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Fnom Classicismto 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

o Lilce Beethoven, Franz Schubert is a transitionalfigure between eighteenth-century Classicism andthe new sPirit of Romanticism'

o Schubert's symphonies and chamber music fol-low in the Classical tradition of Haydn, Mozart'and Beethoven; his songs, however, reflect theRomantic sPirit'

and in his songs we can hear many of the prime interests of this new era' espe-

cially a fascination with nature. A discussion of schubert's life and works appears

imagery of the subject is The Trout (Dieling accompaniment' Schubert based aon this song, building a theme and vari

ations that reveals a happy marriage of Classical and Romantic elements'

228

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T'l228 pARr IV . TheClassicalPeriod, 17so-182o

an contented, mentally stable people write greatmusic? Bach, Haydn, and Mendelssohn were

Vestern tradition. On ther hand, the biographies ofHandel, Berlioz, and Robert nn suggests that each The Western concepti e "suffering artist" arosesuffered from bipolar disorder (Schuhraqn actually died in part with Beethove was perceived by his con-

temporafles as an y, misanthropic man ]ndeed,

father, t\telearly death of his mother, continuing failurehe never married), and chronic ill health (he suf

from lead poisoning) But Beethoven did, nonethe-less, wlxe superb music for all to hear Vith Beethoven inmind, in the nineteenth century began to equatepersonal miser).qrith artistic creativity This Romanticideal-the compos\s social misfit who suffers f61 11-has endured down to t day and is an article offaith among fans of rock m\cians who diedyoung JimiHendrix, Jim Morrison, and in, three tragic fig-ures who enjoy cult status today, do\n part because oIa simple equation: they suffered and did{gr their art'therefore, they must have been great artistssay, this Romantic ideal would have come as a surpriseto such pre-Romantic composers as Haydn and Mozart,who loved music but were simply trying to earn a f iv-ing at it.

A JanciJt*fiet in many ways accurate, depiction oJ Beetbooen in tbemidstdJ creatiue cbaos Tbe illustralor bas assembled many objectsJrom Beetbooen's daily ttJe, iucludinq bis ear-trumpet (leJt) to correcthrs growing deaJness .

a cry oJ despair

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Beethoven first complained about his hearing and a ringing in his ears inthe late 1790s, and he suffered considerable anguish and depression His grow-ing deafness did not stop him from composing-Beethoven possessed anexceptional "inner ear" and could compose even without the ability to hearexternal sound However, his condition caused him to retreat even further fromsociety and all but ended his career as a pianist, since he could no longer gaugehow hard to press the keys By late 1 802, Beethoven recognized that he wouldultimately suffer a total loss of hearing In despair, he wrote his last will andtestament, today called the Heiligenstadt Testament after the Viennese sub-urb in which he penned it. In this confessional document for posterity, thecomposer admits he considered suicide, "l would have ended my lifer it wasonly my art that held me back." Beethoven emerged from this personal crisiswith renewed resolve to fulfill his artistic destiny-he would now "seize Fateby 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 "middleperiod") His works became longer, more assertive, and full of grand gestures

Beetbouen, Bridge to Romanticrsm r C H A p T E R 2t 229

Simple, often triadic, themes predominate, and these are repeated, sometimeincessantly, as the music swells to majestic proportions. Vhen these themesare playedforre and given over to the brass instruments, a heroic, triumphantsound results.

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 muchlonger and more complex than those o[ Mozart or Haydn. They set the stan-dard for the epic symphony of the nineteenth century. Most noteworthy arethe "Eroica" (Third), the famous Fifth Symphony, the Slxth (called the ,,pas-toral" because it evokes the ambiance of the Austrian countryside), the Sev-enth, and the monumental Ninth In these, Beethoven introduces new or-

struments into the symphony orchestra,, and 9), th. .ont.gbg$op_l_(Symphony

ny Nos 5, 6, and 9), and even the human//

./mphony No. 3 in Eb major ("Eroi ") (1 Bo3)

titl e suggests, B eethove n's "Eroica" ("Heroicony epitomizes the grandiose, heroic st

ear with startling

Austria and the German s were at war withry Yet Cerman

parte became hisphony to him, wV(ti"g on ihe title page \tirolutu Bonaparte." Butwhen news thatf,apoleon had declared him\lf emperor reached Bee-thoven, he nef into a rage, saying, "Nowhe,\o, will trample on allthe rights o/man and indulge his ambirion "\klng up a knife, hescratchedy'o violenrly [o erase Bonaparte's na..\o- the title page

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4

that he fdt a hole in rhe paper (Fig. 2l-2) When r\ work was pub-lishedfapoleon's name had been removed in lavor o\. rnor. g.n-eral /le "Heroic Symphony, To Celebrate the Memory of )G.eut ii"n"(Flg1 Z1-3). Beethoven was not an imperialist, he was a revolutionary.Symphony No. 5 in C minor (1808)At the center of Beethoven's symphonic output stands his remarkableSymphony No. 5 (see also pages 7-8). Its novelty rests in the way thecomposer conveys a sense of psychological progression over the courseof four movements An imaginative listener might perceive the follow-ing sequence of events, (1) a fateful encounter with elemental forces,(2) a period of quiet soul-searching, followed by (3) a further wresthng

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URE 21_2AND 21_3The title page of the autograptl oflpven's''Eroica" Symphonyz'slnfonia

took a knij6 and scratched"BonapartT.' (bottom) As a

a new form of repub-lican governmef thalrevolutionary,ldeals of lihu manity.,-Af{er Napoleonto emperf in 1804, Beethe tiflef his Symphony No. 3\pafte"rb "Eroica." The portrait byLog6 David shows the newly crowhed

)dpoleon in full imperial regalia. Liberatorhad become oppressor.

that were shocki n g t\arly- n inetee/th-ce ntury listeners. Most novel for B\thoven, the work has bio-graphical content, for the\ro 9{ the "Eroica" Sym-phony, at least originally, wa\.Kapoleon Bonaparte

23O pARr IV . TheClassicalPeriod, 175o-182o ----\Lrywith the elements, and, finally, (4) a triumphantvictory over the forces ofFate. Beethoven himself is said to have remarked with regard to the famousopening motive of the symphony, "There Fate knocks at the door!"

