The Fifth Symphony is in C minor with dramatic themes and a timpani part, which all combine to create a suspenseful and serious mood; Lockwood describes the Fifth Symphony as “unleash[ing] a tragic power in the symphonic domain that audiences had not known before”(219). However, the Sixth Symphony is in F major, and it is known as the Pastoral Symphony because its topic is nature and the countryside (Lockwood 225). Whereas the Fifth had no predetermined topic, the Sixth Symphony was considered to be “program” music because Beethoven had a story he wanted to attach to the symphony. Moreover, he gave a title to every movement of the symphony, and the title of the first movement is “‘The awakening of joyous feelings on getting out into the countryside’” (Lockwood 226). The two symphonies seem to be at opposite sides of a spectrum and tend to evoke vastly different emotions; the Fifth seems a little frightening, but the Sixth is rather relaxing to listen
The Fifth Symphony is in C minor with dramatic themes and a timpani part, which all combine to create a suspenseful and serious mood; Lockwood describes the Fifth Symphony as “unleash[ing] a tragic power in the symphonic domain that audiences had not known before”(219). However, the Sixth Symphony is in F major, and it is known as the Pastoral Symphony because its topic is nature and the countryside (Lockwood 225). Whereas the Fifth had no predetermined topic, the Sixth Symphony was considered to be “program” music because Beethoven had a story he wanted to attach to the symphony. Moreover, he gave a title to every movement of the symphony, and the title of the first movement is “‘The awakening of joyous feelings on getting out into the countryside’” (Lockwood 226). The two symphonies seem to be at opposite sides of a spectrum and tend to evoke vastly different emotions; the Fifth seems a little frightening, but the Sixth is rather relaxing to listen