Beethoven's Fifth Symphony --- A Critical Review

The first movement of Beethoven’s famous 5th symphony opens with a striking first four notes. These first four chords are ominous and leave the listener unsure of what to expect next. Instead of carrying on in this dark tone, Beethoven switches to a lighter, sounding tune, although not quite bright or happy. In this passage, Beethoven uses spiccato to give the music a lighter, airier tune that builds up to the repetition of the famous clause that started the music, although slightly altered to be a little less grand-sounding. The next phrase includes what sounds like a call and response between the upper strings and the winds, building in anticipation until the climax of the first theme, ending in a solo from the horns. From here there is a short transition into the second theme. 

The second theme, if placed side by side with the first theme, might feel very out of character. 

Unlike Mozart’s music where there is a natural flow from the first theme to the second, Beethoven’s compositions require bridges between the first and second themes to tie them together. This mini-development helps connect the main ideas of the themes better in the listener’s mind. The second is much more upbeat and straightforward, but it does not lose the grandeur and regality that the first theme manages to convey. The first and second theme repeat, further conveying the juxtaposing ominousness of the first theme with the upbeat gaiety of the second theme.

The first movement of Beethoven’s 5th symphony starts off with four world-famous notes played by the lower strings and clarinets: GGGF, played short-short-short LONG. The famous refrain is then repeated a step lower. These four notes leave the listener with a sense of dread and anticipation for the music to come. The notes are filled with suspense, but the suspenseful theme is not necessarily carried on for the rest of the movement. Suddenly, the strings move into a piano, developing the opening motif. A long crescendo and loud chords lead back to the opening motif, this time played by the full orchestra, followed by the same sudden pianissimo. There is a crescendo and ascension, giving the music a lighter, airier tone which is juxtaposed with the timpani drums. Suddenly there is a stop in the music, and the horns have their call motif, which acts as a transition to the second theme of the sonata allegro.

The second theme of Beethoven’s 5th starts out very differently than the first theme. Unlike the suspenseful, dense, heavy opening to the first theme, the second theme opens gently. It is played first by the lower strings and then they are joined by the upper strings. This time the tone is more jubilant and happy. It employs flutes, piccolo, and the upper strings to reinforce the difference between the tones of the first and second themes instead of relying on the lower strings, brass, and timpani. Towards the end of the second theme the woodwinds and horns have a rapid descent, preparing the listener’s ears and minds for the repetition of the Exposition, a quick jump back to the somberness of the first theme.

In Beethoven’s first movement, unlike the music of Mozart and other composers, there is a transition between the first and second themes. Because the ideas and flavors of the two themes are so different, a transition is used to prepare the listener for the tones to come. Even though the switch in tones is not necessarily logical, the transition does help bridge the two ideas.

Next, Beethoven moves onto the development. The development opens with a horn motif in a fortissimo, followed by the low strings, then high chords from woodwinds and brass, still held in a strong fortissimo. Suddenly, there is another horn call, this time accompanied by the full orchestra and a couple key changes, the tonic and dominant keys “battling it out.” The opening motif is repeated one last time, and the Recapitulation begins.

The first theme, transition, and second theme are played once again to remind the listener of the ideas explored in the opening portion of the sonata allegro. The Recapitulation is followed closely by the coda, which is very short. Towards the beginning of the coda there are short, forceful, repeated chords with long pauses to give the phrase a dramatic air. The horn-call is again repeated by the lower strings and bassoons along with a new violin melody in the tonic key. A short descending pattern in the violins leads to a completely new theme that seems to be leading up, something that the listener now more closely relates to the second theme in the Exposition and Recapitulation.

Once again, the fast, loud, opening motif of four notes is repeated by the full orchestra and the movement ends in a forceful fortissimo.

