ti

Z
F ;

c
Z
d-

li r;:; : 'i',, ii I i i, ;

.,.1 ."n' .i.,)' j!

!i .i,;'

,, -"'"

._^ '-**'""' .- f ":-. r,,.,r.. i. -*",'-'--.. i

,11

Fnom Classicism

to Romantlclsm
"I am in the world only t'or the purpose oJ composing' What I Jeel in my heart, I give to the world"'

-FRANZ

SCHUBERT

Lilce Beethoven, Franz Schubert is a

transitional

figure between eighteenth-century Classicism and the new sPirit of Romanticism'

Schubert's symphonies and chamber music follow in the Classical tradition of Haydn, Mozart' and Beethoven; his songs, however, reflect the Romantic sPirit'

of this new era' espeand in his songs we can hear many of the prime interests life and works appears cially a fascination with nature. A discussion of schubert's
imagery of the subject is The Trout (Die ling accompaniment' Schubert based a on this song, building a theme and vari
elements' ations that reveals a happy marriage of Classical and Romantic

228

)) , . <__-

A COMPARISON OF CLASSICAL . AND RCMANTIC STYLES

CLASSTCAL (C. r

750-r825)

ROMANTTC (C.

820-1900)

COMPOSERS

Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert

Beethoven, Schqbert, Fanny Mendelssohn Flensel, Felix Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, Chopin, Gottschall<, Liszt, Berlioz, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Wagner Expansive, singing melodies; wide ranging; more varied, with chromatic

METODY

Symmetrical melody in balanced phrases and cadences; tuneful; diatonic, with

narrow leaps
RHYTHM
Clear rhythmically, with regularly recurring accents; dance rhythms favored

inflections Rhythmic diversity and elasticity; tempo rubato Increasing chromaticism; expanded concepts of tonality

HARMONY

Diatonic harmony favored; tonicdominant relationships expanded, became basis for Iarge-scale forms Homophonic textures ; chordal-vertical
perspective

TEXTURE

Homophony, turning to increased polyphony in later years of era

Same Iarge genres, adding one-movement

ntoy
ic fol-

INSTRUMENTAL
I

GENRES

Symphony, solo concerto, solo sonata, string quartet, other chamber music genres
Opera, Mass, oratorio

symphonic poem; solo piano worhs

Same vocal forms, adding works for solo voice and piano/orchestra

VOCAL GENRES

czarI,
.

the
FORM

Ternary form predominant; sonata-allegro form developed; absolute forms preferred

Secular music predominant;

Expansion of forms and interest in continuous as well as miniature prograrnmatic forms Secular music predominant; middle-class audience

AUDIENCE

aristocratic audience
DYNAMICS

Continuously changing dynamics through

cr esc endo

Widely ranging dynamics for erpressive

purposes

Haydn,
r

and

d,ecr esc

endo

striking
MBRE

rrms, his

-clearlY
), reveals PERFORMING
FORCES

Changing tone colors between sections of works

Continual change and blend of tone colors; experiments with new instruments and unusual ranges

phonies'

String orchestra with woodwinds and

some brass; 3 O-to-40-member orchestra; rise of piano to prominence

art,
"ra,

and

Introduction of new instruments (tuba, English horn, valved brass, harp, piccolo);
much larger orchestras: piano predominant as solo instrument
Increased virtuosiE; composers specifi ed

rnticism,
esper appears
(Die
a

RTUOSITY

Improvisation largely limited to cadenzas

in concertos
Uout

more ln scores
Emotions, mood, atmosphere emphasized; interest in the bizarre and macabre

based

ESSION

Emotional balance and restraint

andvarj'

229

T'l

228

pARr IV .

TheClassicalPeriod, 17so-182o

an contented, mentally stable people write great

music? Bach, Haydn, and Mendelssohn were

Vestern tradition. On

ther hand, the biographies of Handel, Berlioz, and Robert nn suggests that each suffered from bipolar disorder (Schuhraqn actually died

The Western concepti

e "suffering artist" arose

in part with Beethove

temporafles as an

was perceived by his con-

y, misanthropic man ]ndeed,

father, t\telearly death of his mother, continuing failure he never married), and chronic ill health (he suf from lead poisoning) But Beethoven did, nonetheless, wlxe superb music for all to hear Vith Beethoven in mind, in the nineteenth century began to equate
.?
=

\ IE

=
A

JanciJt*fiet in many ways accurate, depiction daily

.

oJ Beetbooen

in

tbe

midstdJ creatiue cbaos Tbe illustralor bas assembled many objects

Jrom Beetbooen's
hrs ttJe,

iucludinq bis ear-trumpet (leJt) to correct

personal miser).qrith artistic creativity This Romantic ideal-the compos\s social misfit who suffers f61 11t day and is an article of has endured down to faith among fans of rock m\cians who diedyoung Jimi in, three tragic figHendrix, Jim Morrison, and ures who enjoy cult status today, do\n part because oI a simple equation: they suffered and did{gr their art' therefore, they must have been great artists say, this Romantic ideal would have come as a surprise to such pre-Romantic composers as Haydn and Mozart, who loved music but were simply trying to earn a f iving at it.

growing

deaJness

a cry oJ despair

Beethoven first complained about his hearing and a ringing in his ears in the late 1790s, and he suffered considerable anguish and depression His growing deafness did not stop him from composing-Beethoven possessed an exceptional "inner ear" and could compose even without the ability to hear external sound However, his condition caused him to retreat even further from society and all but ended his career as a pianist, since he could no longer gauge how hard to press the keys By late 1 802, Beethoven recognized that he would ultimately suffer a total loss of hearing In despair, he wrote his last will and testament, today called the Heiligenstadt Testament after the Viennese suburb in which he penned it. In this confessional document for posterity, the composer admits he considered suicide, "l would have ended my lifer it was only my art that held me back." Beethoven emerged from this personal crisis with renewed resolve to fulfill his artistic destiny-he would now "seize Fate by the throat."

THE "HERolc" PERIOD (r aoa-r 8 I 3)

It was in this resurgent, defiant mood that Beethoven entered what we call his "heroic" period of composition (1803-1 81 3; also simply termed his "middle period") His works became longer, more assertive, and full of grand gestures

Beetbouen, Bridge to

Romanticrsm

C H A p T E R 2t

229

Simple, often triadic, themes predominate, and these are repeated, sometime incessantly, as the music swells to majestic proportions. Vhen these themes are playedforre and given over to the brass instruments, a heroic, triumphant
sound results.

