Brian O'Neill - Brahms' Symphony No. 4 1st Movement

You may click on a SHOW link to view the musical notation of a theme, to hear it, and to read notes on it.

The material below comprises the "meat and potatoes" of Movement 1. In addition, the key signatures denoted apply to their "expositional" appearances, and no transpositions have been made (to alleviate accidentals). You will find that in many of these themes, there are multiple key signatures discussed since many of the themes are transitory and/or modulatory. The primary key(s) are usually given. Again, italicized key signatures denote the starting tonic only.

Themes
Theme Set 1

[SHOW] Theme 1a - e minor

[SHOW] Theme 1b - G major

[SHOW] Theme 1c - b minor

Theme Set 2

[SHOW] Theme 2a - F# major

[SHOW] Theme 2b - B major

[SHOW] Theme 2c - B major

Other

[SHOW] Transition X - Example 1 - Always includes content of Theme 2c.

[SHOW] Transition X - Example 2 - Always includes content of Theme 2c.

[SHOW] Transition Y - Example 1 - Always includes content of Theme 2c, but this example has other important material in it, unlike Nos. 1 and 2.

[SHOW] New material - Introduced at the end of the coda in e minor, although not enough to call a new theme.