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program notes revered composers . He had created masterpieces in every musical genre except opera — a field he never chose to enter — and , more surprisingly , the symphony . Back in 1853 when he was only 20 , Schumann had proclaimed him “ the young eagle ” and prophesied : “ If he will sink his magic staff … where the capacity of masses in chorus and orchestra can lend him its powers , still more wonderful glimpses into the mysteries of the spirit world will be before us .” Such flowery tributes imposed a burden such a sensitive and conscientious man as Brahms found hard to bear .
Beethoven ’ s Fifth also provided the key progression : from darkest C minor to triumphant C Major .
In 1872 , he finally exploded at conductor Hermann Levi : “ I shall never write a symphony ! You can ’ t have any idea what it ’ s like always to hear such a giant marching behind you !” The giant , of course , was Beethoven . His nine symphonies were , for Brahms , the apotheosis of the symphonic form ; beside them , Brahms found his own symphonic efforts utterly inadequate . When he finally completed the First Symphony in 1876 , he had the symphony premiered in the musical backwater of Karlsruhe on November 4 th of that year because he was nervous about the response of the Viennese critics .
Beethoven was indeed Brahms ’ model for this work . Of its emotional scenario Jan Swafford , in his superb biography of the composer , writes : “ As in Beethoven ’ s Third , Fifth , and Ninth Symphonies , Brahms ’ First is a symbolic journey from darkness to light , from fatalistic uncertainty to apotheosis , from tragedy to joyous liberation .” And Beethoven ’ s Fifth also provided the key progression : from darkest C minor to triumphant C Major . When friends pointed out that the last movement ’ s chorale tune reminded them of the Ninth ’ s “ Ode to Joy ,” Brahms gruffly retorted : “ Any ass can see that !”
But in emulating his hero , Brahms was by no means painting by numbers . The First was completely in his own voice and broke new ground for symphonic form . Brahms outdid Beethoven at his own game : creating and developing his themes from a handful of motivic nuggets , all smelted together into a shining edifice , with nothing wasted . Brahms ’ two middle movements bring something new to symphonic construction : they are gentle intermezzos providing necessary relief between the power and weight of his opening and closing movements .
First movement : Brahms immediately hurls us into the drama with music of unbearable passion and pain . This battle of ascending and descending lines will be the crux of the movement . Listen for two more important ideas : first , woodwinds swooping downward in large intervals , then an oddly gapped up-and-down theme in the strings . These are the basic nuggets out of which the movement is built . With a snap , the tempo livens to Allegro , and the aggressive principal theme ( built from the strings ’ earlier up-and-down idea ) bounds into action .
The dramatic development section is driven forward by a familiar rhythm thumping away in brass fanfares and timpani ; it is the da-da-da-DUM “ Fate knocking at the idea ” from Beethoven ’ s Fifth ! The movement closes in a truce , with the upward-straining string idea dominating the downward undertow .
The second movement is as gentle as the first was forceful . Strings open a lovely , pensive melody in E Major ,
The BSO
Chris Lee tinged with Brahmsian shadows of the minor mode . An oboe solo picks up the second half of the melody ; later , it introduces the middle section . As the opening melody returns in the winds , Brahms veils it in exquisite colors – diaphanous strings cascading downward , plucked cellos , the faintest murmur of drums .
Movement three is lighter still , an interlude in the country . Its outer sections are all effortless flow , led by clarinets . For the middle trio section , the meter changes to a buoyant peasant dance ; the bucolic charm of this music reminds us that the mature Brahms spent his summers composing in rural retreats far from Vienna .
The finale ’ s slow introduction plunges us back into C minor and the first movement ’ s terrible struggle . It opens with a swelling cry of despair from the violins over the descending undertow in the woodwinds . Then a sign of hope : C Major suddenly appears in the form of a magical alphorn call . The trombones respond with a brief , majestic chorale .
The clouds lift completely for one of Brahms ’ best tunes — his “ Ode to Joy ”— sung in the strings ’ warmest low register . After lyrical themes led by the oboe , this “ Joy ” theme returns even more splendidly before veering off into a vigorous development section . Its culmination brings forth not the “ Joy ” theme we ’ re expecting but the alphorn call . And as Brahms accelerates to his conclusion , he only teases us with fragments of this theme . Instead , the climax goes to the trombone chorale of the slow introduction . The cry of despair is hurled out one more time — deliciously , it turns out to be the minor-mode form of the “ Joy ” theme ! Four vehement thunderclaps salute Brahms ’ triumph over tragedy — and his symphonic hang-up .
Instrumentation : Two flutes , two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons , contrabassoon , four horns , two trumpets , three trombones , timpani , strings .
Notes by Janet E . Bedell , Copyright © 2017
January – February 2017 | Overture 25