Wes Crone:

>...  Many people have commented that Brahms' 1st symphony sounds like it
>should be Beethoven's 10th and have also claimed that the anthem from the
>finale in the Brahms sounds strikingly similar to the famous "Ode to Joy"
>from The Beethoven 9th.  to me I say hogwash.  Sure they have similarities.

It is that third bar of the main subject (ta ta-ta ta ta) in the finale
which he borrowed from Beethoven. Brahms uses that bar to get things going.

>...  Brahms said it best when, upon hearing comment of the similarity
>between his 1st symphony finale and the Beethoven's 9th finale, Brahms
>quipped "Well, any donkey can see that!" A classic line from a classic
>character.  He's saying listen to the work.  Don't sit there with your
>mind on extra-musical matters!

It is not extra-musical matters!  It's a musical quote.  Extra-musical
matters are beyond the music.  This is purely about music.  I like this
finale but if Beethoven's 9th never would have been written, I would have
enjoyed it more....

Mikael
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