A friend of mine once said that it was Beethoven's odd-numbered symphonies that were the great ones. Like any generalization, this observation is open to discussion: for example, Beethoven's 1st symphony is an odd-numbered symphony, and yet it is much less popular than the even-numbered 6th. But for the most part, that mnemonic device is a fast and easy way to highlight what are often described as Beethoven's greatest works: the 3rd, the 5th, and the 9th Symphonies.
The German-born composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is often described as the master of development. Often an entire symphony is based on a few simple motives or themes. Beethoven then takes those materials and rearranges them in numerous combinations and guises.
Symphony No. 1 in C Major: This symphony and the second were composed during Beethoven's early or Classical period and can be compared to the works of slightly earlier Viennese composers, Mozart and Haydn. This symphony contains many playful or unusual elements: The first movement starts out in the "wrong key," the second and third movements, though marked andante and menuetto respectively, are usually played much faster than those labels normally indicate, and the fourth movement teases the listener with several incomplete scales before settling into C major.
Symphony No. 2 in D Major: Though many classical symphonies used a Minuet form for the third movement, Beethoven chose to use instead a Scherzo, a much faster and energetic piece of music.
Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major: Also called the Eroica (or "Heroic" Symphony), this work was written to celebrate Napoleon Bonaparte's promise of equality and democracy, ideals that captured several European minds at the turn of the 18th century.
Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major: Robert Schumann described this work as the "slender Greek maiden between two Norse gods." This metaphor might refer to the 4th Symphony as a whole situated as it is in between the 3rd and 5th Symphonies, but given the 4th Symphony's overall energetic nature, the metaphor might be better applied to the adagio second movement that comes in between the more boisterous outer movements.
Symphony No. 5 in c minor: Often regarded as an expression of Beethoven's own inner emotions, this symphony begins with the well-known four-note "fate motive." After beginning so ominously in c minor, the symphony ends triumphantly in C Major with a theme based on the same motive.
Symphony No. 6 in F Major: Nicknamed the Pastoral Symphony, this work takes the listener on an imaginary trip to the countryside, complete with running brooks and thunderstorms.
Symphony No. 7 in A Major: This symphony alternates between dirge and dance, evoking in turn mourning and joy. The first movement begins rather pensively before breaking into wild ecstasy. The second movement enters somber, but the final two movements sweep the listener away in joyful abandon.
Symphony No. 8 in F Major: Another playful symphony, the second movement parodies the newly invented metronome, the third movement uses the (by that time) "retro" Minuet form, and the fourth movement (like the first symphony) also uses a "wrong key" for humorous effect.
Symphony No. 9 in D Major: Beethoven wrote this after his growing deafness had fully robbed him of his hearing. The final movement contains a chorus that sets Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy."
