Fifth Symphony

The overwhelming force of the most famous symphony

"Certain performers, themselves paralysed by emotion, become incapable of holding up the bow. In the front boxes, many a delicate young face looks down to stifle convulsive sobs; some young men break into laughter, while others tear their hair or go through a thousand wild contortions...

(Hector Berlioz)

Start

Original first edition of the score, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel, March 1826.

An edition whose quality was excellent for its time: a rare and fundamental document, in historical terms and for the attention displayed by the editor.

GEORG SCHÜNEMANN
Beethoven Fünfte Symphonie op. 67 facsimile, first facsimile edition of 400 numbered copies [no. 201], Berlin, Max Staercke, October 1942, pages 44–305.

This copy belonged to the famous pianist Lotte Jekèli, as can be read in the handwritten dispatch note from her uncle in the insert. Lotte studied under eminent masters, including Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, who found in her a rare and exquisite musical sensitivity.

GEORG SCHÜNEMANN
Beethoven Fünfte Symphonie op. 67 facsimile, first facsimile edition of 400 numbered copies [no. 201], Berlin, Max Staercke, October 1942, pages 44–305.

“...it is no usual opening. On the contrary, it is unique in the history of music. We are not facing a first subject... but four bars serving as a kind of motto inscribed at the head of the movement in capital letters...” (Wilhelm Furtwängler, on the opening of the Fifth Symphony)

GEORG SCHÜNEMANN
Beethoven Fünfte Symphonie op. 67 facsimile, first facsimile edition of 400 numbered copies [no. 201], Berlin, Max Staercke, October 1942, pages 44–305.

The tragic confrontation between Man and Fate is intensified by the anguished architecture of the opera: the gigantic hand of a faceless Destiny beats the fateful four opening notes against the bell tower of a Gothic cathedral. The menacing sky heralds the storm with blasts of wind and thick clouds over the top of the bell tower. Beyond the bare trees bent by the gusts, desolation opens up.

ARTHUR PAUNZEN, Austrian painter and illustrator, *Vienna, 4 February 1890 - †Douglas, Isle of Man, 9 August 1940. An artist who employed an extraordinary engraving technique to create allegorical figures inspired by music, especially Beethoven’s.
Fantasy on the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, original etching, Vienna, Lanyi, 1918.

A shapeless huddle of worshippers in the light-filled exit of the church, scatter like ants from a newly uncovered anthill. The steep staircase in the foreground foreshadows by a few years the cinematic staircase of Eisenstein's Battleship Potëmkin (1925).
A visionary masterpiece, one of the most important works of the 20th century inspired by the Fifth Symphony.

ARTHUR PAUNZEN, pittore e grafico austriaco, *Vienna, 1890-†Douglas, Isle of Man, 1940. Artista dotato di una straordinaria tecnica incisoria nella realizzazione di figure allegoriche ispirate alla musica e in particolare a Beethoven.
Fantasia sul primo tempo della Quinta Sinfonia di Beethoven, acquaforte originale, Vienna, Lanyì, 1918.

A symbolist work with a forceful impact, accompanied by the opening of the Fifth Symphony. In the midst of the solitude of a foaming sea, a rocky peak with Beethoven's eerie face carved into it rises against a black sky. The island is the centre of the world and the sacred dwelling of the gods, welcoming castaways and offering spiritual salvation to those who are lost or overwhelmed by the ocean of life.

CARL WEINHOLD, Hungarian painter, engraver, portrait artist and vedutista, *1867 - †Munich, 1925.
The Symphony of Destiny, original etching–aquatint signed and dated, Munich, 1909.

At the foot of the rock, the shipwrecked people express their feelings in various ways towards the One who has rescued them. It is a scene that calls one to meditate and reflect. On the right, a young boy plays the flute and raises his song to heaven, evoking the happiness of nature and divine music. The majestic seagull, with its slow flight towards the rocky peak, conveys a feeling of boundless freedom.

CARL WEINHOLD, Hungarian painter, engraver, portrait artist and vedutista, *1867 - †Munich, 1925.
The Symphony of Destiny, original etching–aquatint signed and dated, Munich, 1909.

The ethereal Muse and bringer of light eagerly hands Beethoven a rose as a sign of appreciation and gratitude. Dynamically immersed in the half-light, his face bent over the piano, the Maestro presses the keys and pedals, completely engrossed in playing then playing again the fateful theme of the Fifth Symphony, is unaware of the radiant presence and leafs through the score, correcting it, cutting it, adding and deleting...

ALOIS KOLB, famous Austrian painter and graphic artist, *Vienna, 2 February 1875 - †Leipzig, 5 April 1942.
His drawings and engravings are on display in Europe’s pre-eminent museums.
The Muse and the Fifth Symphony, original etching, 1921.

