: the lyrical first theme is activated, transforming into a march.

Part 3

Part III does not contain a genre designation ("minuet" or "scherzo"). In her restless and harsh music, there is neither dance nor fun (with the exception of the trio in the nature of folk dance). This is yet another battle with rock, as evidenced by the return of the original tonality and the development of the “motive of fate”.

The form is also unconventional: while maintaining the external contours of a complex 3-part form with a trio, the logic of dramatic development is deeply rethought.

The first section is built on two themes that are opposite in meaning, connected only by tonal relationship (both in c - moll ). First theme, at violas and cellospp, is a dialogue of troubling questions and sad answers. The second theme invades suddenly, onff at the wind instruments. It grew out of the "motive of fate", which here acquired a particularly tough, imperative and persistent character. Despite the three-part nature, this topic has clear signs of a march.

The threefold contrasting alternation of the two themes forms a round-shaped structure.

In C major trio the picture changes dramatically: there are optimistic images of folk life. A gamma-like motor theme, full of powerful volitional pressure, develops in the form of a fugato.

Quite unusual reprise III parts. It is shortened and strongly transformed: the contrast that distinguished the two initial themes has disappeared - everything sounds on a solidpp, pizzicato ... A single mood of anxious expectation prevails. And suddenly, at the very end of the part, a new motive appears (partly close to the first theme), like a timid ray of hope, an uncertain search for a way out. Beethoven builds on it the transition to the Final - from the extremely thickened darkness to the major apotheosis.

Part 4

the last part the symphony becomes its festive culmination. A distinctive feature of the finale's thematicism is the closest connection with the music of the French Revolution: heroic songs and marches, massive round dances, warlike fanfare, victory cries, the pathos of oratorical speech. Such images demanded that the composer strengthen the orchestral resources: for the first time in symphonic music, 3 trombones, piccolo and contrabassoon were included in the final score.

The impression of the mass character of the victorious triumph is also facilitated by the multi-darkness of the sonata form of the finale: each of the 4 themes of the exposition is built on independent material. At the same time, the abundance of themes does not lead to contrast: all themes are major and festive, based on chased, simple, almost elementary melodic formulas (movement along the tones of triads, gradual ups and downs, etc.). The difference is in the genre nature of the themes: the main theme marsheva linking - hymn, side close round dance dance, the final sounds like a triumphal cry .

The development mainly develops a triplet motive from a side part. A new motive of trombones with inviting-volitional intonation introduces dramatic tension. At the end of the development, it takes place against the background of the dominant organ point in conditions of dynamic growth, leading to a reprise. Suddenly this movement is interrupted by a "dark memory" - a march from III parts on the "motive of fate." It still sounds in c - moll (instead of expected C - dur -a). However, now in the theme of fate there is no former formidable force, it only contrastingly emphasizes the jubilation, renewed in the reprise and not disturbed until the very end of the symphony.

Short biography of Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven Ludwig van (baptized 12/17/1770, Bonn; died 03/26/1827, Vienna).

Born in Bonn into a family of musicians. The first music teacher for Beethoven was his father, whose hot-tempered and rude character almost completely turned the boy away from his studies.

Much more was given to him by the lessons of the court conductor (head of the chapel) KG Nefe.

In 1785, Beethoven was appointed organist of the Elector Chapel. In 1792, by order of the Elector (ruler) Max Franz II, he went to Vienna to improve his skills. The musician studied with I. Schenk and J. Haydn, and after Haydn's departure for England in 1794 - with A. Salieri and I. G. Albrechtsberger.

The most significant works created by Beethoven by the mid-80s. XVIII century: piano sonatas No. 8 ("Pathetic") and No. 14 ("Moonlight"; the title was given after the death of the author), oratorio "Christ on the Mount of Olives" (1802-1803), "Kreutzer Sonata" for violin and piano (1803), the Third ("Heroic") Symphony (1804; at first the author wanted to dedicate this work to Napoleon I, but when he proclaimed himself emperor, removed the dedication), the opera "Fidelio" (1805, delivered in Vienna).

In 1809, Archduke Rudolph, Prince Lobkowitz and Count Kinsky invited Beethoven to stay to work and give concerts in Vienna. Since then, he has lived permanently in this city. His performances were a success; in 1814 the composer reached the peak of his fame. But his life was overshadowed by progressive deafness, which first made itself felt back in 1797, the disease forced him to completely abandon concert activities.

However, even completely losing his hearing, Beethoven continued to write music. In the last years of his life, he created five piano sonatas (32 in total), five string quartets, etc.

The Ninth Symphony (1823) with a chorus in the finale to the words of F. Schiller's ode "To Joy" was a kind of synthesis and the pinnacle of all Beethoven's work. He wrote this work, already being seriously ill, tormented by loneliness and disappointment in people.

Perhaps the main theme of Beethoven's work can be called the idea of a heroic struggle for freedom, consonant with the revolutionary era. At the same time, his music also conveys the subtlest lyrical experiences.

Fourth Symphony. History of creation

The Fourth Symphony is one of the rare lyric works of large form in Beethoven's heritage. She is illuminated by the light of happiness, idyllic pictures are warmed by the warmth of sincere feelings. It is no coincidence that romantic composers loved this symphony so much, drawing from it as a source of inspiration. Schumann called her a slender Hellenic girl between two northern giants - the Third and the Fifth. It was completed while working on the Fifth, in mid-November 1806 and, according to the researcher of the composer R. Rolland, was created “with a single spirit, without the usual preliminary sketches ... clear in his life. "

Summer 1806 Beethoven spent in the castle of the Hungarian counts of Brunswick. He gave lessons to the sisters Theresa and Josephine, excellent pianists, and their brother Franz was his best friend, "dear brother", to whom the composer dedicated the famous piano sonata opus 57, completed at that time, called "Appassionata" (Passionate). Researchers regard love for Josephine and Teresa as one of the most serious feelings ever experienced by Beethoven. With Josephine, he shared his most secret thoughts, in a hurry to show her every new composition. Working in 1804 on the opera Leonora (the final name is Fidelio), she was the first to play excerpts, and perhaps it was Josephine who became the prototype of the tender, proud, loving heroine (“everything is light, purity and clarity,” he said Beethoven). Her older sister Teresa believed that Josephine and Beethoven were created for each other, and yet the marriage between them did not take place (although some researchers believe that Beethoven was the father of one of Josephine's daughters). On the other hand, Teresa's housekeeper talked about the composer's love for the eldest of the Brunswick sisters and even about their betrothal. In any case, Beethoven admitted: "When I think about her, my heart beats as hard as on the day when I met her for the first time." A year before his death, Beethoven was seen crying over a portrait of Teresa, which he kissed, repeating: "You were so beautiful, so great, like angels!" The secret betrothal, if it really took place (which is disputed by many), falls just in May 1806 - the time of work on the Fourth Symphony.
Its premiere took place in March next, 1807, in Vienna.

Fifth Symphony.

At this time, Beethoven was 35-38 years old, his life was complicated by progressive deafness. In the outside world, this time was marked by the Napoleonic Wars, political unrest in Austria and the occupation of Vienna by Napoleonic troops in 1805.

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, piccolo flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings.

History of creation

The Fifth Symphony, which amazes with its laconic presentation, compactness of forms, striving for development, seems to be born in a single creative impulse. However, it was created longer than the others. Beethoven worked on it for three years, having completed two symphonies of a completely different character during these years: in 1806, the lyric Fourth was written, in the next, the Pastoral, which later received No. 6, was started and completed simultaneously with the Fifth.

This was the time of the highest flowering of the composer's talent. One by one, the most typical, most famous compositions for him appeared, often imbued with energy, a proud spirit of self-affirmation, heroic struggle: the violin sonata opus 47, known as Kreutserova, piano opus 53 and 57 (Aurora and Appassionata - names not given the author), the opera Fidelio, the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, three quartets opus 59 dedicated to the Russian philanthropist Count A. K. Razumovsky, piano (Fourth), Violin and Triple (for piano, violin and cello) concerts, overture Coriolanus, 32 Variations for Piano in C Minor, Mass in C Major, etc. The composer resigned himself to an incurable disease, which could not be worse for a musician - deafness, although, having learned about the doctors' verdict, he almost committed suicide: “Only virtues and to art I owe the fact that I did not commit suicide. " At 31, he wrote to a friend the proud words that became his motto: “I want to grab fate by the throat. She will not be able to completely break me. Oh, how wonderful it is to live a thousand lives! "

The Fifth Symphony is dedicated to famous patrons of art - Prince F. I. Lobkovits and Count A. K. Razumovsky, the Russian envoy in Vienna, and was first performed in the author's concert, the so-called "academy", at the Vienna Theater on December 22, 1808, together with the Pastoral. The symphonies were then numbered differently: the symphony that opened the "academy" called "Memories of Countryside Life," in F major, had No. 5, and the "Grand Symphony in C minor" was No. 6. The concert was unsuccessful. During the rehearsal, the composer quarreled with the orchestra provided to him - a combined team, of a low level, and at the request of the musicians who refused to work with him, he was forced to retire to the next room, from where he listened to conductor I. Seyfried learning his music. During the concert, the hall was cold, the audience sat in fur coats and indifferently took Beethoven's new symphonies.

