The Secrets of the World's most famous symphony - Beethoven Symphony No. 5

ルートヴィヒ ヴァン ベートーヴェンの交響曲第 5 番が音楽の傑作である理由を発見し、その誕生の背後にある物語を明らかにします。 猛烈な 8 つの音符が、これまでに作曲された中で最も爆発的な音楽作品の 1 つを開きます。 ベートーヴェンの交響曲第 5 番は 1808 年に初演され、すぐに高い評価を得ました。 その中心的なモチーフと生の感情は、時代を超えて響き続けています。 では、ベートーベンの第 5 番がこれほどまでに魅力的な理由は何でしょうか。 澤田花子が、この名作の裏話を明かします。(English) Discover what makes Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony Number Five a musical masterpiece, and uncover the story behind its inception. Eight ferocious notes open one of the most explosive pieces of music ever composed. Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony Number Five premiered in 1808 and quickly won acclaim. Its central motif and raw emotionality have continued to resound through the ages. So what exactly makes Beethoven's Fifth so captivating? Hanako Sawada uncovers the story behind this musical masterpiece.

The secrets of the world's most famous symphony - Hanako Sawada

A)

These eight wild notes open one of the most explosive pieces of music ever composed.

Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony premiered in 1808 on a freezing night in Vienna.

It was just one small part of a long programme, and the orchestra had been hastily assembled and under-rehearsed.

B)

But despite this inauspicious premiere, the symphony quickly won acclaim.

One critic likened it to "glowing rays of light piercing the darkness".

This intensity persists throughout the composition, and its dramatic musicality continues to move listeners today.

C)

So what is it that makes Beethoven's Fifth so compelling?

When the symphony was first performed, Beethoven already had a formidable reputation.

While his contemporaries produced music exclusively for religious occasions or the private events of their wealthy patrons, Beethoven was one of the first composers to write for the masses.

D)

He earned his living by composing, selling his music to publishers in several countries and performing his compositions to an adoring public.

This career choice gave him the flexibility to compose for self-expression, and Beethoven was always looking for new ways to express his powerful emotions in music.

E)

At the time, most composers worked within the classical style, which offered limited options for a piece's overall structure and instrumentation.

Beethoven composed most of his early works in this tradition, following in the footsteps of Mozart and Haydn.

F)

With his Fifth Symphony, however, he experimented with elements of Romanticism.

This flourishing composition mode was known for its expressive melodies, extended forms and surprising instrumentation.

G)

The first movement of Beethoven's Fifth uses a classical sonata form,

in which a central musical idea is explored, developed and repeated in various ways.

Within these paraments, he explores a simple idea with incredible depth.

H)

A single rhythmic motive is the building block for most of the movement: three short notes followed by a lingering fourth.

One of Beethoven's biographers later called this pattern the "fate motif" because it suggests the figure of fate knocking at the door.

I)

Although it's not clear whether Beethoven composed the motif with fate in mind, these notes certainly create a compelling hook.

The rhythmic pattern creates forward movement, while the prolonged fourth note signals doom.

This motif haunts the symphony, including its accompaniments and rhythmic flourishes.

J)

Beethoven experiments with dozens of variations, playing on different instruments and pitches.

Throughout the piece, this motif is passed around the orchestra like a whisper, gradually reaching more and more instruments until it becomes a roar.

K)

The inventive repetition of the motif is a large part of what makes this piece so memorable, but it's not the only innovation on display.

This was the first primary orchestral composition to use trombones. Beethoven also used a high-pitched piccolo and a low-pitched contrabassoon to give the orchestra a more comprehensive range than most classical compositions.

Exaggerated musical dynamics add to the drama.

And harmonically, the piece has a clear emotional arc - beginning in a sombre C minor and ending in a triumphant C major.

L)

This progression, from ominous unease to majestic resolution, is a testament to Beethoven's ability to infuse his music with raw emotion.

He wrote this symphony while struggling with hearing loss, and his anguish can be heard in the composition's thunderous and repetitive musical phrases.

M)

Even after becoming completely deaf, Beethoven continued to compose, producing innovative music until he died in 1827.

And the central motif of the Fifth Symphony has continued to resonate through the ages.

Outside the concert hall, it has become a symbol of suspense, revelation and triumph.

N)

The Fate motif sounds out the letter V in Morse code, and during the Second World War, the Fifth Symphony became the code for victory over the Allies.

The iconic composition can be found in film scores, and it's even been explored through musical reinterpretations and visual art.

But whatever the context, Beethoven's Fifth takes its listeners through a dark world, leading them into the light.