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

t-t1) ) )t )a persistent rbytbmic motne

a Jamous beginnrng

lirst movement

second movement

third movement

fourth movement

lJ I J 1)IJ

3tr)FIRST MOVEMENTAt the very outset, the listener is jolted to attention, forced to sit up and takenotice by a sudden explosion of sound And what an odd beginning to a sym-phony-a blast of three short notes and a long one, followed by the samethree shorts and a 1ong, all now a step lower. The movement can't quite getgoing. 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 mo-tive or musical cell than a melody. Yet it is striking by virtue of its power andcompactness As the movement unfolds, the actual pitches of the motiveprove to be of secondary importance Beethoven is obsessed with its rhythmHe wants to demonstrate the enormous latent force that lurks within eventhe simplest rhythmic cell, waiting to be unleashed by a composer who under-stands the secrets of rhythmic energy

To control the sometimes violent forces that will emerge, the musical pro-cesses unfold within the traditional conftnes of sonata-allegro form. The basicfour-note motive provides all the musical material for the first theme area.

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The brief transition played by a solo French horn is only six notes long andis 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)r* (Ei major).

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Beetbouen, Bridgeto Romanticism . C H A p T E R 21 231

manipulation of tbe motiue

the motioe reduced Io its essence

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 underneathin the low strings

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The closing theme, too, is none other than the motive once again, nowpresented in a somewhat different guise

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In the development, the opening motive returns, recapturing, and even sur-passing, the force it had at the beginnlng It soon takes on different melodicforms, as it is tossed back and forth between instruments, though the rhyth-mic shape remains constant

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As the motive rises, so does the musical tension A powerful rhythmic cli-max ensues and then gives way to a brief imilative passage Soon Beethovenreduces the six-note motive of the transition to merely two notes, and thenjust one, passing these figures around pranrsstmo between the strings and winds.Ex,rvpn z 1-8

Beethoven was a master of the process of lhematic condensation-strippingaway 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 mo-

rd.'tltd) tive: a single note In the midst of this quiet, the original four-note motive tries'

-Jo-rg4qgrr!_(1elf t'o1!:s11y_o, 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

low strings

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232 P A Rr IV' TbeClassicalPeriod, 4T5o-482o

a leugtby coda

Motive playedJortrssino by horn and strlngs, then passedback and forth between woodwlnds and strings

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 to reassert itselI loudlyMore pianisslnro one-note alternation between winds and strings

Motrve reenters insistentlY

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3t4-6

Fornr, sonata-allegroEXPOSITION [ ]o,oo H Ae4o,lto\

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A deviation from the usual path of sonata-allegro form, this briel oboe cadenzaoallows for a momentary release of excess energy The recapitulation then re-sumes its expected coltrse

\i/hat is not expected is the enormous coda that follows It is even longerthan the expositionl A new form of the motive appears, and it, too', is sub-jectecl to development In fact, this coda constitr-ttes essentially a second de-velopment section, so great is Beethoven's single urge to exploit the latentpower of this one simple musical idea

.r.:r'Ludwig van Beethoven

',

Symphony No. 5 in C minor (t 808),, First movem ent, Allegro con brio (fast with gusto)

@1122-2

= repeats

Two statements of "fate" motive

t0tfrL Motive builds momentum in crescendo, working upto climax and three chords, the last of which is held

Another crescendo begins as motive is piled uponitself in imitative counterPointLoud climax on trvo chordsShort transition played by solo French horn

WN Quiet second theme in new major key (relative major)

CrescendoLoud string passage prepares arrival oI closing themeClosing theme

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l,:3( W Ailt New four-note pattern alternates between strings and woodwinds6:W\eeU| q,8 Pounding on single note, then motive as at beginning7 ', tl k'.ez Xl,lt Succession of I-V I chords brings movement to abrupt e nd(lo^,'.

- ,( o,'^ ;ao^-.i - 'ia.t,..)Use a downloadable, cross-platform animated Active Listening Guide, availableat www.thomsonedu.com/music/wright.

Beetbooen' Brid7e to Romantrcrsm I C H A P T E R 2l 255

RECAPITULATIONr i:"iq10,1 ffi OnO Return ol moLive&l

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tglt{16 Motive gathers momentum and cadences with three chordsgi16 Unexpected oboe solo

Motive returns and moves hurriedly to climaxTransilion now played by bassoon instead of hornQuiet second theme with timpani now playing rhythm of motiveCrescendo leading to closing themeClosing theme

Motive poundedJortlsslmo on one nole, then again step higherImitative counterpointRising quarter notes form new four-note patlern

Listening Exercise zoBeethovenSymphony No 5 in C minorThe first movement of Be e thove n's Symphony No 5 isperhaps the most famous movement in all of classical musicThe following questions are designed to show how Bee-thoven honore d, but sometimes broke with, the usual Classical treatment of sonata allegro form

I (0,00 0,30) \X/hich instruments carry the four-noteffi rnotive rnd its immediate repeutionq.)

a. woodwrndsb brassesc strj ngsd percussion

0 i{g-: (fr+-.44.IThe French horn plays a short transition{1 in which Be ethove n does what:

a prefixes two long notes to the basic rhythm of thefirst themeappends two long notes to the basic rhythm of the6rst themerepeats the rhythm oi the first theme

