A great contribution to the symphonic work was made by the great Ludwig Van Beethoven. The Fifth Symphony became a real miracle created by the hands of a brilliant composer. To this day, this work is popular, it is listened to both in its original form and in modern processing. Each musical masterpiece has its own story of creation, Beethoven's symphony No. 5 is no exception. How was she born?
Beethoven Symphony No. 5 Brief History
The times when the symphony began to be created were difficult for the composer, not the most favorable for creativity. Obstacles constantly got in the way of genius. Initially, Beethoven was crippled by the news of his deafness, then the cause of depression was military operations conducted in Austria. But the composer's mind was seized by an insane desire to create such a large-scale work. The story of Beethovenās Symphony No. 5 was born out of the authorās constant depressions. The composer worked for hours, inspired by a new idea, sometimes threw out sketches and fell into despair for several days, accompanied by gloomy thoughts. At some points, the creation was completely laid aside, and he worked on other works that went slowly, but still moved forward.
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony was constantly changing by the composer. He could not get the desired ending of the work, writing it in a negative, then in a positive way. After three years of hard work on the symphony, Beethoven presented his brainchild for all to see. It should be noted that at one time the composer created two symphonies, and therefore, some troubles arose with numbering. It is entirely possible that Beethovenās Symphony No. 5 may turn out to be in fact the sixth. These are two major works, and it is possible that the author, after numerous hard and busy days, designated the symphonies on the contrary.
Bad Premiere
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is performed on world stages today. She is loved, appreciated, inspired and admired by her. But on the day of the premiere, everything was far from the case, the presentation was extremely unsuccessful, and the audience was unsatisfied with it. Several factors influenced such an outcome at once, and the most significant ones can be distinguished from them:
- The concert was too long. The story of the creation of Symphony No. 5 by L. Beethoven was too complicated, long, and the composer did not want it to sound last or first. Since the author presented two symphonies at once, several more large works had to be inserted at the beginning of the concert. The audience got tired of staying in the hall for too long, loud sounds of innovative works performed by the orchestra. That is why, by the beginning of the presentation of the fifth symphony, they no longer wanted to perceive anything, their only desire was to leave the hall faster.
- In addition, the audience was too cold. The room was terribly cold, as it was not heated.
- Due to the lack of favorable conditions, the orchestra played poorly. Orchestra participants constantly made gross errors, and the work had to be started anew. And this additionally delayed the time of an already long concert.
But, despite the first failure, he did not become the laughing stock of L.V. Beethoven. Symphony No. 5, the creation story of which is filled with sadness and difficulties, gained popularity more and more every year and was soon recognized as the standard of classical symphonic music.
Factors that influenced the creation of a work
This work is the most ambitious of all the masterpieces of the author, but he also has the saddest creation story. Symphony No. 5 of Beethoven L. V. carries all the torment of the composer, all his mental pain. Upon learning that he would never hear again, Beethoven desired death. He wanted to end his life, lay hands on himself. Thoughts of death sometimes did not leave him at all, drove him crazy, because the music that he would never hear again was his essence, life. But, for a long time reflecting on being, the composer thought about the power that every person is endowed with. He thought that everyone, if they really want to, would be able to "take fate by the throat," begin to rule it, and live, in spite of all the intrigues incurred by her. Beethoven knew that fate had unjustly disposed of his life, but also gave him tremendous willpower, thanks to which he could again hear music, not only with his ears, but with his heart. This is what prompted the composer to write his very best symphony. In spite of fate, mocking his ailment to people, to himself, so desiring death.
The meaning of the symphony
The work has not only an interesting and touching story of creation. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 became unique, as it is the only one that the composer himself described, which he did not do with other works. If the author left all his symphonies speechless, letting people to build its meaning, then he painted the fifth colorfully, describing its specific content in a letter to Schindler. This symphony was to remain with the meaning that the composer put into it. Beethoven wanted to convey to every person everything that he wanted to say, but could not express it in words. He knew that people needed the knowledge that came to him only with misfortune. The author wanted every unhappy person to be able to understand that everything was in his hands, including life, fate. All this can be taken under control, it is only necessary to understand how to do it. The composer through music showed how difficult the struggle is, but if you go to the end, you will have a happy and colorful ending.
Symphony Description
So, in music we see the lyrical hero struggling with evil rock. The conflict of man with fate is obvious, it opens from the very first measures. The composer wrote that just like that, unexpectedly, āfate knocks on our doorsā, he compared it to an uninvited guest who does not always come with gifts. Beethoven said that fate is capable of destroying everything with one of its own twists, changing life, destroying the familiar world of dreams, making fulfilling wishes an unattainable dream. The motives of fate completely permeate the composition, making it more cohesive and united. Like all classical works, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 consists of four main parts:
- The first part is created in the style of a sonata allegro with a slow entry.
- The second is woven from double variations.
- The third displays the genre-everyday direction, is a dramatic scherzo.
- The fourth part is the final. It is composed in the form of the same sonata allegro, but with a coda.
The semantic description of the parts
At the beginning of the symphony, the direct action of the lyrical hero and the counter-action of fate are clearly exhibited. Here drama begins to set in, conflict escalates. It is noticeable that in this act, fate prevails over the hero.
In the second part, there is a discharge of negative opposition. Here, hope for a happy ending begins to emerge.
The third part is the most dynamic. Here, the conflict reaches its peak, the situation escalates, opposition is becoming stronger. The lyrical hero begins to gradually prevail, and ultimately there is an advantage in his direction.
Positive is heard in the finale. It can be described as follows: "Through the struggle - to a well-deserved victory."
Thus, we see that this work is not only the standard of symphonic music, but also drama. At the beginning of the article there is a brief history of its creation. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 became proof that even such a temporary art as music can become eternal.
Interesting Facts
- Initially, the fifth symphony was numbered as the sixth. This happened on the day of the premiere of two works.
- Beethoven in his time most valued only two people for their human qualities, kindness and intelligence. This is the Russian ambassador to Austria, Count Razumovsky and Prince Lobkowitz. It was to these people that a symphony was dedicated.
- Some fragments are actively cited in the works of Alfred Schnittke. This is the Gogol Suite and the First Symphony.
- Initially, the work was given the name "The Big Symphony in C Minor", but then the long name was replaced by a numbered sequence.
- This masterpiece has the longest history of creation. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 was composed for almost three years and was ready in 1808.
- As you know, Wagner became a reformer in opera after unsuccessfully presented his first symphony. Due to the fact that the audience openly scoffed at him, the composer vowed not to deal with this genre anymore. But, despite this, Beethovenās work was respected by Wagner, and he especially liked symphony No. 5.
Symphony in the films
Since the struggle and overcoming difficulties are clearly felt in the composition, it does not seem strange that its directors used to emphasize the most tense moments of the films. So, we can hear the symphony in the rating series The Walking Dead. An episode called "Service" becomes more intimidating to the sounds of a symphony.
The same work sounds in Friends of Ocean, Clumsy, I Am Zombies, Paranoia, The Storm of the White House and many other equally brilliant films.
Modern treatments
Many authors, using the popularity of the symphony, process it in their own style. But this does not spoil the original. On the contrary, the new image of the symphony becomes more fresh, interesting, complemented. In each new treatment, the younger generation can find its own style. The most popular are the symphony in the style of jazz, salsa and rock. The latter turned out to be more interesting, since rock emphasizes the conflict, making it more intense.