SYMPHONY NO. 1 in C MINOR, OP.

68
Recording: Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein; Gerhart Hetzel, violin solo (2nd
Movement). Live performance from 1983 [DG D-125 224]
Published 1877.
The extremely long gestation of the First Symphony has almost legendary status. While some
speculation is probably romanticized hyperbole, it is certainly true that Brahms approached the
composition of this hallowed genre with extreme respect (as he had similarly done with the string
quartet). Already proclaimed by Schumann as the heir to Beethoven in the 1850s, Brahms knew
that his first symphonic effort would be subject to intense scrutiny and high expectations. Thus, he
went through a long process of preparation that included such works as the First Piano Concerto,
the two serenades, the German Requiem, the short choral works from the Op. 50s, and the Haydn
Variations, all of which sharpened his skills in orchestration. The piano concerto even started its life
as a symphony, and the First Serenade was originally called Symphony-Serenade. When, after
more than twenty years as an active composer, Brahms published the First Symphony, it was
instantly hailed as a supreme masterpiece. The key of C minor with an ending in C major drew
immediate comparison to Beethovens Fifth. The complexity of the first movement, with its dense
web of motives and lack of singable melodies, was balanced by its exciting climax and passionate
energy. Brahms also followed Beethoven in shifting the weight toward the finale, a huge movement
with a large double introduction. The second part of the introduction, with its evocative horn and
flute parts, uses a familiar alphorn or London chimes melody that Brahms had used as a greeting
for Clara Schumann. When the main part of the movement arrives, it is with what might be
recognized as the composers most inspired theme, the big tune that immediately drew
comparison to the joy theme of Beethovens Ninth (whether his comment that any ass can hear
that was meant as an acknowledgement of the similarity or as an observation about those who
made the comparison is still debated). The ending has genuine and well-planned moments of
triumph. The movements form, with a conflated development and recapitulation, has long been a
favorite for analysis. The middle movements also have notable features, such as the nebulous
phrase structure of the slow movement, along with the metrical distortions of the middle section and
the violin solo at the end. The solo was an atypical romantic indulgence for the mature Brahms.
The third movement has structural resemblance to a scherzo and trio, but this is no scherzo. The
moderately-paced scherzo substitute would set the precedent for the Second and Third
symphonies as well. One innovative aspect of the overall design is the symmetrical progression by
thirds (major thirds) between the movements: C, E, A-flat, C, an unusual layout. The First
Symphony is more than a legend and more than one Big Tune. It is, with respect to Mahlers
Titan, the greatest First Symphony ever written, from the pounding timpani of the first movements
introduction to the blazing C-major chords at the end. The standard orchestra with four horns and
two trumpets adds contrabassoon and, in the last movement, three trombones.
IMSLP WORK PAGE
ONLINE SCORE FROM IMSLP (First Edition from Brahms-Institut Lbeck)
ONLINE SCORE FROM IMSLP (from Breitkopf & Hrtel Smtliche Werke):
1st Movement: Un poco sostenuto - Allegro (Sonata-Allegro form with introduction). C MINOR, 6/8
time, with one 9/8 bar.
INTRODUCTION - Un poco sostenuto
0:00 [m. 1]--The opening is incredibly powerful and assertive. Attention is drawn to the pulsating
timpani, who steadily play on the home keynote, C. Against this, the violins and cellos begin with
one of the symphonys main ideas, three ascending notes, each a half-step apart. The winds and
violas play descending chords against this. The string basses and contrabassoon join with the
timpani beats. An important rhythm, three shorter notes, follows in the ascent. The violin line is
highly syncopated.
0:10 [m. 3]--The syncopation in the violins continues. The winds begin to play new figures
harmonized in thirds. They are based on a long note followed by three ascending shorter ones.

The violins and cellos begin to work with the rhythm of three shorter notes, often in widely leaping
lines. The music remains strong and assertive, and the timpani continue to beat loudly. This all
approaches a half-cadence with a punctuating trill. It is prepared by a single drawn-out 9/8 bar
inserted into the context of 6/8.
0:37 [m. 9]--After the half-cadence, the music cuts off sharply and moves directly to a series of
upbeat figures that begin to sound like they start on strong beats and thus obscure the sense of
pulse. These figures are groups of three repeated notes in the strings, all plucked, and passed
between instrument groups. The winds support the groups with longer syncopated notes that
match the changes. There are two downward leaps, the second a third lower, between the groups.
These figures merge into sighing figures with bowed strings. These are also highly syncopated
and include chromatic notes. They also reach a half-cadence.
0:56 [m. 13]--The plucked groups of repeated notes begin again, this time in F minor and still
supported by winds. The following sighing figures are also analogous to the passage just
completed, but they are extended by two more bars and begin to build up. Eventually, they leap an
octave at the top of the buildup. There is then a scale descent in violins, bassoons, and flutes that
again recedes. The scale still suggests F minor, but the following music is back in C minor.
1:33 [m. 21]--The strings begin an ominous anticipation of the widely-spaced Theme 1, which will
appear in full in the exposition. The arpeggios become gradually faster and are the impetus for
another strong buildup, both in volume and pitch. Under the strings, the timpani begin again to
pulse, and there is light wind support, but that support does include trumpets along with horns,
clarinets, and flutes. Under the buildup and the increased speed of the arpeggios, the timpani beats
are also played twice as quickly.
1:49 [m. 25]--The buildup flowers into an even more powerful statement of the opening music,
which now begins on the dominant note G instead of C. Under this statement, the timpani no
longer pulsate, but rumble in an extended roll. The pulsation remains in the string basses and
contrabassoon. This climax continues as had the opening at 0:10 [m. 3], including the wind figures
in thirds, but it is sharply cut off before the string elaboration of the short-note rhythm. The early
cutoff allows the same half-cadence as before, since the passage began at a higher level than at
the opening.
2:07 [m. 29]--The sharp cutoff isolates an oboe, which plays a melancholy and meandering melody
that includes wide leaps, including a leap up an octave to a descending scale. The oboe line is
supported by horns and bassoons, later clarinets, and the quiet level reflects that of the plucked
repeated notes following the previous cutoff. The meandering melody dovetails briefly into a flute
line before being passed back to the oboe.
2:25 [m. 33]--The oboe line dovetails into an entry of the cellos, who take over the meandering
melody, including the leap up the octave to the descending scale. The winds drop out, the clarinets
exiting last. The upper strings provide a quiet background to the cello line. At the end, a quiet and
highly anticipatory half-cadence is approached by an isolated plucked note in the cellos following
their completion of the meandering melody and a gentle descent from a long-held first violin note.
One more plucked cello note on the dominant pitch of G creates a great sense of anticipation for
the arrival of the exposition.
EXPOSITION - Allegro
2:47 [m. 38]--The exposition begins with a powerful sort of motto rather than directly with Theme
1. A low unison C punched out by timpani, cellos, horns, and winds is followed by music that is
highly similar to the opening of the introduction. Each wind group except bassoons divides so that
the top instrument moves up and the bottom one moves down. Both bassoons move down, along
with a pair of unison horns. The upper line is the rising three-note half-step idea. It is immediately
followed by a quick turning figure that is clearly derived from the faster short-note rhythm from the
introduction, expanded to include the following downbeat. At this point, the strings enter, echoing
the turning short-note rhythm with punctuating brass and a full cadence.
2:53 [m. 42]--Theme 1. The first violins present the theme, which begins with a rising arpeggio. It
soars above pulsating second violins and violas. Underneath it, the cellos and bassoons play the
motto, with the three rising half-steps and the faster turning figure. The soaring arpeggio is
followed by a more detached descent. The theme begins again a fifth higher, still with the motto in
the low instruments, but now with wind support. Instead of moving to the descent, the theme is
slightly extended with violin syncopations and a strong half-cadence. The low instruments play

more turning figures under this extension (C minor).

