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Brahms - Symphony no. 1 in c minor

After Beethoven’s 9th, composers shied away from the genre. Brahms was notoriously intimidated by Beethoven’s scowling shadow. So much so that it took him over 20 years to write his first symphony. Ever the perfectionist, it had to be just right. His first symphonic effort was a d minor symphony that he later turned into his first piano concerto. With this first symphony, instead of cowering under Beethoven, Brahms embraced him. The key of c minor, use of the “fate” motif, contrasts within movements and between movements, and the melody in the finale that is reminiscent of Ode to Joy…all nods to Beethoven. These references were enough for audiences and critics to call this work “Beethoven’s 10th”. But Brahms wasn’t trying to copy Beethoven; he wanted to follow Beethoven’s tradition, much like Bruckner would in his symphonies. He makes it clear, when he said, after people pointed out how similar this work was to Beethoven’s works, “any ass could see that.” And despite how much I’ve been talking about comparisons with Beethoven, this work is also very much a Brahmsian piece. His uneasy rhythms and unexpected harmonic choices show through a layer of orchestral texture. When writing about music, it’s always dangerous [and kind of pointless] to bring up personal interpretations that are far from what the composer intended. This is a piece of absolute music, but I personally cannot help but feel like this work is a depiction of the woods, or the Alps. It doesn’t help that the “Ode to Joy” like melody at the end was, as Brahms claimed, heard by a horn player in the mountains one afternoon. I like imagining that I’m walking along the country with such fantastic music.

Movements:

1. Un poco sostenuto - Allegro - Meno Allegro

2. Andante sostenuto

3. Un poco allegretto e grazioso

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07.05.23 | Windowsill Stories 📚