Beethoven: Symphony No. 5

Dopamine Series · 22 Mar, 2026

"Note: In the Dopamine Series, I share especially beautiful fragments or pieces of classical music with the aim of making classical music interesting to those who have never experienced it before. However, I strongly encourage you to listen to the entire work—only by experiencing the whole piece can you truly understand what the composer intended to express."

Excerpt: 2nd mvt, 7:49–18:00

When I was younger, I had already heard Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. However, back then, my impression of the piece was limited to the famous opening of the first movement. It wasn’t until I entered university and started getting into classical music that I truly became familiar with the work as a whole.

As I mentioned in my “About Me” it was a general education course in college that sparked my interest in classical music. After that, I spent a lot of time exploring it on my own. My approach was simple: I would pick a composer and listen to their symphonies starting from No. 1 all the way to their last, or sometimes explore some of their most well-known works.

Beethoven was the first composer I got to know in depth. When I decided to explore Symphony No. 5, I honestly didn’t have high expectations. After all, the first movement is the most famous part of the piece, and I didn’t particularly like its melody. I remember thinking that if even the most famous movement couldn’t attract me, the other, less well-known movements probably wouldn’t either.

However, once I sat down and listened to the entire symphony carefully, my perspective completely changed. I found the second, third, and fourth movements all incredibly beautiful. The second movement, in particular, really stuck with me—I can’t quite explain why, but it’s surprisingly catchy and makes me want to listen to it again and again. That was how I truly came to know Symphony No. 5.

By the way, because of this experience, I’ve come to realize that in the world of classical music, what is famous isn’t necessarily what sounds best, and what sounds best isn’t always the most famous. That’s why I believe it’s important to keep an open mind when listening to classical music—because you never know when a piece will surprise you.

This is the cello melody from the second movement, performed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra principal cellist John Sharp. I personally like it very much.