{"id":16,"date":"2020-06-01T08:03:14","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T12:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2020-10-05T14:44:21","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T18:44:21","slug":"symphony-no-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/symphony-no-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Symphony No. 1 in C, Op. 21 (1800)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Basics<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

General Information<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Composition dates: 1799-1800; sketches as early as 1796.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dedication: <\/span>Baron Gottfried van Swieten<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 Initially intended dedicatee was <\/span>Elector Maximilian Franz<\/a><\/strong> of Bonn who died 26 July 1801, before the symphony was published.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Instrumentation: Strings, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Bsn, 2 Hn, 2 Tr, Timp.<\/span><\/p>\n

First performance: 2 April 1800, Akademie at Vienna Burgtheater.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Orchestra size for first or early performance: 8+8.4.3-4.5\/single winds (estimate).<\/span><\/p>\n

Autograph Score: Not extant.<\/span><\/p>\n

First published parts: <\/span>Late 1801, Hoffmeister & K\u00fchnel, Leipzig<\/strong>.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

First published score: 1820, Simrock.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Movements (Tempos. Key. Form.)<\/span><\/p>\n

I. Adagio molto\u2014Allegro con brio (MM=88\u2014112). C Major. Sonata-Allegro (w\/slow Intro.).<\/span><\/p>\n

II. Andante cantabile con moto (MM=120). F Major (IV). Sonata-Allegro.<\/span><\/p>\n

III. Menuetto. Allegro molto e vivace (MM=108). C major.\u00a0 Scherzo\/Trio (ternary).<\/span><\/p>\n

IV. Adagio\u2014Allegro molto e vivace (MM=63\u201488). C major. Sonata-Allegro (w\/slow Intro.).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Significance and Structure
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven departed his hometown of Bonn for Vienna in 1792 with a now-famous note written by <\/span>Count Ferdinand von Waldstein<\/a><\/strong>, one of Beethoven\u2019s earliest and most devoted admirers, stating that Beethoven was to \u201creceive Mozart\u2019s spirit from Haydn\u2019s hands.\u201d This letter is discussed at length in the \u201cBeethoven\u2019s Words\u201d essay below, but it underscores Beethoven\u2019s identity as heir to a specific musical tradition. In his First Symphony, Beethoven navigated a delicate balance between celebrating that symphony inheritance and finding his own voice.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As described in the earlier essay “The Symphony in the Late Eighteenth Century<\/a>,”<\/span>\u00a0by the end of the eighteenth century, the symphony was a codified genre full of expectations and conventions. Like other multi-movement works of the time, the (commonly) four movements of a symphony were characterized by different <\/span>topoi<\/i>\u2014musical topics\u2014woven into conventional musical structures, that created a dramatic journey to the overall work.\u00a0 It was written for an orchestra conventionally made up of pairs of winds, timpani, and four string sections. (See the essay <\/span>\u201cBeethoven\u2019s Orchestra<\/a>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0above.)\u00a0 Much of Beethoven\u2019s Symphony No. 1 is in line with this tradition, with classical <\/span>topoi<\/i>, conventional musical forms, a typical size orchestra, and elements of a \u201cpublic style\u201d present throughout the piece. Beneath the surface, however, many compositional choices distinct to Beethoven\u2019s own voice shine through. For instance, while Beethoven used a conventional orchestra size in his First Symphony, the somewhat significant use of the <\/span>Harmonie<\/i><\/a><\/strong>\u2014wind ensemble\u2014drew the attention of critics, as is discussed in the essay \u201cOthers\u2019 Words\u201d below. Beethoven used traditional forms for each movement (sonata form for movements 1, 2, and 4, and the ternary minuet dance form for movement 3), but the speed, style, and driving energy of the third movement give it a Beethoven twist: rather than a stately <\/span>minuet<\/a><\/strong>, it is a rousing <\/span>scherzo<\/i>, playing on our expectations of tempo, meter, and phrase length.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven was rising quickly in the musical scene of Vienna after his arrival in 1792. He made steady progress as a pianist and composer and had acquired an impressive reputation for piano improvisations. While his composing was well-received, Beethoven had focused on solo and chamber works and had not yet ventured into the more \u201cpublic\u201d genre of the symphony. There are sketches for a symphonic composition as early as 1796, but the First Symphony\u2019s premiere performance occurred on April 2, 1800, in an <\/span>Akademie<\/span><\/i> (public concert in 18<\/span>th<\/span>-century Vienna) organized by the composer.\u00a0 Beethoven\u2019s 1800 <\/span>Akademie<\/span><\/i> program included movements from Haydn\u2019s <\/span>Creation<\/span><\/i> and a Mozart symphony along with several original compositions and a piano improvisation, concluding with the premiere of the Symphony No. 1. In this programming, Beethoven effectively presented a tribute to the defining figures of the Classical era while staking claim to his own place in a new century of music.\u00a0 It juxtaposed the inherited styles of his predecessors and models to his own musical personality, particularly the prominent use of the <\/span>Harmonie<\/span><\/i> wind instruments and the third movement\u2019s scherzo derivation from minuet, to those of the earlier symphonic masters, thereby setting Beethoven\u2019s symphony apart. This seems to have been recognized by a reviewer of the Akademie<\/em> in the <\/span>Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung<\/span><\/i>, who called it \u201cthe most interesting public concert for a long time.\u201d (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 29.)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