The Maestro is walking against the winter wind; the geometrical figure is intensified by expressionist influences and conveys determination in the face of the adverse forces of nature. His heavy steps express vigour; his dishevelled mass of hair evokes freedom. The unnatural rear-pointing position of his arms are a device to show off his powerful hands. The stick held diagonally balances the composition. An art essay!

JOSEF THORAK, Austrian-German sculptor, *Salzburg, 7 February 1889 - †Hartmannsberg, Bavaria, 26 February 1952.
Beethoven alone in nature with the notes of the Fifth Symphony, large cast bronze plaque made in Munich in the 1930s.

In the background, nature is conveyed through a few strong symbols: tall blades of grass swayed by the wind and an indistinct flurry of notes from the Fifth Symphony scattered over the composer's head (and mind).

Beethoven’s overcoat betrays the fashions of the 1930s, the period in which the plaque was created by Josef Thorak, a talented sculptor who produced the colossal statues at Berlin's Olympiastadion during the Third Reich and whose fortunes declined when Germany fell. The Maestro's restlessness seems to foretell the alienation of a “cursed artist”, fleeing Hitler’s pomp towards the margins of memory.

A seat sculpture (Sitzbild) made of purple pressed polyurethane that takes us to the spirit of protest of the early 1970s. It depicts the three elements of Beethoven known universally: the mask, the ear trumpet (symbolising his deafness) and the first notes of the Fifth Symphony in a comic-book speech bubble, a puff seeping out of the Maestro's tightly closed mouth.

OTTO DRESSLER, German sculptor and artist, *Braubach, 1 November 1930 - †Munich, 11 July 2006.
Organiser of more than 230 art exhibitions and events all over the world. He received numerous awards.
Seat sculpture of Beethoven with the opening of the Fifth Symphony

Considered in Germany to be the inventor of the alienation of art in everyday life, the artist used his works for performances in public places, in which he involved passers-by in actions that provoked debate and controversy. In 1970, the bicentenary year of Beethoven’s birth, Dressler produced the Sitzbilder, then invited people to sit on it: a provocation highlighting the indiscriminate use of Beethoven’s image for commercial and speculative purposes.

It is the most beautiful commemorative medal of 2020, because of its appeal, its shape, its appearance, and its design completely in the style of the new millennium. Superlative workmanship and quality in every detail, with patina.
The obverse contains a relief of Beethoven’s face in front view (interpreted freely from Franz Klein’s 1812 mask). Around the entire edge is the opening of the Fifth Symphony [op. 67].

SANDRA DEIANA, Italian coin and medal designer, *Settimo San Pietro, Sardinia 1991, [living].
250th Anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, 2020

Commemorative coin, 999 fine silver, denomination 3000 Francs. Minted, antique finish with matt background, figure and inscriptions. 250 numbered pieces [copy no. 233]. “The issue of this legal tender commemorative coin is authorized by the authority of Republic of Cameroon”. Created and finished by Art Mint, Paris, 2020. Ø mm. 50, thickness 8 mm, weight 93.30 g.

The reverse bears the relief inscription at the top: “Republique du Cameroun”, and below that is a tiny stylised kithara. In the central field, two laurel branches frame the facsimile signature: Beethoven 1770 • 1827. Between the date of birth and the date of death a tiny “Genuine Diamond" emits light that contrasts with the coin’s antique (grey) patina finish.

It is the only medal in the entire history of Beethoven medal art to feature a real diamond: an image of spiritual strength, perfection and greatness. It symbolises moral and intellectual values and shines in the dark. A great tribute to Beethoven in the 250th anniversary of his birth.

NAVIGATION GUIDE

This section is a legacy of the online exhibition “The Man. The Genius. The Myth” presented in 2021, preserved here in its essential content. The narrative unfolds in three main themes:

THE MAN dedicated to the most important events and themes in the composer’s life;
THE GENIUS dedicated to his works and how they are interpreted in the figurative arts;
THE MYTH dedicated to the worldwide spread of the Beethoven Myth, the exploitation of the composer’s image for commercial and political purposes, his veneration and desecration.

Several sub-itineraries are proposed within each of the three.

For example:
when the “GENIUS” itinerary is selected, the “SIXTH SYMPHONY” sub-itinerary becomes available.
Each sub-itinerary consists of a Gallery of works and/or documents on the theme with a short introduction.
Each image is accompanied by a description and can be enlarged and viewed in a different resolution.
The “INTRO” feature is a short audiovisual introduction to the specific section.

CREDITS: all works and documents are from the Carrino Collection
© Collezione Carrino – Casa Museo Biblioteca Beethoveniana
Any use of these images is prohibited without the express permission of Casa Museo Biblioteca Beethoveniana.

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NAVIGATION GUIDE