Brahms: Musical Analysis: Bernstein on Brahms, Symphony No. 4, Op. 98, 1st Movement - II. "Our Journey Begins Without Introduction... "
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Our journey begins without introduction or preliminary fussing
With a simple statement of the main theme by the violins
Now this melody is distinguished by several characteristics, all
Of them providing clues to the nature of the whole work to follow
Consisting as it does of a series of two note groups
Separated by little rests or breathing pauses
We are given the impression of a breathlessness, a sort
Of panting that betokens some kind of emotional agitation
But there is another quality controlling this agitation -
Classical symmetry, which manages to contain the passion in a mould
Can you hear the symmetry? It's as though whatever Brahms
Does on the left he must immediately repeat on the right
Like a series of questions and answers or balancing weights
Left. Right. Left. Right. And left. And right. And left. And right
And then there is the fact that each of these two note groups begins
On the weakest part of the measure - the last little beat. And this
Further helps the feeling of agitation, since you get a pulse exactly
Where you least expect one - off the beat, almost like a syncopation
The passionate quality is also bolstered by the accompaniment
Made by the lower strings playing wide range arpeggios
Which gives a sense of surging waves, one after
Another. To say nothing of the syncopated off-beats
In the woodwinds which lend even a further agitation
Did you notice that these woodwind off-beats are
In themselves a version of the violin melody?
They follow almost literally the notes of the theme
Only displaced to make a rhythmic figuration
So we already have from the very first bar of the piece a kind
Of thematic development going on. This is the first ray of
Light illuminating the secret we are after: development. We
Know that we're in symphonic waters the moment this theme begins
The theme has yet another way of telling us that it is ushering in
A symphonic expression, in that it does not pose as a tune -
A complete song melody - but rather as an incomplete melodic line
Which is what a theme really is. A theme has to be incomplete
Open at the end so to speak, so that it requires development -
Begs for it, in fact - to give it fulfilment. A self-sufficient
Closed melody like Liebestraum or something would not need this
Kind of development since it's satisfying in itself, and therefore
Doesn't necessitate the symphonic outgrowth to follow. Perhaps
That's why so many people find symphonic music difficult, because
They're not getting what they expect. The trick is simply not to
Expect Liebestraum - a full-blown, spun-out, complete tune, but an
Incomplete one like this melody of
Brahms, which has a symphonic nature
Now listen to how he continues the melody, adding this new germ
And this one
Which is a development of the first motive
A development achieved by doubling its speed
This device is called diminution in the jargon of the trade
Then there are these two other elements added
And this one
Each of these elements begs for full realisation through development
The whole theme is only the combination of all the elements together