3:04 [m. 52]--The strings play two downward leaps beginning on upbeats, the second a third lower.
These are in unison. They echo the plucked string figures from the introduction at 0:37 [m. 9]. Like
those, these are followed by sighing gestures with chromatic notes. The winds join and the strings
harmonize on the sighing gestures. The low strings play more downward leaps under them. They
are cut off by decisive and detached notes with timpani beats.
3:12 [m. 58]--More downward leaps and sighing gestures echo the F-minor harmony and
structure of 0:56 [m. 13] from the introduction. The sighing gestures are extended, as they are
there. They are first played by the low strings, then taken over by the violins and horns. The violins
continue to play the downward leaps over the sighing gestures from the low strings, and the winds
with low strings play the downward leaps when the violins take over. Already loud, the music builds
to a feverish full cadence in C minor that is emphatically emphasized with the short-note turning
figure in the violins along with brass chords.
3:28 [m. 70]--The winds, beginning with clarinets and bassoons, start another tentative statement of
Theme 1 that blossoms into a full statement, including the detached descent. The violins, violas,
and timpani play pulsating repetitions that begin to sound like the da-da-da-DUM fate rhythm from
Beethovens Fifth Symphony. The low strings play an inversion of the motto, with the half-steps
and turn figures, but their direction is reversed so that the half-steps move down and the turning
figures move up.
3:38 [m. 79]--The strings, including low strings, take over and extend the Theme 1 material. The
winds play extended versions of the inverted motto. The brass and timpani now greatly
emphasize the fate rhythm. Heavy syncopation, drum rolls, and the forceful detached descent all
move to another full cadence.
3:52 [m. 90]--Transition. The full orchestra follows the cadence with a series of strong
syncopations, mostly detached from each other and with the winds and strings staggered. They
culminate in a powerful detached descent in long-short rhythm. This descending arpeggio greatly
diminishes in volume. The long-short rhythm continues in a series of questioning gestures from
strings and winds. A gentle arching line follows, and the music begins to move toward the related
major key of E-flat.
4:13 [m. 105]--The music is now even quieter. The strings put down their bows and begin to pluck
on the long-short rhythm, which is still very detached. The winds play isolated and quiet chords.
The strings bow again when the winds introduce the gentle arching line again. This is extended
and emerges into soft and isolated exchanges between plucked higher strings and short wind
chords. The cellos continue to pulsate.
4:30 [m. 117]--E-flat major has now arrived. The first violins and cellos begin a murmuring line,
over which a solo horn plays a distinctive falling call. The call is then taken by the woodwinds for a
second statement.
4:36 [m. 121]--After a brief break, the murmuring line continues in the second violins and violas.
The first oboe and horn then lead the other winds, who harmonize as they play the three-note halfstep figure four times in rising succession. Under these statements, the cellos play a major-key
version of Theme 1s opening arpeggios. This is passed to the violins on the third statement, and
the low strings move to one inverted (descending) and one original (ascending) three-note half-step
figure. The fourth oboe statement is short, and it settles down with the falling strings to a halfcadence anticipating Theme 2.
4:51 [m. 130]--Theme 2. It is almost entirely derived from the downward leaps from 3:04 [m. 52]
and earlier in the introduction with the plucked repeated notes. It has now been transformed into a
wistful, gentle, albeit highly chromatic melody presented by first oboe. Under the melody, the violas
have started to pulse on repeated notes, and the clarinets, bassoons, and cellos provide additional
support (E-flat major).
5:01 [m. 139]--After two phrases, the clarinets begin to echo the oboe line, which they do twice.
The horns also join at this point, playing upward neighbor-tone gestures while harmonized in thirds.
The oboes then appear to abandon the theme, answering a clarinet imitation with the opening
gesture and then a slower, partly syncopated descent that seems to trail off.
5:12 [m. 146]--The violins take over from the oboes and clarinets. They appear to turn the oboe
descent around, but in reality they are playing the three-note half-step figure. This is immediately
answered by a lovely cadence gesture from a clarinet, which is nothing more than the tail of the

Theme 2 phrases. The clarinet is answered by a horn, and they pass the gesture back and forth
twice. Finally, the flute and oboe play the cadence gesture together, and they are answered and
overlapped ominously by the clarinet and bassoon. These entries add a descending octave. Last,
the low horns answer the gesture, overlapping clarinet and bassoon. They reach a very low octave,
and the bass harmony below shifts to E-flat minor.
5:33 [m. 157]--Closing Theme. Two isolated three-note minor-key descents in the violas begin,
punctuated by plucked chords from other strings. Then the rest of the strings take the bows and
pass the three-note descents down from violins to violas to cellos, overlapping their entries and
creating a pileup effect. This builds tremendously as the winds creep back in (E-flat minor).
5:37 [m. 161]--The descent is developed into a powerful melody led by the violins and
characterized by its increasingly wide leaps and plunging arpeggios. The low strings and bassoons
have a prominent, somewhat slower counterpoint to the violins that usually moves in the opposite
direction. Other winds add support to the melodys off-beat accents and syncopation. The fate
rhythm is prevalent.
5:46 [m. 169]--The parts are reversed. The low strings and bassoons now play the faster melody
with wide leaps. The violins in octaves, with support from most woodwinds, play the slower
counterpoint, which now takes center stage. Approaching the climax, the faster melody creeps up
to the second violins, who break from their lower octaves with the first violins.
5:56 [m. 177]--In an enormous climax, the first violins begin an extremely syncopated cadence
phrase. The low strings first play inverted three-note ascents, then original descents. The horns
play blasting calls with strong falling octaves against this. There are five of these, the last three
overlapping. After a strong cadence in E-flat minor, the winds and strings twice alternate a
hammering third beginning on an upbeat. The strings then reiterate this third three times before
descending and pivoting back to the exposition repeat.
EXPOSITION REPEATED
6:10 [m. 189, first ending, replacing m. 38]--The pivot back to C minor is accomplished by a
rather jarring half-step descent following the hammered thirds. The first ending has two bars (mm.
189a and 190a, corresponding to mm. 38-39), but the only difference is that all strings play on the
initial thumping unison C, coming as they do from their descent. From that point, the opening
motto continues as at 2:47. The repeat sign goes back to m. 40.
6:15 [m. 42]--Theme 1, with rising arpeggios over the motto, as at 2:53.
6:26 [m. 52]--Downward leaps on upbeats and sighing gestures, as at 3:04.
6:33 [m. 58]--Downward leaps and sighing gestures in F minor, then buildup and cadence, as at
3:12.
6:48 [m. 70]--Tentative wind statement of Theme 1 over fate rhythm and inversion of motto, as at
3:28.
6:58 [m. 79]--Extension of Theme 1 material with inverted motto, fate rhythm, and cadence, as
at 3:38.
7:11 [m. 90]--Transition with syncopation, huge descent, long-short rhythm, and move to E-flat, as
at 3:52.
7:31 [m. 105]--Plucked long-short rhythm and isolated string/wind exchanges, as at 4:13.
7:48 [m. 117]--Murmuring string line with falling horn and woodwind calls, as at 4:30.
7:54 [m. 121]--Half-step motives from oboe/horn and major-key version of Theme 1 arpeggios, as
at 4:36.
8:09 [m. 130]--Theme 2. Downward leaps presented by oboe with pulsating violas, as at 4:51.
8:20 [m. 139]--Clarinet echoes, horn gestures, and syncopated descent, as at 5:01.
8:30 [m. 146]--Violin ascent, cadence gestures, large descent with octaves, and motion to minor, as
at 5:12.
8:50 [m. 157]--Closing Theme. Minor-key descents and then overlapping descents, as at 5:33.
8:55 [m. 161]--Powerful melody with wide leaps, plunging arpeggios, and slower counterpoint, as at
5:37.
9:04 [m. 169]--Reversal of parts and approach to climax, as at 5:46.
9:13 [m. 177]--Enormous climax with syncopation, blasting horn calls, and hammering thirds, as at
5:56.
DEVELOPMENT
9:27 [m. 189, second ending]--The last descent is a whole step rather than a half-step, causing a

motion at the development to B instead of to the C of the exposition. In B major, the strings
elaborate on the opening arpeggio from Theme 1. This is supported by wind chords and is at full
volume. After eight bars, the familiar descent and half-cadence from Theme 1 is heard, still in B.
9:39 [m. 197]--The strings are suddenly hushed, and the violins begin to play in tremolo. The violas
pulsate. A solo bassoon plays a slower elaboration of the Theme 1 material in counterpoint with
another line in the low strings. There is a subtle shift from B major to B minor, and the higher winds
make an unobtrusive entrance to help mark another half-cadence in B minor.
9:49 [m. 205]--The violins begin the tremolo motion again. The slow elaboration on Theme 1 is
again heard, but it is now flute and oboe, rather than bassoon, who play in counterpoint with the low
strings. The harmony makes an almost imperceptible digression from the previous passage, and
the material is extended. The harmony moves away from B, first seemingly back home to C minor,
which is strongly implied by the low-string arpeggios. At that point, the timpanist enters with fate
rhythms and rolls. The music becomes quieter, then makes another harmonic digression down, to
B-flat minor.
10:17 [m. 225]--The closing theme makes an unmistakable entry in B-flat minor. It builds rapidly, as
this theme always does. The isolated three-note descents and their extensions are heard as in the
exposition. The theme seems to continue, but on the third upward leap, it suddenly pauses. There
follows a new, warm, and melodious phrase from the strings in G-flat major (which is not too far
distant from B-flat minor). This phrase seems to expand on the non-melodic detached syncopations
from the beginning of the transition at 3:52 and 7:11 [m. 90]. Against this, the horns, then other
winds, play the fate rhythm.
10:31 [m. 237]--The closing theme again begins in B-flat minor without its opening gestures, and
the new melodious G-flat phrase follows, now in the winds. The strings almost rudely cut the winds
off, and through a simple manipulation move the phrase down to A major. The fate rhythms are
still heard, now from trumpets as well as horns. The winds echo the end of the A-major melody, and
then the strings take over for yet another statement of the phrase, now in C major. Fate rhythms
continue in the horns.
10:49 [m. 253]--The winds pass the opening three chords of the melodious phrase to the strings
twice. The winds then seem to begin another alternation, but they isolate the sighing figures of the
phrase, stating them four times, with the last two a step higher, moving away from C. The strings
join them in harmony on the last two, and the music has again arrived at B-flat minor. The fate
rhythm is loudly blasted by the horns under these last two sigh figures.
11:00 [m. 261]--The return to B-flat minor has been an illusion. The closing theme gestures begin
again in the strings, at a powerful level, but the contour of the theme immediately places the music
back in C minor. The horns and timpani powerfully state the fate rhythm, and the rising half-step
motive is heard in the low strings. The winds then echo the strings with the top voice a third lower.
The strings make another statement a third higher than the first one, and the winds again echo it a
third below. The second low string statement of the rising half-steps remains anchored, moving to
the dominant note.
11:09 [m. 269]--The music suddenly quiets down, and the violins make a final effort at the closing
theme at a lower level. Pulsating violas and continuing fate rhythms are heard as the music
continues to diminish. The rising half-step motive, so pervasive in the movement, is heard two
more times in the low strings, still remaining anchored to the strong motion into the dominant note
of C minor (G).
11:15 [m. 273]--A long bass pedal on the dominant note G begins. The cellos pass the fate
rhythm to the timpani and back, both remaining anchored to the note. The half-step motive now
comes to the forefront. The violins state it, then invert it, moving gradually down. They do this a
second time, still moving downward. The inversion follows the second statement as it had the first,
but it is stretched out, with a longer second note. All of these statements are syncopated over bar
lines, and winds and violas have downward moving lines in thirds against all of them.
11:27 [m. 282]--The last stretched out inversion of the half-step motive turns around on its final
note and begins another series of downward-moving statements that follows the same pattern as
before: statement, inversion, second statement, stretched-out second inversion. The winds still
have their generally downward-moving thirds, but the violas now join the first violins, the second
violins having dropped out. The cellos and timpani continue to pass the fate rhythm, which is still
on the note G. After the last inverted statement, the strings pause, then descend with syncopated