1 122-24

Thomson,'r:-:,: 'To take this Listening Exercise onling andreceive feedback or email answers to yourinstructor, go to IhomsonNOWfor this chapter,

I 1'1.0:rf3 (A=4545i|) Normally in a movement in sonata-allegroform 1n a minor key, the second theme in t1-1.e exposi-tion appears in the major mode Does Beethoven honorthat tradition?ayesbno

, ,- 4., (l'V'WL4A,q Similarly, in a movement in sonata-allegro

,u ' , ,'form in a minorkey, the exposition will normally end- t u t in a major key and go back to the minor key lor the

beginning of the repeat of the exposition DoesBeethoven move from major back to minor here2

d com-legro form

previously stud+e{ (see pages tS{, 189,204,and2)5)

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I

In his Symphony Nt>S,.pedthoven has constructed

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O@'.X4."W Development"'r', b3' 6 @AZAWfr) Conside r the rhythmic climax in whlch3 Z"\ ffi the molive is pounded incessantly'

'fhis climax occurswhere in Lhe movemrnL.a rn the first thirdb in the exact middlec in the last third

@8y-+W) lf Beethoven's treatment of sonata-allegroform honors tradition, he will bring the second themeback in the minor mode Does the second theme , infact, come back in minor2ayesbnoFinally, how does Beethoven deviate in this movementfrom tradition in his treatment of Classical sonataallegro form?a He fails to honor the traditional key format for a

sonata allegro movement in minorHe inte rrupts the recapitulation with an instru-mental "cadenza"He shifts much o[ the weight o[ the movementfrom the exposition to the codaAll of the above

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VU1444 At the end oI the development, the or-chestra insistently repeats the motive, and then therecapitr,rlation begins Be elhovert helps announce therecapitulation by using which dynamic ievel?a Jorttssimo b ptano b Pidntssimo@/@!ji. A solo oboe suddenty interrupls the reca-pitulation Vas this oboe "cadenza" in the exposition2ayesbno

a dottble theme and oanatrons

SECOND MOVEMENTAfter the pounding we have experienced in the explosive first movement, thecalm of the noble Andante comes as a welcome change of pace The mood isat first serene, and the melody is expansive-in 6snl115t to the four-note mo-live of the first movement, the ope ning theme here runs on fof twenty-twomeasures The musical form is also a familiar one: theme and variations* Butthis is not the simple, easily audible theme and variations of Haydn andMozart (see pages 191-195). There are two themes, the first lyrical andserene, 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 stan-dard Classical form (Fig U 1-a). He also shows how it is possible to contrastwithin one movement two starkly opposed expressive domains-the intenselylyrical (theme 1) and the brilliantly heroic (theme 2)

FIGURE 21_4Original autograph of Beethoven at workon the second movement of his SymphonyNo 5. The many corrections in differenlcolored inks and red pencil suggest theturmoil and constant evolutton involved inBeethoven's creative process

Beetbouen,Bridge to Romquticism r c H A p T E R 21 235

Ludwig van BeethovenSymphony No 5 in C minor (1808)Second movement, Andante cofi ftioto (progressing with movement)

Fornr, theme and variations

THEMES0'00 Violas and cellos play beginning of theme l

0124 Voodwinds play middle of theme 1

Violins play end of theme 1/sa_ga j-|

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VARIATION I?',0,1 tmz z"tryz 38 &.4,zfuast:g &t3:3t (e

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Clarinets, bassoons, and violins play theme 2

Brasses play theme 2 in fanfare stylelvlysterious p i anissimo

Violas and cellos vary beginning of theme 1 by addingsixteenth notesVoodwinds play middle of theme 1Strings play end of theme 1Clarinets, bassoons, and violins play theme 2Brasses recurn with fanlare (rheme 2)More of mysterious pianicsimo

VARIATION 2q:03 ltW ffi offi Violas and cellos overlay beginning of theme I

with rapidly moving ornamentation

Pounding repeated chords with theme below in cellos and bassesRising scales lead to fermata (hold)Voodwinds play fragments of beginning of theme 1Fanfare (theme 2) now returns in fu]l orchestraVoodwinds play beginning oI theme 1 detached and in minor key

Violins play beginning oI theme 1 Jortissimo\Woodwinds play middle of theme 1Strings play end of theme 1 (continued)

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Tempo quickens as bassoons play reminiscence of beginning of theme 1Violins play reminiscence of theme 2Voodwinds play middle of theme lStrings play end o[ theme 1Ends with repetitions of rhythm of very first measure of movement

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

FIGURE 21_5lnterior of the Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna,where Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 re-ceived its premiere on December 22,1808This all-Beethoven concert lasted fourhours, from 6:30 until 10:30 P M., andpresented eight new works, including hisSymphony No. 5. During the performanceof the symphony, the orchestra sometimeshalted because of the difficulties in play-ing Beethoven's radically new music.

THIRD MOVEMENTIn the Classical period, the third movement of a symphony or quartet wasusually a graceful minuet and trio (see page 181) Haydn and his pupilBeethoven 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 themysterious and sometimes threatening sound of the scherzo of Beethoven'sSymphony No 5, it is certainly far removed from the elegant world of thecourtly minuet.

