Compare and contrast the first movements of Beethoven’s 1st, 3rd, and 5th Symphonies
This essay will compare and contrast the first movements of Beethoven’s 1st, 3rd, and 5th Symphonies. Furthermore for a better understanding of the pieces, the research will focus on the musical path of the composer and on the way of how personal circumstances influenced his musical way of composing. For good comparisons and contrasts, I will approach in my analysis of the pieces instrumentation, harmonic development, length, and complexity of the structure.
Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the greatest composers of Germany and a predominant figure for the transition between Classicism and Romanticism. He wrote a lot of music throughout his career but yet his most representative works remains the Symphonies, in a total of nine.
For comparing and contrasting the first movements of the Symphonies I have listened to the pieces in the interpretation of the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by the great Herbert von Karajan for the First Symphony and the Third Symphony and for the Fifth Symphony a had listen the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
The First and the Third Symphonies were written in a joyful tone, the First was in C major and the Third was in E flat Major in contrast with the Fifth that was more dramatic, and was written in C minor key. Comparing the tempo for the symphonies, all start at the same tempo “Allegro con tempo.” For the all three first movements of the symphonies Beethoven used a simple but very effective form to build the music, sonata form. Sonata form meant that a piece is built from exposition which is composed of a main theme, a bride and then a second theme, the development and the recapitulation that means the resumption of the exposition. The all three symphonies had their premiere at the Vienna’s Theater.
The First Symphony has a special place in the symphonic canon marking the link between the classical and the romantic style in music. The sketches for the work started in 1795 but the majority of the work was written and completed in 1800. As a young composer Beethoven was struggling to make a name from himself and the First Symphony gave him this opportunity launching Beethoven onto the scene of Vienna’s famous composer.
In order to financially support, Beethoven has dedicated his symphonies to aristocratic patrons. The music was promoting the idea of the sublime style in music that went really well for the novelties and was characterized by an intellectual and dignified creation of grand concepts in an imaginary and noble language which was inspired by emotions.
The structural and harmonic path of the First Symphony was influence of composers Hayden and Mozart that were just finished their latest symphonies. Even if for contemporary critics the harmony is very clear for that era it generated some controversy and discussion after the premiere. The piece had a clear break from the traditional form which was very good implemented by Mozart and Hayden which Beethoven adopted but also tried to go further bringing something new which some people found it unsatisfactory for a symphonic opening. The problem was the harmony that didn’t start on the tonic as how people were used to here but this was an innovation brought by the composer in order to create more tension driving towards the tonic chord will come.
Another innovation was the rhythm. The first part of the symphony had a principal rhythmic motive that propelled the music forward trough melodic and harmony path and also offered clues for the harmonic progression. The last innovation is on the way Beethoven deals with the sonata form even it is a classical form he managed to discover new unexplored possibilities, the material is more extended, more intense and dramatic develop. Also the material that has richer fantasies and improvisatory elements make this form to be more highlighted in the classicism form.
The Third Symphony called also “Eroica Symphony” was written in Napoleon’s honor after a few weeks he proclaim himself Emperor and Beethoven was disappointed by the gesture so and he dedicated to Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz. The piece was finish in 1804 and was played in 1805 at the Vienna’s Theatre. It was one of the most original and grandest works composed to date and players had difficulties on playing it right. At the premier it was a shock for the public most of them call it “horribly long or “most difficult piece” but after a few years they have understood his aesthetic and importance. A prominent reviewer claimed about “Eroica Symphony” to be "one of the most astonishing pieces ever written, and one which profoundly affected the subsequent history of music"(Beethoven’s Symphonies).
The Third Symphony was the piece that has redefined the symphony as a gender and it was also a piece that represented a turning point in the history of music. In this time when Eroica was written, Beethoven started to have problems with hearing and this was something that it grounded inside. This led to an inner struggle with it, which was felt also in the technique used in composing the symphony. This work had many unusual compositional techniques for that time such as harmonic surprises, motives there are coming sooner or later that they were expected and the unusual length of the movement.
The instrumentation presented a change comparing with the First Symphony that which kept the classical orchestra, for the Third Symphony Beethoven added an additional horn player so instead of two they were three. Comparing also with the First Symphony the Third one has a larger character and density and the first movement had a greatest size because was one of the longest opening movements of any symphony written to date and the total performance was about sixteen minutes in the recording with the Berlin Philharmonic. The material used in the first movement is formed from a theme group where the same material had different personalities.
The Fifth Symphony was the first minor key symphony that Beethoven had written. He started the sketches in 1804 but the symphony was finish in 1808 and it was performed also at the Vienna Theater in the same year. The symphony opens with the most famous motive in the whole classical music history, formed from four-note motive, three short repeated notes at the same pitch and a descend third to a longer note. This symphony brings new instruments in the orchestra in the last part of the symphony. The instruments that added were piccolo, three trombones and a contra bassoon.
The first movement has a sonata form that means also as the first two symphonies analyzed above but also came with an innovation being carefully constructed according to the ratio of the Golden Section. The first motive although is the most key of the piece. That four notes charge a constant interior conflict and energy that which lead the piece forward like a relentless storm. Even the second theme which is lyrics rides atop and then in the end devolves into the first.
Even if the music was brilliant, Beethoven was a human too with his defects. The symphony was commissioned for 500 florins to a wealthy patron but after having the 350 florins Beethoven sold it to a publisher. The piece was performed as a world premiere in a massive four hours concert that consisted another Beethoven’s masterpieces as The Sixth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto and Choral Fantasia. By the time the Fifth was played the audience was exhausted and nearly frozen because the hall was unheated. The players had a single rehearsal before for the hall concert and the performance was a mess even Beethoven stopped them once and putted to start again going through this horrible humiliation.
In conclusion, Beethoven was a revolutionary composer which no longer repressed his personal feeling beneath conventional form and had the courage to express his believes and inner feelings trough music without being afraid of public reaction and believing strongly in what he created. This three symphonies analyzed in this paper has similitudes at the form because every first movement is built into a sonata from and also for the tempo because they are played in “Allegro con tempo” but the resemblances stopped here because each part bring something new to the history of music, even it is about the harmonic structure as the first Symphony don’t start with the tonic or is regarding the length of the part as in the Third Symphony that was a sixteen minutes almost twice the time of the First one and could the material used on building the Symphony as we have in the Fifth Symphony, a small but also strong famous motive form from four notes that led the part true the hall movements. In an interesting way, Beethoven managed to reinvent itself with each symphony that he created.
Works cited:
Gibbs, C. H. “Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E Flat Major, Op. 55.” NPR MUSIC. 7 June 2206. Web. 15 November 2014. Available at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5456722
Gutmann, P. “Ludwig van Beethoven- Fifth Symphony.” Classical Notes. 2011. Web. 15 November 2014. Available at http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/fifth.html
Brown, N.A. “Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21: Historical, Theoretical and Performance Interpretations” Academia.Edu. 2010. Web. 15 November 2014. Available at https://www.academia.edu/593218/Beethovens_Symphony_No._1_in_C_Major_Op._21_Historical_Theoretical_and_Performance_Interpretations