[We refer the reader to the following recording for the ensuing discussion: Beethoven Symphony No. 1,\u00a0Orchestre R\u00e9volutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner, conducting. <\/span>1st movement<\/a>, 2nd movement<\/a>, 3rd movement<\/a>,<\/strong> 4th movement.<\/strong><\/span><\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven\u2019s own musical personality is abundantly clear from the First Symphony\u2019s opening gestures. As was common in Classical symphonies set in a major key, the first movement opens with a slow introduction, in this case marked Adagio molto (very slowly). However, while an audience would reasonably expect a symphony in the key of C major to begin with a C major chord, the first chord is instead a C major chord with an <\/span>added pitch of B-flat<\/a><\/strong>, creating a dissonance that must resolve to F major\u2014the wrong key, effectively disorienting the listener in order to gradually guide our way \u201chome\u201d to C major by the <\/span>end of the slow introduction <\/a><\/strong>(0:31-1:11) The main part of the movement is marked Allegro con brio (brisk, with vigor), and proceeds in an exciting if conventional fashion, with an energetic <\/span>first theme showcasing the violins <\/strong><\/a>(1:11-1:34), followed by a lyrical <\/span>second theme for the winds<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(1:56-2:13). In the <\/span>development section <\/a><\/strong>(4:48-6:00)\u2014the area where the opening themes and keys are broken down and explored\u2014Beethoven sticks closely to Mozart\u2019s developmental techniques, fragmenting the first theme and moving harmonically around the <\/span>circle of fifths<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. As Elaine Sisman points out, the use of an ascending perfect fourth in the first theme, the harmonic plan (backwards around the circle of fifths) of the development section, and the use of C minor just after the second theme all allude to Mozart\u2019s own last C major Symphony, No. 41, further grounding Beethoven in the prevailing symphony tradition (Sisman, 54-5).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The second movement\u2019s triple meter and Andante cantabile con moto tempo (relaxed moderate tempo, singing fashion, with motion) provide the feel of a relaxed yet stately dance. As a result, the second movement resembles a minuet (certainly more than the sprightly third movement, actually labeled Menuetto), and provides respite from the bombastic fortissimo ending of the first movement. Violin II opens the second movement with a pianissimo statement of the <\/span>first theme<\/a><\/strong>, (0:00-0:38) which is treated <\/span>imitatively<\/a><\/strong>. Beethoven\u2019s contrapuntal writing may reflect the influence of predecessors such as Haydn, who was a master of counterpoint and from whom Beethoven studied, and Mozart, whose last movement of the C major Symphony No. 41, mentioned before as a model, displays some of the most famous invertible counterpoint of the Classical era. Following a second theme in the expected dominant of C major, the <\/span>entrance of the timpani<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0signals the beginning of a playful <\/span>closing theme <\/span>(3:39-4:02). The timpani had been growing in importance for orchestral writing for some time, but Beethoven\u2019s extensive use of its dotted rhythm, reminiscent of military music, is still unusual for a slow movement, and is another example of his distinctive voice in this work.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>third movement<\/a><\/strong> of the First Symphony contains Beethoven\u2019s most prominent individual voice in the scope of the history of the symphony, and deviation from the Haydn-Mozart tradition.\u00a0 Although labeled minuet, it is a <\/span>bona fide<\/span><\/i> \u201cscherzo\u201d (\u201cjoke\u201d) movement demonstrating the principal qualities of such a movement, which deviate from the audience expectations of the stately minuet: the tempo, marked Allegro molto e vivace (very brisk and lively) at MM=108 per bar, is much too fast to dance to, accents on beats other than one displace the triple meter, and additional bars upset the expected eight- or twelve-measure phrase lengths. Such thwarting of the expectations of audiences regarding the minuet dance, the most expectation-driven movement in the instrumental cycle of movements, has its roots in some of the string quartets of Haydn.\u00a0 But here Beethoven chooses to throw a curve at his listeners in the more public, generally less sophisticated symphony genre, creating for the audience a profound sense of irony. This ironic treatment of the heretofore rather simplistic and galant dance movement stems from Beethoven\u2019s own desire to add compositional weight and dramatic push to the end of the piece, signaling a transition point between Classical and Romantic symphonies by establishing a structural model for the next generations of symphonic composers.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Continuing his desire to push to the end, the First Symphony\u2019s final movement opens with what Beethoven scholar Lewis Lockwood considers to be another \u201clittle masterpiece of comedy\u201d which deviates from the Haydn\/Mozart tradition (Lockwood, Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies<\/em>, 25): a timid ascension up the scale starting on the pitch G in <\/span>opening Adagio (slow) introduction <\/a><\/strong>(0:00-0:21).\u00a0The first violins slowly creep up from the G by a few notes, only to return back to the G and creep up to one higher pitch the next time. The first violins try to stuff more and more pitches into each measure, and yet they never reach up to a full octave, instead stalling on the pitch F. This five-measure introduction, deviating from tradition in that Haydn and Mozart did not put slow introductions onto finale movements, begins piano but gains energy through a crescendo, only to suddenly return to piano for a very anticlimactic end. Like the first movement\u2019s opening chords, the scale creates tonal ambiguity by \u201cplaying with\u201d the function of a dominant chord: only when the F is emphasized does the listener recognize that the music is leading not to the key of G, but to the key of C. Returning to the style of his predecessors, the movement proceeds in sonata form, with the hesitant scalar motion from the introduction transformed into the energetic central motive of the entire movement.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the Symphony No. 1 in C, Beethoven firmly establishes himself into the tradition of the Classical symphonic style of his predecessors and idols Haydn and Mozart. And yet his own voice shines through, particularly in the ways he uses tricks and turns in the last two movements.\u00a0 Indeed, these qualities drew the attention and admiration of the audience of the April 2, 1800 <\/span>Akademie<\/span><\/i>, and of performances that followed, introducing to concert-goers the creative, ironic, and unique mind of Vienna\u2019s newest symphonic composer. But perhaps it is also fair to surmise that they could scarcely have predicted what was to come.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Contributors<\/a>: JC, LB, MC, MCho, MER<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Beethoven\u2019s Words<\/p>\n