The format of the second movement is themes and variations, but it differs from most theme/variation movements by classical composers because, unlike those that have one theme and many variations, the second movement of Beethoven’s 5th symphony has two themes each with their own variations. The first theme starts out in the Tonic key (A flat major). The theme is first played out by the lower strings, but the melody is later picked up by the woodwinds. The melody continues with a call and response type alternation between the woodwinds and the strings. The second theme is first carried out by the clarinets, and is also in the tonic key (still A flat major). Suddenly, the clarinet theme is taken over by the violins, and the music crescendos as it transitions to a brass fanfare and a key change. The violins take back over the theme, but continue it as a pianissimo, signaling an end to the second theme.

The first variation is a variation on the first theme, written in the tonic. The melody is played by the violas and cellos, reinforced by longer nots by the clarinets. The first variation contains many notes from Theme One. The second variation is a variation on the second theme, and is more active. This variation (1B) is also played on the clarinet, but accompanied by fanfare from the brass section. This variation has many sustained chords, and spiccato chords from the lower strings, and the variation ends in a cadence. The third variation is 2A, back to a variation on the first theme. This variation has the smooth rhythm of the first variation, but is played twice as fast. 

This variation, played predominantly by the woodwinds, is embellished by the violins, and later by the lower basses. The variation is ended by rising scales. The third variation is 3A, a third variation on the first theme. In this variation, however; the melody is played by the full orchestra, concluded with rising scales and call/responses between the violins and flutes.

The coda comes at a faster tempo, and is started by a single bassoon and one oboe, who play a passage based on the opening of the movement. The tempo slows to the original tempo, the flute and strings join, and the last section of the first theme is played yet again by the violins. There is a cadence in tonic, and the intensity of the movement builds to a full cadence played by the full orchestra to end the coda.

The third movement is played in the scherzo and trio formation. This is the same format as a minuet and a trio, but a scherzo is generally much faster and more vigorous than a minute. The opening of the scherzo begins hesitantly, but builds to a blasting horn section which is repeated later by the full orchestra. The short-short-short-LONG rhythm of the first movement is repeated at the end of the scherzo.

The trio begins with the first section, a quick melody of unaccompanied cellos and bases. The second section of the trio has a few “false starts” where the orchestra begins to build, but never reaches the climax of the phrase. Finally, the full orchestra leaps into the melody with a forte and a melody carried by the woodwinds.

Next, the scherzo returns with the original minor medley. The themes are carried out by the bassoons and cellos, and is embellished by pizzicato strings. There is powerful horn segment and more pizzicato strings. There is a cadence, and then the short-short-short-LONG returns for the end of the scherzo. Finally, there is a short transition to the last movement, marked by a long, low, ominous string note and timpani drums.

The fourth and final movement is the epic conclusion of Beethoven’s 5th symphony. The last movement, like the first, is in C major and sonata form. In this movement, however; Beethoven introduces four themes, but the overall tone changes to one that is bright, cheery, and leaves the listener with a resounding feeling of optimism. The first theme is march-like and is played by the entire orchestra, but the trumpets and brass are exceptionally prominent. 

This theme is in the tonic, C major. The second melody or transitional theme is also forceful, played in a fortissimo, and is also brought in by the horns. The third theme is light and played by the upper strings, the violins. This theme is played in the dominant key, G major. This theme is exposed with the short-short-short-LONG that is known around the world. The fourth and final theme is presented by the strings and woodwinds, and immediately repeated by the full orchestra at a forte, with repeating chords and ascending crescendo to a fortissimo. The whole exposition is repeated and the development begins.

The development utilizes the triplets that are played in the third theme with slowly ascending scales on the flute. Next, the short-short-short-LONG is played one more time by the strings, but in a pianissimo, transitioning to the recapitulation.

The recapitulation repeats themes 1, 2, 3, and 4, which lead to the coda. The coda further develops the third theme, and then variates into theme two. There is a series of piccolo scales followed by a return of the strings and an accelerando until the repetition of theme four by the violins. The full orchestra gradually joins in and then the first theme is once again repeated by the full orchestra in a fortissimo at a much higher tempo. 

The full orchestra until the grand finale, the whole orchestra playing a concert C in a forceful fortissimo.