Subsequently, the Fifth became the most popular in his legacy. The most typical features of Beethoven's style are concentrated in it, the main idea of his work is most vividly and succinctly embodied, which is usually formulated as follows: through the struggle to victory. Short relief themes are immediately and forever engraved in memory. One of them, slightly altering, goes through all the parts (this technique, borrowed from Beethoven, will often be used by the next generation of composers). About this cross-cutting theme, a kind of leitmotif of four notes with a characteristic knocking rhythm, according to one of the composer's biographers, he said: "So fate knocks at the door."

Music

The first movement is opened by the theme of fate repeated twice by fortissimo. The main party immediately actively develops, rushing to the top. The same motive of fate begins the side part and constantly reminds of itself in the bass of the string group. A side melody contrasting to him, melodious and gentle, ends, however, with a resounding culmination: the entire orchestra repeats the motive of fate in formidable unison. A visible picture of a stubborn, uncompromising struggle appears, which overwhelms the development and continues in the reprise. As is typical of Beethoven, the reprise is not an exact repetition of the exposure. Before the appearance of the side part, a sudden stop occurs, the solo oboe recites a rhythmically free phrase. But the development does not end in the reprise: the struggle continues in the code, and its outcome is unclear - the first part does not give a conclusion, leaving the listener in tense anticipation of the continuation.

The slow second movement was conceived by the composer as a minuet. In the final version, the first theme resembles a song, light, strict and restrained, and the second theme - at first a version of the first - acquires heroic features from the brass and oboes of fortissimo, accompanied by blows of timpani. It is not by chance that in the process of its variation, the motive of fate sounds secretly and alarmingly, as a reminder. Beethoven's favorite form of double variations is sustained in strictly classical principles: both themes are presented in ever-shorter lengths, acquire new melodic lines, polyphonic imitations, but always retain a clear, light character, becoming even more stately and solemn by the end of the movement.

The anxious mood returns in the third movement. This absolutely unusual scherzo is not a joke at all. The clashes continue, the struggle that began in the sonata allegro of the first movement. The first theme is a dialogue - a hidden question, sounding barely audible in the muffled bass of the string group, is answered by a brooding, sad melody of violins and violas supported by brass. After the fermata, the French horns, and behind them the entire fortissimo orchestra, assert the motive of fate: in such a formidable, unforgiving version, it has not yet been encountered. For the second time, the dialogical theme sounds uncertain, splitting into separate motives, without receiving completion, which makes the theme of fate, in contrast, even more formidable. At the third appearance of the dialogical theme, a stubborn struggle ensues: the motive of fate is polyphonically combined with a pensive, melodious answer, quivering, pleading intonations are heard, and the climax confirms the victory of fate. The picture changes dramatically in the trio - an energetic fugato with a moving major theme of a motor, scale-like character. The reprise of the scherzo is quite unusual. For the first time, Beethoven refuses to completely repeat the first section, as was always the case in a classical symphony, saturating a compressed reprise with intense development. It happens as if in the distance: the only indication of the power of sonority is the piano variants. Both themes have changed significantly. The first one sounds even more hidden (string pizzicato), the theme of fate, losing its formidable character, appears in the calls of the clarinet (then the oboe) and violin pizzicato, interrupted by pauses, and even the timbre of the French horn does not give it the same strength. The last time its echoes are heard in the roll-over of bassoons and violins; finally, only the monotonous rhythm of the pianissimo timpani remains. And here comes an amazing transition to the finale. As if a timid ray of hope dawns, an uncertain search for a way out begins, transmitted by tonal instability, modulating revolutions ...

The ending that begins without interruption floods everything around with dazzling light. The triumph of victory is embodied in the chords of a heroic march, enhancing the brilliance and power of which the composer for the first time introduces trombones, contrabassoon and piccolo flute into a symphony orchestra. The music of the era of the French Revolution is vividly and directly reflected here - marches, processions, mass celebrations of the victorious people. It is said that the Napoleonic grenadiers, who attended a concert in Vienna, jumped up from their seats at the first sounds of the finale and saluted. The massiveness is emphasized by the simplicity of the themes, mainly for the full orchestra - catchy, energetic, not detailed. They are united by a jubilant character, which is not violated even in development, until the motive of fate invades it. It sounds like a reminder of the past struggle and, perhaps, as a harbinger of the future: battles and sacrifices are also ahead. But now in the theme of fate there is no former formidable force. The jubilant reprise affirms the victory of the people. Extending the scenes of the mass celebration, Beethoven concludes the sonata allegro of the finale with a large coda.

Between 1806 and 1808 (a period marked by especially outstanding creative achievements of the composer) Beethoven worked simultaneously on three symphonies. The central work of this group turned out to be the heroic-tragic Fifth Symphony in c minor - C major (op.67, 1805 - 1808). Until our time, it continues to be one of the most beloved and popular works of the world symphonic repertoire.

The fifth embodies the main theme of Beethoven's work - heroism and the tragedy of struggle. The same idea, in the same optimistic twist, was used as the basis for the Heroic Symphony. But in the new work, Beethoven gave it a slightly different ideological and figurative interpretation. Accordingly, the principles of shaping have also changed: they have acquired greater purposefulness and simplicity.

In the Fifth Symphony, the theme of struggle is shown in an aspect typical of the tragic theater of the Enlightenment. The irreconcilable collision of man with rock, where the formidable, strong-willed image of rock personified social necessity, was at the heart of the drama of classicist tragedy and the musical drama of Gluck associated with it. Beethoven interprets this conflict in a new way. What was new, Beethoven's, was efficiency.

Unlike Gluck's tragedies, where liberation came unexpectedly and from the outside, in Beethoven's symphony a person wins as a result of a single combat with fate. From darkness to light - this is how the dramatic conflict of the Fifth Symphony develops consistently.

Its four-part cycle is an indissoluble unity. The individual parts are interconnected not only by the course of dramatic development, but also by a certain “leitrhythm”. “This is how fate knocks at the door,” Beethoven said about the main theme of the Fifth Symphony. From the first sounds to the finale, an alarming, harsh motive of fate sounds.

The motive of fate that begins the Fifth Symphony is one of Beethoven's most ingenious finds:

Never before, even with Beethoven himself, has a musical theme achieved such laconicism, such melodic and rhythmic concentration. In essence, it is difficult to call it an independent theme, the melodic principle itself is so weakly expressed in it. Rhythm and harmonic gravitation mainly shape her artistic appearance. At the same time, for all its uniqueness and intonational "parsimony", the motive of fate generalizes the pathetic intonations that had developed in the music of predecessors and were widely used by Beethoven himself in earlier works *.

* This refers to the same s-mоll intonations of fear and grief that sounded at one time in "Orpheus" and "Alceste" by Gluck, in the overture to "Medea" by Cherubini, in the "Pathetic Senate" by Beethoven, in his Fourth Quartet , "Funeral March" from "Heroic Symphony" and others.

The sonata Allegro of the Fifth Symphony is one of the most amazing examples of Beethoven's symphonic development. Beethoven gives the formidable and tragic motive of rock an active, strong-willed character *.

* A number of expressive techniques are concentrated in it, giving it excitement: repetition, "hammering" of one melodic sound, fortissimo, a bare unison-octave sound and, finally, the translational affect of the foot (the fourth peon, in which the accent associated with a strong beat of the measure falls on to the last of the four sounds of the motive).

In contrast to the intonationally rich, lengthy theme "Heroic", it is extremely short. This determines the nature of the development of the entire sonata Allegro of the Fifth Symphony.

As an epigraph to the entire symphony, the motive of fate is at the same time the smallest architectonic link in the entire complex structure of the first movement.

According to the principle of "ostinata" repetition, it permeates the music of the entire Allegro. The feeling of organized movement does not weaken for a second, the internal pulsation is not interrupted, and the repetition of its rhythm is almost not disturbed. So the techniques that have so far been used mainly to express genre images are refracted in an acutely dramatic work, showing a rare example of an organic combination of tragic pathetic intonations with the rhythms of a monotonous forward movement.

All sonata Allegro - agitated, impetuous - is united by the rhythmic intonations of the main motive. And the contrasting side theme, and the second stage of the final, and the connecting and most intense development are permeated by them:

Internal connections create a rare form integrity. Even in the "Heroic Symphony" there was no such purposefulness of development. There is not a single beat of the actual exposition, for already in the very motive of fate there is a progressive movement. A particularly remarkable effect is achieved in a dramatic climax: the gradual build-up in development leads to an explosion. On unstable harmonies (diminished seventh chord), on fortissimo at tutti, the motive of fate sounds frenziedly, piercingly. The culmination of development merges with the beginning of the reprise:

The dynamic reprise and huge development code surpass the first half of Allegro with its tragic pathos.

Inspirational Andante con moto leads away from the tragic images of the first movement into the world of Beethoven's civic lyrics.

The main lyrical theme grew out of the minuet motif. This declamatory, calm first theme, with its wide melodic breathing and the timbre of solo violas and cellos, is contrasted with the second theme - heroic, marching, full of inner dynamics:

The heroic theme, intonationally related to the first, is close to revolutionary marches and odes. Its fanfare and even the C-dur tonality (the appearance of which coincides with the culmination of the development of the theme) foreshadows the finale of the symphony. Here oboes, French horns, trumpets and drums sound, accompanied by sharply accented strings.

In the process of variational development, the lyric theme significantly changes its original character, transforms into a march. Both themes merge in code. Andante, which began as a soulful song, ends with a heroic appeal.

Apparently, the model for this Andante was the double variations from Haydn's Es-major (London) symphony, which, like Beethoven's, are based on the principle of a steady increase in tension *.

