Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 (1801)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

and the Nine Symphonies

 

How to Listen

People are constantly coming up to me, saying, "Dang, Pete, I love listening to Beethoven’s symphonies, but I just don’t understand the sonata-allegro form! Won’t you explain it to me?"

Well, I don’t mind repeating myself, and as the form itself is really not that complicated, and you don’t need to be an expert on music to understand it, I’ll be happy to oblige.

The fact is, that I found these little videos on YouTube that breaks all the parts of Beethoven’s symphonies down into their basic constituent parts by different-colored sections so you can just look at it and see what’s going on! I thought, "Jeez, this is great: I won’t even have to worry about faking through it."

Now, as everybody knows, the musical form that we call a "symphony" is a multi-movement composition written for a full-scale symphonic orchestra, and that it was developed and codified in the 18th century during the so-called "Classical era" of Western Art Music (around 1730 to 1820). The "symphony," like the so-called "concerto" (a symphonic work with a soloist) was an attempt to create a large-scale musical form that people could listen to in big theaters and music halls in places like Vienna. This is where the "symphony’s" two greatest masters lived, after all: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) and Wolfgang ("Wolfie") Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). And when Beethoven decided to premier his first symphony, in 1800, he was living there too.

Haydn (who was one of Beethoven’s teachers) and Mozart are the guys that pretty much codified the major musical forms we have in modern "Classical" music - and just because they were so darned good it. And everybody wanted to write like they did. And these two guys were just in love with what they called the "sonata-allegro" form, so they used it in just about every form of instrumental music they wrote: symphonies, concertos, sonatas (compositions for solo piano), string quartets, duos, trios - just about everything. And they had a good reason. Not only was it easier to organize your musical ideas using this little form, but it made it simple for audiences to follow what was going on. Little did they know that composers throughout Europe and America would go on using it more than a hundred years after they died!

But arguably, it was Beethoven who really got the most mileage out of it as far as the "symphony" was concerned. Though he only wrote nine of them (as opposed to more than 40 by Mozart and the more than 100 by Haydn), Ludwig van really took his time. Basically, he expanded them so much that he more or less introduced a whole new period of music: the "Romantic era" (let’s say from around 1780 to about 1910). While Beethoven’s first two symphonies were pretty much as "classical" as Haydn or Mozart’s (though he was already getting a little wild), by the time he wrote his third (the "Eroica" symphony), he was getting longer, louder and more complicated that anybody before him. And of course, by his "glorious" ninth symphony, he just broke all boundaries: as little Alex called him, he was "Lovely, lovely Ludwig van!"

The symphony form

So let’s just look at the "symphony" for a moment. As Haydn and Mozart passed it on, it had a definite "form" or structure that a composer was supposed to go by. First of all it was divided into "movements" - almost always four movements as a matter of fact. This little idea came from the practice of composing music in "suites," that is a series of different pieces of music played one-after-another in the same order so that it would last longer. Eventually, the more the different music was written to go together: to complement or contrast one part from the other, the more these different sections came to be known as "movements" of one single piece of music that was to be thought of as a whole: a concerto, sonata, or finally, a "symphony" - that is with a "really big orchestra."

The next thing that happened is that composers started making little rules for each of the movements so that they would have a kind of formal similarity and make them easier to follow (and to write!). So, by Beethoven’s day, the symphony’s four movements almost always looked something like this:

1. The first movement was almost always organized in the formal structure that we call the "sonata-allegro form." (I know, I know, I’m getting to that.) Symphonies are kind of top-heavy, and the first movement usually seems like the most important - or at least the one we usually recognize the symphony for most often. They’re almost always taken at a fast tempo (which is what "allegro" actually means!)

2. The second movement is usually the so-called "slow movement." It’s usually the slowest and most lyrically beautiful movement of the symphony (though there are exceptions). They contrast with the faster first movement with this change of feel. There are a number of ways they are constructed, and we’ll look at just how Beethoven did each of his as we go along.

3. The third movement is quite often, though not always, based upon a dance tempo, traditionally, a minuet, which was almost always used in the "Classical era." The rhythm of this movement is generally in some sort of triplet time (1-2-3). Now, Beethoven, beginning with his first symphony, altered the speed and rhythm of the minuet in order to create a livelier, more dynamic feel. This style became known as a "scherzo," which we will discuss more fully when we come to them. The main dance or minuet in the third movement is generally contrasted with a different section called a "trio" (you’ll see).