<\/b><\/span>\u201cDear Beethoven!\u00a0 You are going to Vienna in fulfillment of your long frustrated wishes. The Genius of Mozart is mourning and weeping over the death of her pupil. . . . With the help of assiduous labor you shall receive <\/span>Mozart\u2019s spirit from Haydn\u2019s hands.<\/span><\/i>\u201d <\/span>Inscription to Beethoven<\/a><\/strong> by <\/span>Count Ferdinand Waldstein<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, dated October 29, 1792, in an album taken by the composer to Vienna.\u00a0 (<\/span>Italics<\/span><\/i> are underlined in original.)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We cannot truly know how Beethoven felt about the expectations being placed on his shoulders regarding symphony composing as he moved to Vienna, because the composer has not left us any of his\u00a0 own words regarding his first symphony, but perhaps we can gain insight into his frame of mind surrounding the First Symphony by revisiting this famous quote penned by Count Waldstein.\u00a0 The above discussion of the details and reception of the First Symphony seems to suggest that he was not only aware of these expectations, but also fully intended to fulfill the prophecy laid out by Waldstein.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Count Ferdinand Waldstein came to Bonn from Vienna in 1788 and developed a close relationship with Beethoven; in 1791 Beethoven ghost-wrote the <\/span>Ritterballett<\/span><\/i> (WoO1), attributed to the count, and in 1792 composed a set of piano variations for four hands on a theme by Waldstein.\u00a0 The Count was one of Beethoven\u2019s earliest patrons and the one that encouraged the young composer to go to Vienna and study with Haydn. It is clear that Beethoven valued his kinship with the Count; in 1805 he dedicated his <\/span>Piano Sonata No. 21 Op. 53<\/a><\/strong>, known as the <\/span>Waldstein Sonata<\/a><\/strong>, to his friend.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It is important to note that the italics in the quote\u2014<\/span>Mozart\u2019s spirit from Haydn\u2019s hands<\/span><\/i>\u2014were underlined by Waldstein in the <\/span>autograph<\/a><\/strong>. Some readings of the quote interpret Waldstein as perhaps slighting Haydn, but as Elaine Sisman points out, Waldstein and Beethoven were relatively close in age (30 and 22 respectively), while Haydn was already in his sixties, well-established, and referred to as the father of the symphony. Waldstein is not downplaying the importance of Haydn, but simply implying that a new talent\u2014Beethoven\u2014will be the one to carry instrumental music into the future.\u00a0 Both Mozart and Haydn were of an earlier generation, with their symphonies seen as the <\/span>summa<\/span><\/i> works of that generation.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