URE 21_2AND

21_3

Beethoven wrote nine symphonies in all, six of them during his ,,heroic,, period These symphonies are few in number in part because they are so much longer and more complex than those o[ Mozart or Haydn. They set the standard for the epic symphony of the nineteenth century. Most noteworthy are the "Eroica" (Third), the famous Fifth Symphony, the Slxth (called the ,,pastoral" because it evokes the ambiance of the Austrian countryside), the Seventh, and the monumental Ninth In these, Beethoven introduces new orstruments into the symphony orchestra, , and 9), th. .ont.gbg$op_l_(Symphony ny Nos 5, 6, and 9), and even the human

The title page of the autograptl of

lpven's''Eroica" Symphonyz'slnfonia
took a knij6 and scratched

"BonapartT.' (bottom) As

a new form of republican governmef thal

revolutionary,ldeals of
hu manity.,-Af{er

li

Napoleon

to emperf in 1804, Bee

the tiflef his Symphony No. 3\ pafte"rb "Eroica." The portrait by

// ./

mphony No. 3 in
titl e suggests,

Eb

major ("Eroi

")

(1 Bo3)

B eethove n's "Eroica" ("Heroic ony epitomizes the grandiose, heroic st

Log6 David shows the newly crowhed in full imperial regalia. Liberator )dpoleon had become oppressor.

with startling that were shocki n g t\arly- n inetee/th-ce ntury lis teners. Most novel for B\thoven, the work has biographical content, for the\ro 9{ the "Eroica" Symphony, at least originally, wa\.Kapoleon Bonaparte Austria and the German s were at war with
ear

; :
4

ry
parte became his

Yet Cerman

phony to him, wV(ti"g on ihe title page

the rights o/man and indulge his ambirion "\klng up a knife, he scratchedy'o violenrly [o erase Bonaparte's na..\o- the title page that he fdt a hole in rhe paper (Fig. 2l-2) When r\ work was publishedfapoleon's name had been removed in lavor o\. rnor. g.neral /le "Heroic Symphony, To Celebrate the Memory of )G.eut ii"n" (Flg1 Z1-3). Beethoven was not an imperialist, he was a revolutionary.

when news thatf,apoleon had declared him\lf emperor reached Beethoven, he nef into a rage, saying, "Nowhe,\o, will trample on all

\tirolutu

Bonaparte." But

Symphony No. 5 in C minor (1808)

At the center of Beethoven's symphonic output stands his remarkable Symphony No. 5 (see also pages 7-8). Its novelty rests in the way the
composer conveys a sense of psychological progression over the course
.q

of four movements An imaginative listener might perceive the following sequence of events, (1) a fateful encounter with elemental forces, (2) a period of quiet soul-searching, followed by (3) a further wresthng

9 g E
.E

23O pARr IV .

TheClassicalPeriod, 175o-182o

Lry

----\

with the elements, and, finally, (4) a triumphantvictory over the forces of Fate. Beethoven himself is said to have remarked with regard to the famous
opening motive of the symphony, "There Fate knocks at the door!"

The rhythm of the opening-perhaps the best-known moment in all of classical muslc-animates the entire symphony Not only does it dominate the opening Allegro, but it reappears in varied form in the three later movements as well, binding the symphony into a unified whole.
Ex,qN4pr-r 2

t-z
tlirst movement

t1) ) )t

persistent

rbytbmic motne

second movement

third movement

lJ I J 1)

fourth movement

tr) IJ
3

FIRST MOVEMENT At the very outset, the listener is jolted to attention, forced to sit up and take notice by a sudden explosion of sound And what an odd beginning to a symphony-a blast of three short notes and a long one, followed by the same three shorts and a 1ong, all now a step lower. The movement can't quite get going. It starts and stops, then seems to lurch forward and gather momentum. And where is the melodyr This three-shorts-and-a-long pattern is more a motive or musical cell than a melody. Yet it is striking by virtue of its power and

compactness As the movement unfolds, the actual pitches of the motive prove to be of secondary importance Beethoven is obsessed with its rhythm He wants to demonstrate the enormous latent force that lurks within even the simplest rhythmic cell, waiting to be unleashed by a composer who understands the secrets of rhythmic energy To control the sometimes violent forces that will emerge, the musical processes unfold within the traditional conftnes of sonata-allegro form. The basic

four-note motive provides all the musical material for the first theme area.
Ex,a,l"tplr z t-3

Jamous beginnrng

W o.tr
r*
(Ei major).

The brief transition played by a solo French horn is only six notes long and is formed simply by adding two notes to the end of the basic four-note,mo, the transition moves the tonality from the tonic (C minor)

nl
a

"tr

sJz sJz

if" =_

Beetbouen, Bridgeto

Romanticism

CHApTER

21 231

The second theme offers a mome nt of escape from the rush of the "fate" motive, but even here the pattern of three shorts and a long 1r-rrks underneath in the low strings
Exnvple
z

t-5

low strings

The closing theme, too, is none other than the motive once again, now
presented in a somewhat different guise Exnr,tplp

2t

In the development, the opening motive returns, recapturing, and even surpassing, the force it had at the beginnlng It soon takes on different melodic forms, as it is tossed back and forth between instruments, though the rhythmic shape remains constant
Ex,qvprE

21

manipulation of tbe motiue

"tr
As the motive rises, so does the musical tension A powerful rhythmic climax ensues and then gives way to a brief imilative passage Soon Beethoven reduces the six-note motive of the transition to merely two notes, and then just one, passing these figures around pranrsstmo between the strings and winds.

Ex,rvpn z 1-8
the motioe reduced

Io its essence

*
rd.'tltd)

Beethoven was a master of the process of lhematic condensation-stripping away all extraneous material to get to the core of a musrcal idea. Here, in this

mysteriout D,ilnr:llo passage, he presents the irreducible minimum of his motive: a single note In the midst of this quiet, the original four-note motive tries
t'o1!:s11y_o,

'

-Jo-rg4qgrr!_(1elf

yet at first cannot do so lts explosive force, how-

1,".fuo ever, cannot be held back. A thunderous return of the opening chords signals the beginning of the recapitulation Although the recapitulation offers a repeat of the events of the exposition, )i<\ '- ' / Beethoven has one surprise in store. No sooner has the motive regained its mo, ' mentum than an oboe interjects a tender, languid, and wholly unexpected solo

232

Rr IV'

TbeClassicalPeriod, 4T5o-482o

a leugtby coda

A deviation from the usual path of sonata-allegro form, this briel oboe cadenzao allows for a momentary release of excess energy The recapitulation then resumes its expected coltrse \i/hat is not expected is the enormous coda that follows It is even longer than the expositionl A new form of the motive appears, and it, too', is subjectecl to development In fact, this coda constitr-ttes essentially a second de-

velopment section, so great is Beethoven's single urge to exploit the latent power of this one simple musical idea

.r.:r'Ludwig van Beethoven

,,
Fornr,

',

Symphony No. 5 in C minor (t 808)

First movem ent, Allegro con brio (fast with gusto)

@
3t4-6
1122-2

sonata-allegro
] = repeats

EXPOSITION

[ o,oo H Ae4
o,lto\
o,w'zv
o,r4
t0tfrL

Two statements of "fate" motive

Motive builds momentum in crescendo, working up to climax and three chords, the last of which is held
Another crescendo begins as motive is piled upon itself in imitative counterPoint Loud climax on trvo chords Short transition played by solo French horn

{t&e

0,4 .16

"i{ W4.

wu
WN

0,O,fl

(relative major) Quiet second theme in new major key

Crescendo

t:oz nu l:01 1,t l8

nel

Wl
we

Loud string passage prepares arrival oI closing theme Closing theme

Ct:28 t@r{)

Z:t3

Repeat of exPosition
playedJortrssino by horn and strlngs, then passed back and forth between woodwlnds and strings

z'.Sl
3; t7 ?'.jo
3:Sl
Y:of

m ffi !,oe
dt$

DEVELOPMENT

Motive

3'17

tn

w
G{tr,

enl

uan

Another crescendo or "Beethovenian swe11" Rhythmic climax in which motive is pounded incessantly Short passage of imitative counterpoint using transition molive Two notes of transition motive passed back and forth Single note passed back and forth between winds and strings; gets quiet
Basic four-note motive tries

3'11 aes
atn,

1:ol us'

ryl ffi
)tG

to reassert itselI loudly

Y'ol

azrs

le

More

pianisslnro

one-note alternation between winds and strings

Motrve reenters insistentlY

E-J

Beetbooen' Brid7e to

Romantrcrsm

CHA

T E R 2l

255

r
![.

