Symphony No. 1 (Beethoven)
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Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C Major (Op. 21) was written in 1799–1800. The symphony premiered April 2, 1800 at the K.K. Hoftheater nächst der Burg in Vienna, and is dedicated to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, an early patron of the composer. The piece was published in 1801 by Hoffmeister & Kühnel of Leipzig.
Background
The symphony is clearly indebted to Beethoven's predecessors, particularly his teacher Haydn, but nonetheless has characteristics that clearly mark it as Beethoven's work, notably the frequent use of the dynamic sforzando and the prominent use of wind instruments.
Movements and scoring
It is about 28 minutes long. There are four movements:
- Adagio molto -- Allegro con brio
- Andante cantabile con moto
- Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace
- Adagio -- Allegro molto e vivace
Description of movements
The opening of the first movement is often considered a musical joke, but it may simply be a result of Beethoven's experimentation: it consists of a sequence of dominant-tonic chord sequences in the wrong key, so that the listener only gradually realizes the real key of the symphony. The third movement is remarkable in that although it is marked Menuetto, it is so fast that its ostensibly a Scherzo. The finale opens with another (possible) joke, the adagio consists of slowly-played partial scales before the full C-major scale marks the start of the allegro.
External links
- Analysis of [Beethoven Symphony No.1] on the [All About Ludwig van Beethoven] Page
- Analysis of [Beethoven Symphony No.1] by French composer Hector Berlioz on [The Hector Berlioz Website]
- [Full Score] of Beethoven's Symphony Number 1
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