Beethoven's Fifth and Seventh Symphonies: A Closer Look (Magnum Opus) [Paperback]

David Hurwitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 18, 2008 | Series: Magnum Opus

This book aids the listener in getting beneath the surface of Beethoven's two beloved symphonies.Composers often write pieces in highly contrasting moods in very close proximity. But no composer took this process further than Beethoven. His famous "Fifth Symphony", with an opening familiar to anyone, became the standard for the Romantic, tragedy to triumph, 'victory symphony'. The sunny Sixth however represents a high-water mark of relaxed lyricism. On a superficial listening, they couldn't sound more different from one another. Yet by examining them more closely it is revealed that they have more in common than their emotional trajectories might suggest.This book aids the listener in getting beneath the surface of these two beloved symphonies, revealing that however disparate the expressive message, the language and style remain Beethoven's - a symphonic voice as powerful in struggle and victory as in relaxation and meditation."Magnum Opus" is a series for anyone seeking a greater familiarity with the cornerstones of Western Classical Music - operatic, choral and symphonic. Always passionate, down-to-earth, and authoritative on the works and their creators, "Magnum Opus" is an indispensable resource for anyone's musical library and the perfect gift for the music-lover in your life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Hurwitz has been writing about classical music for more than twenty years. As a critic and commentator, his articles and essays have appeared in such well-known publications as High Fidelity, the New York Observer, Musical America, and numerous other magazines and newspapers, both in the U.S. and abroad. Founder and executive editor of www.ClassicsToday.com, the first online classical music review magazine, Hurwitz is also the author of eight books on subjects ranging from Haydn and Mozart to Mahler Dvorak, Sibelius and Shostakovich. He lives in New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (December 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826429440
• ISBN-13: 978-0826429445
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,057,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Wilmington, Delaware and grew up in Connecticut. I have graduate degrees in Modern European History from Johns Hopkins and Stanford Universities, and at one time or another studied and played piano, clarinet, viola, and percussion. I am currently the founder and Executive Editor of Classicstoday.com, the internet's first major classical music review magazine.