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

Translator: Wing Chan Reviewer: Thomas Tam

These eight ferocious notes

呢八個厲害音符

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

為音樂史上最震撼嘅一首樂曲、打開序幕

路德維希·範·貝多芬《第 5 號交響曲》

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony Number Five

premiered in 1808, on a blisteringly cold Vienna night.

1808 年喺維也納 一個極之寒冷嘅晚上首演

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

呢個樂章只係漫長節目嘅小部分

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

管弦樂隊，係排練不足嘅匆忙組合

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

睇嚟首演就出師不利 但係呢首交響曲好快就贏得讚賞

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

有位評論家將交響曲

比作「一束亮光，劃破黑暗。」

piercing through the darkness.”

This intensity persists throughout the composition,

音樂嘅強度貫穿整個作品

and its dramatic musicality continues to move listeners today.

第 5 號交響曲戲劇性嘅音樂 繼續觸動今日嘅聽眾

So what exactly makes Beethoven’s Fifth so captivating?

其實係乜嘢令貝多芬 第 5 號交響曲如此吸引呢？

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

喺交響曲首演時 貝多芬已經相當有名

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

大多數同輩作曲家 係為宗教或私人活動撰寫音樂

held by their wealthy patrons,

服務富有嘅讚助人

Beethoven was one of the first freelance composers.

但貝多芬係最早一位自由嘅作曲家

He made his living composing and selling his music

佢靠出售同創作音樂維生

to publishers in multiple countries

賣畀唔同國家嘅發行人

and showcasing his compositions to an adoring public.

同彈奏音樂畀啲傾慕佢嘅觀眾聽

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

貝多芬嘅職業選擇 畀佢靈活創作自由

and Beethoven was always pursuing new ways

佢亦經常使用新穎方法

to translate his powerful emotions into music.

將佢強烈嘅情感注入到音樂裏面

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

當時大部分作曲家 用古典模式做音樂創作

which offered limited options for a piece’s overarching structure

呢種創作模式限制咗樂曲整體結構

and instrumentation.

同樂器組合

Beethoven composed most of his earlier pieces in this tradition,

而貝多芬早期嘅創作 係以傳統方式寫成

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

跟住前人莫扎持同海頓等嘅軌跡

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

但喺第 5 號交響曲度 佢嘗試加入浪漫主義元素

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

呢種蓬勃發展嘅作曲方式 係靠有豐富表現力嘅旋律

extended forms and surprising instrumentations.

多變嘅形式同令人驚喜 樂器嘅選擇而聞名

交響曲嘅第一樂章 喺採用古典奏鳴曲形式

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

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

以不同方式探索、發展

in an altered manner.

同重複變奏

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

貝多芬喺呢個框架度 以簡單想法作深層次嘅演譯

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

以單一節奏主題 作為樂曲構成大部分嘅基石

three short notes, followed by a lingering fourth.

喺三個短音符後 加上特長第四個音符

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

有位撰寫貝多芬生平學者 稱呢段音符為「命運樂想」

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

因為佢暗示咗命運叩門嘅意象

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

就算唔肯定佢創作時候 有無諗過命運之神

these notes certainly create a gripping hook.

但啲音符肯定牽動 每個人心弦

The rhythmic pattern creates forward movement,

節奏模式創造向前動力

while the prolonged fourth note signals doom.

而且延長嘅四分音符 則預示厄運

This motif haunts the symphony,

樂想喺交響樂中迴盪

including its accompanying parts and rhythmic flourishes.

包括佢嘅伴奏部分 同號角華麗奏

Beethoven experiments with dozens of variations,

貝多芬試驗咗幾十種變奏

playing out across different instruments and pitches.

喺唔同樂器同音高度演奏

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

喺整首樂曲度 呢個樂想、好似細細聲

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

然後逐漸加入、越來越多嘅樂器 構成澎湃激昂嘅樂章

The motif’s inventive repetition is a large part

樂想被創造性重複

of what makes this piece so memorable,

構成令人難忘主要部分

but it’s not the only innovation on display.

呢個唔係佢唯一嘅創新

This was the first major orchestral composition to use trombones,

今次係第一首加入 長號嘅管弦樂作品

and Beethoven also employs a high-pitched piccolo

貝多芬還使用咗高音短笛

and a low-pitched contrabassoon

同低音巴松管

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

為管弦樂隊提供 比大多數古典作品更廣泛音域

Exaggerated musical dynamics further heighten the drama.

經誇張後動態音樂 進一步將戲劇性增強

And harmonically, the piece has a clear emotional arc—

喺和聲方面 樂曲有清晰感情起伏

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

以憂鬱嘅 c 小調開始 用 C 大調凱旋結尾

This progression, from ominous unease to majestic resolution,

樂曲由不祥嘅預兆感 到富麗堂皇嘅進程

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

證明貝多芬有能力 將原始感情注入到音樂

He wrote this symphony while battling with hearing loss,

喺創作樂曲時 佢正係跟失聰搏鬥

and his anguish can be heard in the composition’s

悲痛心情可以喺

thunderous and repeating musical phrases.

重複雷鳴般嘅樂句度聽到

Beethoven continued to compose even after he became completely deaf,

貝多芬完全失聰之後 佢依然繼續生產

producing innovative music until his death in 1827.

富有創意嘅音樂 直到 1827 年去世

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

第 5 號交響曲嘅中心樂想 一直迴盪喺各個時代

Outside of concert halls,

離開咗音樂廳

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

呢首樂曲已經成為懸念 啟示同勝利嘅象徵

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

「命運樂想」喺摩斯電碼 發出字母「V 」聲音

and during World War II,

喺二戰期間

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

第 5 號交響曲成為盟軍勝利嘅代碼

The iconic composition can be found in film scores,

呢首具代表性樂曲 可以喺電影配樂中找到

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

甚至喺音樂重新詮釋 同視覺藝術探索中找到

But whatever the context,

但無論係咩嘢嘅背景

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

貝多芬第 5 號交響曲 會帶聽眾穿越黑暗嘅世界

then guides them into the light.

然後再引導佢哋走向光明