The formal plan of Beethoven's scherzo, ABA', derives from the ternary

9

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Beethoueu, BridgetoRomanticism ! CHApTER 2t

Ludwig van BeethovenSymphony No 5 in C minor (t BOB)Third movem e nt, ,Alleqro (fast'1

237

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Form, ternary

SCHERZO A0,00

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Cellos and basses creep in with theme I and pass it onto higher strings

RepeatFrench horns enter with theme 2

Cellos and basses return with theme 1Cresce n doFull orchestra again plays the me 2/ortlssinoDevelopment of theme 1Ends with theme 2 /ortiss rmo, then piano

Ce]los and basses present subject of fugato

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BRIDGE TO FOURTH MOVEMENT9 31 uaa ara Long note heldpianissino in strings with timpanibeating softly below{*a Repeating three-note pattern emerges in first violins114 Creat crescendo leads to fourth movement

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'f lJJlViolas and bassoons enter with subiectSecond violins enter with subjecrFirst violins enter with subjectRepeat of imitative entriesSubject enters imitatively again, celros and basses, vroras and bassoons,second violins, first violins, and then flutes are addedsubject enters imitatively again in same instruments and flutes extend it

Quiet return of theme 1 in cellos and bassesPizzicato (plucked) presentation of theme 1 in cellos accompanied by bassoonschost-like return of theme 2 in short notes in winds and pizzicato in strings

238 p A R r IV ' Tbe Classrcal Period, 'i,7 5o-482o

new fustruments Jor added sononty

over and over as a wave of sound begins to swell from the orchestra Vithenormous force, the wave finally crashes down, and from'it emerges the tri-umphant beginning of the fourth movement-one of the most thrilling mo-ments in all of music.

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

Ludwig van BeethovenSymphony No 5 in C minor (1808)Fourth movement, Allegro (fast)

3t1't-13

Fornr, sonata allegro

EXPOSITION0,00 ffi Full orchestra with prominent brasses plays first theme

aapc:37

French horns play transition theme

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Strings play second theme

+r3tt:3S Full orchestra plays closing theme

(Repeatof exposition e@ a: $L - 4 : 1r;DEVELOPMENT

T; { i d}86 ffi 8& Loud string tremolo (fluttering)tt: i8 ,Ab fu Strings and woodwinds pass around fragments of second theme

in different keys

4:* AW W Double basses begin to play countermelody againstsecond theme

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Beethouen, Bridge to Romanticrsm t c H A p T E R 2l 239

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Vn Tiombones play countermelodyW Voodwinds and brasses play countermelody above

dominant pedal point in cellos and bassest4 Climax and pause on dominant triadAA Chost-like theme from scherzo (third movement)

with four-note rhythm

RECAPITULATIONt' i'1 U {Ei UPe Full orchestra plays first themeJodissrnoo'5'6 ,U& Ur French horns play transition themel:ZV gt6 de strings play second theme"7' 5i, ryU 414? Woodwinds play closing theme

CODA& "zu ane TraA violins play second themed 3r. AZI NZP Brasses and woodwinds play countermelody from development( fl AAD a& V l, V I cbords sound hke final cadence8 SA W l& Bassoons, French horns, flutes, clarinets, and then pJccolo continue

with transition theme3.i.* W *fr Trill high in piccolo

1 t.17 1,* tT Tempo changes to presto (very fast)Jo. W Brasses recall first theme, now twice as fastio t & V I, V-l cadence tollowed by pounding{tonic chord \' \ io r-5" ,-j )

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

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

,,+VlctoryL

THqFINAL YEARS (r s t4-1827)withdrawn almost com-

, took on a more remote, inac-cessible quality, placing tta*y-a on performer and audience alike. lnthese late works, Beethove4--rd{hrss-1he listener to connect musical ideasover long spans oi time,.Tfirs is music thai intended not for the audienceof Beethoven s daffit rather for future generati t of Beethoven's lateworks are sonatas and string quartets-inLimate, in

Jrom ninimal materinl,maximum sofionty

iln lvlorr. code, short-short short long is the letter "V," as in "Victory

tive chamber

cHAPTER 14 Beethoven 229

tille, a con-ving of thent of thern.

The revoiution betrayed: Napoleont coron4tion as Emperor of France in 1804, as portrayed byJacques Louis David (17 48

-78 25 ), the greatest painter of Neoclassical art (see page 17 4) . Todaythis huge (20 by 30 feet) and pompous painting repels some viewers almost as much as theactual event it depicts enraged Beethoven.

2 Beethc;ven and the SymphonyAs we have said, what sets Beethoven instantly apart from Haydn or Mozartis his mood of excitement and urgency. This he achieved by maximizing virtu-ally all musical elements. Higher and lower registers, sharper syncoparions,stronger accents, harsher dissonances yielding to more profound resolutions-all of these are found in Beethoven's music. He made new demands on instru-ments, expanded the orchestra, and stretched Classical forms to their limits.- Given all this, it is not surprising that this composer should be especiallyassociated with the symphony, the most public of classical genres, with thegreatest range of expression, variety, and sheer volume. In fact, Beethovenwrote fewer symphonies (nine) than piano sonatas (thirty-two) or stringquartets (sixteen)-and no musician would rank these works any lower thanthe 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 demandedwhole new techniques of piano and string playing.,

\7e can approach Beethoven's "symphonic ideal" through his Fifth Sym-phony, written in 1808. Three main features of this work haie impressed gen-erations of listeners: its rhythmic drive, its motivic consistency o. ,rrrity, a.rJth.sense it gives of a definite psychological progression. The first feature can beapprehended at once, the second by the end of the opening movement, and theLnlrd only after we have experienced all four of the symphony's movements.