RECAPITULATION i:"iq10,1 ffi OnO Return ol moLive

&l

L) un
35 erw

tglt{16 Motive gathers momentum and cadences with three chords gi16 Unexpected oboe solo

aw .w vAs 5 01 ry2 r:lf, W t& s-'13 s.A? ,02

5 i5'l S,/e 1&S 'fl *|ae b: Zt &s

'1 117 S- a1

w6

Motive returns and moves hurriedly to climax

Transilion now played by bassoon instead of horn

Quiet second theme with timpani now playing rhythm of motive Crescendo leading to closing theme
Closing theme

CODA

%
ole
eh.u

Motive poundedJortlsslmo on one nole, then again step higher

Imitative counterpoint
Rising quarter notes form new four-note patlern

6:W\eeU|
7
',

l,:3( W
tl
k'.ez

Ailt q,8 Xl,lt

New four-note pattern alternates between strings and woodwinds Pounding on single note, then motive as at beginning
Succession of

I-V I chords brings movement (lo^,'. - ,( o,'^ ;ao^-.i - 'ia.t,..)

to abrupt e nd

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Listening Exercise zo
Beethoven

Thomson,'r:-:,: 3t4-6
1

'

122-24

To take this Listening Exercise onling and receive feedback or email answers to your instructor, go to IhomsonNOWfor this chapter,

Symphony

No 5 in C minor

The first movement of Be e thove n's Symphony No 5 is perhaps the most famous movement in all of classical music The following questions are designed to show how Beethoven honore d, but sometimes broke with, the usual Clas sical treatment of sonata allegro form

(A=4545i|) Normally in a movement in sonata-allegro form 1n a minor key, the second theme in t1-1.e exposition appears in the major mode Does Beethoven honor
that tradition?

1'1.0:rf

ayesbno
I

I ffi

(0,00 0,30) \X/hich instruments carry the four-note

rnotive rnd its immediate repeutionq.) a. woodwrnds

b c d {1 a

brasses strj ngs

(l'V'WL4A,q Similarly, in a movement in sonata-allegro , ,- 4., ,t ,'form in a minorkey, the exposition will normally end -,ut ' u in a major key and go back to the minor key lor the beginning of the repeat of the exposition Does Beethoven move from major back to minor here2 d com-

percussion

0 i{g-: (fr+-.44.IThe French horn plays a short transition

in which Be ethove n does what: prefixes two long notes to the basic rhythm of the first theme appends two long notes to the basic rhythm of the 6rst theme repeats the rhythm oi the first theme

legro form previously stud+e{ (see pages tS{, 189,204,and2)5) In his Symphony Nt>S,.pedthoven has constructed

=[

'

234 PARr IV

'TheClassicalPuiod,4l5o-182o

I l I I I

3 \
"'r',

Pl

ii
il

O@'.X4."W Development

b3' 6 3 Z"\ ffi

@AZAWfr) Conside r the rhythmic climax in whlch the molive is pounded incessantly' 'fhis climax occurs
where in Lhe movemrnL. a rn the first third b in the exact middle c in the last third VU1444 At the end oI the development, the orchestra insistently repeats the motive, and then the recapitr,rlation begins Be elhovert helps announce the recapitulation by using which dynamic ievel?

Beethoven's treatment of sonata-allegro form honors tradition, he will bring the second theme back in the minor mode Does the second theme , in fact, come back in minor2

@8y-+W) lf

'{,q) " ,t./

ayesbno
10

Finally, how does Beethoven deviate in this movement from tradition in his treatment of Classical sonata

4'-.,\- t

"t

t'1

,r".

-o)o

a Jorttssimo b ptano b Pidntssimo @/@!ji. A solo oboe suddenty interrupls

ffi

the reca-

14l

pitulation Vas this oboe "cadenza" in the exposition2

ayesbno

allegro form? a He fails to honor the traditional key format for sonata allegro movement in minor He inte rrupts the recapitulation with an instrumental "cadenza" He shifts much o[ the weight o[ the movement from the exposition to the coda All of the above

a dottble theme and oanatrons

SECOND MOVEMENT After the pounding we have experienced in the explosive first movement, the calm of the noble Andante comes as a welcome change of pace The mood is at first serene, and the melody is expansive-in 6snl115t to the four-note molive of the first movement, the ope ning theme here runs on fof twenty-two measures The musical form is also a familiar one: theme and variations* But this is not the simple, easily audible theme and variations of Haydn and Mozart (see pages 191-195). There are two themes, the first lyrical and serene, played mostly by the strings, and the second quiet, then triumphant, played mostly by the brasses By means of this "double" theme and variations, Beethoven demonstrates his ability to add length and complexity to a standard Classical form (Fig U 1-a). He also shows how it is possible to contrast within one movement two starkly opposed expressive domains-the intensely lyrical (theme 1) and the brilliantly heroic (theme 2)

FIGURE

21_4

Original autograph of Beethoven at work on the second movement of his Symphony

No 5. The many corrections in differenl colored inks and red pencil suggest the
turmoil and constant evolutton involved Beethoven's creative process
in

Beetbouen,Bridge to Romquticism

c HApTER

21 235

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 5 in C minor (1808)

Second movement, Andante cofi ftioto (progressing with movement)
Fornr, theme and variations

THEMES

0'00

Violas and cellos play beginning of theme l

0124

Voodwinds play middle of theme

/sa_g

a j-|
A. U

Violins play end of theme

W
\"

SLr

Clarinets, bassoons, and violins play theme

t.l fin& t36WA

?',0,1

Brasses

play theme 2 in fanfare style

p
i

lvlysterious
I

anissimo

VARIATION

tm
&.4,

z z"try
38

Violas and cellos vary beginning of theme sixteenth notes

by adding

Voodwinds play middle of theme

Strings play end of theme
1

t:g &t 3:3t (e

zfuas

Clarinets, bassoons, and violins play theme

Brasses recurn

with fanlare (rheme 2)

pianicsimo

More of mysterious
2

VARIATION

q:03 ltW ffi offi

Violas and cellos overlay beginning of theme

with rapidly moving ornamentation

q2 t:tt ee {;S1aea* t4 6:q.1 a*e an

?:

4:1o Atltr gE* 1.5-l t$to m

Pounding repeated chords with theme below in cellos and basses Rising scales lead to fermata (hold)

Voodwinds play fragments of beginning of theme

Fanfare (theme 2) now returns in fu]l orchestra

Voodwinds play beginning oI theme

1 detached and

in minor key

zz

*w

VARIATION

7:49 7.58

,n
w W

Violins play beginning oI theme

Strings play end of theme

Jortissimo
1

\Woodwinds play middle of theme

1

(continued)

