Kyle Vanderburg August 27, 2011 MUSC5970-Beethoven & Schubert Beethovens Fifth Symphony and Fate Beethovens ubiquitous

symphony number five in C minor, opus 67, is an astonishingly famous and well-loved work. Among non-musicians, it is perhaps the most famous piece of classical music ever written, and for better or worse it exists as a measuring stick by which all other classical music is judged by the general public. For these reasons, musicians often use it as a marketing engine, a piece of public relations strategy to fill the concert hall. Due to the universal knowledge of the fifth symphony, a number of speculations have worked their way into the history and lore of the piece. Perhaps the most well-known legend regarding the fifth symphony is the idea that the initial motive is representative of Fate knocking at the door. The story of Beethoven claiming that the motive of the first movement is fate knocking on the door was first published by Beethovens biographer and secretary, Anton Schindler, in his early biography of Beethoven titled Life of Beethoven. In this book is the origin of the story about the fifth symphony motive being about Fate. Schindler states What a life of poetry this work unfolds before our senses, allowing us to see into its depths! The composer himself provided the key to those depths when one day, in this authors 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 door1 Unfortunately, Schindlers quote is the only source of this knowledge, a piece of hearsay that wouldnt be admissible as part of a court case. However, history is more forgiving, which allows us to look closer at Schindlers story. Unfortunately, there is speculation that Anton Schindler is an unreliable source. Peter Stadlens 1977 article Schindlers Beethoven Forgeries makes the claim that Schindler forged, altered, or destroyed a number of Beethovens documents and conversation books for a variety of reasons. Such reasons include showing himself to know Beethoven longer than he did, and to be an expert on Beethoven and an authority on Beethovens works. Stadlen states It was in the course of investi-gating some conversation-book entries
Anton Felix Schindler, Beethoven as I knew him. (Mineola, NY: Dover, 1996), 147.http://books.google.com/books?id=yumx2czL9rEC (accessed August 27, 2011).
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designed to discredit Beethoven's metronome marks, that I found not only these entries but a great many others to have been faked.2However, more recent research, such as that by Theodore Albrecht, has shown that Schindlers destruction and alteration of Beethovens conversation books may not be as severe as first reported.3Unfortunately, this still leaves Schindlers quote in a questionable status. Even with Schindler as an unreliable source, it is still possible that the fifth symphony is about Fate, even if it is not as blatant as the opening motive being Fate knocking at the door. Beethoven mentioned Fate often in his letters, including I will grapple with Fate; it shall not quite bear me down4, I shall, if possible, defy Fate, though there will be hours in my life when I shall be the most miserable of Gods creatures.5and Fate gave man the courage of endurance.6 Even without the luxury of Schindlers story of the fifth symphony, it is likely that Beethoven was contemplating Fate in great detail based on his writings. Within the fifth symphony itself, there are moments that can be interpreted to indicate a struggle with Fate. In the first movement, measures 196 through 239 indicate a back-and-forth struggle of some sort. The second movement experiments with dynamic contrast between pianissimo and fortissimo. The third movement combines the dynamic contrast of the second movement with the back-and-forth orchestration of the third movement, especially from the beginning to measure 52. Additionally, the third movements pairing of material derived from the opening motive with other, quieter material. The fourth movement explodes out of the third movement, serving as a loud, triumphant contrast to the first movements uncertainty. Even without the benefit of Schindlers testimony regarding Fate and Beethovens Symphony no. 5, it is apparent by the music that the work is about struggle. This, paired with Beethovens affinity for contemplating Fate, indicates that the work is about Fate on some level, by virtue of it being written by Beethoven.

2Peter

3Theodore

Stadlen, Schindlers Beethoven Forgeries, The Musical Times 118, no. 1613 (Jul., 1977): 552. Albrecht, Anton Schindler as destroyer and forger of Beethovens conversation books: A case for decriminalization in Musics Intellectual History(New York:Rpertoire International de Littrature Musicale, 2009), 173. 4Friedrich Kerst and Henry Edward Krehbiel, eds., BEETHOVEN: the man and the artist, as revealed in his own words (New York: Dover, 1964), 72 5Ibid., 85. 6Ibid., 99.

Bibliography Albrecht, Theodore. Anton Schindler as destroyer and forger of Beethovens conversation books: A case for decriminalization. In Musics Intellectual History, 169-181. New York: Rpertoire International de Littrature Musicale, 2009. Kerst, Friedrich, and Henry Edward Krehbiel, eds. BEETHOVEN: the man and the artist, as revealed in his own words.Edited by Hans Mersmann. New York: Dover, 1964. Schindler, Anton Felix. Beethoven as I knew him. Mineola, NY: Dover, 1996. http://books.google.com/books?id=yumx2czL9rEC (accessed August 27, 2011) Stadlen, Peter. Schindlers Beethoven Forgeries. The Musical Times 118, no. 1613 (Jul., 1977): 549-552.