Beethoven Fifth Symphony

About the Event

Konstantin Hiller conducts music of Beethoven and Mozart in the St. Charles Church (Karlskirche) in Vienna.

Ludwig van Beethoven was not born in Vienna, nevertheless he spent most time of his life there. He wrote his fifth symphony – which is often glorified as the ”symphony of fate“ – during a difficult phase of life. Beethoven is said to have described those famous first four notes as "fate knocking at the door". This statement is legendary, but highly probably not true. Often the composition is interpreted as an orchestral setting of music that expresses humanity’s eternal struggle with fate, and tells us the story of suffering and salvation – similar to what we tend to interpret in Mozart’s Requiem. It is incontestable that Beethoven’s fifth symphony ranks as one of those works which had a lasting effect on symphonic development in the 19th century. This music is considered to be one of the most important symphonic works. However, its musical form is reminiscent of chamber music and counterpoint, and its sound is surprisingly more similar to the music of the 18th century than the to that of the great late‐Romantic era.

Today we often cannot imagine that Beethoven, the big “Titan”, was poor, ill, and suffered from pain. In comparison to the second part of the programme, Mozart’s “small” symphony in g‐minor KV 183, raises interesting contrasts and moments of tension. After all, this represents the collision of two quite different and at the same time similar musical works.


Please note: Reduced price applies to children under 14 and students under 26 with valid ID.