With the completion of his First Symphony in 1800, Beethoven\u2019s recognition of Mozart\u2019s \u201cspirit\u201d\u00a0 and Haydn\u2019s skill is clearly detected through the similarities between it and <\/span>Mozart\u2019s Symphony No. 41<\/a><\/strong> and Haydn’s Symphony No. 97<\/a><\/span>, both also in C major, thereby ensuring popular success of his symphonic debut. Beethoven used the conventional symphonic form of the eighteenth century: the first, second, and fourth movements follow sonata-allegro form, while the third dance movement is a menuetto and trio. Of particular note are the extensive use of scale passages and extended codas in the fourth movements of Beethoven\u2019s First Symphony and Mozart\u2019s \u201cJupiter\u201d Symphony No. 41. Elaine Sisman also recalls similarities between Beethoven\u2019s First Symphony and Haydn\u2019s Symphony No.97:\u00a0 first-movement introductions that lay out long-range tonal plans, recurring chord progressions throughout, and a direct transition from the slow to very fast tempi.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The structural and formal similarities between Beethoven\u2019s First Symphony and similar works from Haydn and Mozart offer a valuable glimpse at Beethoven\u2019s pragmatic side along with his ties to symphonic tradition. Obviously, Beethoven was aware of his audience and the expectations of others, and he carefully constructed a symphony firmly within the guidelines set by those before him, yet included moments where his own voice shines through. Waldstein\u2019s words echo throughout the work, and Beethoven proved that he is worthy of the responsibility passed on to him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Contributors<\/a>: EH, JF, MER<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Others\u2019 Words\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/b><\/span>\u201c. . . one of his symphonies was performed in which there is considerable art, novelty and a wealth of ideas. The only flaw was that the harmonie [winds] were used too much, so that there was more Harmoniemusik than orchestral music as a whole.\u201d\u00a0 Correspondent of the <\/span>Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung<\/span><\/i> (<\/span>AMZ<\/span><\/i>) regarding the April 2, 1800 premiere of Symphony No. 1.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To understand this criticism of Beethoven\u2019s First Symphony, we must first contextualize what the term <\/span>Harmoniemusik<\/span><\/i> meant in Vienna and its surroundings at the turn of the 19th century.\u00a0 Originally, a <\/span>Harmonie<\/span><\/i> ensemble consisted of a pair of horns, with a pair of bassoons below and a pair of oboes or clarinets above.\u00a0 By the 1780s, the standard ensemble consisted of pairs of all four instruments, forming an octet.\u00a0 This ensemble was first introduced to central Europe around 1776.\u00a0 In 1782, a Viennese tradition was initiated when Emperor Joseph employed a full <\/span>Harmonie<\/span><\/i> of the finest professional wind musicians.\u00a0 The wind bands were primarily used for courtly functions, including\u00a0 entertainment at court events, balls, hunting parties, and accompanying military reviews, but they also performed in public and private concerts.\u00a0 Classical composers such Mozart and the lesser-known <\/span>Francesco Antonio Rosetti<\/a><\/strong> composed music specifically for the octet.\u00a0 Here is an example of a partita by Rosetti:\u00a0 <\/span>Rosetti: Partita in E-flat Major<\/strong> (Amphion Wind \"Oetingen-WallersteinEnsemble<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Additionally, publishers arranged operas, songs, symphonies, and solo <\/span><\/span>sonatas for wind ensembles.\u00a0 Here is a famous image of the Oetingen-Wallerstein <\/span>Harmonie<\/i> ensemble for which Rosetti composed his music.\u00a0 Rosetti is playing the double bass.