Beethoven's Fifth Symphony: The Fate Symphony

There are people in this world who, as you read this article, are suffering (physically and/or psychologically) due to the vicissitudes of an ill-omened fate. I want to dedicate this article to all those people. No one should ever suffer, and everyone deserves to be happy. We should all walk hand in hand and help each other. Sometimes, adverse circumstances of life may stymie our journey and thwart our goals and ambitions. It is not just the system. It is the system and environment. Upon variation of environmental conditions, the phenomenon being observed in the system varies. 

However, in our existence, banal events may occasionally beget visionary and spiritual moments that lead us to a self-realization, what James Joyce called “epiphanies”. These are the moments of life that we should treasure.

One such moment may have occurred early in the evening on March 26th, 1827.

“After Beethoven had lain unconscious, the death-rattle in his throat from 3 o’clock in the afternoon till after 5, there came a flash of lightning accompanied by a violent clap of thunder, which garishly illuminated the death-chamber [snow lay before Beethoven’s dwelling]. After this unexpected phenomenon of nature, which startled me greatly, Beethoven opened his eyes, lifted his right hand and looked up for several seconds with his fist clenched and a very serious threatening expression as if he wanted to say: ‘Inimical powers, I defy you! Away with you! God is with me!’ It also seemed as if, like a brave commander, he wished to call out to his wavering troops: ‘Courage, soldiers! Forward! Trust in me! Victory is assured!’ When he let the raised hand sink to the bed, his eyes closed half-way. My right hand was under his head, my left rested on his breast. Not another breath, not a heartbeat more! The genius of the great master of tones fled from this world of delusion into the realm of truth!”

With these words Anselm Hüttenbrenner portrays the genius of Bonn, Ludwig van Beethoven, as a romantic hero, who even on the verge of his eternal rest pummels the inescapable fate one last time before the curtain falls on the final act of the comedy. On his deathbed, he purportedly said “plaudite, amici, comedia finita est” which translates to “applaud, my friends, the comedy is over”.

The Teutonic tunesmith was flimflammed by the inclement and untamed Fate several times. To name a few, Beethoven was frequently battered by his father who was an alcoholic. He fell in love with several aristocratic women whom he couldn’t marry due to class divisions. Last but not least, he was afflicted by his ill-fated deafness.

In one of his letters to Franz Wegeler, in November 1801, Beethoven wrote: 

“I will seize Fate by the throat, it shall certainly not bend and crush me completely.”

Mähler's portrait of 1804–05

The fight against his hapless fate is demonstrated in his Fifth Symphony, the so-called Fate Symphony. The theatrical and heroic journey from struggle to triumph is in harmony with the evolution of symphony from the C minor mode of the first movement to the C major of the finale.

The first movement is in sonata form and starts with the monumental, dramatic, and forceful opening: “dum dum dum duummm”. Four notes are played by the lower strings and clarinets. The fourth one has a fermata marking, indicating that the note must be held for an indeterminate amount of time. The whole movement is built on this motif.

According to Anton Schindler, Beethoven revealed to him that these four notes represent Fate knocking at the door. The subordinate theme is introduced in measure 59 with an E-flat horn call and is derived from the fate motif. The violins start a new melody, while in the background the cellos and basses persist: “dum dum dum duummm”. The development section is introduced by the French horns and clarinets which play in fortissimo. They are followed by the low strings and then by the woodwinds and brasses.

In the final part of the development, an enigmatic dialogue takes place between the winds and the strings, a momentary calm before the indomitable fate motif rhythm reemerges in the recapitulation. During this section, an oboe solo cadenza interrupts the fate motif. However, after this brief assuagement, Fate returns with even more turmoil.

After the corybantic impetuosity and thunderous vehemence of the first movement, we now receive some emotional reassurance with the softness of the second movement. Two contrasting themes and their variations are presented in alternation. The former theme is introduced by the viola and cello, while the latter is presented by the clarinet. Here, Beethoven outdid himself by producing 14 different versions of the opening theme for this movement - searching for the right notes. As Leonard Bernstein said: 

“It’s like Beethoven had some private telephone wire to Heaven which told him what the next note had to be.”

The movement concludes with the promise of better times.

The third movement, which is a scherzo and trio form, starts with an obscure rising arpeggio. The fate motif, dum dum dum duummm, adamantly returns in measure 19. The trio section has a fugue-like character. The coda, the transition into finale, is characterized by a sense of anticipation and suspense. The timpani daintily tap the fate rhythm, while the strings play a sustained ominous note. Then, after a short time, the violins show inquietude and build more tension with arpeggios derived from the opening theme. However, nothing seems to happen yet, until all of a sudden there is a huge crescendo and all the amassed tenseness bursts out, with full orchestra, into the triumphant march which opens the fourth movement, the C major finale. This extraordinarily climacteric moment is the heroic proclamation of the victorious triumph of light over darkness. This point in the Fate Symphony marks the first time trombones were ever heard in a symphony! The genius of Bonn has accomplished the realization of the most titanic, emotional and ecstatic moment in all music ever! 

Beethoven wanted to communicate to the world that he would not let his deafness defy him. He realized he could find a way to salvation through his music. He stated: 

“Those who understand my music will remain free from the miseries that other men drag with them.”