Symphony no. 5 in C minor

Album by Ludwig van Beethoven & Wiener Philharmoniker & Herbert von Karajan

Symphony No. 5 in C minor is a symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven, composed between 1804 and 1808 and first performed in Vienna in December 1808. Rooted in the Classical tradition but expanding its emotional and structural scope, the four-movement work features a prominent four-note motif, pronounced dynamic contrasts and extensive thematic development, and occupies a pivotal place in Beethoven's middle period as a bridge toward more expansive Romantic-era orchestral writing.