The secrets of the world’s most famous symphony - Hanako Sawada

翻译人员: S Wang 校对人员: Helen Chang

These eight ferocious notes

这八个激烈的音符

open one of the most explosive pieces of music ever composed.

开启了音乐史上最具爆炸性的曲子

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony Number Five

路德维西·范·贝多芬创作的《第五交响曲》

premiered in 1808, on a blisteringly cold Vienna night.

首演于1808年维也纳的一个寒风刺骨的夜晚

The piece was just one small part of a lengthy program,

这首曲子仅仅是一个大项目中的一小部分

and the orchestra had been hastily assembled and under-rehearsed.

乐团也是匆忙组建的，排练得也不够充分

But despite this inauspicious premiere, the symphony quickly won acclaim.

但尽管首演并不理想 这首交响曲很快获得了赞誉

One critic likened the piece to “glowing beams of light,

一位评论家将这部作品比作

像“一束束光从黑暗中穿透而来”

piercing through the darkness.”

This intensity persists throughout the composition,

这种紧张感贯穿整部作品

and its dramatic musicality continues to move listeners today.

戏剧化的音乐直至今天仍在感染着听众

So what exactly makes Beethoven’s Fifth so captivating?

那么贝多芬的《第五交响曲》 究竟为何如此迷人呢？

When the symphony premiered, Beethoven already had a formidable reputation.

这部交响曲首演之际 贝多芬已经十分出名

While his peers produced music exclusively for religious functions or private events

在他的同行还只写宗教音乐 或者为他们富有的赞助人

held by their wealthy patrons,

举办的私人活动作曲时

Beethoven was one of the first freelance composers.

贝多芬已经成为了史上第一位 自由职业作曲家

He made his living composing and selling his music

他靠作曲谋生 把曲子卖给多个国家的出版商

to publishers in multiple countries

and showcasing his compositions to an adoring public.

向崇拜他的观众表演他的作品

This career choice gave him the flexibility to compose for self-expression

这一职业选择为他提供了自我表达的空间

and Beethoven was always pursuing new ways

而且贝多芬也总在探索新的方法

to translate his powerful emotions into music.

来用音乐传达他强烈的情感

At the time, most composers worked within the Classical style,

当时大部分作曲家以“古典主义”风格作曲

which offered limited options for a piece’s overarching structure

一首曲子可选的的整体结构

and instrumentation.

和使用的乐器比较有限

Beethoven composed most of his earlier pieces in this tradition,

贝多芬大部分早期的作品延续了这种传统

following in the footsteps of role models like Mozart and Haydn.

跟随着莫扎特和海顿这些榜样的步伐

But with his Fifth Symphony, he experimented with elements of Romanticism.

但在他的《第五交响曲》中 他尝试加入了一些浪漫主义元素

This blossoming mode of composition was known for its expressive melodies,

这种逐渐成熟的作曲方法 以其极具感染性的旋律

extended forms and surprising instrumentations.

更加广泛的形式和令人惊喜的配器著称

The first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth uses a Classical sonata form,

贝多芬《第五交响曲》第一乐章 使用了古典主义音乐的奏鸣曲式

in which a central musical idea is explored, developed, and repeated

针对一个中心的音乐主题

使用不同的方式发掘、发展和反复

in an altered manner.

Within these parameters, he explores a simple idea with incredible depth.

在这些已设定的范围内

贝多芬异常深入地 探索一个简简单单的乐想

A single rhythmic motif serves as the building block for most of the movement:

单独的一个动机非常有节奏感 作为该乐章大部分片段的基本组成要素

three short notes, followed by a lingering fourth.

即三个短音接着一个延绵的长音

One of Beethoven’s biographers would later call this pattern the “fate motif,”

后来，一位贝多芬的传记作家称 其为“命运动机”

because it suggests the figure of fate knocking at the door.

因为它体现出了命运叩门般的画面

While it's not clear if Beethoven composed the motif with fate in mind,

尽管我们并不清楚贝多芬本人 是否在谱曲时想到了命运

these notes certainly create a gripping hook.

这几个音符的确染具有强大的吸引力

The rhythmic pattern creates forward movement,

富有节奏感的片段创造出一种向前的趋势

while the prolonged fourth note signals doom.

而拉长的第四个音则象征着毁灭

This motif haunts the symphony,

这一动机笼罩着整首交响曲

including its accompanying parts and rhythmic flourishes.

包括伴奏部分和鲜明的节奏

Beethoven experiments with dozens of variations,

贝多芬尝试了十余种变体

playing out across different instruments and pitches.

用不同的乐器和音高展示

Throughout the piece, this motif is passed around the orchestra like a whisper,

这一动机贯穿全曲 像耳语一样在乐团中传递

gradually reaching more and more instruments until it becomes a roar.

传递到越来越多的乐器 直至变为一声怒吼

The motif’s inventive repetition is a large part

这一动机具有独创性的反复

很大程度上是这首曲子 能够如此印象深刻的原因

of what makes this piece so memorable,

but it’s not the only innovation on display.

但它不是这首曲子唯一的 具有独创性的地方

This was the first major orchestral composition to use trombones,

这是第一首在乐团中 使用长号的大型交响乐曲

and Beethoven also employs a high-pitched piccolo

而且贝多芬还使用了一个高音短笛

and a low-pitched contrabassoon

和一个倍低音巴松

to give the orchestra a wider range than most classical compositions.

使乐团的音域比大部分古典主义作品更广

Exaggerated musical dynamics further heighten the drama.

夸张化的音乐强弱对比更加增强了戏剧性

And harmonically, the piece has a clear emotional arc—

在和声方面，这首曲子 也有着清晰的情感走向

beginning in a somber C minor and ending in a triumphant C major.

开始是阴郁的c小调 最终以辉煌的C大调结尾

This progression, from ominous unease to majestic resolution,

这种音乐进行，从不详的 不适感发展到辉煌的尾声

is a testament to Beethoven’s ability to inject raw emotionality into his music.

是贝多芬有能力向他的音乐 注入丰富情感的强有力证明

He wrote this symphony while battling with hearing loss,

贝多芬写这部交响曲时正在经历听力衰退

and his anguish can be heard in the composition’s

而从他的作品中就能听出他的痛苦

thunderous and repeating musical phrases.

在滚滚雷声般不断重复的乐句中可见一斑

Beethoven continued to compose even after he became completely deaf,

贝多芬在他完全失聪之后仍坚持作曲

producing innovative music until his death in 1827.

不断产出富有创造性的音乐 直至1827年去世

And the Fifth Symphony’s central motif has continued to resound through the ages.

而他《第五交响曲》中的中心动机 则在岁月中持续地回响

Outside of concert halls,

这部交响曲走出了音乐厅

the piece has become a symbol for suspense, revelation, and triumph.

成为悬疑、启示和胜利的象征

The fate motif sounds out the letter V in Morse code,

命运动机在摩斯电码中代表字母“V”

and during World War II,

在二战期间

the Fifth Symphony became a code for victory amongst the Allies.

《第五交响曲》成为盟军之间胜利的暗号

The iconic composition can be found in film scores,

这部极具象征意义的作品 出现在很多电影原声音乐中

and it’s even been explored through musical reinterpretations and visual art.

人们甚至也在音乐的重新阐释 和视觉艺术中继续探索这首曲子

But whatever the context,

但无论以什么形式

Beethoven’s Fifth takes its listeners through a dark world,

贝多芬的《第五交响曲》 都把人们带到一个黑暗的世界

then guides them into the light.

然后带领他们走向光明