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Featuring an unforgettable opening motif – ‘dun dun dun duuun’ is just one of the myriad ways it’s been expressed in writing – Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No 5 in C minor, Op 6 (aka ‘Beethoven’s Fifth’) remains one of the world’s most famous pieces of music, long after its premiere in Vienna in 1808. This lively animation from TED-Ed explores the rich musicality of the piece, as well as its place in history and context in the life of its composer, to show how, beyond its memorable hook, it is a work of true artistic innovation and mastery.
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Gender
A catchy tune explains the world’s ‘isms’ – according to your mum doing the laundry
5 minutes
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Art
Background music was the radical invention of a trailblazing composer
17 minutes
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Beauty and aesthetics
In art, the sublime is a feedback loop, evolving with whatever’s next to threaten us
9 minutes
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War and peace
A frontline soldier’s moving account of the fabled ‘Christmas truce’ of 1914
12 minutes
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Beauty and aesthetics
Can you see music in this painting? How synaesthesia fuelled Kandinsky’s art
10 minutes
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Technology and the self
A haunting scene from ‘Minority Report’ inspires a voyage into time and memory
7 minutes
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Family life
The stream-of-consciousness thoughts and memories that emerge while cooking a meal
5 minutes
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Film and visual culture
A lush animated opus evokes the frenzied pace of modern life
4 minutes
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Ageing and death
We’re not the only animals that appear to grieve. What are the implications?
6 minutes