hearer’s interest, for the music may be trusted to make its own
direct appeal. After two short, sonorous chords, which summon
us to attention, the first theme, allegro con brio, with its ele-
mental, swinging rhythm, is announced by the ’cellos. It is often
glibly asserted that these notes of the tonic triad are the whole
of the first theme. This is a great misconception, for although
the motive in the first four measures is the generative basis for
the entire movement, the arresting, dramatic note of the theme
is the C-sharp in measure five. This theme in fact is a typical
example of Beethoven’s broad sweeps of thought; for prolonged
with secondary melodic phrases in the first violins and flutes,
its real close does not come until the 13th measure,e.g.
[Music]
[Footnote 141: These are based in this work and in all Sym-
phonic compositions on the full orchestral score (in the Peters
edition); the student is therefore recommended to adopt this
practise. For in Beethoven and all orchestral writers the thought
and expression are so integrally bound up with the tone color
and idiom of the various instruments that when their works are
reduced to another medium much of the eloquence is lost. For
those who cannot handle an orchestral score there are adequate
arrangements for 2 hands, 4 hands and for 2 pianofortes in sev-
eral standard editions. Those who have an advanced pianoforte
technique should certainly become familiar with the virtuoso-
transcriptions of the Beethoven Symphonies by Franz Liszt.]
After a varied repetition of the first motive of the theme, there
occurs a passage (measures 23-33)[142] which illustrates one of
the most characteristic features in all Beethoven’s work,i.e.,
those sharp dislocations of the rhythm, indicated by the sforzando
accents (sf) on beats usuallyunaccentedand often coupled with
strong dissonances. Although the basic rhythm is triple, the
beats for several measures are in groups of two quarter notes or
their equivalent, one half note,e.g.
[Music]
[Footnote 142: It is an excellent practise to number the measures
of a score in groups of 10 .]
No longer can we drift along in dreamy apathy; our vitality
is quickened as by the gusts of a tornado. There have been
those who for the first time in their lives were jarred from