\u00a0 (See <\/span>floricor-editions.com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Simultaneous to the development of courtly <\/span>Harmonie<\/span><\/i> ensembles, symphonic music at these same courts and in various emerging public concert series was evolving to include the expanded winds. (See the above essay <\/span>\u201cBeethoven’s Orchestra<\/a>.\u201d)<\/span>\u00a0 In his London symphonies of the 1790s, Joseph Haydn crystallized the wind section of the orchestra that would later be used by Beethoven.\u00a0 By 1800, the standard orchestra included pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, and trumpets, the same complement employed by Beethoven in his First Symphony.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If the number and types of instruments employed by Beethoven reflected the Haydn model, Beethoven\u2019s critic must have taken issue not with which wind instruments were used, but how and to what extent they were used.\u00a0 After all, the distinction made was between \u201c<\/span>Harmoniemusik<\/span><\/i>\u201d and \u201corchestral music.\u201d\u00a0 Certain expectations existed about where and how the wind instruments would be used in a four-movement symphony.\u00a0 Beethoven\u2019s most important predecessors Haydn and Mozart used the winds consistently and most prominently in the following ways:\u00a0 First, to add a folksy character, especially in L\u00e4ndler trios of third dance movements to contrast the stately minuet; many Haydn trios, and folk-like finale themes, have a doubling of the violin melody by an oboe, clarinet, or especially a bassoon at the octave, to enhance the rustic character.\u00a0 Here is an example of this doubling instrumentation in the trio from <\/span>Haydn\u2019s Symphony No. 104 (starting at 1:55<\/strong>)<\/span><\/span><\/a>. Second, winds brought contrast to the second themes of the sonata-allegro first movements, often giving them a pastoral topic. Finally, the winds added timbral color in block chords while the strings carried the main melodic content.\u00a0 Beethoven certainly follows these models in his First Symphony, but the critic seems to also recognize an extended the use of the wind instruments beyond his predecessors.\u00a0 For example, the winds more often double the melody played by the strings, such as at the beginning of the <\/span>second movement<\/a><\/strong> and in the middle of the fourth movement. Moreover, at several points in the second movement, the winds get the melody to themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven\u2019s use of winds would continue to expand, becoming central to his emerging orchestral voice.\u00a0 Many have credited this expansion to Beethoven\u2019s exposure, and dramatic desire to use French Revolutionary Military and ceremonial music.\u00a0 The First Symphony premiered just a decade after the onset of the French Revolution. Thus, the First Symphony may have been flavored by French military music which was dominated by the <\/span>Harmonie<\/span><\/i> instrumentation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Contributors<\/a>: CH, SH, MER<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Topics and readings for further inquiry<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The symphony tradition inherited by Beethoven
\n<\/span><\/span>Elaine Sisman, \u201c \u2018<\/span>The spirit of Mozart from Haydn\u2019s hands\u2019: Beethoven\u2019s Musical Inheritance<\/strong><\/span><\/a>,\u201d in Glenn Stanley, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Beethoven (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000): 45-63.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Harmoniemusik<\/span><\/i><\/span> and \u201cTurkish\u201d Music<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span>Rhodes, Stephen L. \u201c<\/span>Harmoniemusik and the Classical Wind Band<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>History of the Wind Bands<\/em>.<\/span><\/a> Accessed 07\/10\/2020.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

