Similarities Between Beethoven And Symphonie Fantastique

There are many differences and similarities between the fourth movement of Beethven’s Fifth symphony and the fourth movement of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, whether it is the orchestrastion of the pieces, the dynamics, form and period.

Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most well known Classical composers in music history, born into a family of musicians and was seen by his father as a profitable prodigy and had several of his piano compositions published by the age of twelve. He was the first successful freelance composer and changed the way music was composed and performed as he composed pieces that defied the standard ways of composing during the Classical era by using an expanded form structure, larger orchestra, dramatic themes and replaced minuet and trio with scherzo and trio making the third movements of his symphonies faster than traditionally performed. He also treated instruments as individuals instead of grouping them together such as the bass instruments which originally formed the Basso continuo. Beethoven experimented with the ways an instrument could be played , creating new sounds, and would have large pitch ranges between instruments which aided in the expressiveness and drama of his pieces. Beethoven was also a bridge composer between

This symphony is also called the Fate Symphony which Beethoven explained by sayng that it was how fate knocks at the door, which is heard by the famous four note motif heard in various was through out the entire symphony. It was also written when Beethove started to go deaf and was entering depression as he wouldn’t be able to hear the music that he composed, the fourth movement ends triumphantly showing that he has overcome his lack of hearing and that he has just finished composing an entire symphony without his full hearing