* Haydn has the same opposition of lyrical and heroic images combined with inner unity. Both themes, like Beethoven's, are associated with genre and everyday traditions. Variational development is also similar, during which there is a gradual interpenetration of the expressive elements of both themes and the lyrical theme is transformed into a heroic one. This similarity emphasizes Beethoven's tendency towards symphonic development and the complete overcoming of the mechanical fragmentation of the variational form.

At the moment of the most acute conflict (the first variation of the second theme), the alarming "knock of fate" also intrudes into the heroic theme:

The third movement of the Fifth Symphony, the three-part Allegro, is called a scherzo. Meanwhile, this music is full of a tragic and agitated mood. Even techniques that at first glance seem typically scary (such as staccato repetitive sounds) serve as an expression of harshness, strength, and tenacity. In the third part, Beethoven returns to the painting of a tragic battle with fate.

On muted sounds of pianissimo, in low registers of cellos and double basses, a c-minor theme-dialogue sounds. Almost verbal expressiveness is heard in its gloomy, alarming melody and in the impotently plaintive intonations of the “answer”:

And suddenly, with dramatic surprise, the imperative, harsh "theme of fate" intervenes (in a somewhat transformed form):

The typical scherzo-shaped form, based on periodicity and symmetry in comparing thematic sections, Beethoven dramatizes, gives in dynamic development. The theme of "fear and grief" alternates three times with the "motive of fate." Moreover, each of its appearance is accompanied by more and more aggravated complicated development. Any new intrusion of the theme of rock is perceived as a dramatic peak of the previous stage. In the third movement, there is also no dismemberment usual for a scherzo. Even the major fugue trio - a light interlude - gradually merges into the mournful first theme of the reprise.

An abbreviated and modified reprise sounds in a ghostly haze, on a continuous pianissimo, without external contrasts. The tragic theme loses its fluidity and acquires a rhythmic resemblance to the theme of fate. The latter, mysterious, muffled, gradually merges with the first.

When the struggle dies down, a transition, remarkable in originality and dramatic power, begins to the finale. Against the background of the quiet "pedal" sound of the strings, the timpani enter with an alarming, growing "clatter of fate." But fragments of the tragic theme, appearing against this background, also carry glimpses of light. The effect of hidden polyphony is remarkable here: the successive ascent of the melodic voice to the top looms. The darkness dissipates. And suddenly the brilliant, full of joy and power sounds of the solemn apotheosis - the finale:

The major finale of the Fifth Symphony expresses the heroic denouement of the drama. “The march-like motive (finale) ... all the more enchants us with its great naivety, because the entire symphony that preceded it now begins to seem only an intense preparation for this jubilation. This is how the clouds gather, now driven by a storm, now driven by the gentle breath of the wind - until, finally, the mighty rays of the sun break through them ”(Wagner).

The finale of the Fifth Symphony, more than any of Beethoven's symphonic works, approaches the style and spirit of the music of the French Revolution *.

* According to the recollections of contemporaries, once during the performance of the Fifth Symphony, the French grenadiers who were present in the hall at the first sounds of the finale stood up and gave a salute.

The main theme summarizes the fanfare intonations of the revolutionary hymns with surprising vividness; the instrumentation of the finale is deliberately close to the powerful trumpet sounding of brass bands. For the first time in symphonic literature, trombones (alto, tenor, bass) appeared in the score, piccolo flute and contrabassoon were introduced, which gave the music massiveness and brilliance.

In the finale, the mood of festive glee reigns. The sonata form used by Beethoven is devoid of contrasting dramatic moments. Broad themes of a generalized nature - march-like, genre-dance, solemn-conscription - determine the nature of the music. Only for a moment (at the end of development), as a memory of the past struggle, the tragic theme of fate from the scherzo sounds, but then the majestic sparkling tutti disperses the darkness without a trace.

In the last bars, the heroic intonations of the main theme dissolve in an endless stream of fanfare trumpet exclamations. For thirty (!) Measures, chords of the C major triad are thundering. Thus, towards the end of the symphony, the alarming, “knock of fate” is transformed into the triumphant music of victory.

BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH SYMPHONY

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is 20 years away from Mozart's G minor symphony, and even less from Haydn's London Symphonies. But how different she is from her predecessors!

The Fifth Symphony was completed in 1808. The symphony has four movements. For the first time, Beethoven succeeded in making a four-part symphonic cycle so unified and inseparable (the works of Mozart - his symphonies in G minor and C major “Jupiter”) can be considered the immediate predecessors of Beethoven's symphonies. All four parts of the symphony are united by the same formidable and imperative theme, which sounds like an epigraph at the beginning of the work. The composer himself said about her: "So fate is knocking at the door."

Beethoven emphasizes the significance of this theme, giving it in unison, that is, in the simultaneous sounding of different instruments of the orchestra, fortissimo.

The symphony has no program, its content is not expressed in words. But the bright music, the specific meaning of the main motive give the right to interpret the entire symphony as a grandiose picture of a person's struggle with the hardships and hardships of life in the name of joy and happiness. The four parts of the work can be thought of as separate moments of this struggle. The finale of the symphony marks the victory and triumph of mankind over the forces of evil and violence.

The first movement is written in the form of a sonata allegro. Its pace is Allegroconbrio, that is, fast, with fire. The main part represents the development of the initial motive of the symphony. It is distinguished by great rhythmic clarity, decisive striving forward:

At the same time, this topic is full of anxiety and anxiety. Having reached the top, the main game suddenly ends at the dominant. The stop is underlined with a fermata sign.

The ominous battle cry of "destiny motive" resounds again. It gives impetus to the motion that was stopped. The main party continues its development. The sonority gradually increases, reaching fortissimo. But this time, too, the movement is interrupted by an unstable chord. Thus, the second sentence of the main part plays the role of a connecting part: it leads to the dominant of E-flat major - the key of the secondary part.

The side theme begins with an imperious appeal, the imperative motive of the solo French horns. And here, finally, a new melody - melodious, gentle, light. The sound of French horns is replaced by the soft singing of violins:

But the characteristic rhythm of the main motive of the symphony does not disappear here either. It only fades into the background and rumbles dully in the bass.

The exposition ends with the final game, entirely built on the same formidable motive. Repeating itself many times in major, in the mighty exclamations of the entire orchestra (tutti), the main theme of the piece sounds here decisively and victoriously.

The entire development is based on the development of the main motive of the symphony. Sharp dynamic contrasts, huge increases in sound power give this section a colossal sound intensity. The development ends with a stubborn, repeated repetition of the motive of fate, which takes on a furious, frantic character. This culmination of development coincides with the beginning of the reprise.

The main part sounds. As in the exposition, its presentation is interrupted. But here, after fermata, a gentle melody appears, like a timid request, a plea. The melody is performed by the solo oboe:

Perhaps Beethoven wanted to speak here about the suffering of a person who is weakening in the struggle with the hardships of life.

The main part is replaced by a side part, which in the reprise sounds in the major of the same name (C major). This light, tender theme again brings calmness to such disturbing, stormy music. It gives hope that a person will overcome all the obstacles standing in his way and win.

The first movement of the symphony ends with a large coda. With renewed vigor, the "motive of fate" comes, its furious threats sound again. And again, as in the reprise, the complaint, even more timid and timid, does not find an answer. Fate is merciless, victory is still far away.

The second movement is Andanteconmoto (leisurely, with movement), in A flat major. Like the slow movement of the Pathetique Sonata, the second movement of the fifth symphony gives a respite, the struggle seems to temporarily cease. True, here too the characteristic rhythm of the main theme of the symphony appears for a short time. But her threat sounds very muffled. The second part consists of variations on two themes or double variations. We met with a similar structure in Haydn's symphony and also in the second movement.

The first theme is melodious, deep and serious. In her melody, performed by violas and cellos, one can hear the expressiveness of human speech: this is a "story", a "narration" of a man full of courage and will to fight.

The second theme, despite its three-beat size, gives the impression of a marching song. Thanks to the powerful sounding - when presenting the theme in C major - it seems that this song is "sung" not by one person, but by a mass of people. It was this kind of song that Beethoven had to hear in his youth. This theme has obvious similarities with the Marseillaise, the battle anthem of the French Revolution: The second theme contrasts with the first one not only in character, sonority, orchestral coloring, but also in tonality. In C major it, like the side part of the first movement, sounds somehow especially light and joyful. Despite this difference, the themes of Andante do have similarities. They are united by a melodic similarity, a characteristic “inviting” beginning, a dotted rhythm.

Then there are alternations on the first and second themes. In variations on the first theme, it is mainly the texture of the presentation that changes. The orchestral coloring of the melody and tonality remain unchanged. Only in the third variation is the minor of the same name sounds.

The second theme varies in a similar way. It invariably sounds loud, powerful. The whole orchestra will perform the theme for the second time. In the last variation, instead of the second theme, the first is also performed by the entire orchestra, fortissimo. Thanks to this, the melodic melody acquires the qualities characteristic of the second theme - the power, the "massiveness" of the sound.

The contrast between the themes gradually fades. It completely disappears in the code, where a new melody appears, which combines the characteristic features of both themes.

