Building a Collection #3
Symphony no. 5 in C minor
By Ludwig van Beethoven
The first four notes of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5 in C minor are surely the most famous and memorable notes in all of music, and the symphony as a whole is truly one of the great cornerstones in the history of music. Many believe it to be the greatest symphony ever written. Beyond the famous opening notes, the entire symphony has a forward motion and fire that tends to sweep us along breathlessly. What a work of impetus and power!
The influential English author E. M. Forster is famously quoted as saying, “Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is the most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man.” In a twist, the Allies during World War II used the beginning of a symphony by a German composer as a morse code to spell out “V for Victory”. Even the most casual listener instantly recognizes this as Beethoven. It is clear that what Beethoven created with his Fifth Symphony has resonated through the ages.
What exactly is that message of Beethoven’s Fifth? Did Beethoven have a specific program he was trying to communicate in this symphony? It has been debated for centuries. There is the long held belief that the beginning motif with the short-short-short-long four notes represents “fate knocking at the door”. This quote is traced to Beethoven’s secretary Anton Schindler who wrote long after Beethoven’s death, “The composer himself provided the key to these depths when one day, in this author's presence, he pointed to the beginning of the first movement and expressed in these words the fundamental idea of his work: ‘Thus Fate knocks at the door!’” Although Schindler’s account is largely discounted because he was not necessarily a credible reporter, this interpretation has stuck perhaps because it feels correct.
The other story often told regarding the famous motif is that Beethoven’s pupil Carl Czerny claimed the motif came to Beethoven when he heard a bunting bird singing the tune while on a walk in the park in Vienna. While certainly not as dramatic as the fate theory, it perhaps sounds more plausible. Other scholars have said the fate attribution was of doubtful authenticity, and when the idea was presented to Beethoven himself, he was rather dismissive of it. Nevertheless, the fate theory gained wide circulation, and remains firmly associated with the symphony today.
Furthermore, it is argued that the four-note opening motif repeats itself throughout the symphony, unifying it as a whole. While there are several examples of this motif reappearing in various places, it is unknown whether Beethoven intended this or whether it was his repeated use of four notes as a device that was fairly common at the time among composers. You can certainly get into the weeds with this kind of question, but more obvious is the triumphant nature of the symphony, with the “hero” if you will, emerging victorious in the end over any challenges and crises. The emotional arc of the symphony is from conflict and storm with a few more lyrical interludes, but finally reaching the fourth movement which absolutely erupts with exhilarating triumph in the key of C-major. The hero’s journey from darkness to light is clear, and the hero, of course, could be Beethoven himself, or any one of us applying this emotional arc to events in our own lives.
The symphony had a long gestation, spanning between 1804 and 1808. Unlike Mozart who could crank out a symphony within a few days time, Beethoven labored over much of his work and spent months ceaselessly revising and reworking sections. Even so, Beethoven said, “Since I am aware of what I want, the fundamental idea never leaves me. It mounts, it grows. I see before my mind the picture in its whole extent, as if in a single grasp”. One of the most unique aspects of the Fifth was the gradual transition from minor to major during the symphony, in other words from tragedy to triumph. At the time, this was an unusual progression. However, Beethoven’s Fifth would be influential with other great works such as Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony and Brahms’ First Symphony. Beethoven would later comment, “Many assert that every minor piece must end in the minor. Nego! On the contrary, I find that…the major has a glorious effect. Joy follows sorrow, sunshine-rain.”
The symphony is in four movements:
Allegro con brio (C minor)
Andante con moto (A♭ major)
Scherzo: Allegro (C minor)
Allegro – Presto (C major)
The Fifth was composed during a time when Napoleon, a man Beethoven had once admired, was shelling Vienna and Beethoven was gradually losing his hearing. While suffering from great depression, Beethoven decided to persevere with his composing. Thank goodness for us that he did. The Fifth is nothing short of revolutionary, as we are drawn into a sounds of violence and turmoil, far from the more genteel sounds of traditional classical music. That a work as original and revelatory as the Fifth emerged from a period of such desolation is remarkable.
