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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