Metric Flux in Beethoven’s Fifth
Justin London · Oxford University Press eBooks · 2012
The fluctuations in metric organization in the first movement of Beethoven's Symphony No, 5 in C-minor are described and discussed. While the basic duple meter never changes, the depth of subdivision and the presence of levels above the tactus (so-called hypermeter) changes radically over the course of the movement. The thickest meters occur at structurally stable passages in the piece, while the thinnest meters coincide with points of high drama and tension.