4. The fourth and final movement of a symphony is formally there to "end it." In musical theory, if a piece of music doesn’t end, it will go on forever. This can be very tiresome, so composers just about always write an "ending movement." It is very often composed in "sonata-allegro form" as well, especially if the composer wants a "big ending." Sometimes, however, they’re lighter, and a simpler form will be used, such as a "rondo," where the same theme just keeps coming back over and over again. (Beethoven liked big endings: the fourth movement of his ninth symphony is almost an entire symphony in itself!)

So, there you go. I think the best way to learn about these movements and their structures is to go ahead and listen to them and discuss them as they go along, so we’ll get right into that. I just want to say one more thing at the outset, however.

A lot of people don’t listen to symphonies or other classical music because they think it’s boring. Bullshit! Classical music - especially Beethoven’s symphonies - is some of the most exciting, adventurous music in the world. No, it’s not like rock ‘n’ roll or even jazz that just jumps up and grabs you. Classical music takes its time. Listening to it is more like watching a movie or a play - it tells a story. It really does. The composer (especially Beethoven) goes to a lot of trouble to lay down the plot and characters (the themes), and then he works really hard to set up lots of conflict (development), all so he can give you a satisfying ending (the end).

So let’s start out with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C major, okay? Yay!

First of all, here’s Leonard Bernstein giving a little introduction to the symphony. When he plays from the third movement on the piano, you can really hear the distinction between the traditional minuet and what Beethoven would call eventually call a "Scherzo":

 

 

Cool, right? Well, here's something even cooler. I found this series of videos on YouTube that break down Beethoven's (and other composers') compositions into their various constituent parts, color-coded for maximum clarity. As you listen to the symphony (or whatever,) a little bar moves over the corresponding section to tell you exactly where you are. We can actually "walk" through an entire composition and "see" what we are hearing!

 

So let's do it! Here's Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C major:

 

 

Now, there are four movements, so the video is going to show us four separate screens. Once one movement ends, it will automatically go on to the next one. Or, if you like, you can move back and forth between them, just by dragging the bar along the bottom of the screen. Here we go!

 

1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio (0.00)

The first movement is given the indication, Adagio molto - Allegro con brio. "Adagio" means "slow and stately," and "con molto" merely means "much" or "very." So the first part of the movement - namely the introduction - is supposed to be played "very slowly and stately." The rest of the movement will be played "Allegro," or "fast, quickly and bright." The additional "con brio" simply means "with vigor and spirit." (Classical music tempo directions and indications such as these are traditionally written in Italian. Listening to them, you don’t have to worry about them, but they’re nice to know.)

Now, let’s look back up at the screen. The entire movement is broken down into the main sections of the sonata-allegro form, along with its subsections. For the first movement of Beethoven’s first symphony, we have a very typical, classical, sonata-allegro form which is very easy to follow. It breaks down like this.

A. Introduction (green) (0.00)

This is the "Adagio" or "slow and stately" section. Most sonata-allegro movements have an Introduction, but not all. And it is almost always slower than the rest of the movement. What is the purpose of the Introduction? Well, it "introduces" us to the symphony. Instead of jumping right in, we work our way in gradually. It’s kind of like an "appetizer" (As Cartman says to the starving "Etheropean" kid on South Park, "It’s what we eat before we eat!")

Go ahead and play the Introduction on the screen. As the music plays, the little bar moves across the green "Introduction" section. Stop it when it gets to the end.

As I’m sure you’ll notice, this section sounds like an introduction. Although Beethoven is using some of the musical material he will be playing with in the rest of the movement, there’s really not a lot happening here. For the most part, the orchestra is just slowly and quietly playing some notes that go back and forth between chords. The whole idea is just to settle us in and get us ready for the main part of the first movement. Go ahead and play it again if you like. Play it as many times as you want. I don’t care.

B. Exposition. (purple/dark blue/light blue) (1:22)

This is the real "meat" of a sonata-allegro-form movement. The Exposition states or "exposes" the main themes, or series of melodies that are going to be played in the movement. There are usually two groups of themes: an "A" theme group or subject group and a "B" theme group or subject group. I know here it says "Theme Group 1" and "Theme Group 2," but you can say it any way you want. The main thing is that there are (usually) two theme groups in the sonata-allegro form.

