11/17 Symphony No. 5, Pt 1 (Analysis, Järvi)

(Kandinsky's St George and the Dragon)

Today and tomorrow I annotate the single most famous orchestral work since Star Wars.  :).  There are innumerable websites devoted to the 5th Symphony, I'll list a few tomorrow I guess.  Here's part 1 of my 2-part post covering all 4 movements...  Oh yeah, Paavo Järvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen are back with us for one more analysis!

Beethoven, Symphony 5 in C minor, op.67 (1808)
Movement I:  Allegro con brio

Exposition

-Theme 1

--A - full motif statement open cadence

--A1 - sequenced variation

--Modulating Bridge leading to Open Cadence

-Theme 2 in Eb

-Cadence section

--Pt 1 - victorious

--Pt 2 - Theme 1 motif in winds ; closed cadence

Exposition Repeat

Development

-Pt 1 - Theme 1 motif is transformed from victory to foreboding

-Pt 2 - orchestra builds into a dissonant climax

-Pt 3 - Theme 2 "horn calls in strings

-Pt 4 - more fragmentation of theme 2 - strings vs winds - the battle recedes...except for one last volley

-Pt 5 - retransition using Theme 1 motif of victory

Recapitulation

-Theme 1

--A

--open cadence leading to mournful oboe cadenza from out of nowhere

--A1 - building sequences

--Modulating Bridge ; open cadence

-Theme 2

-Cadence

--Pt 1 - Glorious with accents on upbeat

--Pt 2

-Coda

--Pt 1 - anguished Theme 1 motif

--Pt 2 - Horn call motif low strings and bassoon

--Pt 3 - 2-note march motif

--Pt 4 - slamming chords, strings and winds battle again...fragmentation

--Pt 5 - Theme 1 motif returns in "suspended form"

--Pt 6 - RECAP #2 -A - Victory motif, tentatively, before a final tutti cadence

Movement II - Andante con moto

Statement of main formula

-A - lyric melody in Ab Major (dolce)

-Romance Cadence

-B - theme actually a variation of fragment of A

-B1 - grand version in C Major

-open cadence

Variation I (semi-Expo repeat)

-A1 - faster subdivided rhythm

-Romance cadence

-B2 - more intricate accompaniment

-B3 - grand variation

-open cadence

Variation II (Development)

-A2 - variation w 12 notes each bar

-A3 - winds add counter

-A4 - low strings pick up previous phrase -ascending scales lead to open cadence

-A5 - winds highlighted leading to modulating variations

-B4 - Grand theme in C Major returns 3rd time

-A6 - rustic variation

Variation III (Recapitulation)

-A7 - vibrating strings support lyric melody

-Romance Cadence

-A8 - Suddenly a jaunty variation interrupts the wind down

-Romance Cadence reasserts itself even more fervently

-Coda w lyric theme motifs (A9)

Movements 3 and 4 tomorrow......

(Analysed with the assistance of Robert Greenberg's Teaching Company Wordscore guide., The videos were originally uploaded to Youtube by Beethofan)