The secrets of the world's most famous symphony - Hanako Sawada 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n0tNSFJQ34

Beethoven Symphony No. 5 

https://www.alpacablog.jp/entry/beethoven-sy-5

Beethoven Symphony No. 5 

https://stickynotespodcast.libsyn.com/beethoven-symphony-no-5-0

They are the most famous eight notes in all of Western Classical Music. Yet, if you walk down the street and ask someone to name a piece of classical music, they will say Beethoven 5. But why? What's the deal with the 5th? Today, we will look deeply at this ubiquitous piece, exploring many facets of this symphony. It is a monumentally important work because, in many ways, Beethoven 5 serves as the fulcrum between the classical and romantic eras. Join us to find out all about it.

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 / Karajan · Berliner Philharmoniker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aDEq3u5huA

Beethoven - Symphony No. 5, Carlos Kleiber (1974) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKcAAA1O2sc

Beethoven makes me not only happy but a better human being as well. God bless him endlessly. Thanks to Mr Kleiber, the Wiener Philharmoniker, for the subtle performance: you can hear everything in a precise and delicate atmosphere full of energy with the same passion. It is inspiring from a holistic perspective, from the beginning to the end, just like it came up in Beethoven's brain, heart and soul, besides his dirty hearing aid. I am glad we can enjoy the finest musicians, the former making music and the others performing it now. Germany can be proud of all of it. Me too, because I am a human being who has earned musical citizenship. Thanks to YouTube for allowing us to enjoy it, making real democracy of good things for everyone as well. Thanks a lot to Trebonis for sharing music without borders.

Beethoven has never been revolutionary but evolutionary. That is why he always tried to be understood. That is why he retained the Mozart-Haydn form (which evolved from the Mannheim inheritance) but enlarged or spread it.

Opinions are free, but not musical facts: the stylistic, formal aspects (melody, rhythm, texture, timbre and musical form), the aesthetic, sociological and quantitative structure clearly show Beethoven's position. Just analyze that technically. But if you do not want to do that, another resource is if you study this version from the musical emotion, the great equalizer, which democratizes the one who knows and does not. And you will arrive at your conclusions.

Kleiber wanted to be understood too. This is the reason he recorded it. For most at that time, he seemed to be rude, objectionable, miserly, and antisocial… but he showed us the opposite thing here. His legacy told us something like "try to empathize with my best myself"…

I'll say it in another way: This version is the second most extensive musical orgasm produced by Kleiber (the first is the Beethoven 7th symphony) and the Viennese Philharmonic. And I, as their friend, with all humility, I am kissing the dust of their shoes. Kleiber left us a musical inheritance that is a treasure, hidden for many and close for few.

God bless all the good music. God bless you and the philharmonic public that exposes their ideas with respect and education. I wish you the best. Best regards as well.

[Charisma Advent] World-famous master Michiyoshi Inoue Maestro talks! What is a good conductor? What is art/music?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McfV3BdOKSE&t=128s

[Why retire? ] Maestro Michiyoshi Inoue talks about Mozart, Haydn, Mahler, Shostakovich, Bruckner, and the reason for his retirement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciWe5dxgbM4

NHK Symphony Orchestra Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D Minor Op. 125 Chorus 2022.12.31

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3qAWOKOujQ

La Folle Journée TOKYO 2023 〈Beethoven〉 2023.05.05

https://www.michiyoshi-inoue.com/2023/05/_tokyo_2023beethoven215.html

Beethoven No. 5 is still called a "masterpiece", and everyone knows it = that's why it's a masterpiece. But, on the other hand, you could say it's work I don't want to do.

Could you understand if I said it's like baseball, which is often compared to Babe Ruth?

A composed score depends on what the person who hears it thinks, discovers and thinks: "I've been busy with myself". Only the beginning of a song that is too shocking is too famous, and the second movement has a performance that I can't remember what kind of face it was at a concert. This song has something that makes listeners think, "What is abstract art music?"

There will be a pre-talk where the audience will think about how this song could become a masterpiece (depending on the performance) and what Beethoven prepared for it while discussing it with Japanese taiko drummer Eitetsu Hayashi. But, of course, my mind was on the music before I started playing.

I can't do it in France or Germany, but I can do it in Japanese. After yesterday's performance, it has been an exhausting two days. It's almost time; my blood pressure is rising!!

Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven) - Wikipedia 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._5_%28Beethoven%29

Beethoven Symphony No. 5 Opening Conductor Comparison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHjOWFKRmVE

0:07Karajan

0:34George Szell

1:05Karl Boehm

1:37Carlos Kleiber

2:05Bernstein

2:40Bernstein

3:10Toscanini

3:40Solti

4:08Seiji Ozawa

4:36barenboim

5:06myunghun

5:35Gustavo Dudamel

6:06Simon Rattle

6:27Gerard Schwartz

6:53Paavo Järvi

7:22Ivan Fisher

7:51Franz Welser Möst

8:22Daniel Harding

8:50Charles Dutoit

9:36Battistoni

10:04Piero Beluge

10:37Asahina Takashi

11:11Gianandrea Noseda