Symphony Atlas

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

180830 min

This guide follows Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (1808) in three parts: Allegro con brio (sonata form), Andante con moto (theme and variations) and Allegro (sonata form).

Recording: Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan

I Allegro con brio · Sonata form · 10 sections

:
:
AnalysisComments
  1. I · Sonata form
  2. II · Theme and variations
  3. III · Sonata form
I Sonata form0:01–7:03

Nearly everything grows from the four-note figure that opens the : three short notes and one long. It is heard in almost every , in the accompaniment as well as in the tunes. A horn call leads into the lyrical , in E-flat major. Then the begins. In the the music stops for a short, slow oboe before the . The closes the .

  1. :
  6. :
II Theme and variations7:14–16:16

Two themes take turns and are varied each time. In A-flat major, violas and cellos sing the (A), and it in new guises as A1, A2 and A3. The (B) moves from A-flat toward C major. It comes back as B1 and B2. Short transitions the sections, and then a long begins.

  1. A
  3. B
  4. A1
  6. B1
  7. A2
  9. B2
  11. A3
IIISonata form16:22–29:33

Two movements run together here. The , in C minor, opens with hushed cellos and basses, answered by a loud horn . The C major (B) begins with a for cellos and basses. The in quiet strings, and at its close it fades over soft timpani, then a long crescendo bursts into the . In the come the and then a quiet of the 's horn , which leads to the ; the speeds up and ends with 29 of C major chords.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. A1
  5. :
  10. :

Section boundaries in music are not always sharp; a transition may be felt over a pause or a held chord.

At a glance

  1. I. Allegro con brioSonata form · 7 min · 502 bars · quarter note ≈ 198 bpm
  2. II. Andante con motoTheme and variations · 9 min · 247 bars · eighth note ≈ 82 bpm
  3. III. AllegroSonata form · 13 min · 818 bars

Instruments: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Trumpet, Timpani, Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double bass

Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, I. Allegro con brio: first page of the score
Full score

Questions

How long is Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67?
About 30 min in this recording, in 3 movements: I 7 min, II 9 min and III 13 min.
What form are its movements in?
I: sonata form, II: theme and variations and III: sonata form.
Which instruments play in Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67?
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Trumpet, Timpani, Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello and Double bass.
How fast is it played?
In this recording, measured from the score: I quarter note ≈ 198 bpm and II eighth note ≈ 82 bpm.
Is there a score of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67?
Yes, of I and II.

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