The first movement (Adagio molto) opens up with a slow 12 bar introduction containing a dominant chordal movement relative to the tonal center of G Major but with suggestions of an F major as a possible tonal center. One can gain a great sense of dominant tension …show more content…
It starts very lyrically at the end of bar 52 with a legato motif that starts with a minim that then does a descending quaver note movement in the oboes. This is conversationally repeated by flutes creating more antithetic dialogue.
Subject 2:
This is highly contrasting to the first subjects’ rapid and vigorous quality. The dialogue is carried on for four measures through to bar 56 until a variation (S2b) carries out a sforzando accent on beat three for woodwinds and beat four for strings, giving a rather energetic quality to the phrase.
This motivic pattern imitates three times, each time increasing in dynamic to create a climactic crescending quality that is followed by scale passages in the woodwind and strings in bars 69 – 70.
Scale passages (m. 68 – 72):
After this turbulent affair we see the return of the second subject which makes a light ending in measures 77 – 88 as the initial piano minim-followed-by-quaver motif is commanded by the lower stringed instruments while there are sustained long notes played by the woodwinds and a soft piannisimo accompaniment by the string section.
Return of the second subject with light accompaniment by