Dear Beethoven... | Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 (Proms 2012) Reaction 

~Beethoven Symphony No. 5 Reaction by GIDI~ 0:00 Intro and Merch 2:14 First Movement 12:42 Second Movement 24:48 Third Movement 30:35 Fourth Movement 39:14 Applause and Closing Thoughts

Much credit for listening to the whole piece unlike just about every other reaction video where they think the 1st movement is the whole thing!

Lieber Gidi Ich bin sehr glücklich über Deine Kommentare zu Beethoven .Ich bin 79 Jahre alt und höre seit meinem 11.ten Lebensjahr klassische Musik. Ich gehe völlig konform mit Deinen ganzem Herzen Danke

Much of Beethoven's music is highly athletic and rhythmically driven. It is also full of surprises.

Beethovens Symphonies are all so amazing, especially the 6th and the 7th you have to listen to them as well!

You noticed the da-da-da-dah motif in the third movement. This motiv is the nucleus of the symphony and it appears in various guises throughout the piece. Interestingly, Brahms uses the same rhythmic nucleus throughout his first symphony in acknowledgement of Beethoven.

There are a lot of classical pieces like this; people have heard a little bit of them, but there is so much more to them. Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra is another. 25:53 Every movement references the "three short, one long" rhythm from the opening bars of the first movement. In the second movement, it appears at 16:15 in the violas and second violins (the lowest voice at the time) and again at 16:44 in the cellos (also the lowest voice).

"Air conducting" is as much the birthright of every classical music fan as "air guitar" is for rock and roll...

Beethoven's odd symphonies (3,5,7,9) are incredibly intense for their time. I like them better than the pairs, which are calmer. Great reactions!

You'll hear more and more themes that have been "quoted" in popular music, the more you listen to these masterpieces. Congrats on your journey.

One of the best symphonies ever composed! I highly recommend you to also react to Symphony No.6. It was composed at the same time as No.5, but it has a completely different emotion, very pleasant.

This one was so much fun! That beginning is so great. Even knowing what its going to be it still gives me a chuckle. About Symphonies: In the beginning in the Early Classical period symphonies were written in a three-movement form that looked like this: 1st mvt: Fast 2nd mvt: Slow 3rd mvt: Fast (This 3-movement form is still the most used form for concertos for a solo instrument.) While early symphonies tended to be somewhat more lighthearted, as composers began to incorporate more complexity and drama into their music, it became neccessary to balance the piece so it would not become overly heavy. So another movement was added between the slow movement and the last movement. This form known as the 'symphonic form' became crystallized in the Classical era (1750-1830). The three most prominent symphonists of that time were were first Haydn, then Mozart, and then Beethoven. The basic form looks something like this: 1st mvt: Fast (usually allegro) 2nd mvt: Slow (often andante) 3rd mvt: Some kind of dance 4th mvt: Fast (usually allegro) Beethoven would often replace the 3rd mvt "dance" with a scherzo meaning "a vigorous, light, or playful composition". Occasionally, the composer would switch the 2nd and 3rd movements such that the 3rd became the slow movement and the 2nd the playful movement. That happened to be the case with Shostokovich 5, which we just reacted to. And of course, since every rule is meant to be broken, there's a lot of irregular symphonies... For example Beethoven's 6th has five movements (Fast-Slow-Fast-Fast-Moderate) where the last three are played together without pause. I mention this, since @24:20 you said you were glad the 2nd movement wasn't too dramatic, so you didn't have to lose your energy. Obviously Beethoven did a great job balancing his symphony here... it's exciting, intense, but also gives the listeners a chance to rest, but never becomes boring. Genius! I really loved this. It was a great recommendation. 🎶♥🎶♥🎶♥🎶♥🎶♥🎶♥🎶♥🎶

Another sentence to type is this. Of the four movements of the fifth symphony from Beethoven, the fourth is my absolute favorite of them.

It is virtually impossible to listen to Beethoven without conducting. Seriously, I don't think anyone could listen to this and hold perfectly still! My favourite part of this symphony is the transition from the 3rd to the 4th movement. It sort of sneaks up on you and then blasts you out of your seat. The 4th movement in particular is so full of joy and such a contrast to the 1st. I feel sorry for people who have only ever listened to the most familiar part of the 1st. They have really missed out. Great reaction video!

"Such a CLASSIC", truly worthy of its fame. Putting a smile on your face puts one on mine. Also, it's one of the first orchestral works to feature the modern trombone.