notes, stopping just short of the goal note, C. The fate rhythm stops, and the music, now very
quiet, becomes nearly motionless.
11:44 [m. 294]--Re-transition. It is of unusual length. The preparatory dominant has already been
in the bass fate rhythm for a while. Now, at the moment of greatest quiet and stillness, begins a
slow and massive buildup. Beginning with F-sharp leading into the dominant note G, the three-note
rising half-steps are heard in the bass with the first note held over the bar line. They are followed by
a near-repetition that leaps an octave from the second note. Above this, the violins and violas, with
all but first violins in tremolo, follow behind the bass with a variant of the figure that replaces the
second half-step with a rising third. The two bass patterns repeat a half-step higher. The fate
rhythm in horns and timpani is heard, and then the three-note descent with turn from the closing
theme follows in the clarinets, harmonized in thirds.
11:55 [m. 301]--As the second bass pattern with the leaping octave concludes, the fate rhythm is
again heard from the horns (now without timpani). The pattern of alternation between this and the
three-note descent with turn continues. The descent and turn works steadily upward, alternating
between oboes and clarinets. The bass pattern now works upward steadily by half-step, but the
three-note rising figure is abandoned after the preceding second statement, and only the figure with
the rising octave continues the ascent. The higher strings with tremolo continue in their pattern, but
begin to rise more steadily. Three alternations between fate (in horns) and descent and turn (for
a total of four, two each in clarinets and oboes, all harmonized in thirds) are heard as the bass
rises. The volume also steadily and inexorably builds.
12:12 [m. 313]--The bass pattern with the rising octave settles on C-sharp moving into D, where it
is heard a total of four times. At this point, the trumpets join the horns on the fate rhythm, and the
descent and turn with which it alternates is now played by flutes and oboes in thirds, the clarinets
joining the bassoons with harmony supporting the bass. When the fourth bass statement on Csharp and D is reached, after three more alternations, the tension is extreme. The fate rhythm
and the descent and turn join together for two statements, and the bass moves down by thirds
from D, forming a chord on G and re-establishing the dominant. The first violins also break away
from their pattern with wider leaps over the tremolo.
12:22 [m. 321]--In a massive upbeat, the timpani join the horns and trumpets on the fate rhythm,
and they continue to pound it during the ensuing climax, which is the high point of the entire
movement. The thundering fate rhythm again stays anchored to the dominant note, G. Above
this, the violins begin to play music that incorporates the quick turns from the motto. All winds
zigzag downward on the slower descent and turn, all of them still harmonized in thirds. The mood
is feverish and extremely intense.
12:32 [m. 328]--The winds now blast out two statements of the harmonized three-note half-step
figure. Under this, the strings collapse into rushing scales out of the quick turn rhythm. The winds
retain the characteristic syncopation. They stall after the second statement on the dominant
chord, which is blasted four times as the timpanist breaks into feverish rolls. It seems that Brahms
could not anticipate the return more strongly than this, but he has one more surprise in store for this
enormous re-transition.
12:41 [m. 335]--In a shocking digression, Brahms drops the bottom out of his transition by moving
the bass down to F-sharp, where the ascent began. Here, the lower strings play the quick turning
rhythm again, and the violins join the winds for two more statements of the half-step figure.
Trumpets and horns blast two more fate gestures. The harmony actually moves from B minor to D
minor, ascending by thirds from the previous G.
RECAPITULATION
12:47 [m. 340]--The border between re-transition and recapitulation is quite nebulous here. At this
point, another half-step figure begins another third higher, on F minor, continuing the previous
pattern. But this statement of the figure develops into the motto with the quick turning figures. It
is also given great weight by a more slowly descending bass that includes one of only two duple
rhythms that straighten out the 6/8 meter in the movement. The motto loses its opening thumped
C as well as the first wind descent under the first note, but the F-minor harmony matches the
second chord of the expositions motto, so Brahms simply cuts the first chord, and the
recapitulation has begun. The winds and strings have a near role-reversal from the exposition, and
the end of the motto is underpinned by a timpani roll.
12:53 [m. 343]--Theme 1, with rising arpeggios over the motto, largely as at 2:53 and 6:15 [m. 42],

but given more richness by the winds, who join the second violins and violas on their pulsations.
13:04 [m. 353]--Downward leaps on upbeats and sighing gestures, as at 3:04 and 6:26 [m. 52],
again with richer scoring, the winds joining the leaps and the horns adding weight to the sighing
figures.
13:11 [m. 359]--Downward leaps and sighing gestures in F minor, then buildup and cadence, as at
3:12 and 6:33 [m. 58]. Again, the winds join the leaps, and the horns join the low strings as well as
the violins on the sighing figures
13:25 [m. 370]--Transition. The expected cadence is cut off by an unexpected rising half-step. This
leads directly into the huge descending arpeggio in detached long-short rhythm from the transition
after 3:52 and 7:11 [m. 90, here analogous to m. 97]. Thus, the entire second statement of Theme
1 with the inverted motto and fate rhythms has been skipped, as well as transitions opening
syncopations (which became the melodious phrase in the development section). The
questioning gestures and arching line follow as expected, but of course the displacement allows
the music to remain in C rather than moving to E-flat.
13:37 [m. 378]--Plucked long-short rhythm and isolated string/wind exchanges, as at 4:13 and 7:31
[m. 105]. The scoring is now somewhat lighter than in the exposition.
13:54 [m. 390]--Murmuring low string line with falling horn and woodwind calls, as at 4:30 and 7:48
[m. 117]. It is now in C major instead of E-flat, and violas instead of first violins murmur with the
cellos.
14:01 [m. 394]--Half-step motives from oboe/horn and major-key version of Theme 1 arpeggios, as
at 4:36 and 7:54 [m. 121]. First and second violins, rather than second violins and violas, have the
murmuring line.
14:17 [m. 403]--Theme 2, as at 4:51 and 8:09 [m. 130], now in C major. There is minimal
rescoring, including the absence of cellos and the redistribution of their line to flute, first bassoon,
horn, and isolated violin entries. The oboe still carries the main melodic line as before.
14:27 [m. 412]--Clarinet echoes and syncopated descent, as at 5:01 and 8:20 [m. 139]. The
clarinet/oboe alternation is preserved, but again the cellos are absent, and new lines are heard in
violins and flutes. The horns also have new, call-like material that is different from their gestures at
this point in the exposition.
14:38 [m. 419]--Violin ascent, cadence gestures, large descent with octaves, and motion to minor,
as at 5:12 and 8:30 [m. 146]. The clarinet and horn alternate on the cadence gestures, as before.
The final three overlapping gestures are rescored. The first is for oboe and clarinet rather than flute
and oboe. The second is for horns alone rather than clarinet and bassoon, and the last is for
bassoons rather than horns. The music in C here is lower than the expositions E-flat, and the
bassoons are more suited for the lowest pitch.
14:59 [m. 430]--Closing Theme in C minor. The minor-key descents with plucked punctuation and
then the overlapping descents are scored largely as at 5:33 and 8:50 [m. 157], with added
bassoons.
15:04 [m. 434]--Powerful melody with wide leaps, plunging arpeggios, and slower counterpoint, as
at 5:37 and 8:55 [m. 161]. Here, there is no major rescoring.
15:13 [m. 442]--The reversal of parts and approach to the climax are analogous to 5:46 and 9:04
[m. 169].
15:22 [m. 450]--The climax in C minor largely follows the scoring and pattern of 5:56 and 9:13 [m.
177], including the blasting horn calls. Trumpets and timpani now support the strings on the
hammering thirds. The descent after the hammering thirds is narrower than both the first and
second endings after the exposition, with two half-steps leading down to B-flat (the first ending had
a whole-step and a half-step, the second two whole-steps).
15:36 [m. 462]--The recapitulation is given an extension with more wind/string alternation on
hammering thirds echoing the previous music. These heavily emphasize harmonies suggesting F
minor, and are supported by blasting horn chords, trumpets, and timpani. The hammering gestures
start to turn around and work upward by half-steps. The winds do this while the string responses
still descend and become wider. The same material is then compressed into tighter time frames
with the wind and string lines coming together into three-note groups. They approach a powerful
arrival on C, but this is immediately diverted by another hammering third from the whole orchestra
that jars everything toward B-flat minor.
CODA