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony premiered at the Theater an der Wien on December 22, 1808, as part of a massive concert lasting four hours, the programme of which ran as follows:
The Sixth Symphony
Aria: Ah! perfido, Op. 65
The Gloria movement of the Mass in C major
The Fourth Piano Concerto (played by Beethoven himself)
(Intermission)
The Fifth Symphony
The Sanctus and Benedictus movements of the C major Mass
A solo piano improvisation played by Beethoven
The Choral Fantasy
The theater was freezing cold, and had no heat. The orchestra was very under-rehearsed. Thus the first performance was likely not great. However, after the score was published over a year later it gained a tremendous review from music critic E.T.A. Hoffman (Hoffman is also known as the author of the story which is the basis for Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.):
“How this wonderful composition, in a climax that climbs on and on, leads the listener imperiously forward into the spirit world of the infinite!... No doubt the whole rushes like an ingenious rhapsody past many a man, but the soul of each thoughtful listener is assuredly stirred, deeply and intimately, by a feeling that is none other than that unutterable portentous longing, and until the final chord—indeed, even in the moments that follow it—he will be powerless to step out of that wondrous spirit realm where grief and joy embrace him in the form of sound… “
Today during my lunch break at work I played the 1977 disco hit A Fifth of Beethoven, by the Walter Murphy Band, from the Saturday Night Fever movie soundtrack. It certainly took me back to my youth growing up in the 70s. The rock band Electric Light Orchestra adapted Chuck Berry’s Roll Over Beethoven using the main motif from the symphony. Also, the movie Fantasia 2000 also uses the first three minutes of the symphony.
Recordings
Recordings of Beethoven’s Fifth are legion of course, and similar to the Ninth which was discussed in the last post, performance styles and traditions have changed over the years. I break down the many available recordings of the Fifth into three “categories” below. These broad categories are my own, and I don’t intend to say one way of playing Beethoven is better than another.
First is the most common interpretive approach coming out of the Germanic conducting tradition of the 19th century. This represents the largest number of recordings and includes conductors such as Wilhelm Furtwangler, Felix Weingartner, Otto Klemperer, Erich Kleiber, Herbert von Karajan, Karl Bohm, Eugen Jochum, Andre Cluytens, Gunter Wand, Bruno Walter, Herbert Blomstedt, Mariss Jansons, Michael Tilson Thomas, Kurt Masur, Carlo Maria Giulini, Sir Georg Soli, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Klaus Tennstedt, Andre Previn, Riccardo Muti, Leonard Bernstein, Sir Colin Davis, Daniel Barenboim, Claudio Abbado (until late in his career), Christoph von Dohnanyi, Bernard Haitink, Pierre Monteux, Erich Leinsdorf, Seiji Ozawa, Lorin Maazel, William Steinberg, Fritz Reiner, Antal Dorati, Marek Janowski, Myung-Whun Chung, Christian Thielemann, Andris Nelsons, Rafael Kubelik, and many others. These performances are characterized by generally slower to middle-of-the-road tempos, larger orchestras, and a somewhat weightier sound using modern instruments played with modern techniques including vibrato (vibrato being a rapid, slight variation in pitch in singing or playing some musical instruments, producing a stronger or richer tone). To be fair, some of the conductors listed above made changes over the years to reflect recent trends in performance such as somewhat brisker speeds.
The second category of the Fifth you will hear on recordings goes back to the “original” indications on the score for tempos and dynamics, along with using older instruments from Beethoven’s period. The historically informed performance movement, together with the use of “period” instruments, began in earnest in the 1970s and 1980s. It spawned many recordings that in general take a less romantic view of Beethoven, and claim to be more authentic to the composer’s wishes. I am not a musicologist, and don’t pretend to understand the different arguments for why this or that recording is more “authentic”. It is an inexact science since we obviously don’t have any recordings from the time of Beethoven. But it is certainly true that many of these recordings are revelatory and outstanding on their own merits, and give us an important perspective on the Fifth. In this category are recordings from such conductors as John Eliot Gardiner, Christopher Hogwood, Roger Norrington, Frans Bruggen, Francois-Xavier Roth, Teodor Currentzis, Jos Van Immerseel, Jordi Savall, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Giovanni Antonini, Philippe Herreweghe, Bruno Weil, and others. Some characteristics of these recordings include faster tempos, more of a staccato attack on notes, less vibrato on strings, greater overall transparency, more individual timbre from each instrument, the use of instruments tuned slightly differently than modern instruments, smaller orchestras, and at times more distinct dynamic changes.
