Is Beethovens Symphony No. 5 part 1 homophonic?
Homophonic is a term most often applied to music of the Classical period, which is where most of Beethoven’s work is usually put (though I among those who think his later work is distinctly romantic). Homophonic means that there is one melody and the rest of the music, played by those who don’t have the melody, is just harmony to support it. So, in the fifth symphony, in, say the third movement, the cellos and basses start out with the melody, but when the woodwinds come in, they revert to playing harmony. Then the horns take over the melody and the rest of the orchestra does harmony. To help you understand and tell for yourself, Homophonic is a term used to distinguish like I’ve described from Baroque polyphonic music. Polyphonic music uses counterpoint, or several different voices that act independantly. Imagine several different singers singing different melodies that all sound great by themselves, but also form good harmonies when sung together. Each voice is voice-led, meaning it