15:52 [m. 475]--The strings begin to pluck. They reiterate the hammering thirds on B-flat and
rapidly diminish, the upper instruments slowly dropping out and leaving only cellos. The horns
softly enter on a held third. The violins then begin to bow the pervasive three rising half-steps.
They veer toward F minor and major before making their way back to C. The half-step motive
blossoms into two genuinely melodic phrases, the second a step higher. Under them, the cellos
continue to gently pluck the third, which shifts up a half-step, then expands to a fourth on C under
the second phrase. Flutes, clarinets, violas, and horns provide syncopated held thirds in support.
Bassoons double the cellos, as they often have in the movement.
16:08 [m. 486]--A long, descending, diminishing violin line completes the melodic statement begun
by the phrases based on the half-step motion. This line reaches a clear cadence in C minor, and is
harmonized by second violins, violas, and winds. The plucked cello line is interesting. It continues
first with the previous fourth based on C. This fourth is then turned around so that F is on the
bottom and it is a fifth. Then comes another fourth based on G with C on top. At the end of the
phrase, this is also expanded to a fifth based on G, which creates the dominant before the
cadence. At the same time, the plucking is smoothed to a straight rhythm (the movements second
such instance), which helps bridge to the ensuing slower tempo.
16:27 [m. 495]--At the cadence, there is a large-scale tempo change to Meno Allegro (originally
marked as the Poco sostenuto of the introduction). The fate rhythm alternates between horns
and timpani. The cellos hold a low C. The winds (except flutes), led by the oboes, state the threenote half-step motive and then turn it back down to C, giving it closure. Overlapping with this turn,
the strings, led by violins (who are doubled by flutes), also begin the motive and turn it back to the
closing C. A second oboe statement, the third overall, again overlaps with the turn. The music is
hushed and slower, but still intense.
16:48 [m. 502]--Following the pattern, the strings (without flutes) again overlap the oboe statement
to begin a fourth one. This time, however, the statement stalls. The second and third notes are
both lengthened, and over them, clarinets and bassoons surreptitiously begin to state the opening
arpeggios of Theme 1. The flutes and oboes join them after one bar. Then the third note of the
ascending half-step motive is repeated. Finally, taking the place of the closing turn to C, the
strings play the Theme 1 arpeggios. In an incredible surprise for a movement so persistently in
minor, they are played not on C minor, but on C major. The entire phrase, including the fate
rhythm in horns and timpani, builds toward the C-major cadence.
17:10 [m. 508]--The fate rhythm breaks off, and there is a general pause. The cadence was
strong, but the movement ends quietly. The winds and timpani softly reiterate the C-major chord
and the strings follow. The winds repeat the chord again, and the strings follow below them, along
with a gentle timpani roll. A plucked C from the strings cuts off the chord and ends the movement.
17:36--END OF MOVEMENT [511 mm.]
2nd Movement: Andante sostenuto (Ternary form [ABA] with coda ). E MAJOR, 3/4 time.
A Section
0:00 [m. 1]--The first part of the theme is played by the strings. A bassoon doubles the violin
melody. The initial statement is a gentle rise and fall with a dotted rhythm (long-short) on the fall.
Three low repeated horn octaves bridge to the answer, which also incorporates a dotted rhythm and
is given a dark, minor-key color. The horn octaves contribute to this darkening in the answer.
0:23 [m. 5]--The theme continues with a new phrase. It begins on an upbeat syncopation with two
rising and swelling half-steps (the first movements motto) from the first violins, harmonized by
second violins and violas (with half-steps in the opposite direction). The bassoon has dropped out.
The first bar has no bass line provided by the low strings. They enter in the next bar with a surging
triplet rhythm as the violins play a falling dotted rhythm. The surging bass is heard again a step
lower under another violin dotted rhythm with a wider leap. The volume has swelled to a louder
level than the opening. In the next bar, all the instruments settle down, the violins sliding down in
dotted rhythm while the cellos play rising triplets.
0:44 [m. 9]--The arrival point of the previous phrase merges with a new one in which the first violins
hesitantly slide up by half-steps. They repeat this motto gesture three times, with new harmonies
under each. The cellos still punctuate the downbeats with triplets. When the violins reach their high
point, flutes, oboes, and clarinets make a somewhat dramatic entrance to support the harmony.

The winds exit after two bars. The strings continue with sighing gestures that lead to another
statement of the dark answering phrase from the opening, now with bass imitation and richer
harmony. It is extended with a viola echo and a half-cadence.
1:28 [m. 18]--The oboe enters on an upbeat with the second theme of the A section. The strings,
except for light viola support, drop out, and other winds provide the harmony. The oboe melody
incorporates the sighing falls and dotted rhythms of the previous theme, but it is more dynamic.
After two statements of the opening gesture, it rises to a full-hearted high point. Under this high
point, the strings surreptitiously enter in unison with the opening rise and fall of the main theme.
The oboe trails after this.
2:01 [m. 24]--The dark answering phrase is played by strings with its original harmony. A bassoon
again doubles the first violins, and there is horn support. The phrase is cut off before its last sighing
gesture, and is interrupted by a new syncopated descent beginning off the beat. This is slightly
accented. Then, the answering phrase begins again, but it is transformed into a satisfying majorkey cadence gesture that reaches a full close in E major. This closes the A section and merges
directly into the B section.
B Section, Part 1
2:22 [m. 28]--Out of the cadence, the first violins lead into a lilting, leaping dotted rhythm that
continues from the upbeat into the next bar. The second violins and violas follow on the lilting
dotted rhythm as the first violins work upward by half-steps in syncopation. They then turn back
downward as the low strings enter. They work back upward, now with the dotted rhythm displaced
by syncopation. The second violins and violas continue with the original figures. There is then a
huge swelling as the bassoons and horns enter with the dotted rhythm. The music suddenly
darkens and turns to the related C-sharp minor.
2:50 [m. 34]--At the high point, when C-sharp minor is reached, the second violins and violas rush
downward under the slower first violins. The dotted rhythm is now played by the low strings and
suddenly takes on the character of a funeral march, a complete transformation from the lilting,
graceful figures just heard. The upper strings continue to work downward, and only slightly diminish
as the low strings move to soft plucking. This stormy passage culminates in a strong half-cadence
that rapidly diminishes, leading into Part 2 of the B section.
B Section, Part 2
3:13 [m. 39]--The principal oboist, who has a long, gentle solo in C-sharp minor, enters on the
upbeat of the half-cadence. The violins and violas begin a series of harmonized and highly
syncopated gestures, all of which begin off the beat. The first oboe note is sustained for a full
measure, and it only moves after the downbeat of the next bar. This, combined with the syncopated
accompanying string figures, as well as the construction of the melody itself, causes the meter and
downbeat to become highly obscured. The oboe melody meanders downward, then has an octave
leap, after which it begins to pivot to A-flat major. The principal clarinet enters with a held note on
an upbeat as the oboe wends its way downward.
3:32 [m. 44]--The clarinet takes over the melody from the oboe and takes a somewhat brighter
tone, moving to D-flat (or C-sharp) major. The syncopated gestures from violins and violas begin to
have some stepwise motion rather than simply repeating notes. The clarinet breaks, then has a
wide rising figure. Under this, the low strings have entered. They take over the figuration of the
meandering melody as other winds also enter for a cadence.
3:52 [m. 49]--The winds drop out. The syncopated gestures begin a new phrase, and they
suddenly begin to outline the contour of the answering phrase from the A sections main theme.
The winds protest with descending lines that attempt to retain the major key, but the strings become
more insistent, and the winds give in, joining them on the urgent syncopations and using the dark
character of the answering phrase to firmly move back to minor. Strong accents on weak beats
prolong the obscured meter and downbeat.
4:08 [m. 53]--At the high point, where minor is established again, the strings finally break from the
off-beat syncopated gestures. All strings play the original oboe melody in unison with an insistent
character. The winds play melancholy, wailing gestures above them in octaves. The strings then
depart from the oboe melody, expanding it with an upward sweep and breaking into harmony while
the winds move to syncopated thirds. The higher strings reverse direction while the lower strings
take the upward sweep.
4:23 [m. 57]--The strings continue to descend. The second violins and violas move to undulating

