Beethoven
First, carefully read the letter several times.
Summarize the main points he makes in his letter. What do you judge his emotional state to have been when he wrote it?
A summary is a “brief statement of the essential content of a book, article, speech, court record, etc.”[1] The ability to summarize material accurately is valuable in academic work and many professions that require one to keep up with research in the field, digest new regulations, etc. Please note that to summarize does not mean to simply rewrite. It requires you to carefully examine the writing in question and identify its main points.
Please do not plagiarize (steal) some other summary from the internet. Chances are very good I will know, and it will cost you many, many points if I don’t throw out your paper entirely. Do the work yourself.
Scholars and historians often associate music of Beethoven’s middle period, in particular, with themes of struggle and triumph (this period, from about 1802-12, is termed the “heroic” period). Do you find this applies to the letter? Give examples of struggle mentioned by Beethoven. Is there any way in which some of what he says might point towards the triumphs he did in fact achieve over the following 25 years?
NEXT:
Listen to each movement of the Fifth Symphony (1804-8) several times, jotting down your subjective impressions of mood and emotion as the music shifts and changes. Keep in mind that the third movement segues straight into the fourth (and last) movement.
Write a subjective response to each movement, using starting and ending timings (i.e., “from 8:09 to 8:34”) to specifically identify sections or moments that seem to you to express struggle, determination, peacefulness, loneliness, sadness, joy, triumph, humor, anger, suspense, or any other mood/emotion that occurs to you. Each movement should have its own good-sized paragraph.
The more timings you use, the more specific your observations will be. Specificity is always better than generality, and will earn you a better grade. Of course, be sure your timings are thoughtfully chosen to support your points.
Overall, does the Symphony subjectively suggest a journey of struggle towards triumph to you? Please note that you are not required to hear that in the music. This is an exploration of this symphony with reference to how it has very frequently been interpreted over the past two centuries.