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Essay / Ludwig Van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in December 1770 in Bonn to parents Johann and Maria, who were excited and fearful about the future of their newborn son. In his early thirties he began to lose his hearing and became completely deaf in 1819. However, the loss of hearing did not prevent him from composing and he produced some of the most renowned works of this period. Symphony No. 5 in C minor by Ludwig van Beethoven, op. 67, was written between 1804 and 1808. It is one of the best-known compositions in classical music and one of the most performed symphonies. First performed at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna in 1808, the work acquired its prodigious reputation soon after. ETA Hoffmann described the symphony as "one of the most important works of the era." The symphony consists of four movements. The first movement is Allegro con brio, the second movement is Andante con moto, the third movement is Scherzo Allegro and the fourth movement is Allegro. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The first movement opens with the four-note motif, which is the most famous motif in Western music. There is considerable debate among conductors as to how to play the opening four measures. Some conductors take it in a strict allegro tempo. The others indulge in harsh treatment. The second movement, in A? major which is the subdominant tonality of the relative tonality of minor (E? major). It is a lyrical work in double variation form, meaning that the two themes are presented and varied alternately. The third movement is in ternary form, composed of a scherzo and a trio. It follows the traditional mold of classical-era symphonic third movements, containing in sequence the main scherzo, a contrasting trio section, a return of the scherzo, and a coda. The first movement is like the first act of a great drama. It is cast in sonata form, but with a great measure of tension and irregularity. This movement is Allegro con brio, 2/4 meter. The opening motif is primary, the first theme based on overlapping presentations of the opening motif, the second theme was more lyrical, the closing theme begins jointly, then becomes disjointed. The opening motif from measure 1 to measure 5 is presented by all strings and clarinets in unison and repeated one step lower. The first theme arises from superimposed presentations of the motif by the second violins, violas and first violins in turn. This opening section ends with a strong cadence on the dominant and general pause. The second theme from bars 59 to 63 begins with a soft, lyrical phrase, accompanied by the motif in the lower strings. The phrase is played in turn by the violins, clarinet and flute on the violin, after which it is extended by an ascending sequence from the violins. At the same time, the rhythm of the basic motif continues to assert itself in the lower strings, as a climax in pitch and dynamics is reached. For the closing themes, from measure 95 to 100, the rhythm of the basic motif returns and the exposition ends with a feeling of great power and a complete pause..