Outstanding symphony and performance. My second favorite from the one who is probably the greatest composer of all time !

With your reaction it was like I heard B5 for the first time! I was struck by how young the players were, so I looked up the video. The players are the "West--Eastern Divan Orchestra", which was created by Barenboim: "The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is an orchestra ... consisting of musicians from countries in the Middle East, of Egyptian, Iranian, Israeli, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian and Spanish background." (Wikipedia). Also: "The aim of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is to promote understanding between Israelis and Palestinians and pave the way for a peaceful and fair solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict."

I like that GIDI can't help but dance - to the irresistible energy Beethoven deploys in this famous symphony. It has been dubbed the victory symphony after all.

Beethoven brought new meaning to the symphony. Each one is different and each one so easily identified. He gave us the scherzo to replace the minuet, from the very first symphony. He expanded the form as in the 3rd and introduced the use of a funeral march as a movement, along with a set of variations as the final movement. He gave us a symphony so compact that it is based on 4 notes, as in the 5th. He gave us a symphony of 5 movements, as in the 6th. He gave us the pure joy of th 7th. He gave us the first choral symphony with the 9th. His imagination was amazing.

I just listened the whole piece for the first time. I couldn't help ending with a big smile in my face, what a masterpiece... I enjoyed this a lot, great reaction GIDI. I recommend you to listen the Mozart piano concerto No. 21 it's a beautiful piece

The part you said you felt like you heard before at 21:55 reminds me of a piece of Star Wars music by John Williams.

In the last movement, he took out a HUGE repeat!!! 😭😭😭.

Loving seeing your reactions to these great works. I'd love to see your reactions to the "Asrael" Symphony of Josef Suk, a powerful testament to love and loss. Suk began composing the work shortly after the death of his father-in-law (none other than the Czech master, Antonín Dvořák). Whilst composing it, his wife Ottilie died. Having lost my mother shortly after I came upon this work, I am struck by the raw sequence of emotions...anger, emptiness, remembrance and finally resignation...at play in this symphony. Profoundly beautiful. It ends with a series of alternating chords, first high, then low in the basses, that illustrate the gulf between the joy of release and the pain of loss.

Conductors are cool, they know the Whole score inside out, and have all these decisions about what where when and how the music should go…

Thank you so much for looking at the entire symphony as others give up after the first movement as if that is the complete symphony. I think you should take up conducting and I am sure you would be a good one. The Royal Albert Hall has about 5000 people and of course people seem to bring their coughs with them. Its possibly because they are not used to being quiet for a concert and their body starts to react. Perfectly healthy people going into a concert suddenly develop the most annoying cough which seems they are not to be able to control. This was a wonderful interpretation of an immense work. If you analyse the piece you will notice that Beethoven connects each movement with rhythmic patterns to give cohesion to the work as although each movement gives contrast there are logical underpinnings to the work and the linking passage between the third and fourth movement is a genius piece of compositional intervention that lifts the symphony to further greatness. An absolute joy to listen to. Have a great day.

I was waiting for Beethoven after a long time this piece by Barenboim is god👑

Beethoven is a legend.

Yep, this is THE most performed symphony in history. And just about everyone has heard at least the beginning of the first movement. But it's a bit of a shame that only the first movement gets into pop culture. The second movement is one of the most beautiful symphony movements ever written. I'm glad you listened all the way through in one sitting, because that way you get the whole dramatic arc of the symphony. The triumphant fourth movement feels even more meaningful because of the contrast from the darkness of the first movement.

YEEEESSSS!!! I hope you do all Beethoven's symphonies with the BBC PROMSwith Baremboim, 6th and 7th symphony are still waiting!!. (Btw I really wanted you to react to the 9th symphony with this orchestra, but you already did with another one. Still very good!)

First bar pause was hilarious

The equivalent Mozart piece is probably his 40th symphony which also starts with a theme many know.

You need to listen to Symph No. 3 'Eroica', easily his masterpiece

It seems to be a tradition that started many years ago, possibly before Beethoven was born. It seems thst coughing in a prerequisite of going to watch and listen to a symphony performance of these composers compositions.

38:48 That ending is insanse!!

Great reaction!! Beethoven’s compositions have such enormous amounts of energy in them. I also highly recommend of course all his symphonies, but as others in the comments here have said especially the uneven ones, 3 and 7

Ok, I watched this again because I just love your reactions, especially the 4th movement because it DOES just get better and better.

