Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)

Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C Minor was written in 1804-1808. In the catalog of Beethoven's works it is Opus 67. The symphony is one of the most popular and well-known compositions in all of classical music, and is

Composition and premiere

Beethoven began work on the Fifth Symphony in 1804, shortly after the completion of his Third Symphony, the "Eroica". Work continued off and on (Beethoven was also writing various other works), and was completed in the spring of 1808.

Related Topics:
1804 - Third Symphony - 1808

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Fifth Symphony was premiered December 22, 1808, in a performance directed by the composer. The occasion was a mammoth concert, consisting entirely of Beethoven premieres, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. The program was as follows:

Related Topics:
1808 - Theater an der Wien - Vienna

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• the Sixth Symphony
• Aria: "Ah, perfido", Op. 65
• The Gloria movement of the Mass in C Major
• the Fourth Piano Concerto
• (intermission)
• the Fifth Symphony
• the Sanctus and Benedictus movements of the C Major Mass
• the Choral Fantasy

The performance took more than four hours.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Fifth and Sixth symphonies, which were composed more or less simultaneously, appeared on the concert program numbered as the Sixth and Fifth, respectively; the numbers we know today reflect the published versions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Beethoven dedicated the symphony to two of his patrons, Prince Lobkowitz and Count Rasumovsky. The dedication appeared in the first printed edition, from April 1809.

Related Topics:
Lobkowitz - Count Rasumovsky - 1809

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~