1l
I

2?6 PARr IV

'TbeClassicalPeriod, 17so-482o

ir
iri

I
tl
iil
j
l
I

CODA
8:12

tw
M ufr
w8 TM

Tempo quickens as bassoons play reminiscence of beginning of theme

g '38 ,hw
8,48

9 z6 vu
s&e

Violins play reminiscence of theme Voodwinds play middle of theme

Strings play end o[ theme
1

2
l

1l
I

1:og

Ends with repetitions of rhythm of very first measure of movement

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THIRD MOVEMENT
In the Classical period, the third movement of a symphony or quartet was usually a graceful minuet and trio (see page 181) Haydn and his pupil Beethoven wanted to infuse this third movement with more life and energy, so they often wrote a faster, more rollicking piece and called it a scherzo*, meaning "loke " And while there is nothing particularly humorous about the mysterious and sometimes threatening sound of the scherzo of Beethoven's Symphony No 5, it is certainly far removed from the elegant world of the courtly minuet. The formal plan of Beethoven's scherzo, ABA', derives from the ternary

FIGURE

21_5

lnterior of the Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna, where Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 received its premiere on December 22,1808 This all-Beethoven concert lasted four hours, from 6:30 until 10:30 P M., and presented eight new works, including his Symphony No. 5. During the performance of the symphony, the orchestra sometimes halted because of the difficulties in play-

ing Beethoven's radically new music.

Beethoueu,

BridgetoRomanticism

! CHApTER

2t

237

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 5 in C minor (t

BOB) 3/9-1

Third movem
Form, ternary

e nt, ,Alleqro (fast'1

SCHERZO A
0,00

to higher strings

Cellos and basses creep in with theme I and pass it on

O:t(

J z'L UA

iEW

Repeat

French horns enter with theme 2

o'xL E&
'J:

l:

tfo w

l:06 ffia z\l t/&

TRIO
B

ig w

Cellos and basses return with theme

Cresce n do

Full orchestra again plays the me 2/ortlssino Development of theme

1

Ends

with theme

2 /ortiss rmo,

then piano

i:S-g titq

Ce]los and basses present subject of fugato

'f
Violas and bassoons enter with subiect Second violins enter with subjecr

lJJl

Z' Ia &;,4d z'.LY 4n,

Z: y3

u*
lW

First violins enter with subject Repeat of imitative entries Subject enters imitatively again, celros and basses, vroras and bassoons, second violins, first violins, and then flutes are added

a,6o

t&
aB Vg Ue

subject enters imitatively again in same instruments and flutes extend it

SCHERZO A'

3' t1

",4e 3'z1ua,s
j
5,1

t%

Quiet return of theme 1 in cellos and basses Pizzicato (plucked) presentation of theme 1 in cellos accompanied by bassoons chost-like return of theme 2 in short notes in winds and pizzicato in strings

5ro3 W

j,rr rq

BRIDGE TO FOURTH MOVEMENT 31

uaa

ara
{*a 114

Long note heldpianissino in strings with timpanibeating softly below Repeating three-note pattern emerges in first violins Creat crescendo leads to fourth movement

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238

pAR

r IV '

Tbe Classrcal Period,

'i,7

5o-482o

?/3

over and over as a wave of sound begins to swell from the orchestra Vith enormous force, the wave finally crashes down, and from'it emerges the triumphant beginning of the fourth movement-one of the most thrilling moments in all of music.

FOURTH MOVEMENT
\When Beethoven arrived at the finale, he was faced with a nearly impossible task, how to write a conclusion that would relieve the tension of the preceding musical events yet provide an appropriate, substantive balance to the weighty first movement He did so by fashioning a monumental work in sonata-allegro form, the longest movement of the symphony, and by bringing some unusual forces into play To bulk up his orchestra, Beethoven added three trombones, a contrabassoon (low bassoon), and a piccolo (high flute), the first time any of these instruments had been called for in a symphony He also wrote big, bold, and in most cases, triadic themes, assigning these most often to the powerful brasses. In these instrumenls and themes, we hear the "heroic" Beethoven at his best, The finale projects a feeling of affirmation, a sense that superhuman will has triumphed over adversity

new fustruments Jor added sononty

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 5 in C minor (1808) Fourth movement, Allegro (fast)
Fornr,

3t1't-13

sonata allegro

EXPOSITION

0,00 ffi

Full orchestra with prominent brasses plays first theme

c:37

aap

French horns play transition theme

441

Strings play second theme

l:ob

+r3t

t:3S

Full orchestra plays closing theme

: ,t

(Repeatof exposition

e@

a: $L - 4 : 1r;

.f

DEVELOPMENT

T; i d}86 ffi 8& tt: i8 ,Ab fu

{

Loud string tremolo (fluttering)

Strings and woodwinds pass around fragments of second theme in different keys

4:*

AW

Double basses begin to play countermelody against

second theme

Beethouen, Bridge to

Romanticrsm

t c HApTER

2l

239

L3*e

,t, 11]?&

Vn W t4 AA

Tiombones play countermelody

Voodwinds and brasses play countermelody above dominant pedal point in cellos and basses
Climax and pause on dominant triad Chost-like theme from scherzo (third movement) with four-note rhythm

d faw

'i- 4i 0444

t' i'1 U {Ei UPe Full orchestra plays first themeJodissrno o'5'6 ,U& Ur French horns play transition theme l:ZV gt6 de strings play second theme "7' 5i, ryU 414? Woodwinds play closing theme
& "zu ane d 3r. AZI ( fl AAD 8 SA W
3.i.* W 1 t.17 1,* Jo. io t
CODA

RECAPITULATION

TraA violins play second theme

NZP

Brasses and

woodwinds play countermelody from development

a& V l, V I cbords sound hke final cadence l& Bassoons, French horns, flutes, clarinets, and then pJccolo continue
with transition theme

*fr tT W &

Trill high in piccolo

Tempo changes
Brasses

to

presto

(very fast) by pounding{tonic chord

recall first theme, now twice as fast

V I, V-l cadence tollowed

'

Use a downloadable, cross-platform animated Active Lisiening Guide, at www.thomsonedu.com/music/wright.

\ io r-5" ,-j\

) available /

Beethoven's Symphony No.5 reveals his genius in a paradox, From minimal material (the basic cell), he derives maximum sonority Climaxes are achieved by incessantly repeating the cell-like motive Long crescendos swell like tidal waves of sound. Vildly diflerent moods are accommodated within a single movement, In the quiet string musit of the Andanfe (second movement), for example, we are never Far from a heroic brass fanfare Everywhere there is a feeling of raw, elemental power propelled by the newly enlarged orchestra Beethoven was the first to recognize that massive sound could be a potent psychological weapon No wonder that during Vorld Var II (1939 19a5) both sides, Fascist as well as Allied, used the music oi this symphony to symbolize

Jrom ninimal materinl, maximum sofionty

VlctoryL

,,+

THqFINAL YEARS (r s t4-1827)

withdrawn almost comtook on a more remote, inac, cessible quality, placing tta*y-a on performer and audience alike. ln these late works, Beethove4--rd{hrss-1he listener to connect musical ideas over long spans oi time,.Tfirs is music thai intended not for the audience of Beethoven s daffit rather for future generati t of Beethoven's late works are sonatas and string quartets-inLimate, in tive chamber
iln lvlorr. code, short-short short long
is the letter "V," as in

"Victory

cHAPTER

14

Beethoven

229

The revoiution betrayed: Jacques Louis

Napoleont coron4tion as Emperor of France in 1804, as portrayed by ), the greatest painter of Neoclassical art (see page 17 4) . Today this huge (20 by 30 feet) and pompous painting repels some viewers almost as much as the David
(17 48 -78 25

actual event

it depicts enraged Beethoven.