The third group of recordings may be described as a hybrid approach of the first two categories. The conductors here generally use modern instruments, but encourage at least some historically informed performance practices. So what you hear is the sonority and richness of modern instruments, along with moderate to fast speeds, less vibrato, and more incisive phrasing. The conductors that are known to have recorded Beethoven’s Fifth with this approach include Sir Simon Rattle, Nikolaus Harnoncourt (with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe), Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Philippe Jordan, Andrew Manze, Jan Willem de Vriend, Adam Fischer, Michael Sanderling, Martin Haselbock, David Zinman, Thomas Ades, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Gabor Takacs-Nagy, Lan Shui, Claudio Abbado (in his later Berlin Philharmonic recordings), Osmo Vanska, Riccardo Chailly, Christoph Konig, Robert Trevino, Sir Charles Mackerras, Gustavo Dudamel, Jaap van Zweden, Paavo Jarvi, and others. Recordings in this group have proliferated in the past decade or so as this approach has dominated Beethoven performance. Nonetheless there are some standouts, and we will get to that in the selections below.
A few conductors don’t easily fit into the categories above, as the rugged individualists they were, and so each of their approaches defies easy categorization particularly when it comes to Beethoven. In this group I would include Arturo Toscanini, George Szell, and Leopold Stokowski. Each of them in their own way bucked the predominant Beethoven performance trends of their day, not always to the benefit of the music but still interesting.
Life is too short for boring Beethoven, and in particular if a performance is not bringing something special or unique to what is one of the most familiar works in classical music, then my advice is to keep listening to other versions and you are bound to find one that moves you.
Top Choice
Austrian conductor Carlos Kleiber (son of eminent Austrian conductor Erich Kleiber and American Ruth Goodrich), died in 2004 at the age of 74. He is widely regarded as the one of the greatest conductors of all time, and yet at the same time he was one of the most reclusive and recording aversive conductors of his generation. He made only a small number of recordings, only releasing nine studio albums. While the quantity was small, the quality of his recordings was impressive. When Herbert von Karajan resigned from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1989, Kleiber was offered the post but declined it. He only gave one media interview during his professional career. Although he would rehearse orchestras in painstaking detail, the actual live performances often gave the impression of spontaneity and inspiration.
This recording of the Fifth made with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and released by Deutsche Grammophon in 1975 is especially memorable. It immediately grabs you from the first notes, and doesn’t let go. There is precision execution, drama, and very good sound for the time it was released in 1975. In this recording, Kleiber and the VPO play the two opening four-note sets relatively quickly with little break between the two sets of notes. This sort of dynamic forward momentum continues throughout the recording of the Fifth, accompanied by steely strings, prominent brass, precise climaxes and percussion, and just the right amounts of both solemnity and exuberance where needed. The very slight analog hiss around the orchestra in the recorded sound, if anything, enhances the listening experience and the importance of the recording. This is music that moves you. It is primal in its direct impact, and feels exactly right. An essential recording of Beethoven’s Fifth.
Historic Choices
Wilhelm Furtwangler is associated with Beethoven perhaps more than any other conductor in history, and he seemed to have an obsession with the Fifth Symphony in particular. Because Furtwangler disliked recording in the studio as he believed it detracted from the spontaneity, most of his recordings of the Fifth are taken from live radio broadcast archives that were later cleaned up for release. Although he made at least a few studio recordings of the Fifth, my favorite is the May 1954 live recording Furtwangler conducted with the Berlin Philharmonic at the Titania Palast in Berlin. This recording has been available on various labels, and through streaming services, but the sound quality varies widely. The version that sounds best to me is from the Tahra Gold label. It shows Furtwangler at his finest, with flexible tempos and phrasing, with every string being pulled for dramatic effect, and in good sound. While the sound is not quite as good as his 1954 live recording in Vienna for EMI, it is more than acceptable.
