Comparative Essay: Mozart's Symphony No. 40 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5

In order to truly appreciate and listen to the respective movements, I chose to listen to them in my bedroom. My bedroom is very quiet and the only noise you can hear is the fan subtly moving back and forth. I made myself comfortable on my couch, dimmed the lights, and got a pen and paper to write my thoughts. I viewed both performances of the first movements of Mozart’s symphony No. 40 and Beethoven's symphony No. 5 on my television. The sound system is great on the television and it really fills the room. I linked both performances that I used for this report at the bottom of the paper. I have listened to both of these movements many times before but never one after the other.

Both compositions that I listened to are in sonata-allegro form. This form is often referred to as the first movement form. It generally consists of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. The exposition typically presents the primary theme of the movement. These themes consist of one or two theme groups that often have contrasting styles and are in different keys. These styles tend to differ through the use of the various musical elements. Whether that be from the timbre, consonance, dissonance, tempo, instrumentation etc. The exposition will often end in a closing theme. Following the exposition is the development where the thematic concepts introduced in the exposition are enhanced. The development usually starts in the same key that the exposition ends in and may move around different keys. The development transitions into the recapitulation where the theme resolves into the tonic key. The movement will sometimes conclude with a coda, but not always. 

The movement that I liked best was Mozart’s symphony No. 40. This symphony is a great example of classical music. I was able to identify that it was classical through the mainly homophonic melody above the chordal accompaniment. The fact that the piece is in sonata-allegro form also aids in this classification as this was a very popular form that grew during the classical period. The sonata-allegro form was not popularly used during the baroque era which came right after classical. I enjoyed this movement the best because of the emotions that it provoked as I listened to it. The music was definitely focused on tragedy and made me feel very emotional. This makes sense because the symphony is written in a minor key. The dark and strong emotions come to life through the string, horn, and woodwind instruments. The relentless rhythm from the strings is what makes this movement so enjoyable for me. The contrast between the high emotional moments and less tense moments put you through a whirlwind of emotions.

The performance that I liked best was the first movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. It sounded much better than other performances I have heard of this movement as the conductor and musicians were perfectly in tune with each other. The energy from the conductor was unmatched and is what made this performance so enjoyable for me. By watching the musicians, you can tell that they are challenged by the technical demands of the music but their energy is too great for them to falter. That is when you know you have a great orchestra, when all parts are in sync with each other and there are no weak parts in the greater whole. The ensemble communication is on point and the conductor’s energy brings everyone together. I credit that to all the performers but mainly the conductor as he is able to really control the performance.

The movement that I liked least was Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. This is not to say that I disliked the performance because I didn’t, it is one of Beethoven's greatest works. I just personally enjoyed Mozart's piece more. I was able to identify that this is a classical piece by the homophonic textures and melody accompaniment. There are also contrasting moods in the first movement. This is seen in the very beginning of the movement, there are four chords that give the listener an ominous and odd feeling, not sure where the composition will go. Instead of continuing this darker tone, Beethoven changes to a lighter tune. It is so amazing to think about how innovative Beethoven was when creating this movement considering that this was around the same time he was becoming gradually more deaf.

The performance I liked least was the first movement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40. Similar to the last paragraph, I enjoyed this performance but it was a bit underwhelming compared to the performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. The orchestra sounded good together and everyone played tightly together. The energy amongst the musicians could have been greater but it is a difficult piece to play. They were all so focused on playing correctly that it was difficult to express the physical emotion as they were creating with their instruments. I’ve heard other performances of this movement where the orchestra performs the first theme too soft or too choppy and I did not feel that way with this orchestra. There was solid ensemble communication among the performers but there was no conductor. Many orchestras are talented enough to not need a conductor but I feel as if this performance would have been stronger with the presence of one. In the performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, the conductor brought so much outward energy and led the group. This made that performance stick out much more whereas this performance lacked similar energy that would have elevated Mozart's piece. 

This experience was not exactly new for me as I used to perform in my school orchestra and have seen at least five professional orchestras live. It was not different from what I expected but the main thing that surprised me was how one of the orchestras did not have a conductor. I’m not sure how common that is but I haven’t seen that before. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and noticed things I had never noticed before during these performances. I attentively focused on the musicians and how precise their movements were. I tried to make sense of the conductor's movements as he led the orchestra. Next time I see an orchestra live I am going to look for similar things. I would listen to this music again even if it wasn’t a requirement. My friends introduced me to classical music in middle-school and I listen to it quite often. I mostly listen to classical music and orchestras when I do homework or am studying. Overall, this was a great experience and it made me appreciate the genius of both Mozart and Beethoven.