An Awesome Spin On Beethoven The Piano Trios in 2020

Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op. 1, No. 1 (1795)

The three trios known as “Op. 1” were not the first set of compositions by Beethoven to appear in print:  after all, he had written three piano sonatas at the age of twelve that were published with a dedication to the Elector of Cologne.  Yet by calling a group of mature works explicitly “Op. 1,” the 24-year-old Beethoven was sending the world a message that he was embarking on a career as a professional composer.  With twelve years of experience and a newly-won fame as a piano virtuoso in Vienna, the city that mattered the most in the world of music, Beethoven was definitely ready.

Dedicated to one of Beethoven's aristocratic patrons, Prince Lichnowsky, the three piano trios proclaim, loud and clear, that a major new voice had appeared on the scene.  The piano trios of Haydn and Mozart were always in three movements.  Beethoven added one more movement that he already called a “scherzo” in two of the three trios—as opposed to the minuet that had long been customary in string quartets.

The very first phrase of the first trio brings a surprise:  a note foreign to the main tonality (D-flat) is heard as early as the third measure.  This unusual move sets the stage for a movement where the traditional conventions, although observed, are stretched in all sorts of interesting ways.  In the heartfelt Adagio cantabile, the second movement, the returns of the lyrical main melody are graced with elaborate written-out embellishments, giving us an idea of how Beethoven might have improvised at the piano.  The third-movement Scherzo is the first of many Beethovenian examples of tonal ambiguity:  the key of E-flat major is not confirmed until measure 16.  After a delicately scored middle section (‟trio”) and a return of the scherzo, Beethoven, in another unusual move, adds a few extra measures in which the strong closure of the scherzo is effectively demolished in favor of a hushed and mysterious ending.

The word ‟scherzo” means joke, but Beethoven’s finale is possibly even funnier than his third movement.  The playful skips of its primary theme introduce a sparkling sonata form filled with surprises, such as distant modulations, dynamic contrasts, and more.  In spite of the undeniable influence of Haydn and Mozart on young Beethoven, we would never find a movement like this among the works of those masters.

Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 1, No. 3 (1795)

Many qualities commonly associated with the “heroic” Beethoven of the middle years are already on display in this early work.  The  special emotional climate associated with the key of C minor in the Pathétique sonata or the Fifth Symphony makes its first appearance just a few years after Mozart’s death, at a time when Joseph Haydn was still actively composing.  Haydn must have felt that his erstwhile pupil had gone a little too far; he reportedly “doubted whether this trio would be easily understood and accepted by the public”—certainly a veiled criticism.  In the event, Haydn’s worries notwithstanding, the three trios had a resounding success in Vienna’s musical circles. 

The musical events happening in the first few seconds of the C-minor trio (energetic opening gesture, hesitant stop on a fermata, agitated continuation) strike a brand-new tone, and the movement as a whole more than lives up to the expectations of such an unusual beginning.  Alternations of extremes (turbulence and gentleness, very soft and very loud volume), novel modulations into distant keys and other musical surprises enrich the musical language.  The cello, which, in the trios of Haydn and Mozart, was often treated merely as a provider of harmonic support, plays a few prominent solos, in an important step toward the complete equality of the three instruments realized in Beethoven’s later trios.

The second movement is a set of variations on a cantabile (eminently singable) theme of utmost simplicity.  In the course of five variations, the theme receives the usual virtuoso figurations, but it seems that the changes in melodic character were much more important to Beethoven than mere technical display.  The piano melody of the first variation is more memorable than the theme itself in its intense lyricism.  In the second, the roles of the three instruments (melody and accompaniment) change with great frequency, resulting in a novel instrumental texture.  In the third, the pizzicato (plucked) notes of the strings are particularly effective against the fast notes of the piano. The fourth brings sighing accents, unsettling syncopations and chromatic progressions along with the dark key of E-flat minor (with six flats!).  

