Week #4 - The First Symphony
The first movement to Beethoven's First Symphony begins deceptively. The movement naturally would, Beethoven had a sense of humor and he wasn't afraid to use it. The introduction of this movement is less of a Beethovian style but more in the style of his predecessors Haydn or Mozart. The symphony is in C major, however Beethoven skirts around this key beginning with a deceptive cadence, then in the fourth measure at the subject going into G. Beethoven now has a small section of conversation between the strings and the brass/percussion. One chord is sounded in one section it is responded by another in the other section tiptoeing to the end of the introduction. Beethoven then returns to the tonic chord for a few more bars before going back into G and ascending and descending scalewise. This quick up and down sweep literally drops the listener back into C and into the first theme.
In the Exposition we see the first pull by Beethoven, his personality shows through perfectly though his music either through storm and stress, usage of a lot of sfortzandos, or the harmonic melodic or rhythmic nuances that pull the listener throughout the work capturing their interest. Here we can hear a rhythmic and melodic pull. The first theme is introduced, and the tempo speeds up from Adagio molto in the introduction to Allegro con brio in the Exposition. The first theme begins with some tension, a mini introduction to the tutti theme within the exposition from bars 13 to 30. At bar 30 all parts now play. From bars 30 to 40 is another section where Beethoven tiptoes around the theme creating tension for the release at measure 41 there the majority of the strings go on an upward chromatic, scalewise sweep. More or less the parts sound like a horse race to the finish at measure 53 where the second theme arrives. This theme is lighter as the strings ascend and descend as the flute almost sounds like birds shrilling on top of it. The man focus is then passed to the strings who carry this second period. This quickly changes as Beethoven's storm arrives over this sunny landscape. A rhythmic assult of sixteenth notes and subdivided bowings in the strings contrasts this second theme. Contrasting once again at measure 77 the strings go into rhythmic slower bowings that mellow out the sound overall in G. This section is short lived and then re return to the concluding theme and the exposition repeats.
The Development beings with short outbursts of a full tutti chord then a quick part in the strings then the majority of the orchestra comes in with another outburst. This type of phrasing repeats as the parts ascend. Variations on the main theme of the exposition take place, each of these variations progress stepwise through the scales and opening up more chromaticism. The Development is a short section which like the introduction literally descends and falls into the Recapitulation and the re-introduction to the main theme. The main theme is brief. Then there is the introduction to a back and forth of call and response like section in the strings. This goes into a wave-like pattern of ascending and descending scales. This quick tempo section is followed by the subordinate theme and is almost a replica of the Exposition which follows in the concluding theme until the Coda. The Coda is very chromatic that builds to the loud four chord exclamation ending.
(to be continued into the third movement...)
In the Exposition we see the first pull by Beethoven, his personality shows through perfectly though his music either through storm and stress, usage of a lot of sfortzandos, or the harmonic melodic or rhythmic nuances that pull the listener throughout the work capturing their interest. Here we can hear a rhythmic and melodic pull. The first theme is introduced, and the tempo speeds up from Adagio molto in the introduction to Allegro con brio in the Exposition. The first theme begins with some tension, a mini introduction to the tutti theme within the exposition from bars 13 to 30. At bar 30 all parts now play. From bars 30 to 40 is another section where Beethoven tiptoes around the theme creating tension for the release at measure 41 there the majority of the strings go on an upward chromatic, scalewise sweep. More or less the parts sound like a horse race to the finish at measure 53 where the second theme arrives. This theme is lighter as the strings ascend and descend as the flute almost sounds like birds shrilling on top of it. The man focus is then passed to the strings who carry this second period. This quickly changes as Beethoven's storm arrives over this sunny landscape. A rhythmic assult of sixteenth notes and subdivided bowings in the strings contrasts this second theme. Contrasting once again at measure 77 the strings go into rhythmic slower bowings that mellow out the sound overall in G. This section is short lived and then re return to the concluding theme and the exposition repeats.
The Development beings with short outbursts of a full tutti chord then a quick part in the strings then the majority of the orchestra comes in with another outburst. This type of phrasing repeats as the parts ascend. Variations on the main theme of the exposition take place, each of these variations progress stepwise through the scales and opening up more chromaticism. The Development is a short section which like the introduction literally descends and falls into the Recapitulation and the re-introduction to the main theme. The main theme is brief. Then there is the introduction to a back and forth of call and response like section in the strings. This goes into a wave-like pattern of ascending and descending scales. This quick tempo section is followed by the subordinate theme and is almost a replica of the Exposition which follows in the concluding theme until the Coda. The Coda is very chromatic that builds to the loud four chord exclamation ending.
(to be continued into the third movement...)