The third movement is Allegro, in C minor, scherzo. Translated from the Italian "scherzo" - "joke". It is a fast paced piece with a sharp rhythm. Beginning with the second symphony, Beethoven writes instead of the minuet - a scherzo (with the exception of the fourth and most important symphonies). The scherzo was more than a minuet, responding to the dramatic concept of Beethoven's symphonies, to the intense sound of his music. The music of the third movement brings us back to the mood of the first movement of the symphony. The fight resumes with renewed vigor. Alarmingly, the melody rushes up over the sounds of the triad at the cellos and double basses. It is continued by other string instruments. The movement stops on the dominant and freezes like a question, timid and indecisive:

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony differs in many ways from Haydn's and Mozart's symphonies. For the first time, Beethoven unites a four-part symphonic cycle with a single thought, a single idea: "from darkness to light, through struggle to victory." An important unifying meaning is the "theme of fate" - the leading theme, or leitmotif, of the entire symphony. Even more vividly than in the "Pathetique Sonata", the fifth symphony revealed the peculiarity of Beethoven's music - the birth of contrasting themes from one. So, in essence, all the themes of the first movement of the symphony, as well as the main theme of the scherzo, arise from the same "theme of fate." The themes of the second movement of the symphony are different and at the same time deeply related to each other.

In the fifth symphony, the struggle of two hostile forces is given in development. The four movements of the symphony are like different stages of the struggle. Thanks to this, the symphony acquires a plot, "programmatic" quality. And this circumstance, in turn, makes Beethoven's music more comprehensible. The seriousness and depth of the concept caused the need to increase the composition of the orchestra, which gave the sound greatness and power.

Beethoven. Fifth Symphony. Fate is knocking on the door ...

Who doesn't know Beethoven's Fifth Symphony? Its name is always on hearing. Once I heard one person say to another: “Beethoven? Well, I know him. After all, it was he who wrote Beethoven's fifth symphony! "

The first sounds of the symphony, the famous Beethoven 4 notes, are a well-known classical music motif. Even if you don’t recognize it "at sight", you probably know that these four notes, played on the timpani, during the Great Patriotic War, the BBC radio station used as the call signs for the beginning of the broadcast of "Free French". This fact alone would have been enough for us to forever associate the Fifth Symphony with the theme of fate, but this association dates back to the distant past, during the life of Beethoven and his secretary Anton Schindler.

Like other, more complex works, the Fifth Symphony was born slowly. According to contemporaries, Beethoven began working on the symphony five years before it finally went out of print. The first time he was forced to interrupt the composition while working on the opera "Leonora", and then took up the Fifth Symphony. It was a very difficult period in Beethoven's life. On November 14, 1805, the premiere of Leonora took place, and the composer was deeply worried about the need to present his work in front of the French soldiers gathered in the hall who occupied Vienna. Beethoven was in such a gloomy mood that Prince Lichnowski, who patronized the composer, invited him to his summer residence in Silesia so that he could rest and recuperate. The only island of stability was the move to a new apartment in the Pascualeti house, where the composer lived for several years.

The Fifth Symphony was Beethoven's first symphony, and generally the first symphony in history, in which the initial four-note motif is repeated, in one form or another, in all four movements. I use the word "motive" here, because, as in the "Moonlight Sonata," you cannot hum the main theme of the symphony, since it is not a theme or a melody. This is precisely the motive.

The opening motive sounds short, decisive and strong. Usually the composer, having stated the theme, begins its development. But Beethoven acted differently. He breaks off the main theme, relegates it to the background, repeats it over and over again. Approximately in the middle of the first movement of the symphony, the side part replaces the main part and sounds in C major, and at the end the main motive again enters with incredible strength and energy.

In the second movement, the main motive is repeated in different variations, there are so many fortissimos (very loud passages) that the transition to the third movement, which opens pianissimo (very quietly) with a gradual increase in sound, turns out to be completely unexpected. But this does not last long, soon the formidable four-sound motive of the first movement enters again, which becomes dominant. Towards the end of the third movement, this mysterious motive is repeated. accompanied by the sound of timpani. We feel the approach of some event, something is about to happen, but what? In a concert hall, if you are lucky enough to get to a good performance, in this place you involuntarily bite your hands into the armrests of the chair until your joints hurt. If this was a movie, you'd be prepared for shock.

And this shock comes with the beginning of the fourth part, but what a shock! You catch your breath, you open your eyes wide, gasp - and then you smile with relief. We came out of darkness to light, or, in musical terms, from minor to major. The fourth movement opens with a powerful fortissimo. For the first time in the history of symphonies, Beethoven used trombones in the finale. Three trombonists, who have sat in silence for all three previous movements, enter the final for the first time (which is not so easy to do if the musicians have never touched their instruments in all three previous movements!).

The beginning of the fourth movement is so beautiful, triumphant and solemn that during the presentation of the Fifth Symphony in Paris some old soldier could not stand it, jumped up from his seat and shouted: "Long live the emperor!" And again, as it was before with Beethoven, the symphony unfolds smoothly from beginning to end, so that the listener seems as if he had gone through a long and dangerous journey, but returned to his home with victory and glory.

Beethoven was never inclined to underestimate his works, but we do not have accurate evidence that he fully realized the genius of the Fifth Symphony. This is partly indicated by the fact that Beethoven promised to sell the score of the symphony to Count Oppersdorf for 500 florins, but kept it and first sent it to the publisher. It is also known that after publication he made several small changes to the score, much to the annoyance of the publisher, who had to redo the entire work.

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony can without exaggeration be called the most important work of European classical music.

It is the secretary and assistant of Beethoven who owns the famous phrase about the beginning of the Fifth Symphony: "This is how fate knocks at the door." It is possible that Beethoven himself never said anything like that. In general, Schindler is an extremely unreliable source and biographer, despite his closeness to Beethoven in the last years of his life. Schindler burned many Beethoven's conversational notebooks, in which acquaintances of the deaf composer wrote down questions addressed to him. He idolized Beethoven so much that he set out to create an impeccable biography for him, for which he deliberately falsified many documents that, in his opinion, cast even the slightest shadow on the personality of the great man.

Schindler's testimony should be viewed with a grain of salt, but there is undoubtedly some truth in his definition of the Fifth Symphony.

Text: John Suchet

Presentation

Included:
1. Presentation - 6 slides, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Beethoven. Symphony No. 5:
Part I. Allegro con brio, mp3;
Motive of Fate, mp3;
Part II. Andante con moto, mp3;
Part III. Allegro, mp3;
Part IV, mp3;
3. Accompanying article, docx.

He called the symphony "one of the most significant works of the era." Anton Schindler spoke about the main motive of the first movement of the symphony: "This is how fate knocks at the door."

Symphony No. 5
Cover of the Fifth Symphony dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz and Count Razumovsky
Composer	Ludwig van Beethoven
Key	C minor
The form	symphony
Composition	67
Time and place of composition	1804-1808, Vienna
First performance	, Vienna
First publication
Dedication	Joseph Franz von Lobkowitz[d] and Andrey Kirillovich Razumovsky
Parts	1. Allegro con brio 2. Andante con moto 3. Allegro 4. Allegro

Beethoven in 1804. Fragment of a portrait by V. Mahler.

The main and easily recognizable element of the first movement of the symphony is a double motive of four measures:

The symphony, and especially its incipient motive (also known as the "motive of fate", "the theme of fate"), have become so widely known that their elements have penetrated many works, from classical to popular culture of different genres, in films, television, etc. e. She became one of the symbols of classical music.

Composition

The Fifth Symphony, in particular, is known for the fact that the preparatory period for its creation was long. The first sketches of the symphony date back to 1804, immediately after the author's work on the Third Symphony was completed. However, Beethoven repeatedly interrupted his work on Fifth to prepare other works, including the first version of Fidelio, Sonata No. 23 (Appassionata), three string quartets, violin and piano concertos and Symphony No. 4. The final revision of the Fifth Symphony was carried out in 1807-1808 in parallel with the Sixth Symphony, and both premiered at the same concert.

Premiere

Beethoven dedicated the symphony to his two patrons - Prince F.J. von Lobkowitz and Count A.K. Razumovsky. The dedication was printed in the first edition of the work in April 1809.

The first public performance of the Fifth Symphony took place on December 22, 1808 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna at a huge benefit concert, which consisted entirely of premieres of Beethoven's works under the direction of the author himself. The program included two symphonies, which were performed in the reverse order of their current numbers: the Fifth was numbered as No. 6, and the Sixth as No. 5. The program included:

Aria "Oh, traitor" ("Ah, perfido"), Op. 65;
Movements Kyrie and Gloria from Mass in C major;
Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 4 (performed by Beethoven himself);

(intermission)

Fifth Symphony(listed in the program as "Symphony Grand C minor");
Portions Sanctus and Benedictus from Mass in C major;
Choral fantasy.

The premiere was unsuccessful. The concert lasted four hours - from 18:30 to 22:30. The hall was cold, the audience was tired of the mass of new material, and at the beginning of the second part it could hardly fully perceive any work, especially as innovative as the Fifth Symphony. It was originally planned to end the evening with a symphony in C minor, but Beethoven, rightly fearing that both the audience and the orchestra would be tired, simply added a few more pieces after it so that it would not be the last. The rehearsals were not enough, and the quality of the performance left much to be desired (performing at the end of the Choral Fantasy, the musicians made a mistake, as a result of which it had to start over, thus lengthening the concert even more).

Feedback

Beethoven's pupil, pianist and music teacher Karl Czerny and Kapellmeister V.K.Müller from Bremen independently believed that Beethoven took the theme of the Fifth Symphony, imitating the cry of the famous forest bird, which meant common bunting, common in European middle latitudes and inhabiting, in particular, in Vienna's Prater park, where Beethoven used to walk.