French Revolutionary Military and F\u00eate Music<\/span>
\n<\/span>Military Marches of the French Royal Army (1652\u20131830)<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jones, R. \u201cBeethoven and the Sound of Revolution in Vienna, 1792\u20131814<\/strong>.\u201d <\/span>The Historical Journal,<\/span><\/i> 57<\/span><\/i>\/<\/span><\/i>4 (2014): 947-971.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Beethoven and Royal Patrons, including Count Waldstein
\n<\/span><\/span>Interlude. Ludwig van Beethoven: A Universe of Dedications.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 Accessed 01\/11\/2020.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Online Resources<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Early Editions of Score and Parts
\n<\/span><\/span>First edition of the First Symphony<\/a><\/strong>: Parts<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Early edition of the First Symphony score<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, Published by London: Cianchettini & Sperati\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Modern Score available online
\n<\/span><\/span>Dover edition of the First Symphony<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

New York Philharmonic score including annotations from Leonard Bernstein<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Recordings available online
\n<\/span><\/span>Period\/HIP Performances\u2014
\n<\/span>Orchestre R\u00e9volutionnaire et Romantique, Gardiner
\n<\/span>1st movement<\/a>, 2nd movement<\/a>, 3rd movement<\/a>,<\/strong> 4th movement<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Harnoncourt\u00a0
\n<\/span>1st movement<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, <\/span>2nd movement<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, <\/span>3rd movement<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>4th movement<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0
\n<\/span>Complete set of Beethoven Symphonies<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Orchestra of the 18th Century, Br\u00fcggen
\n<\/span>1st movement<\/a>, 2nd movement<\/a>, 3rd movement<\/a>, 4th movement<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span>Complete Set of Beethoven Symphonies by Orchestra of the 18th Century and Br\u00fcggen<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Important Recordings by Modern Orchestras\u2014
\n<\/span>Leonard Bernstein conducts Symphony No. 1 | Wiener Philharmoniker<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0
\n<\/span><\/span>1st movement<\/a><\/strong>,<\/span> 2nd movement<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>3rd movemen<\/strong>t<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>4th movement<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0
\n<\/span><\/span>Although he may be a controversial conductor at times with his tempi choices, Bernstein is able to capture the character of Beethoven well in this performance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Herbert von Karajan conducts Symphony No. 1 | Philharmonia Orchestra<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0
\n<\/span><\/span>1st movement<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>2nd movement<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>3rd movement<\/a><\/strong>, <\/span>4th movement<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/span>A rather different approach than Bernstein\u2019s recording, the balance and blending of the orchestra is astounding. From the slow introduction in the first movement to the last note of the finale, there’s a specific characteristic that Karajan had in mind so the contrasts from the delicate to the bold moments is what makes this recording stand out from others.<\/span><\/p>\n

Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0
\n<\/span><\/span>The recording emphasized that Beethoven began his symphony in the wrong key and his overuse of the wind section, which is a different place compared with \u201cclassical\u201d composers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Descriptions available online (videos, program notes, etc.)
\n<\/span><\/span>Analysis of Symphony No. 1. \u00a0 <\/a><\/strong><\/span>AQA Teachers’ Resource. \u00a0
\nThis analyzes all 4 movements and gives specific measure numbers of the new sections.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tibor Kovacs,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Sonata form – Beethoven’s 1st Symphony.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/span>Discusses the use of sonata form with analysis in the first movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Study of the first 2 movements of Symphony No. \u00a01. \u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/span>Varndean College Music. \u00a0
\nSome basic information that might be interesting and explains musical features (phrase, modulation, tonality, use of motifs) to a non-musician.<\/span><\/p>\n

Symphony No. 1: Beethoven announces himself\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/span>Gardiner and the ORR on Beethoven’s Symphonies<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Program Note from NPR\/Philadelphia Orchestra<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A Guide to Symphony 1 from Classical Music<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Symphony No. 1, Op. 21 from LA Philharmonic<\/a>
\n<\/span><\/strong>Gives basic facts and the history of the First Symphony<\/span><\/p>\n

Marianne Williams Tobias,\u00a0<\/span>Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra\u2019s program notes. \u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/span>
\nIn addition to the detailed analysis of all four movements, the author relates similarities to Haydn\u2019s late symphonies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Richard Wigmore,\u00a0<\/span>Proms: Programme Note Beethoven, Symphony No. 1 in C major. <\/a><\/span><\/strong>
\nThis program notes also go through the four movements in detail. Especially it introduced how Beethoven used wind like \u201cwinds and strings often used in antiphonal blocks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Program notes from Laney Boyd on Symphony No. 1 and No. 3<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

For other online resources, see the bibliographies on the home page<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Basics General Information Composition dates: 1799-1800; sketches as early as 1796.\u00a0\u00a0 Dedication: Baron Gottfried van Swieten.\u00a0 Initially intended dedicatee was Elector Maximilian Franz of Bonn who died 26 July 1801, before the symphony was published.\u00a0 Instrumentation: Strings, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Bsn, 2 Hn, 2 Tr, Timp. First performance: 2 April […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"coauthors":[2],"class_list":["post-16","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/beethoven\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=16"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}