If you know what you’re listening for, it’s pretty easy to hear the difference between the two different theme groups. Usually, the first one is more lively than the second, which is typically lighter and more lyrical in contrast. (The second theme group is usually in a different key as well, but you don’t have to worry about that if you don’t want to get too technical - the main thing is that the second will sound clearly different from the first.)

Go ahead now and play the "Theme Group 1" (the purple section) on the screen, beginning at the 1:22 mark. You’ll hear that as the little band approaches the next line (beginning the dark blue section), the music will definitely and clearly come to an ending. The "Theme Group 1" is over! You can stop it there, play it again, get to know it better if you want, or you can just let it go ahead and play the "Theme Group 2."

Isn’t the "Theme Group 1" exciting? First it starts out with some fast violins, then the whole orchestra comes in: It’s kind of like the Lone Ranger riding or a cavalry charge or something. Lots of bows moving over violins real fast. It’s big, it’s bold . . . it’s Beethoven!

You can listen to the "Theme Group 1" all you want. As with any music, the more you listen to a particular piece of classical music, the better you’ll be able to follow it. Once you’re listened to the movement (or section) of this or any symphony enough times that you’re able to hum along with it, you’ll definitely have no trouble following it at all!

Now let’s play the "Theme Group 2" (or as it’s often called, the "B" subject group). (It starts at 2:06.)

Right away, you’ll notice that the melodies here are different: they’re lighter, more "prettier": relaxing rather than exciting. Beethoven kicks off the tune with an oboe that’s immediately echoed by a flute. (Beethoven loved woodwinds and he used them much more than composers in the "Classical era" did before him.) Then the strings play the same little tune. Finally, the violins speed up again and everything moves to what seems like an ending. Only it doesn’t end - the basses pick up a tune and an oboe comes in and plays a counter-melody. (Really pretty.) Finally, the whole orchestra builds up again and we end on one great big chord.

Okay, that’s "Theme Group 2." Now what?

In order for Beethoven to end the Exposition, he’s going to have to bring the music from "Theme Group 1" back and figure out a way to end the entire section. This part is called a "codetta."

What is a "codetta?" Well, basically, it’s a "little coda." And a "coda," as we all know, is Italian for "tail." So all a codetta is, really, is a short piece of music that brings the whole Exposition section to a close.

The codetta is the light blue section on the graph, right after the "Theme Group 2" ends, only here it’s called "Closing Group." The reason for that is that the composer has taken any themes that he’s played so far, along with any new material, to "close off" the section, or bring it to an end.

Go ahead and play the "Closing Group", beginning at 2:45. Isn’t it exciting? Notice how everything is arranged so that it drives toward an ending, bringing everything together? Do you hear how Beethoven brought part of Theme A, or "Theme Group 2" back before he ended everything? Really smart.

Now, once you reach the end of the Codetta (or "Closing Group," you’ve reached the end of the Exposition. So the entire Exposition looks basically like this:

i. Theme A ("Theme Group 1")

ii. Theme B ("Theme Group 2")

iii. Codetta ("Closing Group")

It’s pretty simple really: two contrasting themes and an ending.

So what happens next? Well, here, as in almost all "Classical" sonata-allegro-form movements, the Exposition is immediately repeated. Why? First of all, so the music will last longer. But secondly (and primarily), so that the listener gets to hear the whole thing again to become more familiar with it. Remember, that repetition makes music much easier to follow, and Beethoven and the other "Classical" composers recognized this. (Plus, Haydn and Mozart had always repeated the Exposition, so the audience was expecting that to happen.)

Go ahead and play the next three colored sections, which is a note-for-note repeat of the Exposition, starting at 3:09. (On the musical score, there are just two dots which mean "repeat" - or go back and play the same thing you just played.) The more you hear the Exposition, the easier it will be to follow, and the better you can hear how the composer puts the whole thing together.

C. Development (red) (4:56)

Okay, now we come to the really exciting and dramatic part of the movement. Beethoven has already "Exposed" all his musical material. Now he’s going to "Develop" it!

What that basically means is that once the composer has given the two "Theme Groups" in an Exposition, he or she is going to basically take those themes and play around with them. This is where the composer can get really creative, as well as being very dramatic. Remember, the two of those "Theme Groups" (theme A and theme B) are designed to contrast with one another. So basically, what the composer does is to develop an "argument" between them. It’s really called that - an "argument."

See, the whole idea in any good story is that there is conflict. And just as in a book, movie or a play, music can have a good conflict as well.