66 His clothes were veryordinary and not in theleast in the customary styleof those days, especially inour circles lBeethoven]was very proud; I have seenCountess Thun on herknees before him begginghim to play something-and he would not Butthen, Countess Thun wasa very eccentric woman "

An old lady remembers theyoung Beethoven (1867)

uNIT IV The Nineteenth CenturY' / ^iiaS ,^( \tssrdn \L RaLi

Ludui uan Beethouen

take charge of his family becau\f his father's drinking'NonJtheless, Bonn was an\nlightened" court'

to mix with aristocrats and intellectuals\The idealismthat is so evident in Beethoven's later works \such as hi9Ninth Symphony, ending with a choral hymn t\nivebrotherhood-can be traced to this early enviro\m9

(rZ7o-r827)

.,-,t.J Uf the brother of the liberal \ttot Joseph II .of ven in his lifetime. He hadregarded as a genius

Austria. The talented young musician ha\n opPortunlry

Vienna until his death.After the age of thirtY, he beca

a devastating fate for a muslcla hich kept him frommaking a living in the tradit '-".ttt.t, by perf ormin g. BeethThe crisis that this caused in thoven's life is reflected

nephew, but this was a catastrophe' His attitude was so over-p.o,..,iu. and his love so smothering that the boy could notstand it and attemPted suicide.

Beethoven had always lived with iil health, and thek of this new family crisis hastened his death' Twenty

th nd attended his funeral; his eulogy was wrrtten'essively deaf- and vered at the funeral, by Vienna's ieading poet'

in many matters has changed many times slncels lifetime, but his music has always reigned

and being asked his land-lord to leave. ( moved anaverage of a year.) Bythe end of ife he was wellknown inV as an eccen-trrc, te by street boys.

bly the first musi-cian r'6 make a career solelYfrf composing, Beerhoven

an immense need to receive and to give affection, yet henever married, despite various love affairs' After he died'passionate leiters to a woman identified only as hisi'Immortal Beloved" were found; we now know she was thewife of a Frankfurt merchant, both members of Beethoven'scircle. In his later years Beethoven adopted his own orphan

audiences and critics. The originality andsupreme wexPresslve of his work seem never to fade'

wrote the frrst of truly powerful and individual sym-phonies, the

Beet"ll bot d.-".tded

support from the nobil-l, *ho were awed by his extraordinarily

forceful

has him pouring water over himself to cool off in summerEncore: After Symphony No. 5. listen \ rheSonata; Sonata in A-flat, Op. I l0r Symphonits No

"Moonlight".6and9-

nt is the drive and blunt power of themeter, piles accent upon accent, andower: a far cry from the elegance and

e first movement of the Fifth Symphony'in many different forms' They are notore and more vivid and significant as the

d at the "organic" quality of such music'Plant's leaves out of a simPle seed'

)DAAADA DA DA

n, yet hehe died,y as hise was the:thoven'sn orphans so ovef-:ould not

and the. Twentywrltten,poet.

nes srnce

reignedrlity and

being therd Ninthrcre), forthe plays, and five15 stringValdstein,Sonata r

oonlight"rnd 9.

l)AAA

6e

Allegro con brioFirst theme

814

BridgeFRENCH HORNS

\(IN D S

Second themeSTR IN GSp

.f,f vlnti".

\OIN D S

Cadencetheme

If \,Anrir. Nlorive \lorive Morive . erc

' e 11 )\-!j"aPrnn 14 Beethoven 231

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

The Scherzo

Another of Beethoven's technical innovations should also be mentioned. Onthe whole, Beethoven continued to use Classical forms for his symphonies andother multimovement works. As early as his Second Symphony, however, hesubstituted another kind of movement for the traditional minuet.

This was the scherzo (scairtzo), a fast, rushing movement in triple meter-inherited from the minuet-and in the basic minuet-and-trio form, A B A.Wrth their rushing tempo, Beethoven's scherzos sometimes need more repeti-tions 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 isvery different from, say, Haydn's: It is broad, brusque, jocular, even violent'Originally associated with the court of Louis XIV, the minuet at the time ofthe French Revolution strll stood for eighteenth-century formality and ele-gance; one can see why Beethoven rejected it. The schelzo became an idealvehicle for Beethoven's characteristic rhythmic drive. See page 235.

l\---- JLI,JDW!G VAN BEETHOVENSymphony 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 ffive hours and the heating in the hall failed.

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

Motive

,Motlve I

!sfsfNlrtive" .:-Js.r> p

FULL ORCHESTRA

The motive then expant ilrther in the development section and continuesgrowing in the long coda.

How is this different from Classical motivic technique? In such works asMozart's Symphony No. 40, a single motive is likewise developed with con-sistency and a sense of growth. But Beethoven's use of the same device gives theFifth Symphony its particular gripping urgency. The difference is not in the basictechnique but in the way it is being used-in the expressive intensity it is made toserve. 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 firsttheme, in the key of C minor (shown above). The meter is disrupted by twofermatas (see page 16), which give the music an improvisational, primal qualirylike a great shout. Even after the theme surges on and seems to be picking upmomentum, it is halted by a new fermata, making three fermatas in all.

The horn-call bridge (see above) performs the usual function of a bridgein an unusually dramatic way. That function is to cement the new key-amajor key-firmly and usher in the second theme effectively.

The second theme introduces a new gentle mood, despite the main motiverumbling away below it. But this mood soon fades-Beethoven seems to brushit aside impatiently. The main motive bursts out again in a stormy cadencepassage, which comes to a satisfying, complete stop. The exposition is repeated.

Deuelopmenr The development section starts with a new shout, as the firsttheme 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, leadingto a climax when the II J rhythm multiplies itself furiously, as shown to theright. Next comes the bridge theme, modulating through one key after an-other. Suddenly the two middle pitcbes of the bridge theme are isolated andechoed between high wind instruments and lower strings. This process iscalled fragmentation (for an example from Mozart, see page 187). The two-note figure fragments further, and the echoing process focuses on just one note:

STRINGS STRI

Beethoven is famous for the tension he builds up in retransitions, the sectionsin sonata form that prepare for the recapitulations (see page 185). In the FifthSymphony, the hush at this point becomes almost unbearable. Finally thewhole orchestra seems to grab and shake the listener by the lapels, shouting themain motive again and again until the first theme settles out in the originaltonic key.

