Symphony No. 5 facts for kids

Symphony No. 5 is a title given to the fifth symphony written by a composer. When people mention "Symphony No. 5" without a name, they usually mean the famous work by Ludwig van Beethoven. However, many other musicians have written a fifth symphony.

Famous Symphony No. 5 Compositions

Some fifth symphonies are very famous in classical music. These works are often played by orchestras around the world.

• Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven) in C minor (Op. 67, Victory) by Ludwig van Beethoven (1804–08). This is one of the most famous pieces of music in history. It is known for its opening four notes: "da-da-da-DUM".
• Symphony No. 5 (Tchaikovsky) in E minor (Op. 64) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1888). This symphony has a recurring "Fate" theme that is heard in all four movements.
• Symphony No. 5 (Mahler) by Gustav Mahler (1901–02). This large work begins with a trumpet solo. It includes a beautiful section called the Adagietto, which is played only by strings and a harp.
• Symphony No. 5 (Shostakovich) in D minor (Op. 47) by Dmitri Shostakovich (1937). This symphony was written during a difficult political time in the Soviet Union. It is powerful and dramatic.
• Symphony No. 5 (Sibelius) in E-flat major (Op. 82) by Jean Sibelius (1915–19). The final movement features a famous melody that sounds like swans flying.
• Symphony No. 5 (Dvořák) in F major (Op. 76) by Antonín Dvořák (1875).
• Symphony No. 5 (Mendelssohn) in D major (Op. 107, Reformation) by Felix Mendelssohn (1830). It was written to celebrate a religious anniversary.
• Symphony No. 5 (Prokofiev) in B-flat major (Op. 100) by Sergei Prokofiev (1944). This work was written during World War II and celebrates the strength of the human spirit.
• Symphony No. 5 (Schubert) in B-flat major (D. 485) by Franz Schubert (1816).
• Symphony No. 5 (Vaughan Williams) in D major by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1938–43).

Other Symphonies Numbered Five

Many other composers have written a fifth symphony. Here is a list of them, organized alphabetically by the composer's last name.

Composers A–G

• Symphony No. 5 (Alwyn) (Hydriotaphia) by William Alwyn, 1972–73
• Symphony No. 5 (Arnold) (Op. 74) by Malcolm Arnold, 1961
• Symphony No. 5 (Badings) by Henk Badings, 1949
• Symphony No. 5 (Bax) by Arnold Bax, 1932
• Symphony No. 5 (Bentoiu) (Op. 26) by Pascal Bentoiu, 1979
• Symphony No. 5 (Bruckner) in B-flat major (WAB 105, Fantastic) by Anton Bruckner, 1875–76
• Symphony No. 5 (Chávez) (Symphony for Strings) by Carlos Chávez, 1953
• Symphony No. 5 (Ching) (Kunstkammer) by Jeffrey Ching, 2004–05
• Symphony No. 5 (Davies) by Peter Maxwell Davies, 1994
• Symphony No. 5 (Diamond) by David Diamond, 1947–64
• Symphony No. 5 (Enescu) in D major by George Enescu, 1941 (completed by Pascal Bentoiu in 1995)
• Symphony No. 5 (Ficher) (Op. 63, Asi habló Isaías) by Jacobo Ficher, 1947
• Symphony No. 5 (Gillis) In Memoriam by Don Gillis, 1944–45
• Symphony No. 5 (Glass) (Requiem, Bardo, Nirmanakaya) by Philip Glass, 1999
• Symphony No. 5 (Glazunov) in B-flat major (Op. 55, Heroic) by Alexander Glazunov, 1895

Composers H–M

• Symphony No. 5 (Hanson) (Op. 43, Sinfonia Sacra) by Howard Hanson, 1955
• Symphony No. 5 (Harbison) by John Harbison, 2008
• Symphony No. 5 (Harris) by Roy Harris, 1940–42
• Symphony No. 5 (Haydn) in A major (Hoboken I/5) by Joseph Haydn, 1760–62
• Symphony No. 5 (Michael Haydn) in A major by Michael Haydn, 1763
• Symphony No. 5 (Henze) by Hans Werner Henze, 1962
• Symphony No. 5 (Honegger) (Di tre re) by Arthur Honegger, 1950
• Symphony No. 5 (Martinů) (H. 310) by Bohuslav Martinů, 1946
• Symphony No. 5 (Melartin) (Op. 90, Sinfonia brevis) by Erkki Melartin, 1915
• Symphony No. 5 (Mennin) by Peter Mennin, 1950
• Symphony No. 5 (Milhaud) (Op. 322) by Darius Milhaud, 1953
• Symphony No. 5 (Mozart) in B-flat major (K. 22) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1765

Composers N–Z

• Symphony No. 5 (Nielsen) (Op. 50, FS 97) by Carl Nielsen, 1920–22
• Symphony No. 5 (Penderecki) (Korean) by Krzysztof Penderecki, 1991–92
• Symphony No. 5 (Piston) by Walter Piston, 1954
• Symphony No. 5 (Raff) in E major (Op. 177, Lenore) by Joachim Raff, 1870–72
• Symphony No. 5 (Rautavaara) by Einojuhani Rautavaara, 1985–86
• Symphony No. 5 (Ries) in D minor (Op. 112) by Ferdinand Ries, 1813
• Symphony No. 5 (Rochberg) by George Rochberg, 1984
• Symphony No. 5 (Rouse) by Christopher Rouse, 2015
• Symphony No. 5 (Rubbra) (Op. 63) by Edmund Rubbra, 1947
• Symphony No. 5 (Sallinen) (Op. 57, Washington Mosaics) by Aulis Sallinen, 1984–85
• Symphony No. 5 (Schnittke) (Concerto Grosso No. 4) by Alfred Schnittke, 1988
• Symphony No. 5 (Sessions) by Roger Sessions, 1960–64
• Symphony No. 5 (Simpson) by Robert Simpson, 1972
• Symphony No. 5 (Ustvolskaya) (Amen) by Galina Ustvolskaya, 1989–90
• Symphony No. 5 (Vieru) by Anatol Vieru, 1984–85
• Symphony No. 5 (Villa-Lobos) (W170, Peace) by Heitor Villa-Lobos, 1920
• Symphony No. 5 (Williamson) (Aquerò) by Malcolm Williamson, 1979–80

See also

• Symphony for Organ No. 5 (Widor) in F minor (Op. 42 No. 1) by Charles-Marie Widor (1879). This piece is famous for its "Toccata" finale.
• Symphony No. 5½ (Gillis) (A Symphony for Fun) by Don Gillis (1946).