The composer can just go wild here. He can (and will) put the themes in different keys and combinations, try different contrasts, approach things from novel ways. There’s virtually no end to the fun you can have when you’re writing a Development.

As a matter of fact, as the 19th century went by and the "Romantic era" got going into full swing, the Development section in these movements started to get much longer and more complicated, so that it eventually took up most of the whole movement. And actually, it was Beethoven himself that started that process - but he’s not doing it here. This is a great Development section, but it is definitely in the smaller "Classical era" proportion. We’ll have to wait until his much more ambitious third symphony ("Eroica") before he would really start to show his stuff.

Still, this Development is suitably interesting and dramatic for a "Classical" symphony, as it belongs to an age and society that valued the beauty of symmetry of form over broad, expressive power.

In our Development in this symphony, Beethoven goes back to the beginning of "Theme Group 1" and has the opening of that theme (the "A" theme) played three times in a row, each time in a different key, all of them minor. Then he goes down to another dramatic minor key and plays with a different part of the theme.

You do not need to be a music expert to follow all the things he does. All you really have to do is listen closely to it. The Development section is usually all very dramatic, and you learn to follow it by listening to it several times. After a few listens, you’ll even be able to hum along with the entire thing. Perhaps the best thing to do is to  just drift along as the music carries you in all the directions that the composer comes up with as he tosses you on the stormy seas of his imagination.

This is why listening closely (and often) to classical music is so important if you truly want to enjoy it. Once you are familiar with a piece of music - especially with a good Development section - you can be amazed and overwhelmed at just how rich the experience is in dramatic (and sometimes even spiritual) content. At its best, no music is better than Western classical music for expressive power. (You’ll see that most clearly if you continue on to explore Beethoven’s later, more mature symphonies.)

D. Recapitulation (purple/dark blue/light blue) (6:09)

To "recapitulate" is to go back and say what you’ve said before. Immediately following the Development section of a sonata-allegro-form movement comes the "Recapitulation," where basically all the material that was in the "Exposition" will return to be played in pretty much the same order, although there will usually be a few changes for variety’s sake.

As we look at our Recapitulation section here, we notice it is in three parts, with the same three colors we had in the Exposition. This means we are going to go back through the "Theme Group 1", the "Theme Group 2" and the "Closing Group", or codetta, again.

After a Development section, all the original material returning sounds more definite and authoritative than ever. And the reason for that is that the original music is "asserting itself" boldly after being "challenged" so many different ways in the Development. By the time all the music is put forth again in the Recapitulation, you should definitely begin to recognize it very well. (Remember, the more you listen to a movement, the more you’ll recognize the music. Knowing where the different sections are gives you the knowledge and understanding of just how and why everything is in the place that it is.)

Go ahead and listen to the Recapitulation all the way through.

You may notice that not only did Beethoven change some things up a little, but he even made the music a bit more forceful in places than he did in the Exposition. That’s because these movements are supposed to build up to a big, climactic finish. And we’re almost there!

E. Coda (green) (7:38)

In most sonata-allegro-form movements, we get a big ending called a "Coda." Sometimes these are quite long and elaborate, other times they are shorter and more to the point. (This one is kind of in between.) The whole point of a Coda is to sum up everything we’ve heard in the movement so far, and to bring it to a dynamic and definite finish. A good coda should leave you feeling quite satisfied, reinforcing the fact that you’ve really been on an adventure and you’ve finally arrived home (usually in triumph).

Go ahead and listen to our Coda.

Notice that at the beginning of the Coda, Beethoven started to go off in a new direction, almost as if he was starting a new Development. But that didn’t last long, and before you know it, you’re caught up in the unmistakable momentum of heading toward the ending.

Whew. Now, as you do after all great climaxes, you lay back and have a cigarette.

Actually, now you go on and listen to the other three movements of the symphony. I recommend that you take your time here during the first listening, to go back and play the entire first movement straight through without stopping it, you that you can hear the way the entire thing is supposed to sound and feel with its construction. (And remember, the more times you listen to it, the more you will recognize, appreciate and enjoy what is going on.)

When you're ready to go on to the second movement, let the video continue, and it will go to the second screen.

2. Andante cantabile con moto (8:25)

Okay, this is the "slow" movement. Actually, Andante means "at a walking pace," so this one isn’t too slow, but it’s definitely slower than the first movement. Con moto simply means "with motion," so I suppose you imagine walking and swinging your arms. Remember, Beethoven can’t be here to show you exactly how to play it, so he describes what he wants the best he can.