The staccato (separated) notes of the piano and the double-stops of the violin enliven the fifth and last variations, leading into the coda that recapitulates motives heard separately in some of the earlier episodes.  (German musicologist Helga Lühning has pointed out that one of Beethoven’s shorter piano works, the Bagatelle Op. 119, No. 2, is so close to this movement that it could almost qualify as another variation on the same theme.  Despite its high opus number, this bagatelle was actually written as early as the 1790s.)

The third movement is not quite the graceful “minuet” its designation in the score would suggest—but it is not a playful scherzo either.  Its main theme is related to the agitated motive from the first movement, but it is put in even sharper relief here.  In the trio, the tonality changes from minor to major and the mood brightens up accordingly.  The fast runs of the piano alternate with a simple but engaging melody in the cello.

High drama returns in the finale, significantly marked Prestissimo.  After a few introductory measures that function as a musical “curtain,” the violin intones a main theme full of nervous tension.  Its insistent minor thirds are subsequently developed in an almost maniacal fashion; a more relaxed second theme brings only temporary calm.  The movement ends with a most astonishing coda.  For the first time, Beethoven used a strategy to which he would often return in his later works:  just when one would expect the music to settle down in the home tonality, a surprise modulation sends the harmony off into very distant regions.  In this instance, Beethoven resolved this last-minute complication only to make another unheard-of move.  He modulated into C major without resolving any of the dramatic tensions: the soft C-major scales of the piano against the quarter-notes of the string instruments, repeated ostinato (without any changes), end the work on an oddly mysterious note.

Beethoven himself thought particularly highly of this early work of his.  More than twenty years later he returned to it and made an arrangement for string quintet, which he published in 1819 as Op.104.

Piano Trio in D major, Op. 70, No. 1 (‟Ghost,” 1808)

We don’t know who gave Beethoven’s D-major trio the nickname ‟Ghost” but, as nicknames go, this one is singularly apt.  There is something undoubtedly ‟spooky” about the work’s central Largo, and even though it is framed by two cheerful fast movements, it is the memory of the Largo that lingers in most listeners’ minds as they leave the concert.

Along with its companion work in E-flat (Op. 70, No. 2), this trio marks the first time Beethoven returned to the piano-violin-cello combination since the three Op. 1 trios of 1795.  In the meantime, the composer had created many of his greatest works:  six symphonies, five concertos, the opera Fidelio, more than twenty piano sonatas and nine string quartets.  The piano trio was a medium associated with private chamber music parties in aristocratic salons; the two trios Op. 70 were dedicated to the Hungarian Countess Erdődy, in whose Viennese palace they were first performed.  Yet there is something in these works that the sumptuously decorated walls of the Countess’s music salon can’t seem to contain. 

The unison melody at the beginning of the ‟Allegro vivace con brio” shoots up with uncommon energy, only to stop abruptly on a note outside the key of D major.  A new, lyrical melody appears; it, too, picks up considerable dramatic momentum as it is developed.  The exposition is relatively brief but extremely intense.  In the development, the two themes previously heard are combined contrapuntally in constantly changing configurations.  The recapitulation temporarily darkens the mood by an unexpected modulation from D major to D minor, but it soon recaptures the upbeat energy of the opening.

The D-minor that was adumbrated in a few measures in the first movement takes center stage in the second.  Sketches to this ‟Largo assai ed espressivo” were found on the same page where Beethoven had also jotted down ideas for an opera based on Macbeth that was never written.  We will never know whether there is a connection between the Largo of the piano trio and the witches in Macbeth.  Yet the unusual harmonies, the eerie tremolos and the sudden outbursts of this music are indications that Beethoven had something extremely dramatic in mind.  This Largo has an atmosphere not found in any other of Beethoven’s works (or anyone else’s, for that matter).

The dark clouds vanish without a trace in the concluding Presto, a sparkling movement full of playful melodies and delicious harmonic surprises.  At the same time, there is plenty of that Romantic fire that heralds a new century and with it, a whole new era in the history of music.

Credits : 

Peter Laki 

Cleveland Chamber Music