beethovwn

[tulliogreco]

what is beethovens fifth symphony also known as ?

[sft42]

As far as I know it doesn't have another name....but everyone knows the opening bars..Duh Duh Duh Daaahhhhh...Duh Duh Duh Dahhhhnn.....quite possible the most famous or at least recognisible piece of classical music....click this link for more info http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/fifth.html

[gazzawazza]

This is strange, I also thought that it had a more "common" name, however on looking at a CD the title is given as "Symphony No.5 in C minor (Op. 67). The "opus" bit means "work" as in a major piece of work.

I wonder if I (and you) were thinking of his 9th symphony which is more commonly known as "The Choral Symphony" or also as "Ode to Joy?"

[smorodina]

For reasons outlined in the link in the first answer it became known as the 'Victory' symphony.

[cpbetts]

the last comment mentioning that the symphony was known as the "victory" symphony is utter rubbish. As correctly written in earlier postings, the 5th had no other title.

[Hutch]

cpbetts is quite correct - the 5th symphony was never given a name, unlike the 3rd, 6th, and 9th symphonies, and the 5th piano concerto.

[smorodina]

Oh, so the 'Harvard Brief Dictionary of Music' is wrong then? Just because you don't know something does not make it 'utter rubbish'. The 5th DID gain the nickname 'Victory symphony' during WWII. Here is a reference to the above source: http://forums.wildbillguarnere.com/index.php?s=691
a4ffd5dd309f3b17361eee266514a&showtopic=2481 There are others...

[Cetti]

Would you be thinking of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 ?

This is called the "Emperor" in E Flat Major, Op.73 to give it the full title.

There is no other official name of his 5th Symphony.

[cpbetts]

I would concede now whilst you still have your dignity. Listen to what everybody else is telling you...... it's "Utter Rubbish"...... and let that be the end of it.

[smorodina]

Sorry to labour the point, but 'Victory Symphony' was just a nickname coined during WWII. It is not, nor is there an 'official' name. The question asked what the work is also known as, not 'officially known as', and this is it.

[dfatih]

cpbetts is my boyfriend and he knows so much. we are huge beethoven fans, visited his grave in vienna earlier this year and have numerous recordings of his fifth symphony. it is literally beyond belief that anyone can imagine that the anodyne and triumphanlist epithet 'victory symphony' is to be taken seriously - maybe an american radio station played it when the USA won the world war II and thought it would be an appropriate nickname to capture the spirit of the time and make it appear more accessible to the listening public, but for one this name certainly hasn't stuck, secondly names such as this are attributed at the time of composition or soon after (not well over 125 years), and thirdly the tone of this work is not about victory or triumph but confronting fate and destiny and the irrational forces at work in the universe. bravo cpbetts, bravo. smorodina, take his advice now.

[smorodina]

Well, I admire your loyalty and I hope he is not as rude to you as he obviously thinks is acceptable here. I have come across many erroneous beliefs and urban myths being used as answers on this site and have always felt it was enough to correct them politely. The first four notes of the fifth, played on kettledrums were used extensively during the war to introduce radio broadcasts, and not just in America. Coupled with the famous V hand gesture and the roman numeral V, this led to the fifth being known, however briefly, by however few and however belatedly, as the Victory Symphony. I admit that there are very few references to this on the net, but here are a couple more: http://www.actualart.org/angelwk/wka02/wa/ditda/di
tda1.html and also: http://www.hornplayer.net/significa/a8.asp My dignity remains intact. cpbetts with his near hysterical outbursts is the one in danger of losing his.

[AB Editor]

tulliogreco, who asked the question, contacted us to say "Thank you all for your efforts and interesting comments. The answer I wanted was victory,to complete the mail on Sunday crossword."

Please remember to keep this site friendly and free of personal abuse. You can disagree on an answer without resorting to insults, and describing an answer as "utter rubbish" is pretty close to the bone.