Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5 in C Minor, op. 67, Part 2

Overview

The second movement of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5, in double-variations form, allows Beethoven opportunities for thematic contrast in this symphony of contrasts. For his third movement, Beethoven employs a scherzo, a formal procedure abstracted from minuet and trio form. The scherzo, meaning “joke,” provides the turning point in the drama of this work, in which the brilliant mode of C major overcomes the C-minor mode that represents darkness and despair. The dance-like physicality of the scherzo paves the way for the triumphant, life-affirming fourth and final movement.