The Fifth Symphony is dedicated to famous patrons of art - Prince F. I. Lobkovits and Count A. K. Razumovsky, the Russian envoy in Vienna, and was first performed in the author's concert, the so-called "academy", at the Vienna Theater on December 22, 1808, together with the Pastoral. The symphonies were then numbered differently: the symphony that opened the "academy" entitled "Memories of Countryside Life," in F major, had No. 5, and the "Grand Symphony in C minor" had No. 6. The concert was unsuccessful. During the rehearsal, the composer quarreled with the orchestra provided to him - a combined team, of a low level, and at the request of the musicians who refused to work with him, he was forced to retire to the next room, from where he listened to conductor I. Seyfried learning his music. During the concert, the hall was cold, the audience sat in fur coats and indifferently took Beethoven's new symphonies.

Subsequently, the Fifth became the most popular in his legacy. The most typical features of Beethoven's style are concentrated in it, the main idea of his work is most vividly and succinctly embodied, which is usually formulated as follows: through the struggle to victory. Short relief themes are immediately and forever engraved in memory. One of them, slightly altering, goes through all the parts (this technique, borrowed from Beethoven, will often be used by the next generation of composers). According to one of the composer's biographers, he said about this cross-cutting theme, a kind of leitmotif for four notes with a characteristic pounding rhythm: "So fate knocks at the door."

Music

First part the theme of fate, repeated twice by fortissimo, opens. The main party immediately actively develops, rushing to the top. The same motive of fate begins the side part and constantly reminds of itself in the bass of the string group. A side melody contrasting to him, melodious and gentle, ends, however, with a resounding culmination: the entire orchestra repeats the motive of fate in formidable unison. A visible picture of a stubborn, uncompromising struggle appears, which overwhelms the development and continues in the reprise. As is typical of Beethoven, the reprise is not an exact repetition of the exposure. Before the appearance of the side part, a sudden stop occurs, the solo oboe recites a rhythmically free phrase. But the development does not end in the reprise: the struggle continues in the code, and its outcome is unclear - the first part does not give a conclusion, leaving the listener in tense anticipation of the continuation.

Slow second part was conceived by the composer as a minuet. In the final version, the first theme resembles a song, light, strict and restrained, and the second theme - at first a version of the first - acquires heroic features from the brass and oboes of fortissimo, accompanied by blows of timpani. It is not by chance that in the process of its variation, the motive of fate sounds secretly and alarmingly, as a reminder. Beethoven's favorite form of double variations is sustained in strictly classical principles: both themes are presented in ever-shorter lengths, overgrown with new melodic lines, polyphonic imitations, but always retain a clear, light character, becoming even more stately and solemn by the end of the movement.

Anxious mood returns to third part... This absolutely unusual scherzo is not a joke at all. The clashes continue, the struggle that began in the sonata allegro of the first movement. The first theme is a dialogue - a hidden question, sounding barely audible in the muffled bass of the string group, is answered by a brooding, sad melody of violins and violas supported by brass. After the fermata, the French horns, and behind them the entire fortissimo orchestra, assert the motive of fate: in such a formidable, unforgiving version, it has not yet been encountered. For the second time, the dialogical theme sounds uncertain, splitting into separate motives, without receiving completion, which makes the theme of fate, in contrast, even more formidable. At the third appearance of the dialogical theme, a stubborn struggle ensues: the motive of fate is polyphonically combined with a pensive, melodious answer, quivering, pleading intonations are heard, and the climax confirms the victory of fate. The picture changes dramatically in the trio - an energetic fugato with a moving major theme of a motor, scale-like character. The reprise of the scherzo is quite unusual. For the first time, Beethoven refuses to completely repeat the first section, as was always the case in a classical symphony, saturating a compressed reprise with intense development. It happens as if in the distance: the only indication of the power of sonority is the piano variants. Both themes have changed significantly. The first one sounds even more hidden (string pizzicato), the theme of fate, losing its formidable character, appears in the calls of the clarinet (then the oboe) and violin pizzicato, interrupted by pauses, and even the timbre of the French horn does not give it the same strength. The last time its echoes are heard in the roll-over of bassoons and violins; finally, only the monotonous rhythm of the pianissimo timpani remains. And here comes an amazing transition to the finale. As if a timid ray of hope dawns, an uncertain search for a way out begins, transmitted by tonal instability, modulating revolutions ...

A dazzling light floods everything around without interruption the final... The triumph of victory is embodied in the chords of a heroic march, enhancing the brilliance and power of which the composer for the first time introduces trombones, contrabassoon and piccolo flute into a symphony orchestra. The music of the era of the French Revolution is vividly and directly reflected here - marches, processions, mass celebrations of the victorious people. It is said that the Napoleonic grenadiers, who attended a concert in Vienna, jumped up from their seats at the first sounds of the finale and saluted. The massiveness is emphasized by the simplicity of the themes, mainly for the full orchestra - catchy, energetic, not detailed. They are united by a jubilant character, which is not violated even in development, until the motive of fate invades it. It sounds like a reminder of the past struggle and, perhaps, as a harbinger of the future: battles and sacrifices are also ahead. But now in the theme of fate there is no former formidable force. The jubilant reprise affirms the victory of the people. Extending the scenes of the mass celebration, Beethoven concludes the sonata allegro of the finale with a large coda.

A. Konigsberg

The idea of a heroic struggle, the conquest of happiness for man and humanity in the Fifth Symphony is carried out even more consistently and directionally. This symphony lends itself relatively freely to programmatic interpretation, besides, it is suggested by the composer's own words about the famous four-sounding theme: “So fate knocks at the door”:

Extremely laconic, like an epigraph, this theme is outlined with a sharply knocking rhythm. It is perceived as a symbol of evil that tragically invades a person's life, as an obstacle that requires incredible efforts to overcome.

Like an opera leitmotif, the rhythmic figure that forms the theme passes through all parts of the symphony, transforming in the course of the development of the "action". In the first part, this theme dominates almost completely, in the second - its dull "tapping" alarmingly alarms, in the third it sounds with new ferocity, and only in the finale does it appear as a memory of past dramatic events:

First part. Allegro con brio

The first part is, as it were, carved from a single piece of granite, so it is monolithic, assembled. The energy inherent in the formidable blows of the theme, which begins Allegro, directs the rapid pace of the main part, in which the intonations of the leitmotif acquire rebellious emotion:

All subsequent movement Allegro is an expanded, all-round disclosure of the plurality of one central image. This does not exclude, however, relief contrasts and contrasts.

So, the melody of the side part, more rounded and melodious, with soft endings and in the major scale, contrasts with the main one. But its novelty is relative, it is formed as a result of a modification of the same main theme. The side game starts from the fanfare-like turns that precede it (a bunch), which in turn are directly related to the main theme. In addition, throughout the entire sequence, the side part is accompanied by the main rhythmic figure of the first part:

Gradually obeying the insistence of the rhythm of the main theme, the secondary one becomes more active and dramatic. The opposite phenomenon also occurs: under the influence of the bright sphere of the major (in the side and especially in the final games), the main theme reveals the hitherto hidden features of masculinity and heroism.

With the onset of development, development enters a more intense and dramatic phase. The side game is almost completely removed. A four-sound rhythmic motive dominates over everything. His movement goes with increasing force until a mighty climax, which is at the same time the starting point for a reprise:

So the swiftness and continuity of development blurs the lines between the sections of the form (development and reprise) (This principle of symphonic development, approved by Beethoven in the Ninth Symphony, was later widely used by Tchaikovsky); the struggle enters the next stage, and the resolution of the conflict is postponed.

In the reprise, all the themes of the exposition, at first glance, go their own way. But there are some important shifts: within the main part, a lonely mournful voice (oboe solo) breaks through between the disturbing dashes of the four-sound motive:

In this woeful "humanized" recitative, the lyrical principle is concentrated. But it cannot influence the character of the main theme. Only the secondary in the changed instrumentation becomes more spiritualized and gentle. The enlightened color of C major with its specific coloring reinforces the heroic features in the final installment of the reprise.

Nevertheless, the preponderance is clearly on the side of the hostile forces, and this becomes especially noticeable at the decisive stage of development - in the code. It begins with a well-beaten and long-lasting rhythmic beat of the entire orchestra. The delimitation, “splitting” of the same four-sounding motive appears more sharply. Now he turns around with his "evil face", then it sounds like a question of fundamental importance, and in the end, powerlessly creeps in, suppressed by the insurmountable obstacle:

In the first part of the symphony, as in the first act of the drama, the most acute conflict is revealed, but not exhausted. The outcome of the intense dramatic struggle is not yet clear.

Second part. Andante con moto

There is a great contrast between the drama of the first movement and the slow, pensive flow of thought in the second.

The two themes on which the Andante variations are based, at first, are similar in the sense of a leisurely pace, tonality, off-beat stroke:

(The model for the slow part of the symphony was obviously Haydn's double variations in his "London" siphony Es-major, No. 103. However, with all the charm and classical perfection of Haydn's variations, it is impossible to compare the depth and significance of the figurative content, and hence the scale and intensity of development in Haydn and Beethoven.)

