This happy and serene work has been undeservedly overshadowed by its two towering neighbours. Schumann has called it a slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants. The opening _Adagio_ sounds the only dark mood in the Symphony. [Music score] It is lashed on to the _Allegro_ by some powerful violin scales. [Music score] The flute, oboe and bassoon converse sportively over the second subject. A strange sequential passage in unison upon the strings in three-bar phrases following a happy little canon on the wood-wind instruments and some powerful syncopations lead in to the development. An atmosphere of humour and good feeling permeates the movement. The lovely melody which forms the chief theme of the _Adagio_ is given to the violins. It is accompanied by a strong persistent rhythmic figure, which is transferred later on to the drums with great effect. The wood-wind work and the horn passages are exquisite. The third movement _Allegro vivace_ is full of fun, lively syncopations and duple time effects giving it more of the nature of a _Scherzo_. [Music score] It has a charmingly tender trio and a coda of exquisite poetry ending with Schumann's "Just one more question for the horn to put" before the final crash. This is one of the longest movements which Beethoven has written in this form. The bright, sunny mood of the opening movements increases in the radiant _Finale_. There the modulations are surprising and the touches of humour delightful. The little skirmish on the part of the bassoon just before the return, the whimsical little notes on the flutes and violins, the augmentation of the subject as it fades away into the stealthy questionings between the violins and bassoons near the end, are but a few of the many little quips and sallies. 5th SYMPHONY in C minor, Opus 67. Dedicated to the Prince von Lobkovitz and the Count von Rasumovsky. _Allegro con brio--Andante con moto--Scherzo and Trio--Finale Allegro._ This famous Symphony with its rugged first movement, its lovely _Andante_, its mysterious _Scherzo_ and its proud, fiery _Finale_, was first performed together with the so-called Sixth Symphony on December 22nd, 1808. The Pastoral Symphony No. 6 was probably written before the 5th. The first movement opens without introduction with the famous phrase of four unison notes which Beethoven once explained as "Thus fate knocks at the door." [Music score]