Gidi: I THINK Beethoven would respond..... I WUZ DOWN THERE, WHEN I WUZ DOWN THERE. LOL!!!

Second movement always makes me cry....

We are royalty to be able to experience this music! Sublime!

The last moviment = Heroic!

31:14 Yes sir!👌

You do a great job reacting to and understanding this music. I used to teach a music survey course and I always loved how students reacted to the WHOLE symphony #5. The last movements keeps giving us a false ending, then ramps back up over and over--I used to tell my students that Beethoven never wants the party to end! Anyway, thanks for your reactions, and I have subscribed.

Love your reaction and especially love when you talk about how the music makes you feel!

Yes! More symphonies!

Also: When you get to the B7 -- the critics called it "the apotheosis of the dance". Yes, I had to look it up too. It means "the highest point" of the dance, or "the culmination" of the dance. 4 movements: (1) solemn-happy (2) slow (3) joy (4) wow! Hope you enjoy it.

Recommend the other Beethoven symphonies. 3, 6 and 7 in particular are awesome.

My theory about the coughing people is they got lit in the parking lot before the concert and forgot to bring water.

That ending gets me every single time. I was making the same faces as you!

I enjoyed watching your head banging and conducting just as much as I enjoyed the music itself. Indeed, music created by great composers such as Beethoven must have been like “rock’n roll” at that time. And I laughed so much about your comment about the coughing between the movements. It has been also huge mystery to me why audience in classical concert are ALWAYS coughing persistently like they are forced to do so. And this is worldwide phenomenon for some reason. Maybe because they secretly eat sour Hallibo gummy between the movements just like you??

Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" is also superb 👍

I'd definitely buy the merch if it was possible for me to.

The reason why you said "why does the 3rd movement sounds like the first movement but backwads" is because it sounds like the first movement, it's the same with the fourth movement. The 5th symphony of Beethoven was the first major work to feature one theme across the whole music and that is built around this one theme, here the theme is the first four notes of the concert. The theme is then played with across the whole symhpny, changing the rythm, changing the instruments, maybe doing a canon with it, or alternating between instruments one at a time or playing it like if it were someone walking on the tip of his toes. If you listen carefully you'll start seeing it everywhere. It's like a big fugue but it conserves the structure of a symphony.

First off, no shame in moving to great music. Also, the music that is Beethoven is clearly explained by a quote from the man himself. "To play a wrong note is inevitable, to play without passion is unforgivable. " You keep playing we'll keep listening.

Everyone knows that first phrase, but the real magic comes afterward. The insanely beautiful lyrical themes in the 2nd movement. The 3rd movement sets the stage, and creates anticipation, leading to that amazing transition to the 4th movement where the anticipation finally gives way to the ultimate glory. And can we give a nod to Maestro Barenboim who is my all-time favorite conductor. His choice of tempo is perfection, and the way he communicates with the musicians is everything I ever wanted from a conductor. Yes, the people coughing are very annoying, but not as annoying as American audiences who think it's acceptable to clap between movements.

Otra pieza musical espectacular, buena tu reacción, gracias por los subtítulos. Saludos desde Ciudad de Guatemala en Centro América.

The second theme in the exposition of the first movement is varied slightly to get the theme of the second movement. Listen to 4:22 for a few seconds and then listen to 21:22 for a few seconds. The first three climbing notes in the second movement theme also starts the triumphant 4th movement! Genius at work

Wie arm wäre diese Welt ohne Beethoven!

Absolutely outstanding. There are a few pieces of music that everyone has heard parts of before and for long time classical fans, they are almost too obvious and even a little boring to suggest listening to. However there is a reason they are so well know and used so often in film and TV. This is one of those legendary pieces which is on another level.

If you wanna see an ungodly rendition of this piece for solo violin, look up Roman Kim's version of this for solo violin

Great!

25:05 so yes! 🤣😂

Can you image standing where the conductor is and having all that powerful music wash over you like a storm??? No, neither can I. Wish I could though. ;-)

We need a "listening to every Beethoven Symphnies in one sitting" video

I'll have to find a performance to recommend listening to where they did not make the last movement (and possibly other) cut. Maybe try Paavo Jarvi.