figuration, and the clarinets and bassoons follow the descent in thirds. The top violin line becomes
more syncopated, and the music becomes more urgent as it descends, leaping upward to postpone
it. Finally, things start to settle down, the winds take over, and the music moves back to major, this
time to the home key of E. Flutes and oboes, then violins and violas, then clarinets and bassoons,
then upper strings again are isolated on harmonized four-note gestures. Violas and cellos then
close with a quiet, slower off-beat descent.
4:48 [m. 63]--Re-transition. Overlapping entries on rising, then falling figures, first in strings, then in
winds, further obscure the meter. Already beginning off the beat, they fall into groupings of four
notes that clash with the 3/4 bars. A soft timpani roll begins during the string descent. At that point,
slight syncopation and extension help to restore a sense of pulse. The passage is quiet and
mysterious, and becomes more so when the timpani roll is suddenly isolated.
A Section
5:09 [m. 67]--The winds brightly enter on an upbeat that is held over the bar. The theme emerges
in the oboes and clarinets, but is obscured by the flutes, who play an upper harmony. The strings
enter just after the winds, halfway through the upbeat, and play a sweeping line that also obscures
the appearance of the main theme. The cellos play plucked arpeggios in triplet rhythm. Only with
the falling dotted rhythm is it clear that the theme has arrived. The timpani roll ends, and the
continuing string line, rather than solemn horn octaves, bridges to the answer, which is now stated
clearly by flute, clarinet, and bassoon. The low strings add an echo to the end of the answering
phrase that was not heard at the beginning.
5:37 [m. 72]--This music is essentially analogous to 0:23 [m. 5], but the sliding half-steps are now
played by oboe. The other winds provide the harmony in the opposite direction. The strings add an
entirely new element, rapid plucked rising arpeggios, then short notes leading into the next bar. At
the point where the low strings enter with the surging triplet motion, the music appears to want to
follow the A section, but a new and strong turn to the dominant key of B major and a higher reach
toward a descent prevent this.
5:57 [m. 76]--Analogous to 0:44 [m. 9], but not only is the key now B major, the sliding half-steps
are embellished with triplet rhythm. The winds are now present throughout for support. The three
motto statements become progressively softer. The third suddenly and dramatically swells to the
high point, which is warm and rich in comparison to the sighing gestures heard in the A section. It is
also extended by a bar as the music quickly settles down again and the triplet rhythm stops. The
dark answering phrase is then heard essentially as it was at this point before, only now in the new
key and without the viola echo or half-cadence.
6:40 [m. 85]--An new wind interpolation here is almost otherworldly in effect. The wandering motion
was already anticipated in the extended high point, and the descending half-steps heard against the
wandering motion reverse the motto. The strings bring things back to earth with the falling figures
that introduced the statement of the answering phrase just before. These lead to a full cadence in B
major that is overlapped by the upbeat entrance of the solo violin that begins the second theme.
7:10 [m. 91]--The approach to the second theme is on the same harmony, but with a different
effect. Rather than against a half-cadence, it now enters on a full B-major cadence. Thus, the pivot
back to the home key of E adds fulfillment to this arrival. The theme itself, formerly played by oboe
alone, is now joined by a solo violin and horn. The part for solo violin persists until the end of the
movement, as the concertmaster separates from the rest of the violins. The theme follows 1:28 [m.
18] rather closely, but in addition to the melodic doubling, there is a richer accompaniment, with
imitative rising gestures first from the remaining violins and violas, then from flute and clarinet. The
cellos have plucked triplet arpeggios. The main theme still makes its entrance (without the
preoccupied cellos) at the high point, which is now much stronger.
7:46 [m. 97]--Analogous to 2:01 [m. 24], but the first statement of the answering phrase is now
played by flute and clarinet. The syncopated interruption is given by the solo violin and oboe, with
plucked cello triplets making a last appearance. The cadence statement is again taken by flute and
clarinet, but it does not reach completion. It merges directly into the coda, as the previous passage
had merged into the B section, but other than in the bass, the final motion to the cadence is
avoided. The strings and timpani begin the off-beat triplet figures that will underlie the opening of
the coda.
Coda
8:06 [m. 101]--The solo horn begins the coda with a full statement of the first two gestures from the

second theme. Strings and timpani continue with the off-beat triplet figures, now with flutes, and the
low strings (with the second horn) have a long, sustained keynote. The solo violin adds highly
decorative commentary to the horn statement, breaking into groups of six (sextuplets) against the
second gesture. The clarinets now take over the triplet arpeggios that had just been heard from
plucked cellos.
8:26 [m. 105]--The winds lead into the high point of the main theme as the strings drop out. The
high point stalls, and the initial falling figure is passed from flute to violins (without the solo) a step
higher, with accompaniment from other strings. The winds, with flutes leading, then play the figure
again, now a step lower than the first statement, and the strings repeat this. Finally, the solo violin
and clarinet extend this falling figure, which diminishes and reaches an anticipatory pause over
fading strings and bassoons.
9:04 [m. 112]--The bassoons play the answering phrase, imitated closely by the oboes, with horn
support and a surprising entrance from the trumpets. The flutes join at the cadence, which overlaps
with an unexpected reminiscence of the B sections first part as the violins and violas play the lilting
dotted rhythm. The winds then fall from the cadence, and the lilting strings slow down.
9:30 [m. 117]--On an upbeat held into the next bar, a chord, punctuated by a timpani roll and
topped by the solo violin, introduces one more statement of the half-step motto. It is harmonized
by the now-familiar contrary motion. The bass instruments, who dropped out under the lilting
rhythm, re-enter at the top of the motive, which is followed by a warmly sweeping violin line, with the
solo an octave above the others. The lilting rhythm then enters on the same pitches as before, but
now played by winds (without oboe).
10:03 [m.123]--As before, a chord enters on an upbeat held into the next bar with a timpani roll.
This time all instruments except the solo violin participate. The motto is beautifully transformed to
two whole-steps instead of two half-steps, leading to a gorgeous cadence. As it arrives, the strings,
from low to high, play plucked arpeggios in triplets, supported by timpani beats. At the top, the solo
violin, contrasted from the others by using the bow, rounds off the triplets. On its last note, the
winds play their penultimate chord. The strings, now using bows, softly confirm that chord, then all
instruments, including the timpani with a roll, reiterate it again. Only the solo violin holds its last
note over both of these reiterations.
10:57--END OF MOVEMENT [128 mm.]
3rd Movement: Un poco Allegretto e grazioso (Ternary form [ABA] resembling a scherzo and trio).
A-FLAT MAJOR, 2/4 and 6/8 time.
FIRST SECTION or Scherzo (A), 2/4 time
0:00 [m. 1]--First part (a). The main melody is a gently wandering phrase played by clarinets.
Bassoon, horn, and plucked cellos add harmony and counterpoint. The plucked cellos establish a
steady pulse, which they almost constantly maintain. The upper strings enter at the end of the
phrase. They, along with the second clarinet, extend the phrase to a fifth bar while the first clarinet
sustains the last note. The second phrase is an exact inversion (upside-down melody) of the first,
with oboe added to the scoring.
0:17 [m. 11]--The answering phrase is in E-flat. Winds (without oboes) descend in a dotted (longshort) rhythm, harmonized in thirds. Two two-bar descents are followed by more arching figures,
still in the dotted rhythm. The strings, including the cellos, add sweeping arpeggios as a
counterpoint to the wind descents, and horns hold longer notes. The strings join the dotted rhythm
in the second half. The steady plucking, now more static, is transferred to the string basses, who
add short breaks in the second half.
0:30 [m. 19]--The opening melody returns, now played by the violins. The cellos return to their
steady plucking, and the first clarinet, which had presented the melody, plays a bouncy counterpoint
in triplet rhythm. Flutes and oboes enter for the prolongation of the phrase, stretched to seven total
bars by internal half-step motion. The second phrase, which is still an exact inversion, lacks the
bouncy clarinet line, adds a horn harmony, and adds oboes and bassoons (instead of flutes) at the
three-bar prolongation. The prolongation leading into the answering phrase has rising half-steps
that recall the motto.
0:54 [m. 33]--The answering phrase in E-flat begins as before, with the two descents. The second
half is altered. The strings maintain their arpeggios rather than joining the dotted rhythm. The oboe