2
tille, a conving of the
nt of the
rn.

Beethc;ven and the Symphony

66 His clothes were very ordinary and not in the least in the customary style of those days, especially in our circles lBeethoven] was very proud; I have seen Countess Thun on her knees before him begging him to play somethingand he would not But then, Countess Thun was
a very eccentric

what sets Beethoven instantly apart from Haydn or Mozart mood of excitement and urgency. This he achieved by maximizing virtually all musical elements. Higher and lower registers, sharper syncoparions, stronger accents, harsher dissonances yielding to more profound resolutionsall of these are found in Beethoven's music. He made new demands on instruments, expanded the orchestra, and stretched Classical forms to their limits. - Given all this, it is not surprising that this composer should be especially associated with the symphony, the most public of classical genres, with the greatest range of expression, variety, and sheer volume. In fact, Beethoven
is his

As we have said,

wrote fewer symphonies (nine) than piano sonatas (thirty-two) or string quartets (sixteen)-and no musician would rank these works any lower than the symphonies. But at the height of his career, from around tg00 to 1810, even many of his piano sonatas and string quartets sound like symphonies. The torrents of sound Beethoven ,rr--on.J up in these works demanded whole new techniques of piano and string playing. , \7e can approach Beethoven's "symphonic ideal" through his Fifth Symphony, written in 1808. Three main features of this work haie impressed generations of listeners: its rhythmic drive, its motivic consistency o. ,rrrity, a.rJth. sense it gives of a definite psychological progression. The first feature can be apprehended at once, the second by the end of the opening movement, and the Lnlrd only after we have experienced all four of the symphony's movements.

woman

"

An old lady remembers the young Beethoven (1867)

uNIT

IV

The Nineteenth CenturY

' / ^iiaS ,^
( \tssrdn

\L RaLi

Ludui uan Beethouen (rZ7o-r827)

his landand being asked moved an lord to leave. ( a year.) By average of ife he was well the end of as an eccenknown inV by street boys. trrc, te bly the first musia career solelY make cian r'6 frf composing, Beerhoven

take charge of his family

NonJtheless, .,-,t.J Uf the brother of the liberal

becau\f his father's drinking' Bonn was an\nlightened" court'

Austria. The talented young musician

\ttot

ha\n

Joseph II .of

regarded as

genius

opPortunlry

to mix with aristocrats and intellectuals\The idealism that is so evident in Beethoven's later works \such as hi9
Ninth Symphony, ending with a choral hymn t\nive brotherhood-can be traced to this early enviro\m9

ven in his lifetime. He had an immense need to receive and to give affection, yet he never married, despite various love affairs' After he died'

passionate leiters to a woman identified only as his i'Immortal Beloved" were found; we now know she was the
wife of a Frankfurt merchant, both members of Beethoven's circle. In his later years Beethoven adopted his own orphan so overnephew, but this was a catastrophe' His attitude was not could boy the that smothering p.o,..,iu. and his love so stand it and attemPted suicide. Beethoven had always lived with iil health, and the k of this new family crisis hastened his death' Twenty

Vienna until his death. essively deafAfter the age of thirtY, he beca him from kept hich a devastating fate for a muslcla '-".ttt.t, perf ormin g. by tradit making a living in the reflected is life thoven's in caused this that The crisis

th

and

vered at the funeral, by Vienna's ieading poet' in many matters has changed many times slnce ls lifetime, but his music has always reigned Beeth audiences and critics. The originality and supreme w of his work seem never to fade' exPresslve

nd attended his funeral; his eulogy was wrrtten'

wrote the frrst of

phonies, the
Beet

truly powerful and individual symbot d.-".tded support from the nobilwere awed by his extraordinarily

*ho l, "ll

forceful Encore: After Symphony No. 5. listen \ rhe "Moonlight" Sonata; Sonata in A-flat, Op. I l0r Symphonits No .6and9-

has

him pouring water over himself to cool off in summer

nt is the drive and blunt power of the meter, piles accent upon accent, and ower: a far cry from the elegance and
e first movement

of the Fifth Symphony' in many different forms' They are not

DA DA DA

DAAA

ore and more vivid and significant as the d at the "organic" quality of such music' Plant's leaves out of a simPle seed'

\-!j"aPrnn

'

11

14 Beethoven

231

an inspiraIn Beethoven's hands, the multimovement symphony seems to trace unlisteners tional life process, one so basic and universal that it leaves few innovations. moved. This was, perhaps, the greatest of all his forward-looking

The Scherzo
Another of Beethoven's technical innovations should also be mentioned. On the whole, Beethoven continued to use Classical forms for his symphonies and other multimovement works. As early as his Second Symphony, however, he substituted another kind of movement for the traditional minuet. This was the scherzo (scairtzo), a fast, rushing movement in triple meterinherited from the minuet-and in the basic minuet-and-trio form, A B A. Wrth their rushing tempo, Beethoven's scherzos sometimes need more repetitions to make their point; A B A is sometimes extended to A B A B A' The word scberzo means "joke" in Italian. Beethoven's brand of humor is very different from, say, Haydn's: It is broad, brusque, jocular, even violent'

n, yet

he

he died,

y as his
e

was the

:thoven's n orphan
s

so ovef-

:ould not

and the Twenty

wrltten,
poet.
nes srnce

Originally associated with the court of Louis XIV, the minuet at the time of the French Revolution strll stood for eighteenth-century formality and elegance; one can see why Beethoven rejected it. The schelzo became an ideal vehicle for Beethoven's characteristic rhythmic drive. See page 235.

reigned rlity and

\---LI,JDW!G VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, OP. 67 (1808)

eethoven composed his Fifth Symphony together with his Srxth (Pastoral) for one of the rare concefts in which he was able to showcase his own worksT This concert, in December 1808, was a huge success, even though it lasted f five hours and the heating in the hall failed.

6e

being the rd Ninth rcre), for the plays , and five 15 string
Valdstein,

Sonata r

FirstMouement (AlIegro con brio) Motivic consistency, as we have said, is a special feature of Beethoven's work. The fust movement of the Fifth Symphony is
This motive forms the first theme as a subdued background to in the cadence material: again the lyrical, contrasting second theme; and it emerges
dominated by a single rhythmic motive,

oonlight" rnd 9.

in the exposition; it initiates the bridge; it appears

Allegro con brio
First theme
814

Fl )

Bridge

FRENCH HORNS

Second theme STR IN GS

.f,f vlnti".
Cadence theme
l

!sfsf
Nlrtive"

.:-J p s.r>

Motive

\OIN D S

\(IN

)AAA

FULL ORCHESTRA

If

\,Anrir.

