Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68,
III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
Listening Guide
Conducted by Günter Wand; Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Germany, 1997
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Composition: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso [a little allegretto and graceful]
Date: 1876
Genre: Symphony
Form: ABA moderate-tempoed, dance-like movement from a symphony
Performing Forces: Romantic symphony orchestra, including two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, one contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, violins (first and second), violas, cellos, and double basses
What we want you to remember about this composition:
- Its lilting tuneful melodies transform the scherzo mood into something more romantic
- It is in ABA form
- It is in A-flat major (providing respite from the C minor pervading the rest of the symphony)
Other things to listen for
- The winds as well as the strings get the melodic themes from the beginning
Timing
Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture
Form:
Clarinet solo with descending question phrases answer phrase in the flutes.
(sparse string accompaniment)
A
Second theme: starts with a clarinet solo and then with the whole woodwind section.
Faster note values in the strings provide increased musical tension
New theme introduced and repeated by different groups in the orchestra. Gradually building dynamic and layers of the texture (more brass); phrase ends with hemiola. Climaxes to a forte dynamic
B
First theme returns answer theme in the strings (varied form).
Sparser accompaniment again
Softer dynamic
A'