The ideas of "predictable," "inevitable," and "surprising" are
illustrated beautifully in Ben Zander's lecture disc accompanying his
Mahler 6th.  Zander shows how the opening theme of the Andante would be
handled by an unexceptional composer, and what it becomes after Mahler
gets his hands on it.  Predictable in the sense that it ends in the key
you expect it to, but via a very surprising route.  Inevitably.

Mitch Friedfeld