Beethoven’s Beautiful Melody
One of the handful of truly beautiful melodies written by Beethoven (1770-1827) is the second movement of his monumental Fifth Symphony. While Beethoven was a tremendous musical architect, we don’t usually think of him as a great melodist. Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, and others made wonderful contributions to melodic history, but we don’t usually think of Beethoven in this way.
The second movement of his Fifth Symphony, however, is a beautiful exception. At once wistful and serene, the A melody in Ab Major, played in the lower strings, evokes the lovely melody of the second movement of his piano Sonata Pathetique. His architectural genius shines in what he does with the melody in the context of the symphony.
It forms the basis for a theme and variations and we listen as it gradually transforms from a peaceful expression to a triumphant, almost militant statement of victory. Its destiny is foreshadowed by the B section of the theme: a martial feel in triumphant C Major with brass, percussion, and full orchestra.
The peaceful, lyric opening theme of the Second Movement, gradually absorbs the robust character of the C Major melody with full orchestration. After wandering through a tentative statement to an almost sneaky and humorous faux statement of the theme, we finally hear the triumphant, loud, and jubilant expression of the original theme, still in Ab Major but now transformed to something truly grand and majestic and glorious. This final transformation occurs at the three-fourths point in the movement at about 6:25 on the counter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7MqqVecdok
