Beethoven- Symphony No. 1 in C Major, op. 21 Part I
Completed at the turn of the century in 1800, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major followed hot on the heels of Haydn and Mozart. Unlike his predecessors, Beethoven presents his audience with unprecedented musical tricks- an ambiguous introduction to both the first and fourth movements, a “Minuet” that is much to fast for a dance movement, and orchestration (in particular the extensive use of wind instruments) that remainsfairly standard to the present day.
Dedicated to Baron van Swieten, one of Beethoven’s many patrons (who was also a patron of Mozart and Haydn), it was premiered on April 2, 1800 in Vienna. It remained Beethoven’s most popular symphony in his lifetime.
- Adagio molto- Allegro con brio
- Andante cantabile con moto
- Menuetto
- Adagio- Allegro molto e vivace
I. Adagio molto- Allegro con brio
A slow introduction of upward-resolving chords before a cresting violin line leads to a slow, gentle passage with the strings and winds. Note the triadic flute descents. The chords themselves are most definitely not in the home key of C Major as Beethoven’s audience would have expected- he keeps them in suspense as a series of tutti chords followed by a string ascent ends the introduction and begins theme one (1:30) in the home key.
Theme one in the strings is based off a triadic, rising 3-note motive that is repeated at various speeds and is followed by an arpeggio figure outlining the C major triad. This is followed by a chromatic ascent in the winds that hearkens back to the introduction. The theme is repeated twice more with some variation before loud tutti chords (1:51) sweep the music into the bridge. Note that the underlying harmonies of theme one’s three iterations echo the opening chords of the introduction! The seemingly ambiguous introduction therefore serves its greater purpose after being introduced somewhat in a vacuum, an effect Beethoven uses later on in his symphonic career, perhaps most notably in the fourth movement of his Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major (the “Eroica”).
The bridge begins with the rising 3-note motive from theme one played broadly in the strings over a bouncing bass line taht does not change pitch. A fast string ascent based on theme one motives begins at 2:03 highlighted by the winds ends with a convincing cadence theme.
Theme two begins at 2:17 in the winds, who play a series of long notes followed by four shorter notes over a gently rising and falling, staccato string line. This is the same motive found at the tail end of theme one. Theme two is repeated. Loud tutti strings play a series of descents that would sound angry if the music weren’t so bright at 2:37 before theme two returns in the low strings and oboe in a subdued, minor key at 2:48. Theme two closes with the beginning of the cadence at 3:01, which builds and then quiets, returning us to the beginning of the exposition (3:29).
[Since the exposition is repeated, I'll skip to the development. Note that the times I record will reflect the 2:00 or so that it takes to repeat the exposition.]
The development begins at 5:28 with the 3-note motive played three times in various keys by the violins. The same arpeggiated figure from theme one played by the winds in the exposition reappears the winds over tense, fortepiano string tremolos (5:43). At 6:00, the violins play a slightly varied version of the descending motive found at the end of theme one and that which makes up a major part of theme two. Theme one returns first in the winds and is repeated three times. A series of brass chords (6:30) and quickly rising strings leads to cadence chords and then a triadic wind descent back into a major key and the recapitulation of theme one in the entire orchestra (6:53).
Theme one is played twice. Instead of repeating theme one a third time, Beethoven instead inserts a section beginning at 7:05 that explicitly restates the introduction and is accompanied by fast, 4-note descents in the strings. A bridge follows before theme two is recapitulated (7:26). Theme two is repeated twice, first by the winds and second by the strings. Theme two in minor (7:57) is played, leading into the cadence at 8:11.
The coda begins with arpeggiated descents in the winds over a pseudo-theme one in the strings. Repeated three times, this passage is followed by an extended passage of cadence chords (8:47) before theme one returns, this time repeated three times on the same pitch in the low strings in between brass fanfares. An arpeggiated descent in the full orchestra brings the movement to a close with 5 tutti chords.
II. Andante cantabile con moto
Theme one begins immediately in the strings in an almost waltz-like rhythm with one long note followed by two short. It is almost fugue-like in that the theme is repeated with some overlap, starting with the violins, passing to the cellos, and then up into the winds and first violins. Theme one ends at 0:38, with a brief, lighthearted cadence following. Theme two begins at 0:50 in the strings playing a motive that is almost exactly the same as that from theme one, except with only one short note. The low strings fills in the space where the second short note was previously. Theme two is repeated in the winds over lightly bouncing strings. At 1:19 the contrasting phrase of theme two begins with “fanfare”-like figures in the high strings followed by responses in the lower voices. This is repeated in the full orchestra. A syncopated, chromatically rising line by the orchestra descends into the cadence, featuring a softly pounding timpani and delicately dancing strings and winds. Soft cadence chords end the exposition.
[Since the exposition is repeated, I'll skip to the development. Note that the times I record will reflect the 2:00 or so that it takes to repeat the exposition.]
Beginning at 4:02, the key seemingly turns on a dime to begin the development. Strings play the same dotted figure the timpani plays in the cadence underneath singing winds. Indeed at 4:34 the timpani returns while the orchestra alternates theme one motives with the winds. There is a crescendo to a big tutti chord followed by meek, almost intimidated strings with another tutti chord. The strings and winds converse for a few measures before descending into the recapitulation at 5:11.
Theme one of the recapitulation proceeds as in the exposition, with the obvious exception of the cello melody playing underneath the main theme. This adds to the fugato nature of the theme. The theme passes from the violins to the violas to the winds. A short cadence (5:45) leads into theme two in the strings, repeated by the winds. The contrasting phrase of theme two with the fanfarish motives in the strings and winds follows first in the strings and then the orchestra. The cadence with the quietly pounding timpani returns at 6:48.
The coda (7:04) begins with a series of rising and falling theme one motives. The theme one motives continue in a passage that is mildly reminiscent of the middle of the development. The end of the movement is very strange indeed- three grace-noted figures in the strings and winds, a loud tutti, and then three chords that dissipate the collected energy of the movement.
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If you are interested in listening to a recording, I recommend Leonard Bernstein’s 2004 release with the Vienna Philharmonic on Deutsche Grammophone. You can buy this recording from Amazon by clicking on the image below. Alternatively, you can purchase this recording from the iTunes Music Store often at a reduced price by following the link below.
This article is part of the Music 365 series. To find out more about this project, please visit the project homepage.
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