enters as a participant, alternating with flutes and clarinets on the dotted rhythm. Instead of turning
back home to A-flat, the music instead turns to the related minor key, F minor. This happens in a
four-bar extension in which both the strings and winds (first clarinets and bassoons, then flute and
oboes) descend a scale over two octaves.
1:13 [m. 45]--Second part (b). At the F-minor cadence, the strings begin a distinctive pulsation,
with low strings on the first and last notes of quick four-note units, while violins and violas play the
middle notes of these units. The clarinet begins an agitated melody that seems derived from both
phrases of a. Flute and oboe take over the melody after two bars. They greatly swell in volume.
An answering phrase erupts in flutes, clarinets, and bassoons, all playing in thirds. This phrase
turns to C major with some minor-key inflection, and is quite exuberant. The strings have some
minor departures from the constant pulsation.
1:28 [m. 54]--The oboe plays a new phrase of the agitated melody that goes in basically the
opposite direction from the original, a version of which is heard against it in the low strings. A horn
joins after two bars. The pulsations continue, now with groups of three off-beat notes, and the
music builds again. The exuberant answering phrase arrives, but stays in F minor and is cut off
after three notes by murmuring violins and violas. These diminish. A clarinet echo of the three
answering notes is heard, continuing the downward motion. The murmuring stings again respond,
bridging to the opening melody.
1:41 [m. 62]--Third part (a). The opening melody returns in its original instruments, clarinets and
horns. The motion from F minor back to A-flat happens smoothly in the plucked low strings. To
these elements is added the murmuring violin/viola line, continuing from the end of b. After the first
phrase, the previous extension from the fifth bar is used to begin a bridge to the Trio section. The
sustained notes and flowing motion under them are extended. Finally, the murmuring violins and
violas stop. The clarinets and horns, followed by violins, play a slow descending arpeggio on the
dominant chord, E-flat, while the cellos pluck an upward arpeggio on that chord. The bridge
diminishes in volume, merging directly into the Trio.
SECOND SECTION or Trio (B), B major, 6/8 time
1:56 [m. 71]--Part 1. E-flat is re-interpreted as D-sharp, making a transition to the remote key of B
major for the trio. The basic material is three repeated notes or chords in the winds beginning off
the beat, alternating with descending broken chords in the strings. Two of these alternations are
followed by a buoyant wind phrase with string support. This pattern then happens again, now with
horns and bassoons on the repeated notes and with a turn to D-sharp minor (and back to the pivot
note from the opening).
2:10 [m. 79]--Part 1, varied repetition. The first four bars are as before, but the second statement
of the pattern is shifted down a half-step and changed in character to move to D major instead of Dsharp minor. It also dramatically increases in volume.
2:24 [m. 87]--Part 2. The basic pattern is stated two more times in a more dynamic manner as the
music takes a path back to B major with a detour through G. The orchestration of the opening
repeated notes is richer. The second statement of the pattern greatly builds, and the buoyant wind
phrase expands into a climax with string arpeggios played in a shimmering tremolo. Under this
buildup, the bass line starts to move by half-steps, and there are strong, but brief suggestions of
another detour, this time to C major.
2:43 [m. 99]--The climax arrives with highly syncopated wind instruments over
continuing tremolo string arpeggios. At the top, the trumpets, who have had a supporting role, join
brightly on the buoyant phrase. After this, the basic pattern is stated one more time, now with the
instruments reversed. The strings take the repetitions and the winds the descending broken
chords. Following this, the strings again take the broken chords and run them together, obscuring
the meter. Strong syncopation in all instruments leads to a strong cadence. Horns and trumpets
play a suddenly quiet harmonized arpeggio to lead back to the repeat.
3:01 [m. 87]--Part 2 repeated. Buildup toward climax, as before.
3:20 [m. 99]--Climax, as before. Instead of the transition back to the repeat, the horns and
trumpets play the repeated note pattern on an octave. The flutes, oboes, and bassoons then
restate this. The note D-sharp/E-flat is again used as a pivot, and this begins the re-transition back
to the main scherzo music.
THIRD SECTION or Scherzo reprise (A), 2/4 time
3:38 [m. 109]--Re-transition. The music shifts back to 2/4. The strings play a strong hint at the

opening of the main theme, but in A-flat minor rather than major. Carrying over from the trio, the
wind instruments (except clarinets) continue to play the repeated note pattern in octaves. This is
now notated in triplet rhythm, effectively remaining in the previous 6/8. Finally, the strings, in
plucked harmony under held winds, play a descent in A-flat minor leading to the return of the main
theme. This plucked descent is very similar to the descending line that will open the last
movement. Notes are reiterated and rapidly diminish.
3:51 [m. 115]--The reprise is abbreviated, and the middle section (b) does not appear again. At the
moment of return, the clarinets, with the horn and plucked cellos, play as at the opening. The major
difference is that flutes and oboes above them are now playing the repeated notes from the trio
in triplet (6/8) rhythm. They even recall the buoyant phrase. The melody and contour of the first
phrase are unchanged.
3:59 [m. 120]--The second phrase, which had been a melodic inversion, is now completely
changed in character. It is transferred from the clarinets to the first violins, who decorate and alter it
in a manner that anticipates a major portion of the finales main theme (the big tune). The plucked
cellos continue, and the second violins add syncopation. Clarinets and bassoons play harmonized
descending lines in triplet rhythm, taking that motion over from flutes and oboes. The phrase is
extended from five to six bars. Flutes and clarinets play a harmonized arpeggio leading into the
answering material.
4:09 [m. 126]--The answering phrase is quite similar to its earlier statements, and starts on the
same pitch level, but the harmony remains in A-flat rather than moving to E-flat. The violin and viola
arpeggios are played over more static plucking from cellos and basses. After the first two descents,
the familiar arching figures begin in the dotted rhythm as expected, with the entrance of the
oboes. These, however, expand powerfully in intensity. The string arpeggios become more
frequent, and the strings do not participate in the dotted rhythm as they had previously done. The
low plucking, however, does add the expected breaks.
4:28 [m. 138]--A small climax arrives. Flutes, oboes, and horns play a three-note descent that is
very similar to the one heard in the transition from b to a at 1:28 [m. 54]. Under this, the strings play
plucked arpeggios, moving from low to high and becoming quieter and slower as they go. These
introduce chromatic harmonies hinting at D-flat major and continue for a bar after the descent. A
second three-note descent is heard over another plucked arpeggio. Finally, a third descent with
notes twice as slow is played by horns and clarinets. Only the cellos pluck underneath them, now
without the initial faster notes.
4:39 [m. 144]--Under a sustained note from bassoons, horns, and first violins, the other strings
quietly play a darker version of the main theme in unison. The instruments holding the note begin
to move in the third bar to create harmony, and the second violins leave the unison statement to join
them. The unison statement is answered brightly by the winds with the answering phrase. The
bassoons ascend against the other winds. Finally, the strings take over the phrase, the clarinets
holding over from the winds. Violins and clarinets ascend and the lower strings descend as they
approach an apparent cadence.
5:01 [m. 154]--Coda. Brahms indicates poco a poco pi tranquillo, a direction that seems to mean
both gradually quieter and slower. This already applies to the last statement of the answering
phrase. Brahms averts the cadence by bringing back the music of the trio, notated with triplets.
Violins play a harmonized repeated note gesture, and the lower strings, with violas adding
harmony above them, play the descending broken chords. These move briefly to D-flat. Flutes,
clarinets, and bassoons answer them with the formerly buoyant phrase, now very gently played,
moving back to A-flat.
5:11 [m. 158]--The trio pattern is heard again, now even more gently, with high winds playing the
repeated note pattern instead of the violins. The horns and bassoons now add harmony to the
descending broken chords. The violins and violas take the answering phrase under wind
syncopations. They briefly build the tension toward a dominant chord, held by the winds, then
plucked by the strings. This tension is finally releived with a delayed cadence, punctuated by a last
descending broken chord from the low strings.
5:37--END OF MOVEMENT [164 mm.]
4th Movement: Adagio - Pi Andante - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio (Varied Sonata-Allegro form

