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

譯者: Camila Lin 審譯者: Helen Chang

These eight ferocious notes

這八個激烈的音符，

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

是史上最情感豐沛的音樂之一的開頭。

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony Number Five

路德維希·凡·貝多芬的第五號交響曲

premiered in 1808, on a blisteringly cold Vienna night.

在 1808 年的維也納， 一個嚴寒的晚上首演。

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

這首曲子只佔漫長節目的一小部分，

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

管弦樂團也只是倉促成立，排練不足。

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

即便首演如此不順， 這首交響曲仍快速贏得讚美。

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

一位評論家將其比做

「穿透黑暗的閃耀光輝」。

piercing through the darkness.”

This intensity persists throughout the composition,

這種緊張感貫穿全曲，

and its dramatic musicality continues to move listeners today.

它那戲劇性的音樂也 持續感動著今日的觀眾。

So what exactly makes Beethoven’s Fifth so captivating?

所以，究竟是甚麼讓貝多芬的 第五號交響曲如此令人著迷？

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

在這首交響曲首演時， 貝多芬已享有盛名。

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

在他的同儕僅為宗教目的，

或為富裕贊助者的私人活動作曲時，

held by their wealthy patrons,

Beethoven was one of the first freelance composers.

貝多芬已成為最早的自由作曲家之一。

He made his living composing and selling his music

他藉由作曲、

將樂曲賣給多國的出版商，

to publishers in multiple countries

and showcasing his compositions to an adoring public.

以及為崇拜他的大眾 展示音樂，來賺取收入。

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

這份工作使他能為表述自我而作曲，

and Beethoven was always pursuing new ways

而貝多芬也一直尋求新的方法

to translate his powerful emotions into music.

將自己豐沛的情緒轉化為音樂。

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

當時大部分的作曲家都屬於古典樂派，

which offered limited options for a piece’s overarching structure

無論是整體架構或配器法，

古典樂派給予作曲家的選擇都不多。

and instrumentation.

Beethoven composed most of his earlier pieces in this tradition,

貝多芬早期的大多數作品 都屬於古典樂派，

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

跟隨莫札特或海頓等榜樣的腳步。

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

但在第五號交響曲中， 他嘗試加入浪漫樂派的元素。

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

這種正當繁榮的作曲風格， 以富於表現的旋律、

extended forms and surprising instrumentations.

擴展樂段的形式 與意想不到的配器法而聞名。

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

貝多芬第五號交響曲的第一樂章 採用的是古典樂派的奏鳴曲式，

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

在此，中心音樂主旨被探索、發展，

in an altered manner.

並以變奏形式反覆。

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

在這些規範中，他以不可思議的深度 探索一段簡單旋律的可能性。

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

這簡單的旋律主題： 三個短音符，被延長的第四個音符，

three short notes, followed by a lingering fourth.

是此樂章大部分的基底。

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

某個貝多芬的傳記作家 其後會將這段旋律稱為「命運主題」，

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

因為它暗示了擬人化命運敲門的身影。

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

雖然我們不知道貝多芬在創作 此一主題時是否想到了命運，

these notes certainly create a gripping hook.

但這些音符無疑創造了 一個引人入勝的懸念。

The rhythmic pattern creates forward movement,

這個旋律樣式創造了更進一步的樂段，

while the prolonged fourth note signals doom.

而延長的第四個音符則預示著末日。

This motif haunts the symphony,

這個主題貫穿整首交響曲，

including its accompanying parts and rhythmic flourishes.

包括它的伴奏跟旋律性變奏。

Beethoven experiments with dozens of variations,

貝多芬試驗了幾十種變奏，

playing out across different instruments and pitches.

橫跨不同樂器跟音高。

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

在整首曲子中，這個主題在 整個樂團中自由來去，有如私語，

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

漸漸地，它抓住越來越多樂器， 最後轉為一聲怒吼。

The motif’s inventive repetition is a large part

這首曲子讓人印象如此深刻的原因，

of what makes this piece so memorable,

有很大一部分得歸功於 這充滿創造力的主題反覆。

but it’s not the only innovation on display.

但這不是表演中唯一的創新之處。

This was the first major orchestral composition to use trombones,

這也是第一次在大型管弦樂團 編曲中加入長號，

and Beethoven also employs a high-pitched piccolo

貝多芬也加入了高音短笛，

and a low-pitched contrabassoon

和倍低音管，

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

以賦予樂團比大多數古典樂派 更廣泛的音域。

Exaggerated musical dynamics further heighten the drama.

誇大的音樂多樣性更凸顯出戲劇性。

And harmonically, the piece has a clear emotional arc—

而以調性而言，這首曲子 有明顯的情感弧線：

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

以憂鬱陰沉的 C 小調開始， 以歡欣鼓舞的 C 大調作結。

This progression, from ominous unease to majestic resolution,

從不祥的煩憂到壯麗的決心這一進展，

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

是貝多芬能將純粹情感 注入音樂的證明。

He wrote this symphony while battling with hearing loss,

這首交響曲是他在與失聰對抗時寫下的，

and his anguish can be heard in the composition’s

從如雷霆般的反覆樂句中，

thunderous and repeating musical phrases.

我們就能聽出他的悲痛。

Beethoven continued to compose even after he became completely deaf,

在完全喪失聽力後， 貝多芬仍持續作曲，

producing innovative music until his death in 1827.

不斷產出創新的音樂， 直到他於 1827 年去世。

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

第五號交響曲的主要動機， 則在歷史上繼續迴響。

Outside of concert halls,

在演唱會場之外，

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

這首曲子成為懸念、 揭露與勝利的象徵。

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

「命運主題」發出摩爾斯電碼中字母 V，

and during World War II,

在第二次世界大戰中，

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

第五交響曲成為協約國勝利的密碼。

The iconic composition can be found in film scores,

這個經典的編曲也能在電影中聽到，

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

甚至還被以音樂再詮釋 與視覺藝術的形式探索可能性。

But whatever the context,

但無論情境為何，

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

貝多芬的第五號交響曲， 都會帶領聽眾進入一個黑暗的世界，

then guides them into the light.

而後帶領他們面見光輝。