Symphony No. 5 (Ries)

Ferdinand Ries wrote Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Opus 112, in London in 1813. It was the second symphony Ries wrote. It was first performed at a Philharmonic Society concert on Valentine's Day 1814. In 1823, Breitkopf & Härtel published the work together with piano solo, piano duet and chamber arrangements.

Scored for flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani and strings, the piece is in four movements:

# Allegro
# Larghetto con moto quasi andante
# Allegro assai
# Allegro

Inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Ries's Fifth uses the rhythm of Beethoven's famous "Fate" motif with different pitches. [cite web|title=Review of Recording of Ries' Symphonies|publisher=MusicWeb International|last=Barnett|first=Rob|date=February 2007|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/Feb07/Ries_7772162.htm|accessdate=2007-11-22] [Hill (1982): xix] The piece has been recorded by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra conducted by Howard Griffiths on the Classic Produktion Osnabrück label.

References

*Cecil Hill, "Ferdinand Ries" in The Symphony: Ferdinand Ries London: Garland Publishing (1982)