January 1 (a bit late) - Beethoven's 5th Symphony

I imagine for most people just reading the name "Beethoven" triggers memories of being in an elementary school music room with a teacher that's doing their best to keep everyone on task, but I hope to change that impression on what Beethoven means to you.

It's quite possible that the stereotypical image of a composer being a frizzy haired man that's rather eccentric stemmed from Beethoven (a close second however is Hector Berlioz). Especially when the portraits of Beethoven look like this.

And he rightly fits that stereotype as he was largely known by his peers as having a very strong personality that didn't have very many close friends. However his musical compositions and his performing capabilities were well noticed at an early age, and was incredibly influential in leading the classical era to the romantic.

Beethoven's 5th Symphony is widely considered as one of the most popular classical pieces mostly known for the beginning with the eighth note pickups (duh duh duh duuuhhh, duh duh duh duhhhhhh). So why is this piece still being taught by music teachers nearly 200 years after it's premier?

Why it's so important: 

Beethoven was influential in the adaptation of the Symphony Form. His 5th Symphony really helped make the Symphony more malleable in regards to form in the movements. His first movement is in a Sonata Form, the second is a Variations, the third a Scherzo, and lastly it's Beethoven's interpretation of the Sonata form of the 4th Movement that make it so unique and paved the way for the future Romantic composers. He changed the typical Sonata form used in the Symphonies of Haydn and Mozart by adding material in the development and recapitulation sections and ends with a very long coda.

For reference, audiences of this time were very familiar with the musical forms and even when main themes would be brought back; just like predictable movie plots. So when Beethoven deviated from these structures it would catch them by surprise (try to imagine knowing the form of a song while it's going on).

Fun Facts:

1. The premier of the work in 1808 ended up lasting close to 4 hours long. Although the work is only around 30 mins, other pieces on the program include his 6th symphony, 4th piano concerto, and Choral Fantasy. Imagine listening to a concert that lasts as long as an American football game!

2. The premier wasn't very well received due to the lack of lack of preparation from the orchestra. For some reason or another they only had one rehearsal for the entire four hour performance, which did not help the performers when having to work on four hours of music. 

3. This symphony was played in the inaugural concerts for the New York Philharmonic in 1842 and the National Symphony Orchestra in 1931.

To Beethoven (and other philosophers) music was a way to connect to a higher form of knowledge and understanding to mankind. Hopefully through this blog, music will take on a new meaning, and we'll come to understand this meaning through looking at different genres and artists.

Here's a video of the Symphony played by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan.


When I open my eyes I must sigh, for what I see is contrary to my religion, and I must despise the world which does not know that music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.
-- Ludwig van Beethoven, quoted by Bettina von Arnin, letter to Goethe, 1810