On Beethoven's Openings
Opening Phrase of the "Pastoral": Mood, Symbolism and Musical Function
Musical Acorns: The Outline of Melody; The Shape of a Question
The "Question" in the "Pastoral" Repeated...
...And Answered
The Opening Phrase Ends on a Note Full of Pregnant Expectation
Starting With a Stop
The Rhythmic Profile of the Opening Phrase; A Two-Part Construction
Phrase One, Part One
Phrase One, Part Two
The Properties of Rhythmic Ambiguity; The "Question" of Phrase One Answered
Phrase Two: From Meander to March
The Makings of a Conversation: Contrast and Variation
Repetition as a Major Factor, but It's Never Mere Repetition; Each Time Something New Is Added
From Soft to Loud and Back Again; Instrumental Enrichment from Horns and Double-Basses
Mega-Repetition: Violins Play Exactly the Same Little Fragment Ten Times in a Row
But No Two Repetitions Are Quite the Same; Variaties of Contrast
More Variation; Pitch Rises; Violins Joined First by the Clarinet, Then by the Oboe
Return to Opening Idea, but with New Instrumentation and Articulation
Clarinets, Horns, Bassoons and Flutes Now Join Expansive Variation
"New" Insistent Rhythm Derived from the First Four Notes of the Piece
With the Dawn Chorus, a Whole Forest Is Waking Up; Feelings of Rapture
First Violins Play a Derivative of the Opening Figure, Joined by Winds and Strings
Sudden Change of Key, from the Home Key (Tonic) to the Dominant
Arrival at the Highly Contrasting Second Main Theme
Unusual Properties of Second Main Theme
Rhythmic Clash Between Simultaneous Groups of Three Beats and Groups of Two
Winds Fall Silent as the Violins and Violas Interrupt with a New Theme
Winds Answer with the Same Morse-Like Rhythm, but at Half the Speed
Crescendo Leads To Strings' Acceleration of the Pace with No Increase in Tempo
Beginning of Coda, Directly Based on Morse-Like Rhythm of the Main Theme
Strings Reiterate Small Fragment of the New Theme 13 Times in a Row
A Simple, Rising Violin Phrase Leads to a Repeat of the Exposition
The Nature and Function of the Development Section in Sonata Form; "Harmonic Rhythm" Explained
The Nature of Harmonic Rhythm Illustrated
A Typically Beethovenian Exercise in the Frustration of Expectation
Repetitiousness and Magic Effected Largely through Instrumental Colour
Then Come Four, Almost Identical Bars
Even Greater Magic, with Sudden Switch of Key and Tone Colour
Entire Development Section up to This Point
The Development, Continued
Increased Unease and Suspense as Harmonic Rhythm Accelerates
Arrival at the Point of Recapitualtion; Back to the Beginning, as a Reminder
Beginning of Recapitulation
More Beethovenian Frustrations of Expectations Which He Himself Has Just Set Up
Harmonic Rhythm Speeds Up, Giving the Impression of an Accent on Every Beat
Prevailing Mood Restored; New Theme from Clarinets and Bassoons
Violins and Violas Take Up Theme; Horns, Cellos, Double-Basses Accompany
A Hush Falls, Followed by a Return of the Movement's Most Familiar Tag in Strings
Clarinet Takes Up the Running Triplet Figures of the Main Closing Theme