Another performance that takes hold of you, and doesn’t let go is the RCA Victor recording of Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra recorded at the NBC studios in 1939, part of a complete Beethoven symphony cycle. The better known Toscanini cycle is that from the late 1940s and early 1950s on RCA, the Fifth for that set being recorded in Carnegie Hall in 1952. Although both recordings are good examples of Toscanini’s art, it is the earlier one that is the more compelling performance. The word “severe” comes to mind when listening to the first movement, because it is terrifying and unrelenting. This is really “take no prisoners” Beethoven, and I happen to love it. The other three movements are more conventional, but no less compelling. Toscanini eschews sentimentality, and so in a way he is the polar opposite to Furtwangler. The sound is marginally worse than the 1952 recording, so if that is a factor for you, I can heartily recommend the later one as well. There is definitely background hiss on the tape, but for 1939, this is more than acceptable sound.
Erich Kleiber (father of Carlos Kleiber, see above) led the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam in a greatly acclaimed recording made by Decca in 1953. Kleiber’s approach is similar to Toscanini, a world apart from Furtwangler, and more efficient and refined than both. In some ways this is closer to what Kleiber the younger achieved twenty two years later in his famous recording. The first movement is gripping, the second has great lyrical beauty, the third has a wonderful sense of line, and the finale is taut and precise. E. Kleiber was not a maverick conductor, and was known to hew rather closely to the composer’s indications. On the whole, this is a more mainstream approach than Toscanini or Furtwangler, but it is played exceedingly well and the sound is good for its time despite some tape hiss. Kleiber doesn’t rush, but communicates directly and is able to maintain tension throughout. For many listeners and critics, this recording remained the top recommendation for the Fifth until the end of the 1960s.
Modern Choices
Part of one of the greatest complete Beethoven cycle ever recorded, the Fifth from Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra recorded in 1961 in the Jesus-Christus-Kirche in Berlin by Deutsche Grammophon is a real cracker and has remained one of the most satisfying accounts for decades. Karajan would go on to record the Fifth several more times in his career, but this one is the finest. The speeds are on the swift side, there is drive and energy, along with sharp dynamic contrasts. The playing by the Berlin Philharmonic is powerful and assured, and the tension is maintained throughout. The reverberant and over-saturated acoustic of the Jesus-Christus Church in Berlin leads to some sonic congestion and loss of detail, particularly in the final movement. For listeners that are relatively new to Beethoven’s Fifth, this is an excellent place to start.
Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck has led the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since 2008, and together they have produced some outstanding recordings. One of the best is this 2015 release of the Fifth on Reference Recordings, paired with Beethoven’s Seventh. Honeck consistently works to make this music sound fresh, and there are many wonderful touches. The familiar opening may remind one of a bygone era in its deliberateness, but the pace picks up quickly thereafter. There is an urgency that keeps us on the edge of our seat, but at the same time Honeck draws out playing of beauty and radiance. The horns ring out wonderfully, and Honeck gives the “fate” motif new meaning without making it sound overdone. The third movement is energetic and dance-like, while the finale is overwhelming in its exuberance leading to a triumphant conclusion. The sound from Reference is absolutely top-shelf, and contributes to the recording just as much as the performance. Highly recommended.
George Szell recorded the Fifth with the Cleveland Orchestra of course, but it is his recording with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam that stands out in particular. This performance is every bit as good as any other version in the catalog. There were rumors that Szell and the Dutch orchestra did not always get along well, and of course Szell was demanding to say the least. Recorded in 1966 by Philips (now Universal), we hear the warmth of the Concertgebouw and in this most recent transfer the sound is very good. There is tremendous drive in the first movement, and this is matched by a grand and glowing final movement. Perhaps not surprisingly, we hear the results of Szell’s disciplined leadership, and the precision he was able to coax from the orchestra. A triumph all the way around, and paired with an outstanding Sibelius Symphony no. 2.