Already in the second sentence of the second topic, its character changes dramatically. The sudden fortissimo with a shift in C major, the metallic sonority of copper (trumpets, horns), the massive texture - all this, illuminating the topic in a different way, reveals the heroic sides of the image, and it sounds like a solemn hymn. It is, as it were, a look into the future, the support of the arch, the end of which rests on the triumphant march of the finale. The general tonality (C-dur), powerful fanfare, marching pace are not accidental either:

The third part. Allegro

(This movement, by analogy with other symphonies, is usually called a scherzo. Beethoven does not give such a name.)

The last approach to the top. But the struggle for its conquest is becoming sharper and more dramatic. The direct contact of two essentially different topics sharply exposes their polarity: seeking, passionately questioning thoughts in the first topic (the rapid rise of strings in chord tones, falling at the weak endings of the question intonation) are opposed by the familiar “knocking” rhythm of a four-sound motive. In the new version, it sounds even more imperious and categorical. Its internal rhythmic structure is complicated, instead of the previous unison, the motive is harmonized, and strong throws of chords accentuate every first beat of the bar. The orchestration in which the brass timbre of the horns leading the theme is opposed to the strings that accompany it with their beats sharpens the sound of the theme:

Both themes, involved in the cycle of movement, are increasingly intertwined and ultimately form an indissoluble thematic complex.

A serious turning point in this complex struggle comes in the trio (the scherzo is written in a complex three-part form), which makes a courageously joyful contrast. The comparison of keys seems significant: the first movement is in c-minor, the third is in C-major, and the fourth is in C-major. The change from the minor to the major of the same name in the final coincides with the moment when the victory was confirmed. So the movement of tonalities, like other musical elements of a work, is subordinated to the movement of the guiding idea - from darkness to light.

The trio clearly shows an element of dance, somewhat altered by the polyphonic texture (fugato). The theme is led "with the full force of the bow" by double basses and cello, and "the gross ponderousness of these passages makes all the music stands of the orchestra tremble" (G. Berlioz). The deliberate angularity of the theme, accentuated by the "rustic" timbre of the double basses, brings a tinge of healthy, strong humor, a bright folk flavor:

It is after the trio that the deepest changes that have taken place in the inner content of the images become obvious, and the trio predetermines not only the proximity of the end, but its meaning and significance. The optimism of the people's images of life has a decisive influence, instills confidence in the triumph of a bright future. In the reprise, the drama and contrast to the themes of the first movement of the scherzo disappear. In transparent orchestration, on pianissimo, absorbed in each other, both themes are carried away in a light elusive movement. All dramatic events are relegated to the depths; now it is no longer possible to return to the past, the road to renewal is open.

The transition to the fourth, final, part of the symphony is compositionally accomplished in the code of the third movement, which directly merges into the finale. In this last formation, the scherzo is slowly, gradually, a colossal dynamic pumping. On the muffled organ bass, like a distant rumble, the main rhythmic motive sounds, played by the timpani alone. Then the first theme of the scherzo appears; it is increasingly fragmented and persistently "climbs" up:

The orchestral range is steadily expanding, the power of orchestral sonority is growing; harsh dissonances (from the imposition of subdominant and dominant sounds on the tonic organ point) sound sharper and more piercing and, growing, are resolved into a full-sounding chord - the tonic C-dur, which marks the onset of the finale:

The transition to the finale is one of the most amazing moments of the symphony. "... It is impossible to achieve a stronger impression than that which is created by the transition from the scherzo to the triumphal march," writes Berlioz.

Fourth part. The final. Allegro

The finale is a festive triumphal march. In his musical images (the finale is written in sonata form) there are no contrasts or contrasts. All themes are characterized by the highest heroic enthusiasm:

Before the reprise, a four-sounding rhythmic motive appears once again: the memory of the past sets off the triumphant joy of the present.

Starting with the reprise, the music of the finale sounds with increasing energy. Strengthening the sonority of the brass group of the orchestra (for the first time Beethoven introduces trombones, piccolo flute and contrabassoon into the orchestra to enhance the orchestral sonority), the piercing timbre of the piccolo, the non-stop transitions, the very dynamics of the concluding part of the symphony infect with elation and enthusiasm.

The final code (Presto) in the grandiose and prolonged sound of the C-dur tonic asserts the final taming of all forces hostile to man. The spontaneity of movement in the code, its "massiveness" is an expression of boundless joy that brings the liberated humanity a long-awaited victory.

BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH SYMPHONY

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is 20 years away from Mozart's G minor symphony, and even less from Haydn's London Symphonies. But how different she is from her predecessors!

Beethoven emphasizes the significance of this theme, giving it in unison, that is, in the simultaneous sounding of different instruments of the orchestra, fortissimo.

At the same time, this topic is full of anxiety and anxiety. Having reached the top, the main game suddenly ends at the dominant. The stop is underlined with a fermata sign.

But the characteristic rhythm of the main motive of the symphony does not disappear here either. It only fades into the background and rumbles dully in the bass.

The main part sounds. As in the exposition, its presentation is interrupted. But here, after fermata, a gentle melody appears, like a timid request, a plea. The melody is performed by the solo oboe:

Perhaps Beethoven wanted to speak here about the suffering of a person who is weakening in the struggle with the hardships of life.

The contrast between the themes gradually fades. It completely disappears in the code, where a new melody appears, which combines the characteristic features of both themes.

Beethoven is the great romantic of the 19th century. He is clearly a secular composer, even in his spiritual works (like Missa Solemnis) the spiritual is replaced by the spiritual, the intensity of feelings and emotions characteristic of youth is strong. Think of his Victorian Symphony; I don't really like the name “symphony of fate”, for me the sound of the trumpet after the initial chords of the 3rd movement is the culmination of the joy of the moment of the triumph of the victory, triumph.

Usually the content of the fifth symphony is defined as follows: "From darkness to light, through struggle to victory." However, the same definition can apply to many of Beethoven's works (for example, to the Egmont overture). The essential only is that the idea is expressed here in a direct, clear form. The whole fifth symphony is extremely concentrated and laconic. The first movement is Allegro con brio - is literally permeated with one four-sounding motive, about which Beethoven said: "This is how fate knocks at the door."

The following scheme can be proposed: 1st part - the army goes to the front, the soldiers' mood is good and collected, vigorous, the first butting with the invading enemy begins and the first difficulties and losses; 2nd part - slightly tired soldiers, exhausted by the battle, pick up trophies and proudly return home, they even have the strength to circle peaceful dances; 3rd part - comes the realization of the death of comrades and the greatness of the price paid; 4th part - annual celebrations and nationwide celebrations of the glorious victory of the past, memories of veterans. But this is only a scheme, for music is higher than schemes ... there is a polyphony of interpretations.

Online mp 3 version of the symphony is easy to find. To begin with, her pop adaptation (performed by Vardan Marcos, http://www.sinfonia.ru/ ); listening to it is like choosing cutlets over an appetizing piece of meat, but if people are used to eating cutlets, then why not? Not a cutlet, but chicken meat - this is the "French" treatment (Kurt Mazur -http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0.3657081,00.html, or more precisely http://www.dw-world.de/popups/popup_single_mediaplayer/0.3627158_type_audio_struct_2275_contentId_3604369,00.html), seasoned with too soft sauces; here only the 2nd part sounds appropriate. Real meat can only be cooked by Germans, good old von Karajan - a video of old years, when the classics were played with feeling, as it should, and not like performers who have now lost the nerve of music;http://www.mp3complete.net/beethoven_mp3.htm and http://rutube.ru/tracks/59667.html

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, op. 67, written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1804-1808, is one of the most famous and popular works of classical music and one of the most frequently performed symphonies. First performed in 1808 in Vienna, the symphony soon gained a reputation as an outstanding work. E. TA Hoffman called the symphony "one of the most significant works of the era." The main and easily recognizable element of the first movement of the symphony is a double motive of four measures. The symphony and especially its incipient motive (also known as the "motive of fate", "the theme of fate") have become so widely known that their elements have penetrated into many works, from classical to popular culture of different genres, in films, television, etc. She has become one of the symbols of classical music.

The Fifth Symphony is known for its long aging time. Its first sketches date back to 1804, immediately after the author's work on the Third Symphony was completed. However, Beethoven repeatedly interrupted his work on Fifth to prepare other works, including the first version of Fidelio, Sonata No. 23 (Appassionata), three string quartets, violin and piano concertos and Symphony No. 4. The final revision of the Fifth Symphony was carried out in 1807-1808 in parallel with the Sixth Symphony, and both premiered at the same concert. At this time, Beethoven was 35-38 years old, his life was complicated by progressive deafness. In the outside world, this time was marked by the Napoleonic Wars, political unrest in Austria and the occupation of Vienna by Napoleonic troops in 1805.

2.

After Beethoven's death, several documents were found in a secret drawer of his closet, to which he apparently attached particular importance. One of these documents was a piercing letter written by him in October 1802 in the village of Geiligenstadt near Vienna and called the "Heiligenstadt testament".

Having retired to the village on the recommendation of doctors for several months, the young musician, who had already reached the heights of fame, went through a severe mental crisis, accompanied by thoughts of a possible suicide. The main reason for this crisis was the realization that the hearing disease that was gradually developing in him was incurable, and complete deafness would probably soon come (this happened only by 1818, which Beethoven in 1802 could not have known about). Thus, a cross was put up throughout his life. He saw neither a professional future for himself (who needs a deaf virtuoso or a conductor?), Nor hopes for personal happiness. But he seriously believed that, having made a number of concert trips, having won European fame and consolidated his financial position, he would be able to overcome the class barriers that separated him from the "sweet, lovely girl" - the young Countess Juliet Guicciardi, with whom he was then passionately in love. But what girl would agree to become the wife of a crippled man with no prospects?

