Mike Leghorn ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>An example of a piece of music that needs to be heard from beginning to
>end, is Beethoven's 5th Symphony, which has become known as the "Victory
>Symphony".  When you listen to the first bars, or even all of the first
>movement, you'll hear nothing to do with victory -- if anything, you'll
>hear the opposite.  It isn't until the last movement that victory is
>realized, and because of the turmoil and darkness of the first movement,
>the victory is especially sweet.

While I wouldn't disagree with your basic premise - that Beethoven 5 needs
to be heard entire - I think the reason it was once known as the "Victory
Symphony" (I cannot recall anyone calling it that during my musical
lifetime) is more to do with the fact that the BBC broadcasts to occupied
Europe during WWII began with the opening 4 notes played IIRC on timpani;
the rhythmic pattern also happens to coincide with the Morse code for the
letter V.

deryk barker
([log in to unmask], http://www.camosun.bc.ca/~dbarker)