8. Analysis+of+ludwig+van+Beethoven's+fifth+symphony

Analysis of the first movement of ludwig van Beethoven's fifth symphony
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony is one of the most famous and most heard pieces from the classical music period. With a length of just under ten minutes Beethoven uses a wide variety of ways to maintain the interest of the listeners. The first of which is its persistent attention on one motive, an abrupt repeated-note pattern that is announced un humanised at the very beginning in an attention-arresting sound this immediately grabs the attention of the audience. This first subject is then prolonged and developed, restated and developed again before an accent to the relative major key, at the precise middle of the exposition. This following subject is itself an inversion of the horn phrase, therefore cunningly lending unity to the piece. Beethoven creates the tension until the motto comes back, leading to a tranquil and triumphant-sounding section, which presages the restoration of the motto before the section is repeated.

The development segment starts with another beautiful sound display from the horns, which leads to the key of the subdominant (F minor). The first theme is then repeated and developed until again at the midway point the horn call is played two times. There now follows an amazing passage in which minim chords are passed among the strings and wind, all the time developing in pitch distance and finishing with a gentle, eerie and unsettling recurrence of the same chords.

The recapitulation then proceeds, in which Beethoven emphasises the wretched aspects of the piece. This is most notable in the melancholic oboe cadenza, which offers a brief interval before the music continues on again. At the precise middle of this part, the horn theme is played once more. The next subject is then recapitulated, until a thundering passage of great musical force is halted by a shock inversion of the motto theme played by the bassoons, clarinets and horns while the rest of the orchestra replies with a gale of sound that leads in turn through another fusion of the motto and horn calls to an extended and emphatic final tone that brings this noisy movement to a halt.

After this emotionally draining encounter a short rest might be ordinary, but as an alternative Beethoven provides an ominous and edgy slow movement that relieves the anxiety only intermittently. media type="custom" key="25395936"


 * Ludwig van Beethoven by Campbell Giddens **