with development and recapitulation combined, and with large two-part introduction). C MAJOR
(with C-minor opening), 4/4 time, moving to Cut Time [2/2] at the Pi Allegro coda.
INTRODUCTION
Part 1, Adagio, C minor
0:00 [m. 1]--In the ominous opening, the violas and low strings play a four-note descent.
Overlapping with this, the violins, wind instruments, and timpani enter with an anticipation of the
main theme in a dark, tragic version. They swell forward on this, and then rapidly diminish, with the
bassoons and violas trailing down as the violins play despairing echoes. The descending winds
recall the introduction of the first movement.
0:48 [m. 6]--The strings begin a strange passage of pizzicato (completely plucked in all
instruments). They pass two-note figures between instrument groups, beginning very quietly. The
plucked strings very gradually gain momentum and volume as they move through G minor, E-flat
minor, and F minor. At the end of the passage, they are moving quite quickly and press forward to a
chord that is suddenly cut off.
1:17 [m. 12]--The winds return to the slow tempo and, in a wailing three-note descent, lead into
another statement of the dark anticipation of the main theme. This time, the violins and violas
state this at the same pitch level where it will be heard in the exposition. They are bowed again
after the pizzicato passage. Oboes, horns, and bassoons play the trailing lines, and there is a
single string echo.
1:49 [m. 16]--A second passage of pizzicato, very similar to the first, now has the low strings
leading in the passing of two-note groups. Again, the passage builds and speeds up, much more
quickly this time, as the passage is shorter than the first one. The keys that are now suggested
after C minor are B-flat minor and the remote A-flat minor. The pizzicato is now cut off after four
bars.
2:15 [m. 20]--The low strings hold a note as the flutes and oboes play a sighing response. The low
strings then surge slightly forward before they wait for another string response. They then surge
forward again. The music has moved back to C minor.
2:26 [m. 22]--The winds now press forward with the same material, building rapidly in volume. The
other strings join in on the surging figures. There is mild syncopation in both winds and strings.
2:34 [m. 24]--Beginning in F minor, the strings now play a series of broken, rapid descending lines
with light wind support. These lines diminish before a sudden upward surge with brass and winds.
They then descend and diminish again. Finally, the flutes, oboes, and bassoons begin to play a
wailing three-note descent that will soon be revealed as the alphorn figure that will dominate the
second part of the introduction. With the entry of a powerful timpani roll, this steady surge is
suddenly cut off. The C-minor key is somewhat sidestepped at this point, but the low strings hold
on, diminish, and descend, leading into the new tempo and C-major key for the introductions
second part.
Part 2, Pi Andante, C major
3:04 [m. 30]--Over a soft timpani roll and the first entry of the trombones, the horns enter with a
suddenly noble and grand presentation of what Brahms called the alphorn tune or what others
have labeled as the London chimes melody. After a bar, the violins and violas begin to play a
shimmering tremolo underneath the tune. The horns pass the melody between themselves to
maintain breath support. The main characteristic of the melody is its opening descent with
prominent short-long rhythm. The melody is nine bars long, with two longer notes in the second
phrase extending it a bar more than expected.
3:45 [m. 38]--As the horns reach their cadence, the flutes enter in overlap with their famous
presentation of the alphorn melody. Like the horns, they pass it between each other to maintain
full breath and tone. The trombones are largely absent now, but other instruments, such as
bassoon and horn, have prominent motions, including half-steps, under the flute melody, and there
is a trumpet echo. The shimmering, hushed string tremolo continues along with the timpani roll
(which swells slightly), and the flutes play the complete two-phrase melody without any overlap at
the end.
4:31 [m. 47]--The trombones, with bassoon support, intone a solemn chorale. This chorale will not
appear again until the very end of the movement, at the moment of triumph, but its isolated
presentation here is quite memorable. The last leap downward of the chorale is punctuated by
another timpani roll.

4:58 [m. 52]--The horns, along with one flute and one clarinet, pass the first bar of the alphorn
melody among themselves. The string tremolo and timpani roll surge forward in volume. After four
bars, the second half of the melody, beginning with its highest note, is heard. The prominent halfstep motions are played by the trombones. The end of the melody is fragmented and repeated, and
the volume settles back down rapidly. At the end, the horns play a last echo of the tune with the
trombones and hold it over as the other instruments, except for the timpani, drop out. Horns and
trombones are isolated on a preparatory dominant chord. This anticipatory pause qualifies as one
of the most golden moments in all of music.
EXPOSITION - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio, C major
5:42 [m. 62]--Theme 1. Emerging out of the golden moment is the big tune, the one that was
compared with the joy theme of Beethovens Ninth. The violins, in their rich low register, present
the glorious melody while the low strings pluck beneath them, horns and strings adding support.
The opening upbeat leap is distinctive, and the connection to the dark anticipation at the
movements opening is clear. Halfway through the melody, in the second phrase, is a melodic turn
that is most reminiscent of the Beethoven melody. This second phrase delays its cadence by a bar
as the oboes join in to support it. This creates a 17-bar melody.
6:25 [m. 78]--As the theme reaches its cadence, a second statement, or counterstatement,
overlaps it. This statement of the theme is led by the winds, most of whom play at least fragments
of it in gentle harmonies. Now all strings provide a plucked accompaniment, and they are
supported by the timpani. Small rolls punctuate the timpani part. At the end of the statement, the
volume increases very dramatically. As the cadence is approached, the violins and violas take up
their bows to reiterate and support it.
7:01 [m. 94]--Transition. What sounds like it will be a third statement of the theme, this time a
grand one from the full orchestra, is instead almost immediately fragmented, mainly isolating the
opening three-note turn figure. The motion toward G major begins. There are two large descents
on D minor and A minor with surging bass lines. The passage is richly scored and heavily accented
throughout.
7:22 [m. 106]--The transition continues with running scales in strings and bassoons. Winds, brass,
and low strings add loud punctuations against these scales. The motion to G major is delayed by a
move back to C.
7:37 [m. 114]--The alphorn theme from the introduction appears in its original instruments, flute
and horn. The horn imitates the flute on fragments of the tune. The strings continue against this
with agitated arpeggios, and the cellos and basses add plucked punctuation. The motion to G
major is finally completed.
7:45 [m. 118]--Theme 2. The low strings establish an ostinato bass on the same four-note
descent that opened the movement and is also implied within the alphorn theme. The violins
begin the theme, which winds downward, leaps back up, and then flows forward. The volume
increases somewhat and the music hints at the related key of E minor. The winds then enter with a
continuation of the theme. The strings recover this and build again. The low strings finally move
away from their anchor, moving their four-note descents up a fifth. This buildup leads to a small
climax with a descending syncopation and then a skipping dotted (long-short) rhythm (G major).
8:10 [m. 132]--The oboe leads a continuation of Theme 2 that is again quiet and gentle. It
incorporates a triplet rhythm, then moves to upward leaps. Other winds support the line, and the
violas have a pulsing syncopation. The low strings add a distinctive foundation to the ascending
oboe leaps. This passage moves to the related key of E minor, where the closing material is heard
and where the exposition will end.
8:31 [m. 142]--Closing material. The violas begin with tremolo arpeggios that steadily build. Violins
join them. Horns and trumpets begin to add punctuations. Eventually, the strings join in a powerful
downward-arching unison that leads to a soaring, sighting dotted rhythm. Winds and brass add
loud cadence figures to this. This material briefly suggests D major, but as the sighing figures work
their way downward, the minor key is again firmly established (E minor).
8:55 [m. 156]--The orchestra cuts off, and the oboe leads another statement of the soaring,
sighing figures. It begins more subdued. To these are added brief figures in triplet rhythm, first in
the violas and then, more loudly, in violins and lower strings. These sighing figures again suggest
D major. The loud cadence figures incorporate the triplet rhythm. The oboe takes up the
continuation with the triplet figures again in the violas. This continuation is passed to the flute, and

the music again seems to move to G major (with minor inflections), the key of Theme 2.
9:09 [m. 164]--The triplet rhythm now completely takes over. The violins and violas quietly begin to
build on it in G major/minor. Suddenly, the whole orchestra bursts forward with ascending triplet
groups harmonized in thirds. The violins play a powerful hammering dotted rhythm against this,
then take up triplets themselves in a slightly syncopated continuation. This firmly re-establishes E
minor. This sequence of hammering figures and the syncopated continuation is heard again at a
higher level, leading to a solid E-minor cadence.
9:30 [m. 176]--The cadence is given a strong reiteration by the full orchestra, including trombones.
A heavily syncopated leap is supported by rising triplet figures in the winds and also thumping
triplets in the timpani. The strings then firmly state the cadence. The syncopated leap is reiterated
twice more, and then the winds and strings play an extended version of the E-minor cadence that
adds strong, isolated final chords. Immediately after this powerful cadence, the horn, oboe, and
finally flute and clarinet play quiet rising figures leading to the return of the big main theme.
RECAPITULATION/DEVELOPMENT
9:48 [m. 186]--Theme 1. This is the last time the big tune will be stated in its entirety. This time,
the scoring is much richer. The violins still carry the melody, but there are new short, punctuating
chords in the winds, along with timpani beats and rolls, and the horns double and harmonize the
theme itself. The trumpets also add punctuation. The themes material follows its first statement
quite closely until the end. The oboe enters to support the cadence, as expected, but it diverts the
harmony to a new key, E-flat major, indicating that this is development as well as recapitulation.
The violins confirm the motion to E-flat and bring the theme to a cadence. This extends the ending
of the theme by two bars.
10:27 [m. 204]--The theme has a counterstatement, as before, but it already appears to begin the
development portion. Beginning in E-flat in the winds, with plucked string accompaniment, it is
suddenly arrested by a horn echo that turns to minor. There follows a section of plucked string
figures passed from violins to low strings that is highly reminiscent of the two
strange pizzicato passages from Part 1 of the introduction. This rapid plucking is supported by
chords in horns and bassoons, later trumpets as it builds.
10:41 [m. 212]--The key turns up smoothly to F-sharp major, where the winds attempt to recover
the counterstatement. This time, the clarinets and bassoons play trailing lines. The strings keep a
vestige of the more rapid pace just heard with notes after the beats in second violins and violas. As
before, a turn to minor, now from a clarinet and bassoon echo, leads to a rapid pizzicato passage
reminiscent of the introduction. Horns and oboes join the clarinets and bassoons as it builds. Low
strings and violins are reversed in position, and the harmonic motion is more dynamic than the first
time.
10:55 [m. 220]--Transition. The digressions of the counterstatement prove to be anticipations,
rather than the beginning, of the development portion. The rapid plucking leads back to the home
key of C major, and the transition begins with the grand statement of the theme and the continuation
just as it was heard at 7:01 [m. 94], through the large descents on D minor and A minor. The bass
line of the latter is slightly shifted.
11:15 [m. 232]--The development actually begins here. The transition is interrupted by two bars
of heavily accented notes with longer echoes, all in the strings, where the running scales would be
expected. The scales do begin after these bars, passed between violins and lower strings, with
wind support as before, but the harmonic motion is different, settling this time on D minor. They are
richly harmonized. The scales retain a descending motion throughout and taper off rather than
building up.
11:35 [m. 244]--The scales continue quietly in the strings. Figures derived from the opening turn
figure of the main theme are passed between oboe and flute, still in D minor. Then the winds turn to
a soaring line, over the continuing scales, that makes a turn back to C major.
11:44 [m. 249]--The turn figures, now including bassoon, are played by two instruments at a time,
still with dovetailing overlap. The scales are only in the violins now, the cellos playing plucked
arpeggios. The key is F minor. The winds again turn to the soaring line, which first moves to E
major. It is given a second statement that moves back to C.
11:59 [m. 257]--After a brief breath, a powerful passage begins. It starts with figures reminiscent of
the two descents that ended the transition passage. It then incorporates the descending scales,
which are passed between wind and string instruments with full harmonies and heavily accented