Recapitulation The exposition version of the main theme was interrupted bythree 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. Thisextraordinary moment provides a brief rest from the continuing rhythmicdrive. Otherwise the recapitulation stays very close to the exposition-a cleartestimony to Beethoven's Classical allegiance.

Coda On the other hand, the action-packed coda that follows is an equallyclear testimony to Beethoven's freedom from Classical formulas.

Beethoven striding throughVienna: a caricature by oneof his contemporaries.

nt ffn l,T]: lJ

T(IND S

lf sr*,*",

66 went to a German char-itable concert lthe Americanpremiere of Beethoven'sFifth Symphonyl . Themusic was good, very we Iselected and excellentlywell performed, as far asI could judge The crackpiece, though, was the last,Beethoven's Sinfonia in Cm.ror lt was generally un-intelligible to me, exceptthe Andante,"

Diary of a New York mustclovec 1841

cHAPTER 14 Be

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ven

,ut

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233

It,\i

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ed, as far as, The crackh was theSinfonia ln C '; qenerallY u

) me, except

Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 inSonata form' 7 min., 18 sec.

C Minor, first movement

EXPOSITIO N

0:00 Theme 1 Jvlain theme wtrh tuo fermatas, followed 6y the lirstcontinuation (based on il )1, anotber fertnata (the third)Main motive (T)) ), fi is followed by a seconcl continuation:timpani, crescendo.French horn, f0:46 Bridge theme

Second GrouP

0:49 Theme 21:17 Cadence theme1:22

1:26 ExPosition rePeatedDEVELOPMENTZ:52 First modulation, using JJI J

-oriue; French horns, ffminor modeDevelopment of first continuation ol theme 1Climactic passage of powerful reiterations: JT I [nDevelopment of bridge themeFragmentation of bridge theme to two notes, alternatingbetween strings and windsFragmentation of bridge theme to one note, alternatingbetween strings and winds, p

-Tr IBased on ) ) ) ),;f, runs directly into the recapitulation

Harmonized; tuo ferwatas. First continuation of theme;woodwind backgroundSlotu oboe cadenza in place of the third fermataSecond continuation o/theme 1Bassoons, f

TStrings and winds, p l) ) ) J in timpanil; major modeThis time it does not stop.

5- 13

rt -AA

-w" .ff

|vIa1ormode,p,stringsandwoodwinds1,rJinb,.kg,o,"o,ffit'?-1 l

Based on a. ) o mottve

-

gAjENCul r)

2:5 8

3:21

3:28

3:39

3:48

4:08 RetransitionRE CAP IT U LAT IO N

4:73 Theme 1

4:3I

4:46

5:05 Bridge themeSecond Group5:09 Theme 25:42 Cadence themeCODA

5:49

6:04

ffi

ffi6:19

5:51

5:59

Another climax of reiterations (as in the development)Returns to the minor mode. New expanded version of bridgetheme, in counterpoint with new scale figureNerv marchlike theme, brass; winds and strings build upTheme 1: climactic presentation in brass. Last fermatasFirst continuation of theme 1, with a pathetic coloration;oboe and bassoon figures

Srrong conclurion on Jll a

FRENCH HORN

-tr sif sf s1f>

f-p

ru York 704

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 recapit-ulation, the parallel passage seems to reject any such easy solution. Instead anew contrapuntal idea appears:

Compare the bottom contrapuntal line of this example with the first theme, asshown on page 231.. Here the four main-theme pitches (G Et F D) are played inthe bridge rbythm (nl ) 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 themes-are emphasizedby a long downward sequence.

The sequence evolves into a sort of grim minor-mode march-a momentof respite from the endless thematic evolutions of the main motive. A finalappearance of the original theme leads this time to continuations that areunexpectedly poignant. But the very end of the movement consists of affirma-tive, defiant-sounding cadences, built once again out of the main motive.

The Remaining Mouements The defiant-sounding final cadence of the firstmovement feels like a standoff at the end of a heroic struggle. Beethoven nowbuilds on this feeling to give the impression of a dramatic psychological pro-gression, 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 inthe first movement. 'We are never allowed to forget the first movement and itsmood, not until the very end of the symphony, mainly because a form of thefirst movement's rhythmic motiue, n ), is heard in each of the later move-ments. This motive always stirs uneasy recollections. Furthermore, the latermovements all refer to the key of the first movement. Vhenever this key re-turns in its original minor mode (C minor), it inevitably recalls the strugglethat 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) theultimate resolution of all that tension-the triumph over Fate.

Don't worry about recognizing C major or distinguishing it from anyother major-mode key. Almost any time you hear a very loud, triumphanttheme in the later movements, it is in the key of C major. As important as themelody of those themes and their orchestration (often with brass) is the factthat they come in C major, thus negating the first movement's struggle.

A special abbreviated Listening Chart for the entire symphony is providedon page 236. AII the C-major sections are indicated in dark red.

Second Mouement (Andante con moto) The first hint of Beethoven's mas-ter plan comes early in the slow movement, after the cellos have begun witha graceful theme, which is rounded off by repeated cadences. A secondplacid theme commences, but is soon derailed by a grinding modulation-to C major, where the second theme starts again, blared out by the trum-pets, ff.

sequence

66 | expected to enjoy thatSymphony IBeethoven'sFifthl, but I did not supposeit possible that it could bethe t,anscendenl affa,r it isl've heard it twice before,and how I could have passedby unnoticed so many mag-nificent points

-

appreciatethe spirit of the compositionso teebly and unworth;ly -I can't imagine."

Diary of the same NewYorker 1 844

A New Year's card fromBeethoven to Baroness Ert-mann, one of many womenwith whom his name hasbeen romantically linked.