Nlorive \lorive

Morive

. erc

,Motlve

The motive then expant ilrther in the development section and continues growing in the long coda. How is this different from Classical motivic technique? In such works as Mozart's Symphony No. 40, a single motive is likewise developed with consistency and a sense of growth. But Beethoven's use of the same device gives the Fifth Symphony its particular gripping urgency. The difference is not in the basic technique but in the way it is being used-in the expressive intensity it is made to
serve. It is a Classical device used for non-Classical ends. Let us see how this works.

Exposition The movement begins with an arresting presentation of the first theme, in the key of C minor (shown above). The meter is disrupted by two
fermatas (see page 16), which give the music an improvisational, primal qualiry like a great shout. Even after the theme surges on and seems to be picking up momentum, it is halted by a new fermata, making three fermatas in all.

The horn-call bridge (see above) performs the usual function of a bridge

in an unusually dramatic way. That function is to cement the new key-a major key-firmly and usher in the second theme effectively.
The second theme introduces a new gentle mood, despite the main motive rumbling away below it. But this mood soon fades-Beethoven seems to brush it aside impatiently. The main motive bursts out again in a stormy cadence passage, which comes to a satisfying, complete stop. The exposition is repeated.

Beethoven striding through Vienna: a caricature by one

of his contemporaries.

Deuelopmenr The development section starts with a new shout, as the first theme makes a (very clear) modulation, a modulation back to the minor mode. There is yet another fermata. It sounds like the crack of doom. For a time the first theme (or, rather, its continuation) is developed, leading to a climax when the II J rhythm multiplies itself furiously, as shown to the right. Next comes the bridge theme, modulating through one key after another. Suddenly the two middle pitcbes of the bridge theme are isolated and echoed between high wind instruments and lower strings. This process is called fragmentation (for an example from Mozart, see page 187). The twonote figure fragments further, and the echoing process focuses on just one note:

nt ffn l,T]: lJ

T(IND

lf sr*,*", STRINGS

STRI

Beethoven is famous for the tension he builds up in retransitions, the sections

in sonata form that prepare for the recapitulations (see page 185). In the Fifth Symphony, the hush at this point becomes almost unbearable. Finally the whole orchestra seems to grab and shake the listener by the lapels, shouting the main motive again and again until the first theme settles out in the original tonic key.

66 went to

a German char-

Recapitulation The exposition version of the main theme was interrupted by three fermatas. Now, in the recapitulation, the third fermata is filled by a slow, expressive passage for solo oboe, a sort of cadenza in free rhythm. This extraordinary moment provides a brief rest from the continuing rhythmic drive. Otherwise the recapitulation stays very close to the exposition-a clear testimony to Beethoven's Classical allegiance.
the action-packed coda that follows is an equally clear testimony to Beethoven's freedom from Classical formulas.

itable concert lthe American premiere of Beethoven's Fifth Symphonyl . The music was good, very we selected and excellently well performed, as far as I could judge The crack piece, though, was the last, Beethoven's Sinfonia in C m.ror lt was generally unintelligible to me, except the Andante,"
I

Coda On the other hand,

Diary of a New York mustc

lovec 1841

cHAPTER

14

Be

ven

233

,ut

---,-'

Beethoven, Symphony
Sonata form' 7 min., 18 It,
sec.

No. 5 in C Minor, first movement

5- 13

\i r '/i .. ,/

EXPOSITIO N

0:00

Theme

Jvlain theme wtrh

tuo fermatas, followed 6y

the lirst

rt -AA

_,il

continuation (based on
\

Main motive timpani, crescendo.

il )1, anotber fertnata (the third) (T)) ), fi is followed by a seconcl continuation: f

"

.ff
FRENCH HORN

0:46 0:49 1:17

1:22

Bridge theme

French horn,

-w

Second GrouP

-tr
Based on

sif sf

s1f>

Theme 2
Cadence theme

|vIa1ormode,p,stringsandwoodwinds1,rJinb,.kg,o,"o,ffi
a. ) o mottve gAjENCul
t'?-1
l

ng through ture by one rarles.

r)

1:26

ExPosition rePeated

DEVELOPMENT

Z:52
2:5 8

First modulation, using

minor mode

JJI J -oriue;

French horns,
1

ff

Development of first continuation ol theme

3:21 3:28

Climactic passage of powerful reiterations:

Development of bridge theme

JT

[n

Itr)l)

|fl:lJ

3:39

Fragmentation of bridge theme to two notes, alternating between strings and winds Fragmentation of bridge theme to one note, alternating between strings and winds, p Retransition
Based on

3:48

ffi
f-p

4:08
RE

)))

-Tr

),;f,
I

runs directly into the recapitulation

CAP IT U LAT IO N

4:73
4:3I
4:46

Theme

Harmonized; tuo ferwatas. First continuation of theme; woodwind background

Slotu oboe cadenza in place of the third fermata
Second continuation o/theme
1

5:05
Second

Bridge theme Group Theme 2

Cadence theme

Bassoons,

f T l) ) ) J in timpanil;
major mode

I Gerrnan char: . Lthe American

I

eethove n's

5:09 5:42
CODA 5:49 6:04

Strings and winds, p

This time it

does not stop.

rl'lVl.

r'

roj,

vetY

wtll

'

excellentlY '-ed, as far as , The crack h was the C Sinfonia ln '

Another climax of reiterations (as in the development)

Returns to the minor mode. New expanded version of bridge theme, in counterpoint with new scale figure Nerv marchlike theme, brass; winds and strings build up Theme 1: climactic presentation in brass. Last fermatas

ffi

6:19
5:51

; ) me, except

qenerallY u

5:59

First continuation of theme 1, with a pathetic coloration;

oboe and bassoon figures
Srrong conclurion on

ru

York

704

Jll

UNIT

IV

The Nineteenth Century

.7_.c

\vh',

In the exposition, we recall, the stormy-tfd-ence passage had been defused by a satisfying Classical cadence and a complete stop. At the end of the recapitulation, the parallel passage seems to reject any such easy solution. Instead a new contrapuntal idea appears:
STRINCS, FRENCH HORNS

sequence

Compare the bottom contrapuntal line of this example with the first theme, as shown on page 231.. Here the four main-theme pitches (G Et F D) are played in
the bridge rbythm ) J I i ), ro that GGG-E, FFF-D becomes ccc-Eb F D. Then the two middle notes El and F-the comnon ground between the themesare emphasizedby a long downward sequence. The sequence evolves into a sort of grim minor-mode march-a moment of respite from the endless thematic evolutions of the main motive. A final

