Weekend Morning Classics

Over the last few months I have been listening to pre-20th century music on weekend mornings with my wife.  Usually this happens over breakfast.  This is something that I have been enjoying.  So far we have listened to all nine Beethoven Symphonies.  This past Sunday we listened to Brahms's Symphony No. 1.  Some critics and musicologists have equated Brahms's first symphony with what could have been Beethoven's tenth symphony.  I do share this opinion to an extent.  While the sound world is clearly influenced by Beethoven, I feel as if Brahms's own compositional voice colors this symphony.  It is a lot more than just being an extension of Beethoven.

Another aspect of Brahms's first that detracts from this equation is the year in which it was written.  Brahms composed his Symphony No. 1 in 1876.  Beethoven's ninth symphony was composed in 1824.  There is almost fifty years difference between the two pieces.  It is hard for me to think of Brahms as "picking up" where Beethoven left off.  Sonically there are similarities between the two composers, but Brahms's own voice is too prevalent for this supposed continuation to make sense.