STRINCS, FRENCH HORNS

-l-TT

rnjoy thatven'5i supposeould beffair it isbefore,ve passedany mag-pprectaten positionorthily

-

lew

' \.\/\

D ?+-t ot^-^Y''-J---j

This shattering fanfare or near-fanfare fades almost immediately into

a mysterious passage where the [] J ,hyth- of the first movement soundsquietly. Beethoven is not ready to resolve the C-minor turmoil of the firstmovement just yet. Variations of the first theme follow (one is in the minormode), but there is something aimless about them. !7hat stays in the memoryfrom this movement are two more enormous brass fanfares in C major.

ThirdMouemezr (Allegro) This movement, in 3/4 trme, is one of Beethoven'sgreat scherzos (though the composer did not label it as such, probably becauseits 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 moremuted, apprehensive form. One is the key, C minor. The other is the interrup-tion of the meter by fermatas.

Then a very forceful second theme (b), played by the French horns, recalisin its turn the first movement's rhythmic motive. The rwo themes alternate andmodulate restlessly, until the second makes a final-sounding cadence.

tff/hen nolv a bustling and somewhat humorous fugal section starts in themajor mode-in C major-we may recognize a vestige of the old minuet andrrio form, A B A (though the A section, which you have heard, with its twosharply contrasted themes a and b, has nothing in common with a minuet beyondits triple meter). B, the major-mode "trio," is in the traditional l: c:ll: d c':lform, 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-almoststealthily-with the tone color transformed. Hushed pizzicato (plucked)strings for a and a brittle-sounding oboe for b replace the smooth and force-ful sounds heard before. Everything now breathes a quite unexpected moodof mystery.

crrRprsr. 14 Beetho_ygn 235\-( p-z( )\| "/\__

First movement:

Fourth Mouement (Allegro) Thepoinr of this reorchestration ap-pears when the section does notreach a cadence but runs into adoubly mysterious rransition pas-sage, with timpani tapping out therhythm of b over a strange har-mony. The music grows louder andclearer until a veritable militarymarch erupts

-

in the key, needlessto say, of C major.

Minor cedes to major, PP to ff,mystery to clarity; the arrival ofthis symphony's last movement, af-ter the transition from the scherzo,has the literal effect of triumphover some sort of adversity. Thislast movement brings in three trom-bones for the first time in the sym-phony. (They must have reallyawakened the freezing listeners atthat original 1808 concert.)

2-fr "-T"14 t aaa a t aaa a\,

Third movement (b):

3t L I4atad. aaa )

A modern impression of Beethoven in h.is later years. The anist has captured both thefamous scowl of defiance, and also the chaotic state of Beethoven's household-thebroken piano strings, the sheets of musical sketches all over the place, and the uselessear trumpets.

LrrA- [.i{rr.,5 l*rfu)

0:321.:07

1:362:02

2:30

Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 in C Minor (complete work)31 min., 31 sec. @o5-19 1-15FIRsT MOVEMENT (Allegro con brio, 2/4; sotata form)See Listening Chart 14.

SECOND MOVEMENT (Andante, 3/8; variations)0:00 Theme 1 Ends with repeated cadences1:03 Theme 2 Played by ciarinets and bassoons1,:26 Trumpets enter2:1,2 Theme 1 Variation 1, played by strings3:06 Theme 2 Clarinets and bassoons3:29 Trumpets enter

C minor, ff

Al major, p

(goes to C MAJOR, ff)

(goes to C MAJOR, ff)4:15 Theme 1 Variations 2-4 (without repeated cadences), ending f,

then a long, quiet transition: woodwinds5:13 Theme 2 Trumpets C MAJOR' ff6:59 Theme t

J;j:l:ons 5 (minor;woodwinds) and 6 (full orchestra);

8:29 Coda Al majorTHIRD MOVEMENT (Allegro, 3/4; AB A') C minor, ppScherzo (A)0:00 a b0:4L a'b'I:Zt

^"b' Ends with a loud cadence built from bTrio (B) C MAJOR' fft:52 l: c :l Fugal2:25 d c'2:55 d c' Reorchestrated, p; runs into scherzo (goes back to C minor, pp)Scherzo (A')

pb rneNcu HoRNSiffi@

-

fugLre subject

3:304:46 Transition

Exposition0:00 Theme 10:34 Bridge theme1:00 Theme 21:27 Cadence themeDevelopment1:572fi23:31 RetransitionRecapitulation4:Q3 Theme 14:38 Bridge theme5:07 Theme 25:33 Cadence themeCoda5:01

Scherzo repeated, shorter and reorchestrated, ppTimpani; leads directly into the fourth movement

FOURTH MOVEMENT (Allegro, 2/2; sonata fotm)(goes to C MAJOR, ff)

c MAJOR, ff

March themeLow horns and bassoons

Development begins; modulationTheme 2 and its bass developedRecall of the scherzo (A', 3/4 meter) (recall of C minor, pp)

C MAJOR ff

Coda; three sections, accelerating; uses partsof the bridge, cadence theme, and theme 1 C MAJOR, ff

C DOUBLE BASSES

wirh TROMBONES

rw9The march proves to be the first theme of a sonata-form movement; the

second theme includes a speeded-up version of theJll J .hyth-, with a slower,upward-stepping bass that will drive the development section. The bridge andth. ."d..r.. theme are wonderfully gutsy. Then, at the end of the development,Beethoven offers another example of his inspired manipulation of musicalform. The second theme (b) of the previous movement, the scherzo, comes backquierly 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 soundsneither forceful nor mysterious, as it did in the scherzo, but rather like a dimmemory. 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 andthen later in a huge accelerating coda' "There Fate knocks at the door"

-

butfate and terror alike yield to Beethoven's optimistic major-mode vision.