(nl

66 | expected to enjoy that Symphony IBeethoven's Fifthl, but I did not suppose it possible that it could be the t,anscendenl affa,r it is l've heard it twice before, and how I could have passed by unnoticed so many magnificent points
the spirit of the composition so teebly and unworth;ly I can't imagine."
Diary of the same New Yorker 1 844

appearance of the original theme leads this time to continuations that are unexpectedly poignant. But the very end of the movement consists of affirmative, defiant-sounding cadences, built once again out of the main motive. The Remaining Mouements The defiant-sounding final cadence of the first movement feels like a standoff at the end of a heroic struggle. Beethoven now builds on this feeling to give the impression of a dramatic psychological progression, another characteristic feature of his symphonic writing. The later movements of the Fifth Symphony feel like responses to-and, ultimately, a resolution of-all the tension Beethoven had summoned up in the first movement. 'We are never allowed to forget the first movement and its mood, not until the very end of the symphony, mainly because a form of the

appreciate

first movement's rhythmic motiue, n ), is heard in each of the later movements. This motive always stirs uneasy recollections. Furthermore, the later movements all refer to the key of the first movement. Vhenever this key returns in its original minor mode (C minor), it inevitably recalls the struggle that Beethoven is said to have associated with "Fate knocking at the door." \fhen it returns in the major mode (C major), it signifies (or foretells) the ultimate resolution of all that tension-the triumph over Fate. Don't worry about recognizing C major or distinguishing it from any other major-mode key. Almost any time you hear a very loud, triumphant theme in the later movements, it is in the key of C major. As important as the melody of those themes and their orchestration (often with brass) is the fact that they come in C major, thus negating the first movement's struggle. A special abbreviated Listening Chart for the entire symphony is provided on page 236. AII the C-major sections are indicated in dark red.
Second Mouement (Andante con moto) The first hint of Beethoven's master plan comes early in the slow movement, after the cellos have begun with a graceful theme, which is rounded off by repeated cadences. A second

A New Year's card from

Beethoven to Baroness Ert-

placid theme commences, but is soon derailed by a grinding modulationto C major, where the second theme starts again, blared out by the trumpets, ff.

mann, one of many women with whom his name has been romantically linked.

'
'-J---j
a mysterious passage where

\.\

D ?+-t ot^-^Y'

/\

crrRprsr.

14 Beetho_ygn

235

( p-z(
\| \__

\)

This shattering fanfare or near-fanfare fades almost immediately into the [] J ,hyth- of the first movement sounds quietly. Beethoven is not ready to resolve the C-minor turmoil of the first movement just yet. Variations of the first theme follow (one is in the minor mode), but there is something aimless about them. !7hat stays in the memory from this movement are two more enormous brass fanfares in C major.
-lTT

"/

rnjoy that
ven'5

i suppose

ould be ffair it is
before, ve passed any magpprectate n position orthily

ThirdMouemezr (Allegro) This movement, in 3/4 trme, is one of Beethoven's great scherzos (though the composer did not label it as such, probably because its form is so free). There are two features of the smooth, quiet opening theme (a) that immediately recall the mood of the first movement-but in a more muted, apprehensive form. One is the key, C minor. The other is the interruption of the meter by fermatas. Then a very forceful second theme (b), played by the French horns, recalis in its turn the first movement's rhythmic motive. The rwo themes alternate and
modulate restlessly, until the second makes a final-sounding cadence. tff/hen nolv a bustling and somewhat humorous fugal section starts in the major mode-in C major-we may recognize a vestige of the old minuet and rrio form, A B A (though the A section, which you have heard, with its two sharply contrasted themes a and b, has nothing in common with a minuet beyond its triple meter). B, the major-mode "trio," is in the traditional l: c:ll: d c':l form, but with an important modification. The second d c' is reorchestrated, becoming quieter and quieter. After this, the opening minor-mode music, A', returns quietly-almost stealthily-with the tone color transformed. Hushed pizzicato (plucked) strings for a and a brittle-sounding oboe for b replace the smooth and forceful sounds heard before. Everything now breathes a quite unexpected mood of mystery.

First movement:

2-fr 4 t aaa \, a

t aaa a "-T"1

Third movement (b):

3t L aaa ) 4atad.
I

lew

Fourth Mouement (Allegro) The poinr of this reorchestration appears when the section does not reach a cadence but runs into a doubly mysterious rransition passage, with timpani tapping out the rhythm of b over a strange harmony. The music grows louder and

clearer

until a veritable military

march erupts in the key, needless to say, of C major. Minor cedes to major, PP to ff,

mystery

to clarity; the arrival

of

this symphony's last movement, after the transition from the scherzo,

has the literal effect of triumph over some sort of adversity. This
last movement brings in three trombones for the first time in the symA modern impression of Beethoven in h.is later years. The anist has captured both the famous scowl of defiance, and also the chaotic state of Beethoven's household-the broken piano strings, the sheets of musical sketches all over the place, and the useless
ear trumpets.

phony. (They must have really awakened the freezing listeners at

that original 1808 concert.)

LrrA- [.i{rr.,5
Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 in C
31 min., 31
sec.

l*rfu)

Minor (complete work)

C minor,

@o
5-19
1-15

FIRsT MOVEMENT (Allegro con brio, 2/4; sotata form)

See

ff

Listening Chart 14.

SECOND MOVEMENT (Andante, 3/8; variations)

Al major, p

0:00 Theme 1 1:03 Theme 2 1,:26 2:1,2 Theme 1 3:06 Theme 2 3:29 4:15 Theme 1 5:13 6:59 2 Theme t
Theme

Ends with repeated cadences Played by ciarinets and bassoons

Trumpets enter Variation 1, played by strings Clarinets and bassoons Trumpets enter

(goes

to C MAJOR,

ff)

(goes

to C MAJOR, ff)

Variations 2-4 (without repeated cadences), ending f, then a long, quiet transition: woodwinds C MAJOR' Trumpets

ff

5 (minor;woodwinds) and 6 (full orchestra);

J;j:l:ons
Al major

8:29 Coda
THIRD MOVEMENT (Allegro, 3/4;
Scherzo (A)

AB A')

C minor, pp

0:00 0:4L I:Zt

Trio

ab

b
iffi
Ends

rneNcu HoRNS

a'b'

(B) t:52 l: c :l
d c' d

^"b'

with

a loud cadence built from b

@
C
DOUBLE BASSES

C MAJOR'
Fugal

ff

2:25 2:55
3:30

c'

Reorchestrated, p; runs into scherzo (goes back to C minor, pp)

Scherzo repeated, shorter and reorchestrated, pp

fugLre subject

Scherzo (A')

4:46

Transition

Timpani; leads directly into the fourth movement (goes to C MAJOR,

ff)
wirh TROMBONES

FOURTH MOVEMENT (Allegro, 2/2; sonata fotm)

c MAJOR, ff

Exposition

0:00 0:34 1:00 1:27

1:57

Theme

Bridge theme Theme 2

Cadence theme

March theme Low horns and bassoons

Development

2fi2

Development begins; modulation Theme 2 and its bass developed Retransition Theme
1

3:31
0:32
1.:07

Recall of the scherzo (A', 3/4

meter)

(recall of C minor, pp) C MAJOR

Recapitulation

ff

1:36 2:02

4:Q3 4:38 5:07 5:33

Coda
5:01

Bridge theme Theme 2

Cadence theme

2:30

Coda; three sections, accelerating; uses parts

of the bridge, cadence theme, and theme

C MAJOR,

ff

DO 19
1_15

The march proves to be the first theme of a sonata-form movement; the version of second theme includes a speeded-up

rw9

cuaprnn 14

Beethoven

237

theJll J .hyth-, with a slower,

ru

iru
r.P,^ -t-#+
-1--

upward-stepping bass that will drive the development section. The bridge and th. ."d..r.. theme are wonderfully gutsy. Then, at the end of the development,

Beethoven offers another example of his inspired manipulation of musical form. The second theme (b) of the previous movement, the scherzo, comes back quierly once again, a complete surprise in these surroundings (there is even a .h.ng. from the 4/4 meter of the march back to 3/4). This theme now sounds neither forceful nor mysterious, as it did in the scherzo, but rather like a dim memory. Perhaps it has come back to remind us that the battle has been won. All that remains is a great C-maior celebration, in the recapitulation and then later in a huge accelerating coda' "There Fate knocks at the door" - but fate and terror alike yield to Beethoven's optimistic major-mode vision.