Also, this movement is in 3/4 time, which means you count it "1-2-3, 1-2-3," like a waltz instead of a fast "1-2-3-4" like the first movement. (I only mention this in case you really like to count.)

In our little video, the second movement will pop up on the screen and begin playing just after the first movement ends. If you want to start there, it begins at the 8:25 point.

Notice we have a new grid with colors that our little bar is going to traverse to tell us where precisely we are in the movement. Now, remember, I said that there were a number of forms that a composer could use to structure the second movement? So, well, what did Beethoven choose here? If we look at it a moment, we’ll realize that he used: another sonata-allegro form! Well, technically, I guess we could call this a "sonata-andante" form, but just the term "sonata form" is sufficient.

A. Exposition (dark red/brown/dark green) (8:25)

The first thing we notice here is that there is no Introduction. The movement begins right away with the Exposition. There are three sections to the Exposition. The first, dark red section is our "A theme" or "Theme Group 1." The second, brown section is our "B theme" or "Theme Group 2." And the third and final section that’s kind of dark green, is our codetta or "Closing Group."
You know how this works by now, so go ahead and play the Exposition all the way through.

Now let’s go back to that 8:25 point and listen to the "Theme Group 1" again. You notice it’s a nice soft little tune, and it’s easy to hum along to. It starts out quietly, just in the violins. But before it can finish, Beethoven starts it over again, this time with the lower strings - the violas and cellos. (And it’s in a different key.) Finally, the whole orchestra enters, playing it from the beginning, so we have three whole layers going on at once. You know what’s going on: It’s just like singing, "Row, row, row, your boat" with your friends- it’s a round. Only in classical music, it’s called a "canon." (This is not that important, and you don’t have to think about it too much - it’s just a way for Beethoven to make the tune a little more interesting and pretty.)

Eventually all the lines come together, the music turns a corner (goes to a different key), goes "dot-dot-dot-dot" and stops. That’s the end of our "Theme Group 1."

"Theme Group 2" (9:14) is actually very similar. Instead of contrasting the A section with a radically different B section, Beethoven complements it by using similar material to basically "answer" "Theme Group 1" with "Theme Group 2." Hear it? It’s really pretty simple. And when he finishes answering it, he goes ahead and answers it again, only this time louder and with a little variation before he comes to a complete finish.

The codetta, or "Closing Group" (10:06) is really kind of fun in a cute way. Basically, Beethoven just repeats the end of the "Theme Group 2" material, using fast triplets (1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, etc.) on the violins, then the woodwinds to get a little action going, until he reaches the end of the tune. Then he reinforces the ending of the Development with four strong chords, telling you the whole thing is over. That’s it!

So go ahead and put it back to the 8:25 point to hear the whole Exposition section again. Remember: the more times you listen to a piece of classical music, the better you know it, and the better you understand it.

There. Now, remember, in a sonata form, normally, the whole exposition would repeat again. And actually Beethoven wrote in a repeat, but whoever recorded this version decided to just play the Exposition once. Sometimes some conductors will repeat things and others won’t. Don’t worry about it, though. Let’s just move on.

B. Development (Green) (10:26)

Remember, the Development section is where the composer is going to play around with the musical themes and ideas that he has introduced in the Exposition. The first thing Beethoven does here is switch from a major key to a minor key, so the beginning of the Development has a very different feel. There’s going to be more contrast here, more conflict and more drama. As a matter of fact, Beethoven is going to take his little tune here and make it very interesting.

Notice the way Beethoven makes everything sound more dramatic here. He changes keys, sets the music in conflict, and reaches climaxes. The Development does not go on too long, however, and it ends with two big climactic chords before quietly going on back into the Recapitulation.

C. Recapitulation (dark red/brown/dark green) (11:35)

Beethoven adds a lot of ornamentation and detail to the Recapitulation groups, especially "Theme Group 1," where you’ll find a lot of embellishment and counter-melody. "Them Group 2," on the other hand is simpler and sparer, while the "Closing Group" is almost exactly the same.

D. Coda (green) (13:27)

Just as we did in the first movement, we are going to have a Coda, or closing section, here. Notice that it starts our sounding very much like "Theme Group 1", then Beethoven starts playing around with it until you can definitely tell it’s heading for the end. The charming little "slow movement" has ended.
 

3. Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace (14:36)

Now comes the exciting third movement that Lenny was talking about in the video above. Notice that it is labeled "Menuetto," or a "minuet," and yes it’s in 3/4 time. But just as he pointed out, it’s marked "Allegro molto e vivace" (very lively and fast), so it’s not going to wind up sounding like a dainty minuet at all, but something much bigger and more exciting.

Go ahead and let the video advance to the next movement, and we’ll see a new screen. The form of the "Menuetto" is much simpler than the "sonata-allegro" form we’ve been using.

Basically, there are two sections to a minuet: an "A" section and a "B" section. Both sections are usually connected to one another, so that "A" is the first half and "B" is the second half. In the olden days (the "Classical era" and earlier), they were usually both about the same length. But look at what Beethoven has done here: The "A" section is much shorter than the "B" section - so much so that the "A" section is practically nothing more than an "introduction" to the "B" section, which is basically where all the action happens.

Also note that the first section of the Minuet is labeled "AA". That just means it’s going to be played twice - that is, repeated.

A. Minuet (brown) (14:36)

Play that short little first section of the Minuet that’s labeled "AA". You’ll see it’s a very brief fragment of music that build up steps quickly to a climactic halt. And you’ll also note that it immediately does it again. That’s it - that’s the first part of the so-called "Minuet." The longer second section (beginning at 14:46) is basically a long answer to this first statement. Go ahead and play it.

Exciting, isn’t it? And although it has what you could call some little "sub-sections" in it, for our purposes, it’s easiest just to think of "B" as one long answer to "A."

Actually, it’s so good, you’re probably want to hear it again. And you will! Beethoven knows it’s not only good, but it’s an exciting shock for his audience, so he immediately repeats the entire "B" section again (starting at 15:24). Go ahead and play it.

See? It’s even better the second time through! And it really does get exciting, what with all those tympani and all. Now, once we’ve gone through the whole "Minuet," we’re ready to move on to the next section.

B. Trio (blue, purple) (16:02)

Now, what is a "Trio," you may well ask?

Well, what we’re looking at is what’s known as the "Minuet and Trio" form. And it came about like this. Back in the good old 17th century, when a small chamber orchestra would play a minuet that all the rich people could dance to after dinner, someone got the idea of breaking up the monotony by having a separate little section where only three instruments - a "trio" - would play a different little tune before the minuet’s melody would pick up again.

Now, the powdered-wig crowd in the 18th century liked this tradition, so when someone like Haydn or Mozart would write a "minuet" - whether people were dancing or not - they kept the "trio" section, just for the same sake of variety. Only it wasn’t necessarily played by just three instruments any more. In a symphony, like the one we have here, the "trio" can be played by any combination of instruments, up to the entire orchestra. (Trios were still generally kept a little more quiet than the minuet, however, once again just to accentuate the difference, and thus the variety.)

Well, as we see, Beethoven decided to keep the so-called "Trio" in the third movement of his symphonies - even when he started calling them "Scherzos." And it’s good that he did, because they still work just as well - you guessed it - for providing variety!

Now, notice, there are two parts to the "Trio": there is an "A" section and a "B" section. The "A" section is in blue, the "B" section is in purple. Go ahead and listen to both of them.

Notice the "A" section is quieter than the "Minuet." Basically, it’s just some clarinets tooting, with orchestral strings answering. Now, the "B" section is basically the same at first, but then builds up to a big climax. Then it’ll do it again. And, boom! the "Trio" section is over. But wasn’t it a nice change of pace?

We’re almost home free in the third movement. All that’s left to do is to repeat the "Minuet" again. But this time, to get it over with quicker, Beethoven is only going to play the "A" section once (beginning at 17:06), then move right into the "B section, after which not only the "Minuet" (which is once again brown), but the whole movement will be over and done.

After you’ve listened to the whole thing, I recommend going back and playing the whole movement through without stopping. It really is very dynamic and a lot of fun. (Much more fun than a regular old "minuet" of the old school!)
 

4. Finale. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace (17:54)

 We’ve finally reached the fourth and final movement of the symphony. Notice that, like the third movement, Beethoven has labeled it Allegro molto e vivace - "extremely fast and lively." But he has also labeled the first part of it Adagio - "slow and stately." Just what is going on here? Well, just as in the first movement, Beethoven is going to have a slow Introduction before he gets into the movement proper, which once again - you guessed it - is going to be organized in "sonata-allegro" form. So let’s get going!