3 ltseethoven's "Third Period"'s output is traditionally divided into three style periods.

.The first,qil 1800, in round numbers) covers music building on uhe style ofNyor"rt. The middle period contains characteristi cV(ly "heroic"

cuaprnn 14 Beethoven 237

DO19 1_15ruirur.P,^-t-#+

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i>-rfti-LlIi

.is

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S

#)lect

Beethoperiod (uHaydn an

In the third\riod (from around 1818 to 1827) Beethg{en's music losesmuch of its earlier qttact, rntrospectrve,and serene-yes, se

-and tends to come framed in,lnore intimate genresthan the symphonn suc the piano sonata and the s91ing quartet. (However,Beethoven's mightiest sym ony, the Ninth, also dati:s from this period.) Hiscontrol of contrast and I flow becomes mgie potent than ever, and anew freedom of form leads to\range of exprgdsion that can only be calledmiraculous. All the strength of h\arlier mugit seems to be encompassed to-gether with a new gentleness and sp'\ituality.

\fhile disruption was always a fea\re,.'of Beethoven's music -

think of thefermatas in the first movement of the FrrFnfr Symphony, and the C-maior trum-pets in the second-now the breaks 4nd b\aches in the musical fabric can bealmost frightening. At any rate, t,Vey prov\ incomprehensible in his owntime and for many years thereaft/r. Today the\features seem if anything toincrease the power of Beethove/s late music. \

LUDWIG VAN ET/THOVENString Quartet i" ROp. 135, second movement (/ ce) (1826)

t a phrase in(three), G

bedf ordstmarti ns.com/l isten> Interactive Listening Charts 14

and 15

(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 3a&ood lh"rc ,uk

'i"A a, Cn2 (it-ZE)3 (33-57)Listening Guide z r

| + | o:oo Theme I -based on famous 4-nor e motive,Allegrc con trtio

0:06 Motive treated sequentially:

L:O7 Closing theme---descending staccato passage, then 4-note motive.l:26 Repeat of exposition.

DEVELOPMENT2:54 Beginning of development, announced by horns.3:05 Manipulation of 4-note motive through a descending sequence:

0:43 Expansion lrom 4-note motive; horns modulate to key of second theme:PT.,

-'ff 'f -J { =_t-:-l| 5 | 0:46 Theme 2-more lyrical, in woodwinds, in E-flat major; heard against rhfihm of 4-note motive:

(31: 34;Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 671 80 7-8DATE OF WORK:

MOVEMENTS:

First Movement: Allegro con

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:

EXPOSITION

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

maJorIII. Allegro; scherzo and trio form, C minorIV. Allegro; sonata-allegro form, C major

brio; sonata-allegro forrn,2l4 meter, C 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.

basic rlqlthnx

trt

31:34

, A-tlat

J6 Beethoven ancl tlre Syrnphony in Transitiorr 203

qesc,

3:1,6 Melodic variation, interval filled in and inverted:

4:I2 F-rpansion through repetition; leads into recapitulation:

tzRECAPITULATION

4:18 Theme 1-in C minor,4:3 8 followed by brief oboe solo in cadenza style.

lil ,',, Theme 2-returns in c major.5:41Fl ,,r,

Closing theme.

Coda extended treatment of 4-note motive; ends in C 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 variationprocedure.

Varied melodies, harmonies (major/minor), rhythms, tempo, andaccompaniment.

Orchestra sections featured as groups: warm strings, brilliantwoodwinds, 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

I ll

Listening Guide continues

2o4l rHE cLASSTcAL sYMPHoNTY

c

, \._\., \ \, !.'. \i\''\

E r:57

Fll ,,r,

Examples of variations on theme 1Embellished with running sixteenth notes:

p .lolce

Embellished with thirty-second notes:

P dolce

Melody exchanged betweenClarinet

FI.l ,,on

Fll u,,u

etc.

Fil t , ,, Trio theme-in C major, in double basses, set fugally, played twice:

2:3O Trio theme is broken up and expanded through sequences:etc.

Melody shifted to minor, more disjunct:

Coda-Piu mosso (faster), in bassoon.Fi-l u'roThird Movement: Allegro; scherzo and trio forrn,3l4 meter, C minor

WHAT TO TISTEN FOR: Quickly ascending scherzo theme, followed by recurrence of 4-noterhythmic idea from first movement.

Contrasting trio featuring low-range strings and imitative (fugal)texture.

Long transition into 4th movement, without any break.

low strings:

0:19PP PP Poco rit'

Recurrent rhythmic motive (from opening of first movement):))i) l))i" I

(5:30)

ft!-] o,oo Scherzo theme-a rising, rocket theme in

...,_._ | iy "n...:;;l

;.' .:

Beetholen tlre Symplrony in Transitiol 205

rE 3:29 Scherzo returns, with varied orchestration, including pizzicato strings4:46 Transition to next movement with timpani rhythm from opening 4-note motive:

Fourth Movement: Allegro;

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:

sonata-allegro form, 414 rneter, C major (8:32)

Triumphant theme in trumpets brilliantly proclaiming C-major tonalitSr4-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 o'ooEXPOSITIONTheme l-in C major, a powerful melody whose opening outLines a C-major chord:

Allegro

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

FII o,r, Theme 2-in G major, vigorous melody with triplets:

I:25 Closing theme-featuring clarinet and violas, decisive:

DEVETOPMENTl2al t:50 Muchmodulationandfreerhythmictreatment; bringsback4-notemotive(short,short,short,

tr@

long) ftom Iirst movement.3:34 Brief recurrence of scherzo.

RECAPITULATION4:09 Theme I-in C major.5:13 Theme 2-in C major.5:40 Closing theme.

Eil u,o, coda-long extension.