The orchestra Beethoven uses in the First Symphony (double woodwind, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings) is no different in size to that employed by Haydn. Perhaps most notably, Beethoven designates the third movement as a minuet, but his recommended tempo marking of Allegro molto e vivace suggests that it is in essence the first of his dynamic symphonic scherzos.īeethoven’s First Symphony, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic under Simon Rattle The First also follows a similar structural outline to the late Haydn symphonies, even though Beethoven places more emotional weight on the finale. The retrospective elements are most obviously manifested in the close thematic relationship that exists between this Symphony in the ‘festive’ key of C major and previous works bearing the same tonality, most notably Haydn’s Symphony No. How did Beethoven cope with going deaf?Īs befitting a work composed at the turn of the 19th century, Beethoven’s First pays homage to the great Viennese classical tradition, but also offers tantalising anticipations of his innovative symphonic writing in the next decade.The First Symphony bears a dedication to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, one of the most vociferous supporters of Beethoven at the time and the librettist of Haydn’s oratorios The Creation and The Seasons. It was unveiled for the first time before the Viennese public at a concert on 2 April, 1800 and published the following year. In fact, Beethoven had made an abortive attempt to write a symphony between 1796 and ’97, but the work was only completed two years later.
The highly self-critical composer was evidently reluctant to tackle either medium until he felt fully equipped to write something that could match the achievement of his great forebears, Mozart and Haydn. Missing from this work list, however, were either symphonies or string quartets.
In the following years, he completed a substantial body of chamber music (piano trios and string trios and works for wind instruments), duo and solo piano sonatas and a piano concerto (No.
After permanently settling in Vienna in 1792 at the age of 22, Beethoven set about mastering an impressive range of musical genres.
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