Beethoven Symphony No. 5

Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast

They are the most famous 8 notes in not only Western Music, but probably in all of music. If you walk down the street and ask someone to name a painting, they might say the Mona Lisa. A movie? Maybe Star Wars. A piece of classical music? Certainly, it would be Beethoven 5. But why? What makes those 8 notes so arrestingly powerful? Well, this week, we’re going to take a deep look at this ubiquitous piece, exploring lots of different questions. What inspired Beethoven to write such a piece (a hint here, it probably wasn’t fate knocking at the door)? How was this symphony different from everything that came before it? What influence did it have on composers of the future? What are the OTHER 3 movements of the symphony like, since many people only know the first movement? This symphony is monumentally important because in many ways it serves as the fulcrum between the classical and romantic eras. It is the most quoted piece of classical music there is, and it remains the most played symphony in the world. Today on this show from the archives, we're going to be exploring this symphony including new material that includes discoveries I've made about the symphony only in the last year or so, including the impact that the French Revolution had on the conception of this symphony. Join us!