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Beethoven’s fifth has been a cornerstone of Western music to such a degree that it has passed into popular culture. The first two bars of the symphony (which Beethoven himself described as ‘the knock of fate’) has become iconic. As can be seen from the numerous pop culture references these two bars have certainly communicated to any audience over nearly 200 years exactly what Beethoven had intended. The simple motif seems almost ridiculous at first glance – it is played in unison with ample room for pause with the rests and the fermata over the fourth and eighth notes. Clearly there is more going on in this motif than meets the eye. The symphony at large needs to be looked into to fully appreciate this.
The first movement is in the traditional Classical sonata form which, in and of itself, not very surprising. It is notable for its expansive development which takes the movement through a sequence of keys rarely seen prior to Beethoven’s handling of the sonata. Naturally, the opening motif plays a major role in this movement, but this can’t be the only reason for its fame – almost every sonata does this. The second movement takes the listener’s mind off the stormy, impassioned first movement into a calmer, more lyrical double variation. This sharp contrast is arguably what causes the listener to respond much more powerfully to the final two movements.
The thirds movement, which (rare for its time) is a scherzo with tempo marking as Allegro, begins on a slightly mischievous note with an arpeggiated phrase played by the cellos and double bases alone. This is yet another contrast to the previous two movements which, one might argue, further induces the listener to forget the opening motif. Then comes the transition to the fourth movement. Many great musicologists such as William Kinderman and Charles Rosen have noted that this is one of greatest transitions in Western music. Seemingly out of the blue, th piece dips back into the darkness of the first movement and the timpani sounds the rhythm of the opening motif. This builds incredible tension which mounts on and on until the finale bursts through with Beethoven’s characteristic vigor and exuberance – displaying the triumph of the artist over fate.
It is arguable that this process of forgetting the opening within the piece itself through the use of variety in terms of movements and emotions and the sudden reminder just as the piece nears its close causes the opening motif to be remembered in a way that few other musical motifs could be. This variety, emphasis and finally repetition is what gives the piece its clarity in communicating exactly what Beethoven intended to his audience.