Circumstances led Beethoven to the idea that there was no point in leading such a miserable life. At the same time, the creative forces that continued to rage within him kept him from making a fatal step. Despite all the ailments and despair that gripped him, he could not stop composing.

In 1808, the composer had almost no hope for the return of hearing. Then the most famous work appeared - the 5th symphony. Beethoven expressed her idea in the words: "Struggle with fate." By means of music, the composer gave an idea of his state of mind in recent years. His conclusion: a strong man can handle rock.

In 1822 the opera Fidelio was staged in Vienna. A friend of the composer - Schindler - wrote: “Beethoven wished to conduct the dress rehearsal himself ...” Starting with the duet in the first act, it became clear that the composer did not hear anything at all! The maestro slowed down the rhythm, the orchestra followed his stick, and the singers "went" forward. There was confusion.

Umlauf, who usually conducted the orchestra, suggested that the rehearsal be suspended for a moment, without giving any reason. He then exchanged a few words with the singers and the rehearsal resumed. Confusion again. I had to take a break. It was quite obvious that it was impossible to continue under Beethoven's rule, but how to make it clear to him? No one had the heart to tell him, "Go away, poor cripple, you cannot conduct."

Beethoven looked around and did not understand anything. In the end, Schindler handed him a note: "I beg you, do not continue, I will explain later why." The composer rushed headlong into a run. At home, exhausted, he lay down on the sofa and hid his face in his hands. “Beethoven was wounded in the heart, and the impression of this terrible scene was not blotted out in him until his death,” Schindler recalled.

But Beethoven would not have been himself if he had not taken revenge on the misfortune. Two years later, he conducted (more precisely, participated “in the management of the concert”) his Ninth Symphony. At the end, there was a standing ovation. The composer, standing with his back to the audience, heard nothing. Then one singer took him by the hand and turned him to the audience. Beethoven saw applauding people with enthusiastic faces rising from their seats.

Funny for a snack
http://emitron.narod.ru/index.htm and http://tsl.net.ru/

“Depravity is no longer a rarity. This happened from the moment of the breakthrough from the astral plane of the culture of drugs, multiplied many times by the rock rhythm. I remind you that in order to protect the very souls of people, the constant sounding of Beethoven's music in your houses is necessary. This protection is enclosed in 9 symphonies, which have the power of three times three to neutralize the rock rhythm constantly sounding on the planet and increasing momentum through radio stations, television, stereos and headphones and literally resonating through the bones of people due to the fact that new modern technologies allow these sounds to resonate in the very core of the cell.

Blessed hearts, I tell you that it is. Even the nuclei of the cells, sealed there with a certain sealing of the flame, are now permeated with this sound. Thus, you see that wherever you are on Earth, even if you do not hear the rock rhythm, it is most likely that it sounds in your body thanks to the very waves and currents of the Earth.

I tell you that Beethoven's music, played constantly from the 1st to the 9th symphony, has an increasing momentum. And if you play it in your homes and remember that this music sounds [also] in your cars, you will understand how it works and brings transmutation in a special way, it brings salvation and protection to your health and your whole life. "

When the functions of an organ are disturbed, it begins to work in a different rhythm, the frequency and strength of its vibrations change. A striking example is a sick heart. And then music comes to the rescue. If you know in unison with which instrument an organ that has lost its rhythm sounds, and regularly listen to “healing” rhythms, then the human body will regain its former “sound”.

* The violin literally heals the soul, helps to enter the path of self-knowledge, arouses compassion in the soul, a readiness for self-sacrifice.

* The organ, especially the church one, puts the mind in order, harmonizes the energy flow of the spine, it is called the conductor of the "space - earth - space" energy.

* The piano cleanses the thyroid gland and gives it the impetus to work properly.

* The drums restore the rhythm of the heart, put in order the circulatory system. The harp also harmonizes the work of the heart.

* The flute cleanses and expands the lungs.

* Cello has a beneficial effect on the kidneys.

* Cymbals and tambourines "balance" the liver.

* The saxophone, the sexiest instrument, activates the corresponding energy.

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony also suits the hearts.

The great Ludwig van Beethoven made a huge contribution to symphonic creativity. The Fifth Symphony has become a real miracle, created by the hands of a brilliant composer. To this day, this work is popular, it is listened to both in its original form and in modern processing. Each musical masterpiece has its own creation story, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 is no exception. How was she born?

The history of the creation of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in brief

The times when the symphony began to be created were difficult for the composer, not the most favorable for creativity. Obstacles constantly stood in the way of the genius. Initially, Beethoven was crippled by the news of his deafness, then the military actions carried out in Austria became the cause of the depressions. But the composer's mind was captured by an insane desire to create such a large-scale work. The history of the creation of Beethoven's symphony number 5 arose from the constant depression of the author. The composer then worked for hours, inspired by a new idea, then threw away the sketches and fell into despair for several days, accompanied by gloomy thoughts. At some points, the creation was completely put aside, and he worked on other works that went, albeit slowly, but still moved forward.

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony was constantly modified by the composer. He could not get the desired ending of the work, composing it in a negative, then in a positive way. After three years of hard work on the symphony, Beethoven presented his creation to the public. It should be noted that at the same time the composer created two symphonies, and therefore some troubles arose with the numbering. It is quite possible that Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 may actually turn out to be the sixth. These are two major works, and it is possible that the author, after numerous working and stressful days, designated the symphonies the other way around.

Unsuccessful premiere

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is being performed on world stages today. She is loved, appreciated, inspired and admired. But on the day of the premiere, everything was far from the case, the presentation was extremely unsuccessful, and the audience was unhappy with it. This outcome was influenced by several factors at once, and of them the most significant ones can be distinguished:

The concert was too long. The history of the creation of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 was too complicated, too long, and the composer did not want it to sound last or first. Since the author was presenting two symphonies at once, several more major works had to be inserted at the beginning of the concert. The audience got tired of staying too long in the hall, loud sounds of innovative works performed by the orchestra. That is why by the beginning of the presentation of the fifth symphony, they no longer wanted to perceive anything, their only desire was to quickly leave the hall.
In addition, the audience was too chilled. The room was terribly cold as it was not heated.
Due to the lack of favorable conditions, the orchestra played poorly. The orchestra members constantly made gross mistakes, and the work had to be started anew. And this additionally dragged out the time of the already long concert.

But, despite the first failure, L. V. Beethoven did not become a laughing stock. Symphony No. 5, the history of the creation of which is filled with sorrow and difficulties, gained more and more popularity every year and was soon recognized as the standard of classical symphonic music.

Factors influencing the creation of the work

This work is the most ambitious of all the author's masterpieces, but it also has the saddest story of creation. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 carries within it all the composer's torment, all his mental pain. Learning that he would never hear again, Beethoven desired death. He wanted to end his life, to commit suicide. Thoughts about death sometimes did not leave him at all, drove him crazy, because the music, which he would never hear again, was his essence, life. But, pondering over being for a long time, the composer pondered over the power with which every person is endowed. He thought that everyone, if they really wanted to, could "take fate by the throat", begin to lead it, and live, in spite of all the intrigues it is doing. Beethoven knew that fate disposed of his life unfairly, but it also gave him tremendous willpower, thanks to which he was able to hear music again, not with his ears, but with his heart. This is what prompted the composer to write his best symphony. In spite of fate, people mocking his illness, himself, so desiring death.

The meaning of the symphony

The work has not only an interesting and touching history of creation. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 became unique, as it is the only one that the composer himself described, which he did not do with other works. If the author left all his symphonies speechless, letting people construct its meaning themselves, then he painted the fifth colorfully, describing its specific content in a letter to Schindler. This symphony had to remain with the meaning that the composer put into it. Beethoven wanted to convey to every person everything that he wanted to say himself, but he could not express it in words. He knew that people needed the knowledge that came to him only with misfortune. The author wanted every unfortunate person to be able to understand that everything is in his hands, including life, fate. All this can be taken under control, one has only to figure out how to do it. The composer showed through the music how hard the struggle is, but if you go to the end, you will have a happy and colorful ending.

Symphony description

So, in music, we see the struggle of the lyrical hero with evil rock. The conflict of a person with fate is obvious, it opens from the very first bars. The composer wrote that this is exactly how, unexpectedly, “fate knocks at our doors”, he compared it to an uninvited guest who does not always come with gifts. Beethoven said that fate is capable of destroying everything with one turn, changing life, destroying the familiar world of dreams, making the fulfillment of desires an unattainable dream. The motives of fate completely permeate the composition, making it more coherent and unified. Like all classical works, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 consists of four main movements:

The first movement is created in the style of a sonata allegro with a slow introduction.
The second is woven from double variations.
The third reflects the genre and everyday life, is a dramatic scherzo.
The fourth part is the final. It is composed in the form of the same sonata allegro, but with coda.

Semantic description of parts

At the beginning of the symphony, the direct action of the lyrical hero and the counter-actions of fate are clearly displayed. Here the drama begins, the conflict escalates. It is noticeable that in this act, fate prevails over the hero.

In the second part, there is a discharge of negative opposition. Here the hope for a happy ending begins to emerge.

The third part is the most dynamic one. Here the conflict reaches its peak, the situation escalates, the opposition becomes stronger and stronger. The lyrical hero begins to dominate a little, and ultimately there is an advantage in his favor.

The finale is positive. It can be described as follows: "Through the struggle - to a well-deserved victory."

