The Symphony: Beethoven's 5th
The Symphony is a piece of music which came into development in Europe during the 18th century (1700s). This period in western musical history is known as the Classical Era. Some of the most prominent and influential composers during this period and of this form are Josef Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Josef Haydn, the inventor of the classical symphony
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The developer of classical symphonies and opera
Instrumentation: The modern orchestra, as we hear from film scores like Harry Potter or Jurassic Park, is an ensemble of musicians that developed from string quartets during the Classical Era and into the Romantic Era. String quartets have four string players: two violins, a viola, and a cello. Orchestras started as large groups of strings to which the composer Josef Haydn and other composers added flutes, string basses, horns, and timpani. Eventually this developed into the symphony orchestra we know today which includes clarinets, trumpets, trombones, oboes, and a number of other instruments. You cannot have a classical symphony without an orchestra. ​
Form: The classical symphony is divided into four smaller pieces called movements. These are typically grouped:
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allegro: a fast movement
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a slow movement
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a movement with 3 beats to a measure, with a middle section often highlighting a trio of oboes, flutes, and bassoons.
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allegro, rondo, or sonata: a fast movement
Listening Activity
This activity is meant to introduce you to an example of one of if not the most well-known symphonies ever written, Beethoven's 5th symphony. In it, you will have an opportunity to explore the aspects of instrumentation and form that you read about. If you have any trouble with it or are stumped, don't worry, this is merely a way to start a conversation about what you notice in it. Tap/click here to listen to the first movement of Beethoven's 5th symphony. To familiarize yourself with some of the instruments in questions tap/click here. Tap/click on the button to fill out to the form and complete the assignment.