Great reaction,next if you want to See his Symphony again,go to His Symphony no 3,it's also one of his greatest piece

Epic

I would also recommend u to react to his late piano sonatas alongside his late string quartets and his infamous missa solemnis

6:34 this is one of Barenboim’s son :)

They cut out the the out the repeat of the first part of the last movement. Since it is repeated, you aren't technically missing anything, but it really subtracts from the effect when it is repeated again but changed in a very important and ingenious way. There is a key change in the first two repeats that is missing in the final repeat. By doing it the first way twice, the absence of a change feels like a change. Without the first repeat it doesn't work as well.

2:17 "I didn't know it was this one took Symphony No. 5 attempts" 2:29 2:33 2:34 2:37 2:39

Seventh Symphony next.

oh you know some german? thats awesome ;)

Ppl cough between movements because they’ve been stifling it throughout the movement and want to be ok before the next movement starts. At SF symphony, there are baskets of cough lozenges in the lobbies. Coughing & sneezing during the symphony is quite disruptive.

Those people bought those ticket possibly a year in advance of that concert. They'll not let a coughing hinder them from attending it. No, indeed not.

Next You should react to Frank Zimmermann playing paganini God save the king

a child in the premiere says to his father: "Im afraid" by 29.56

My favorite 5th of Beethoven is from Evgeny Mravinsky and Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. The old one (mono, 1949) The first record of a symphony I've heard in my life (5 years old). ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ok6OurDqhrY.html

Day 13 of asking Gidi to react to Sarasate Introduction and Tarantella played by Nathan Milstein

I'm getting the feeling you didn't know it was this one.

I can play this on my guitar, well as far as Dah anyway

If you want an experience to be hold, then listen to the recordings of Herbert von Karajan conducting this piece. Trust me good sir, you will not regret it.

It's been rightly said that the first movement does not have even one single unnecessary note. Also, Barenboim is OK, but Carlos Kleiber OWNS this piece. He may have even understood it better than Beethoven did.

seem like you have listened to quite a lot of Schubert piece but haven't yet listen to "Ave Maria" a total classic

Yo Gidi can you react to piano concerto no1 by Chopin ?

Everything from 30:35 to 32:35 (maybe a second or so less) is supposed to be repeated in the score!!! That whole opening fanfare and the following 2 minutes of music are to be repeated so the fanfare comes in for a second time, then the previous 2 minutes of music are repeated, THEN going on, where that fanfare is eventually heard for a THIRD and final time before the finale. Barenboim decided to cut it out, as some conductors do to save time, but, in my opinion, if Beethoven says to repeat something, you repeat it, Dufus!!! 😭

Pls do Beethoven eroica symphony w/ Leonard Bernstein & the Vienna philharmonic

Aww, don’t be so cranky at coughers, it’s involuntary. Ok if someone shows up knowingly sick, that’s one thing, but sometimes it’s just a dry throat, or forgetting to swallow coz you get so enthralled in the music…

🤯

As a German I like Beethoven, but I prefer Verdi or Rossini AND the greatest of them all (in my opinion) is Bach. ♪♪♫♪♪

The audience is encouraged to let their coughing out only between movements, since it would be rather jarring to hear someone cough during a soft, lush section of music like the second movement. I understand the coughing can be annoying, but they hold it in during the music to respect the musicians so they can fully concentrate on the music and conductor in front of them. But to be honest, I REALLY wish they would hand out little bags of cough drops in the lobby prior to these concerts...

Hello Gidi! You need to listen to Liszt Spanish Rhapsody. I recommend you to listen to Traum interpretation.

Gidi, r u playing an instrument?

You are kinda damn suspicious because you're pronouncing all the composers names correctly, are you actually from Germany?

Glad you enjoyed it. But Barenboim is quickly becoming my least favourite Beethoven interpreter. This is guy is so clearly stuck 60 years ago when it comes to his tempo choices. First 4 notes and I'm already furious. If you want to know what kind of Tempo I expect listen to Carlos Kleiber conducting the piece. And then he leaves out the exposition repeat in the Finale, screws up the balance so much that you don't hear the Piccolo in the Development... No, no, no. Barenboim gets my sign of dissaproval.

The conducted is not realy good, to slowly, to dark, to heavy.

Please don't talk while listening. Be concentrated. Show adequate respects to great works.

This is a terribly slow and stodgy 5th. So is Bareboim's 9th. At beginner level, you may not notice it beneath the sheer quality of the music, but trust me, listen to better conductors. For 5th, I shall recommend Carlos Kleiber or George Szell with Vienna Philharmonic.