Thus, we see that this work is not only the standard of symphonic music, but also drama. At the beginning of the article there is a brief history of its creation. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 proved that even such a temporary art as music can become eternal.

The fifth symphony was originally numbered as the sixth. It happened on the day of the premiere of two works.
Beethoven at one time most valued only two people for their human qualities, kindness and intelligence. These are the Russian ambassador to Austria, Count Razumovsky and Prince Lobkowitz. The symphony was dedicated to these people.
Some passages are actively cited in the works of Alfred Schnittke. These are "Gogol Suite" and "First Symphony".
Initially, the title was given to the work "Grand Symphony in C minor", but then the long name was replaced by a numerical sequence.
This masterpiece has the longest history of creation. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 took almost three years to complete and was completed in 1808.
As you know, Wagner became a reformer in operatic creativity after he unsuccessfully presented his first symphony. Due to the fact that the audience openly mocked him, the composer vowed not to deal with this genre anymore. But, despite this, Wagner respected Beethoven's work, and he especially liked Symphony No. 5.

Symphony in motion pictures

Since there is a clear sense of struggle and overcoming difficulties in the composition, it does not seem strange that its directors used it to highlight the most intense moments of the films. So, we can hear the symphony in the rating series "The Walking Dead". The episode titled "The Service" gets more intimidating to the sound of a symphony.

The same work sounds in "Ocean's Friends", "Awkward", "I am a Zombie", "Paranoia", "Storming the White House" and many other equally striking films.

Modern treatments

Many authors, taking advantage of the popularity of the symphony, process it in their own style. But that doesn't spoil the original in the least. On the contrary, the new image of the symphony becomes fresher, more interesting, and complemented. In each new treatment, the younger generation can find their own style. The most popular are the jazz, salsa and rock symphonies. The latter turned out to be more interesting, as the rock emphasizes the conflict, making it more tense.

Vividly reflects the human path of overcoming, where fate is in the hands of a person. Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is no exception. Emotional anguish and the triumphant triumph of the lyric hero over the fatal beginning is a real call sent by the creator through time, and has come down to our days.

History of creation " Symphonies No. 5»Beethoven, the content of the work and many interesting facts read on our page.

The history of the creation of "Symphony No. 5"

The times in which the work was created were far from the most favorable for the composer. One after another, troubles overtook the creator by surprise, at first the news of deafness, then military operations in Austria. The idea of such a grandiose work captured the mind.

But since the author's desire to overcome all obstacles on his own path could quickly be replaced by the most gloomy and depressing thoughts, the composition was constantly put on the back burner. Depending on his mood, Ludwig grabbed at one or another piece, and the fifth symphony was quite difficult. Beethoven changed the ending more than once, making it either positive or negative. But in the end, three years later, the essay still saw the light of day. It should be noted that the composer wrote two symphonies at the same time, and presented them at the same time, so later there were some troubles regarding the numbering of such large works.

Today, the work is actively performed on the world's leading stages, but the initial premiere at the Theater an der Wien was extremely unsuccessful. Several factors can be distinguished at once that negatively influenced the perception of listeners:

The concert was delayed, as Beethoven decided to present two symphonies at once. To prevent the fifth symphony from being the last on the list, Ludwig had to insert a few more numbers. As a result, the audience got tired of complex, truly innovative works.
It was very cold in the concert hall as the room was not heated.
The orchestra played poorly, possibly due to the lack of favorable conditions. While playing, some of the orchestra members made serious mistakes, which forced them to start over. This factor further increased the length of the prolonged music evening.

Interestingly, the initial failure failed to affect the popularity of the piece. Every year the symphony became more and more widespread in the circles of musical art. Among many subsequent masters of composition, the work was recognized as a masterpiece and standard of classical symphony.

Interesting Facts

Initially, symphony no. 5 was designated number 6, since the premiere of these two most popular works was scheduled on the same day.
The work is dedicated to two famous patrons of the arts at that time, namely Prince Lobkowitz and the Russian ambassador to Austria, Count Razumovsky, whom the wayward appreciated for their extraordinary human qualities.
Upon learning of the impending deafness, Beethoven wanted to commit suicide. The only thing that kept him from taking real actions was creativity. During this difficult period, the composer came up with the idea of creating this work, which was very heroic in terms of intonation.
Fragments of the symphony are actively cited in the works of the equally famous composer Alfred Schnittke ... These include the First Symphony and the Gogol Suite, composed for orchestra.
Initially, the work was called "Symphony Grand C minor", but then it was reduced to the numerical order of the symphony.
The tonal plan of the piece, from dark to minor in the first movement to light and clean to C major in the finale, is a conceptual reflection of Beethoven's ideas “from darkness to light” or “through obstacles to victory”.

Ludwig van Beethoven worked on the work for almost three years.
During the creation of this symphonic work, the composer in his own diary often talked about the purpose of a person in this world. He wondered if a person could change his own life, making it immune to fatal forces? The genius himself answered the question posed: "A person is infinitely strong and strong-willed, so why couldn't she grab fate by the throat?" Such thoughts could be traced throughout the composition of the 5th symphony.
Most of the dramatic concepts of overcoming in the work of a musical figure find their own origins in the teachings of the great philosophers, contemporaries of Ludwig.
As is known, Wagner was not good at composing symphonies (after a large-scale failure with the composition of the First Symphony, where the orchestration was so inexperienced and immature that it caused general ridicule, the composer switched to operatic creativity, where he found his own place, becoming a reformer), but Beethoven's symphonic work, and especially the fifth symphonic work, he valued above all others.

Beethoven is not one of the composers who describe their own works in detail, giving them a clear and definite programmatic idea. But Symphony No. 5 was an exception to the rule. In a letter to Schindler, he not only explained the programmatic intent, but also pointed out specific musical themes that signify rock and a lyrical hero trying to fight fate.

The conflict is obvious and its beginning occurs in the first bars. The composer himself wrote that this is how “fate knocks at the door”. He compared her to an uninvited guest who destroys and cuts like a wedge into the familiar world of dreams and dreams. The motive of fate pervades the composition from the first and helps to make the cycle the most unified and coherent. Since the work is written in the classical style, it has a structure of four parts:

Movement I is composed in the form of a sonata allegro with a slow introduction.
Part II is a double variation.
Part III is a dramatic scherzo that reflects a genre and everyday orientation.
Movement IV is the finale, written in the form of a sonata allegro with coda.

The genre of the work is an instrumental drama. Due to the presence of a programmatic concept, it is customary to consider the content of a work from the point of view of drama. In this case, each part of the symphony represents a certain stage and performs a significant dramatic function:

In the first part, direct action (lyric hero) and counter-action (fate) are exhibited, the drama is set up and the conflict is aggravated. The predominance and domination of fate over the hero.
The second part performs the function of defusing the intense opposition, and also gives rise to the formation of the image of the triumphant finale.
In the third part, the conflict escalates and develops until an acute stage is reached. The situation is turning in favor of the lyrical hero. It is characterized by dynamic build-up.
The finale clearly forms a positive key and realizes the concept of "Through the fight to victory".

Thus, the composition presented in this work is the standard of not only symphonic, but also dramatic mastery.

Unusual modern arrangements of Symphony No. 5

The work is currently relevant. Every educated person can recognize a symphony from the very first bars. Of course, many contemporary musicians do not miss the opportunity to arrange or process this symphonic work. At the moment, there are three most common genres that can be synthesized with classical music.

Rock processing The Fifth Symphony further emphasizes the conflicting tensions of the first movement. The use of electronic instruments not only adds a different color to the sound, but also makes the motive of fate sharper, sharp and ambiguous. The theme of the lyric hero sounds more concentrated and abrupt. It is noteworthy that high-quality treatments do not spoil the work in the least, but make it more modern and relevant for the younger generation.

Rock processing (listen)

Treatment Jazz notable for the endurance of jazz style. But it is in this processing that the drama is lost, and virtuosity of performance comes to replace it. The intensity of the piece is extinguished, the rhythm is added due to the active drum part. A group of brass and electric guitars plays an important role in this arrangement. The interpretation of the work is quite free, but it has a place to be in the modern world of music.

Jazz processing (listen)

Processing in the genre " Salsa "Is one of the most unusual arrangements of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. A vivid combination of the author's musical themes and the fiery rhythms and timbres of Latin American music, oddly enough, opens up new facets and shades of the work. The idea to combine seemingly incompatible musical styles belongs to the well-known Norwegian composer and arranger Sverra Indris Yoner.

Salsa (listen)

Modern adaptations of classical works adapt complex musical material for perception in twenty-first century society. It is useful to listen to such arrangements in order to increase and expand the musical horizons. Some variants open up fundamentally new facets in the composer's work, but one should not forget about the classical version either.

Using the music of Symphony No. 5 in motion pictures

It cannot be denied that the atmosphere of triumph and overcoming conveyed in music, as well as the feeling of tension in the motive of fate, can be excellent tools for emotional coloring of certain moments in cinema. Perhaps this is why many modern directors use the work in their own works.

Awkward (2014);
Collector's Special Edition (2014); is not only the pinnacle of symphonic creativity, but also a vivid indicator of the individual characteristics of the composer's style. It is impossible to understand the true meaning of music without getting acquainted with such a grandiose composition. Music is a temporary art, it lives only during the performance. Symphony No. 5 it is proved that even temporary art can be eternal.
Ludwig van Beethoven "Symphony No. 5"