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| Symphony No.4 | Symphony No.6, "Pastoral" |
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"Thus Fate knocks at the door."
Beethoven to Anton Schindler on the opening bars
"How this magnificent composition carries the listener on and on in a continually ascending climax into the ghastly world of infinity!"
E.T.A. Hoffmann
"How big it is - quite wild! Enough to bring the house down about one's ears!"
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (attr. by Mendelssohn)
"It must be generally admitted that Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is the most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man."
E.M. Forster, Howard's End
The four notes which launched a thousand resistance raids in World War II, probably the most famous symphonic gesture of all time. The work was first performed on 22 December 1808, at an enormous concert typical of the age - which also saw the first performance of the 'Pastoral' symphony, the fourth piano concerto, the Choral Fantasia and parts of the C major Mass.
Beethoven's Fifth is also historically important: it established the pattern of what later became known as the "finale symphony", i.e. a symphony whose finale assumes a level of importance at least as great as the other movements, if not greater. (Compare, for example, the Eroica; great as the finale undoubtedly is, it is overshadowed by the first two movements). This tendency, reinforced by the Ninth, influenced symphonists for the next century, perhaps reaching its peak in the mightiest utterances of Bruckner and Mahler.
Until the recent, almost inexplicable, supremacy of Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons', this was the single most recorded piece of classical music ever. So familiar is it that a recording has to be very special to be worth listening to.
In 1995 somebody at DG finally paid attention to the plaintive cries of impoverished musiclovers and and reissued Carlos Kleiber's legendary Fifith coupled with his almost equally legendary Seventh, for one of the outstanding bargains in the Beethoven Symphony catalogue. Kleiber's Fifth with the VPO is an intense, indeed electrifying, recording. The playing is what one would expect from this orchestra and the recording is top notch. Where others tend to swagger and posture in this symphony (they know who they are!) Kleiber presents us with a heroic struggle and a hard-won victory.
Once again Karajan's 1977 version is the best of his three stereo versions.
While Gardiner's Fifth received a great deal of attention, I can't say I'm completely enamoured - or at all really. It is undoubtedly a very exciting performance, but I fail to feel any real depths in it.
In fact I don't think there is a completely satisfying period Fifth on record yet. There is not a great deal to choose between Norrington, Hogwood and Brüggen here: I have a slight personal preference for the last-named. Avoid the Hanover Band version: this was a very early (maybe the first period Fifth) effort and was directed by Monica Huggett rather than Roy Goodman who took over later. Huggett may be - nay, is - a fabulous violinist; she is no conductor (even though this recording was directed from the leader's chair rather than with a baton).
My choice for historical recordings would again go to Furtwängler, whose 1954 recording is now available, at mid-price, with a blinding 7th (see below). There is also a 1943 live Berlin recording available (formerly DG, now Music & Arts), which is, if anything, even better as a performance - in typically hyper-intense fashion as are most of Furtwängler's wartime recordings - although the recording is, obviously. less good.
Erich Kleiber's 1955 version, with the Concertgebouw, is also extremely fine and is coupled with an exceptional 'Pastoral' (Decca London), unfortunately this, too, has been deleted; if you see a copy snap it up.
Toscanini's 1933 version (Music & Arts) stands head and shoulders above his post war efforts, as so often with this conductor. Toscanini-philes should certainly investigate this, as the sound is quite respectable.
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| Symphony No.4 | Symphony No.6, "Pastoral" |
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| Survey menu | Discography (this symphony) |