supporting chords. Finally, the strings take the leaping descents while scale fragments are passed
among the wind instruments. The entire passage vacillates between C minor and F minor.
12:17 [m. 268]--Beginning on an upbeat, the winds begin to blast out the turn figures derived from
the main theme. They are supported by brass chords and timpani rolls. The strings play isolated
descending scale fragments against each arrival point of the turn figures. Two pairs of these
patterns begin to work upward. A third pair has the violins taking the turn figures over from the
winds, and flutes joining the scale fragments. Then, building toward a climax, the turn figures are
passed between the high strings and high winds, the lower instruments of both groups providing
support in long-short rhythm. The figures remain static for three bars before moving upward in the
strings. Timpani beats and rolls underscore the buildup.
12:37 [m. 279]--In a tremendous climax, the full orchestra blasts out descending figures that are
derived from the alphorn melody. These begin off the beat, creating a highly disorienting
syncopation. They are in C minor, where the previous buildup has arrived. Timpani rolls support
the climax, and the trombones make their first entry since the end of the exposition. The figures are
passed between strings and winds with full support. The strings then move downward, seeming to
move toward B-flat minor.
12:50 [m. 285]--In one of the most remarkable moments of the symphony, the opening of the
alphorn theme is blasted by the violins, but the underlying harmony, a diminished seventh, gives
it a dark, highly tragic quality, and this is underscored by a thundering timpani roll and full brass.
Almost immediately, the bass instruments descend and the volume rapidly diminishes. The violins
play another statement of the alphorn gesture an octave lower, this time with its warm, familiar
major-key surroundings. This direct juxtaposition of agitation and peacefulness is both striking and
highly unexpected.
13:02 [m. 289]--The horns lead a full statement of the alphorn melody that initially follows the lines
of the transition to the golden moment and the main theme at the end of the introduction from 4:58
[m. 52]. Unlike that passage, this one does not have the shimmering string tremolos. There are
instead smoothly moving harmonies in violas and cellos, and the violins participate in the alphorn
statement. At the moment where the golden moment would be expected, the violins take over,
and they extend the anticipatory passage. Brahms marks this calando (dying), and the strings
slowly descend under pulsating timpani. This extension and alteration serves to prepare Theme 2
instead of the main theme.
13:45 [m. 301]--Theme 2. The theme appears and picks up the recapitulation again. This time, it
has an introductory bar that introduces the descending four-note ostinato in all strings before the
actual theme begins. After this new introductory bar, the theme follows the pattern from 7:45 [m.
118], now in the home key of C major, and with some significant changes in scoring. Most notable
among these is that every other statement of the descending ostinato is now played by wind
instruments (flute, clarinet, and bassoon), alternating with the low strings four times. A continuation
previously taken by winds is played by violins and violas. The descending syncopations and
skipping dotted rhythms are largely as before.
14:10 [m. 316]--The continuation from 8:10 [m. 132] is also rescored. The quiet and gentle line with
the triplet rhythm is now played by violins. When the upward leaps arrive, the responses to them
are played by horn as well as the original instrument, the oboe. At the very end of the line, an
alteration and expansion of the final fall prevents the key change that happened here in the
exposition, which would have placed the closing theme in A minor. This alteration allows the music
to remain in C, shifting from major to minor.
14:32 [m. 326]--Closing material. This is analogous to 8:31 [m. 142], with no significant alterations
other than key. It is in C minor, and not the expected and analogous A minor, as the symphony
must end in C. The key that is briefly suggested at the loud cadence figures is B-flat major.
14:55 [m. 340]--The passage from 8:55 [m. 156] is restated here with some changes in scoring. A
flute joins the oboe on the soaring, sighing figures. The triplets are played by both violins and
violas from the outset. The continuation that was passed from oboe to flute is now taken by clarinet
throughout, first doubled by horn and then by oboe at the point where it had been passed to the
flute.
15:09 [m. 348]--The material from 9:09 [m. 164], with the buildup on the triplet figures and the
hammering dotted rhythm, is given with no significant changes other than key.
15:29 [m. 360]--The strong reiterations of the cadence with syncopated leaps from 9:30 [m. 176]

are given, but this time without the entry of the trombones or timpani. The first statement of the
cadence after the first syncopated leap is, however, more richly scored, with full winds. The
extended cadence, now in C minor, follows, and the timpani make a later entrance at the end where
they had not played before, perhaps to compensate for not playing the triplets under the syncopated
leaps.
TRANSITION TO CODA
15:42 [m. 367]--Over tremolo violas, the horns, then violins, and finally clarinets, play the gentle
and quiet ascending figures that had led into the restatement of Theme 1 before. Violins then join in
the tremolo, trombones make a subdued entrance, and the winds play ominous descending lines,
all at a hushed level.
15:59 [m. 375]--Trombone, contrabassoon, and low strings play the opening of the main theme in a
similar manner to the darker version heard in the introduction. There begins a long timpani roll.
The winds play soft echoes, and the violins play ascending arpeggios in tremolo that are
reminiscent of the closing material. After two statements of this material, it is wrenched upward a
half-step for a third statement. Then everything is abbreviated, the arpeggios, the Theme 1
fragments, and the wind responses. There is a huge buildup in volume as well as speed (marked
stringendo). The figures become faster, shorter, and syncopated, finally culminating in seven
rapidly hammered chords, the timpani breaking the roll to join.
CODA
16:24 [m. 391]--The tempo changes to Pi Allegro and the meter is changed to cut time [2/2] to
reflect this acceleration. The music turns strongly back to the major key. There, the strings,
supported by timpani, begin churning on three notes derived from the main themes turning figure.
Against this, the winds and brass play two powerful and jarring diminished seventh chords that
resolve to more pleasing harmonies. The churning music gives rise to more melodic figures that
are passed between winds and violins, the lower strings and timpani maintaining a steady beat.
Finally, as the tension and buildup have reached their maximum level, the winds begin to churn on
the turning figure, punctuated by timpani beats and hammering string falls.
16:42 [m. 407]--The tension is released in the symphonys highly dramatic moment of triumph. All
brass and strings joyously proclaim the chorale theme that was only heard before in the second
part of the introduction, at 4:31 [m. 47].
17:04 [m. 417]--The music regains its momentum by isolating an upward turning figure from the
chorale and joyously pressing forward in a broad triplet rhythm. The strings begin this, the winds
adding syncopated chords, and then the winds take the turning figure themselves along with both
low and high strings. This music is reminiscent of a moment from the end of Beethovens Ninth
Symphony where the chorus sings the words was die Mode streng geteilt in unison.
17:13 [m. 427]--The strings now play faster triplet figures that are reminiscent of the ascending
triplets from the end of the closing material in the exposition and recapitulation. Winds and low
strings continue the harmonies and slower triplets. Everything is then arrested in a strange unison
statement of an downward arching figure that is supported by timpani rolls. This is given twice. It is
reminiscent of both the alphorn melody AND a line from the main theme of the first movement. It
seems to begin a third time, with an entry of the trombones, but it follows a more pleasing
downward path, leading to three short, strong chords on the expectant dominant harmony.
17:34 [m. 447]--The churning derived from the main theme begins the closing passage. It is
supported by loud brass and wind chords. It works its way upward. A timpani roll is heard over a
powerful ascending arpeggio from the bass instruments. This leads to three short and strong Cmajor chords from the whole orchestra, followed by the final long, extended chord, under which is
another timpani roll.
17:53--END OF MOVEMENT [457 mm.]
END OF SYMPHONY