Historically-Informed Performance (HIP) and/or Period Instrument Choices
The dynamic Greek conductor Teodor Currentzis and his period instrument group MusicAeterna recorded Beethoven’s Fifth in 2020 for Sony Classical. The first time I heard this recording, it blew me away. I had never heard Beethoven like this, and I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t listen to it again for two years, and then I listened to it again. Again, I was blown away by the intensity, drama, and the sheer revolutionary vision of Currentzis and his orchestra. This is a stunning recording, and leaves one practically breathless. Yes, there are some of the typical elements of period performance such as brisk speeds, very little vibrato, and sharp dynamic contrasts. But there is a relentless intensity that never lets up. The rhythmic pulse is maintained consistently, and the orchestra is completely virtuosic. It is evident Currentzis brings a strong vision to the symphony, and he is quite effective at bringing that out on this recording. It is also true that Currentzis takes some liberties with the score in the form of increases and decreases in dynamics, some interesting off-beat accents, and some unique phrasing. This will not be to everyone’s liking to be sure, nor is it for the faint of heart. But it is a new vision, and for a warhorse such as Beethoven’s Fifth, it brings needed excitement and exhilaration.
An equally impressive, but very different recording comes from period instrument violinist and conductor Andrew Manze and the modern instrument NDR Radiophilharmonie of Hanover, Germany recorded in 2019 by the Pentatone label. While not nearly as intense as Currentzis, Manze still brings plenty of vitality and freshness, but lets the music breathe more. This pays dividends in the more lyrical second movement, lending a more balanced perspective than Currentzis. However, there is still fire in the belly and Manze’s detailed approach is executed superbly by the NDR orchestra. The sound is exceptional, as is typical of Pentatone, giving texture and transparency to the sound, whether hard or soft. This is much more refined and sophisticated Beethoven, even while employing some period performance practices. While you may notice the limited vibrato, speeds are more middle-of-the-road. The strings, brass, and woodwinds are full, even in sections where the accents are sharp. The precision of the ensemble is alert and spot on. The album is paired with an outstanding version of Beethoven’s Seventh.
Finally there is period instrument pioneer Nikolaus Harnoncourt in a live recording with the period instrument Philharmonia Zurich made in 2011 for the Prospero label (but only released in 2021) toward the end of Harnoncourt’s career. This is the third recording of Beethoven’s Fifth by Harnoncourt, and indeed in this case third time’s the charm. He also recorded the Fifth with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe as part of a much lauded complete Beethoven set from the 1990s (modern instruments with HIP influence), and again with his own Concentus Musicus Wien released in 2015 (period instruments). If the first one was a bit too cautious, and the second one too idiosyncratic, this last Zurich recording is the finest of all. Although billed as a “farewell”, this was not Harnoncourt’s final concert, as he did not retire until several years later. But it was his farewell to the opera orchestra he had spent decades conducting. I consider Harnoncourt one of the truly great conductors of the last 75 years or so, and here is proof. The sound is fuller than his Concentus Musicus Wien recording, and much less cautious than his COE recording. There are individual touches, and Harnoncourt had specific ideas about how musicians should play for Beethoven. While his approach may not be for everyone, and perhaps not a first choice for new listeners, this is a performance full of revelations, character, energy, and ultimately jubilation.
Beethoven once wrote, “I want to seize fate by the throat; it will never bend me completely to its will.” Such is the story of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, and I genuinely hope you find a recording or two here that brings you joy.
The next post will discuss J.S. Bach’s The Brandenburg Concertos, #4 on our Building a Collection list of the greatest classical works of all-time. See you then!
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Notes:
Bentowski, Tom (28 March 1977). "Ludwig on the Charts". New York. p. 65.
Bratby, Richard. "Symphony No. 5". Archived from the original on 31 August 2005.
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2020/03/beethoven-symphonies-5-7-sacd-review.html.
Glesner, Elizabeth Schwarm. "Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 5, Op. 67". Classical Music Pages. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009.
Gutmann, Peter. Ludwig van Beethoven: Fifth Symphony. Classicalnotes.net. 2001.
Hopkins, Antony (1977). The Nine Symphonies of Beethoven. Scolar Press. ISBN 1-85928-246-6.
Jolly, Constance (1966). Beethoven as I Knew Him. London: Faber and Faber. As translated from Schindler (1860). Biographie von Ludwig van Beethoven.
Parsons, Anthony (1990). "Symphonic birth-pangs of the trombone". British Trombone Society. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
Scherman, Thomas K. & Biancolli, Louis (1973). The Beethoven Companion. Garden City, New York: Double & Company. p. 570.