A. Introduction (dark green) (17:54)

You’ll notice the green section is fairly short, and yes this movement will have a very short Introduction. It is a clever one, however, and it serves to get the movement off and running. First, there’s one big loud chord. Then the violins start to slowly play a little scale, stopping, then going a little farther. Once we get almost to the end of the scale, the bar hits the line, and we jump right into the Exposition.

B. Exposition (blue/purple/violet) (18:16)

Once again, the Exposition is broken down into two Theme Groups ("Theme Group 1" and "Theme Group 2"), plus a codetta ("Closing Group"). Go ahead and play the whole Exposition, listening for the contrasting themes as the bar moves from one section to another.

Notice that this is bright, snappy, exciting music. The first theme ("A") is built on the scale that Beethoven teased us with in the Introduction. The whole group comes to an end, and the "B" theme ("Theme Group 2") is also a nice, sprightly little tune. Finally the "Closing Group" drives everything home and draws it to a conclusion. By now, you should definitely see how the 2-theme Exposition section works. It’s not hard to understand, and by listening to the music over and over, it should get easier and easier to tell exactly where you are in a sonata-allegro form movement.

Right now, we’re going to get a chance to hear what we’ve just heard some more, because Beethoven is going to repeat the entire Exposition again, just in case you missed something.

C. Exposition repeat (blue/purple/violet) (19:30)

And there it goes again!

D. Development (light green) (20:43)

Remember, the Development section is where the composer takes all the material he has trotted out for the movement and plays around with it, coming up with all kinds of contrasts, key changes and climaxes. Once again, this one is fun and interesting, but not terribly long (at least by later standards). Go ahead and enjoy it.

E. Recapitulation (blue/purple/violet) (21:38)

The Development section left us kind of up in the air, so we’re going back now to the themes in (more or less) their original form in the Recapitulation. Yes, there’s a little bit of change for variety’s sake and dramatic interest, and the more you listen to the symphony, the more you’ll be able to hear the differences between the Expositions and the Recapitulations. And while that’s great, remember that the main thing is that the Recapitulation repeats the two "Theme Groups" and the codetta, in the same order, bringing symmetry to the movement and making it easy to follow.

F. Coda (medium green) (22:40)

We’re almost home free! Beethoven wraps up the movement - and indeed the entire symphony - with a final Coda or ending. And Beethoven writes great Codas. He really likes to make a big deal about his music coming to an end, and these are always lots of fun to listen to. And when it’s over - well, the whole symphony is over!

What now?

Well, basically, you’re going to want to go back and listen to the whole symphony over again. (Maybe not right now, but at least by tomorrow.) If the graph helps you to follow the movements, go ahead and listen to it on the video. But once you really get the hang of the sections involved - especially in the sonata-allegro-form movements - you’re going to want to just listen to a great performance on your stereo and follow the movement sections in your head.

I’m planning to do a basic analysis of all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies, just like this, and since they start getting progressively more complicated, it’s good to take a close look at them. But, no matter how far out they get, you can still follow them, since they use the same basic sonata-allegro (and simpler) forms.

And not will you be able to follow all of Beethoven’s symphonies, but his concertos, sonatas, and string quartets as well, since they’re all basically structured the same way. Soon, you'll be "slooshing" away and "viddying horrorshow pictures" in your head, just like Little Alex!

If you’re like me, you’ll want to get all of Ludwig van’s great symphonies. And they don’t have to be expensive. You can buy them singly or in pairs, or the best way - by the box. (I bought the complete symphonies conducted by Leonard Bernstein on Amazon for under 30 bucks - and they sound great!) One thing’s for sure - there’s no lack of recordings of these symphonies. Just about every orchestra in the world plays them!

But that’s not all. These forms were inherited by Beethoven from the "Classical era" of the 18th century, so you’ll easily be able to follow the compositions of Haydn and Mozart. And since Beethoven kept the forms intact for later composers to use, you’ll also be ready to move forward and listen confidently to Schubert, Brahms, Mahler, Bartok, and dozens (if not hundreds) more!

Now, of course, there are other forms besides the Sonata-Allegro form. There are Baroque forms. There are opera forms. There are experimental forms. But a good, solid grounding in sonata-allegro form is the real key to unlocking an unlimited world of enjoyment of Western classical art music.

Hope you enjoyed it. I’ll be back with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 real soon!

petey