1.7 (above average)
Tune of the Day: Theme from Brahms's Symphony No. 1
Brahms spent at least fourteen years completing his Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, whose sketches date from 1854. Brahms himself declared that the symphony, from sketches to finishing touches, took 21 years, from 1855 to 1876.
What we propose today is a transcription of the symphony's most famous part, namely the main theme from the fourth movement, marked “Allegro non troppo, ma con brio”.
It is often remarked that there is a strong resemblance between this theme and the main theme of the finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. This rather annoyed Brahms, who felt that this amounted to accusations of plagiarism, whereas he saw his use of Beethoven's idiom in this symphony as an act of conscious homage. Brahms himself said, when comment was made on the similarity with Beethoven, “Any fool can see that!”
Thanks to Marian for suggesting this tune!