bedf ordstmarti ns.com/l isten

>

Interactive Listening Charts 14

and

15

3
i>rftiLlIi .is

ltseethoven's

"Third Period"

Beetho

period (u ,qil 1800, in round numbers) covers music building on uhe style of Haydn an Nyor"rt. The middle period contains characteristi cV(ly "heroic" In the

's output is traditionally divided into three style periods. .The first

-t-+-+-t-

e#t4
S

third\riod

much of its earlier

#
)lect

and serene-yes, se -and the piano sonata and the s91ing quartet. (However, than the symphonn suc Beethoven's mightiest sym ony, the Ninth, also dati:s from this period.) His

(from around 1818 to 1827) Beethg{en's music loses qttact, rntrospectrve, tends to come framed in,lnore intimate genres

I flow becomes mgie potent than ever, and a control of contrast and of exprgdsion that can only be called to\range new freedom of form leads miraculous. All the strength of h\arlier mugit seems to be encompassed together with a new gentleness and sp'\ituality. \fhile disruption was always a fea\re,.'of Beethoven's music think of the fermatas in the first movement of the FrrFnfr Symphony, and the C-maior trumpets in the second-now the breaks 4nd b\aches in the musical fabric can be almost frightening. At any rate, t,Vey prov\ incomprehensible in his own time and for many years thereaft/r. Today the\features seem if anything to increase the power of Beethove/s late music. \

LUDWIG VAN ET/THOVEN String Quartet i" ROp. 135, second movement /

ce) (1826)

a phrase in (three), G

(blind), and !,(mice) nearly thirty times before the piece is over. \ Phrase b, consisring of just rwo pitches, is even simpler. Pitchwi\ it con-

ment,

full of surprises and shocks, in A B A form. Scherzo,

as we have

seen, \

202

SYMPHONY

&ood

3a lh"rc ,uk 'i"A

zr

a,
2 (it-ZE) 3 (33-57)

Cn

Listening Guide

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

DATE OF WORK: MOVEMENTS:
1

(31: 34;

80

7-8

L Allegro con brio; sonata-allegro form, C minor II. Andante con moto; theme and variations form (2 themes), A-flat
maJor

III. Allegro;

scherzo and trio form, C minor IV. Allegro; sonata-allegro form, C major
C

First Movement: Allegro con brio; sonata-allegro forrn,2l4 meter,

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:

minor

(7t37\

Famous motive (short-short-short-long) is basis for entire movement; heard in sequence, extended beyond 4 notes, and turned upside down. Sonata-allegro form, with fiery opening theme and sweet 2nd theme. Dramatic tonal shifts between major and minor.

EXPOSITION

|+

| o:oo

Theme I

-based

on famous 4-nor e motive,

Allegrc con trtio

0:06

Motive treated sequentially:

0:43

Expansion lrom 4-note motive; horns modulate to key of second theme:

PT.,

t-:-l | 5 | 0:46

ff
Theme

'f

-J

2-more lyrical, in woodwinds, in E-flat major; heard against rhfihm of 4-note motive:

-' { =_

basic rlqlthnx

L:O7 l:26

Closing theme---descending staccato passage, then 4-note motive.

Repeat of exposition.

trt

DEVELOPMENT

2:54 3:05

Beginning of development, announced by horns. Manipulation of 4-note motive through a descending sequence:

J6

Beethoven ancl tlre Syrnphony in Transitiorr

203

qesc,

31:34
I ll

3:1,6

Melodic variation, interval filled in and inverted:

A-tlat

4:I2

F-rpansion through repetition; leads into recapitulation:

tz
lil

RECAPITULATION

4:18
4:3

Theme

1-in

minor,

8 ,',,
5:41

followed by brief oboe solo in cadenza style. Theme

2-returns in c major.
extended treatment of 4-note motive; ends in
C

Fl ,,r,

Closing theme.

Coda

minor.

Second Movement: Andante con moto; theme and variations form, with two themes, 3/8, meter, A-flat major

(10:Ol)

WHAT TO LISTEN

FOR:

Movement based on 2 contrasting themes, both subjected to variation procedure. Varied melodies, harmonies (major/minor), rhythms, tempo, and

accompaniment.
Orchestra sections featured as groups: warm strings, brilliant woodwinds, and powerful brass.

Fil

o,oo

Theme

1-broad, flowing melody, heard in low strings: Andante con moto

i- --:--=\

p dolce

Fil

o,r,

Theme

2-upward-thrusting 4-note motive:

dolce

Listening Guide continues

2o4l

rHE cLASSTcAL sYMPHoNTY

\i \''\
.'.
1

\._\., \

\,

c
E
Examples of variations on theme r:57
Embellished with running sixteenth notes:

.lolce

Fll

,,r,

Embellished with thirty-second notes:

dolce

FI.l

,,on

Melody exchanged between

Clarinet
etc.

Fll
Fi-l
...,_._

u,,u

Melody shifted to minor, more disjunct:

u'ro

Coda-Piu

mosso (faster), in bassoon.

| i "n... :;
y

Third Movement: Allegro; scherzo and trio forrn,3l4 meter,

WHAT TO TISTEN

minor

(5:30)

;l

FOR:

;.'

.:

Quickly ascending scherzo theme, followed by recurrence of 4-note rhythmic idea from first movement. Contrasting trio featuring low-range strings and imitative (fugal) texture. Long transition into 4th movement, without any break.

ft!-] o,oo

Scherzo

theme-a rising, rocket theme in low strings:

PP
0:19

PP

Poco rit'

Recurrent rhythmic motive (from opening of first movement):

))i) l))i"
Fil
t
,

,,

Trio theme-in

major, in double basses, set fugally, played twice:

2:3O

Trio theme is broken up and expanded through sequences:

etc.

Beetholen

tlre Symplrony in Transitiol

205

r E

3:29 4:46

Scherzo returns,

with varied orchestration, including pizzicato strings

Transition to next movement with timpani rhythm from opening 4-note motive:

Fourth Movement: Allegro; sonata-allegro form, 414 rneter,

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:

major

(8:32)

Triumphant theme in trumpets brilliantly proclaiming C-major tonalitSr 4-note motive recurs as unifying device for entire symphony. Long coda affirms victorious C-major tonality (orrer C minor, the
opening key of the entire symphony).

fiil

EXPOSITION o'oo
Theme

l-in

major, a powerful melody whose opening outLines a C-major chord:

Allegro

El
FII

tr
n,r.
Lyrical transition theme in French horns, modulating from C to G major:

o,r,

Theme

2-in

major, vigorous melody with triplets:

I:25

Closing

theme-featuring clarinet and violas, decisive:

DEVETOPMENT

l2al t:50 3:34

Muchmodulationandfreerhythmictreatment;
long) ftom Iirst movement. Brief recurrence of scherzo.

bringsback4-notemotive(short,short,short,

tr

RECAPITULATION

4:09 5:13 5:40

Theme Theme

I-in
2-in

C major.
C

major.

Closing theme.

Eil u,o,

coda-long extension.