Principal theme

The legendary start, the meaning of which has always eluded us, is said to be fascinating by some, quite naive by others (“a small child could have found this theme”), even considered laughable by some modern composers….. Furtwängler has always treated it as an Epigraph or Title. In order to perform this debut the way he felt, he was in the habit of creating a great tension among the players just before starting (the celebrated wavering and trembling of his baton). He would then release that tension with the utmost power. A famous story tells us about Music academy professors who, fascinated by Furtwängler’s treatment of this entry, enthusiastically describe it to their pupils, at the same time strongly advising them not to try to imitate it ! This entry is mathematically unbalanced, Beethoven having written here an additional full bar to the second fermata. This could be one of the reasons for which Furtwängler invariably isolates this particular cell.

Entry into the Recapitulation (ff)

From this point; the Title will be treated in the same way at each recurrence, with optimum power drawn from all desks concerned. Let us not forget that Schindler, friend and disciple of Beethoven, used to tout Europe, recommending the above reatment to eminent musicians such as Liszt, Mendelssohn and others, even if said musicians did not always see eye to eye with Schindler. Here are the two most striking examples of the recurrence of this cell, the performance of which – either gradual or sudden rallentando – has always been very trying technically for the players :

Ending of Recapitulation (ff)

See above

The basic tempo of the 1st movement is always independent of the Epigraph : this is a Furtwängler constant again, even if the basic tempi in all three performances under study are far from being identical. Let us listen to all three tempi, up to the return of the principal cell.

The basic pace is off again, followed by a crescendo culminating into three fortissimi, expressed by Furtwängler in pure energy, namely on the string section, and so on until the cell’s 4th appearance on the horn.

The rush into the abyss (development)

This particular energy on the strings shall always be a striking feature of the movement. Another example is given hereunder.

Peak of the movement (before the final peroration)

Starting from the peak of the movement, every single note shall be made of iron, while we witness the theme falling down, only to be reborn of its embers and rise in the spectacular way that only a Beethoven could have achieved !

We must not omit the Second Theme ! Stemming organically from the cell on the horn solo, it is always performed by Furtwängler at a slightly more moderate tempo than the main theme. This Furtwängler constant allows him proper equilibrium between the Dionysiac and the Apollinian. However some variables differentiate the three performances.

Other variables can be observed in the Adagio solo of the oboe, brought on quite “naturally” by the strings, with more pronounced rallentando in 1943 and 1954. Thanks to the insight that Wagner had obtained by the proper execution of this passage, he claims to have “gained a new point of view, from which the entire movement appeared in a clearer and warmer light, so entirely remote from a movement solely based on inexorable arithmetic rythmics or digital gymnastics”.

Finally, let us draw the listener’s attention to the impressive silence which follows the last recurrence of the main theme, just before the coda : the length of this silence has always varied, depending on the emotional intensity expressed all through the movement.