ing estimates, if the student is forced to select and cannot
become equally familiar with all of the nine symphonies, a reasonable
order of study would be the following: the Fifth, the Third, the
Seventh, the Eighth, the Fourth, the Ninth, the Second, the Sixth and
the First. See Supplement No. 44.

[Footnote 136: See Beethoven, Kerst-Krehbiel, p. 45.]

[Footnote 137: Read the appropriate essay in _Beethoven and His Nine
Symphonies_ by Sir George Grove.]

[Footnote 138: Vox populi, vox Dei.]

[Footnote 139: D'Indy, however, in his _Beethoven_ (p. 61, English
translation) dissents from this view; not at all convincingly, it
would seem to us. For the basic rhythm of each movement is on a
definite dance metre and the theme of the first movement is a regular
Irish jig (Beethoven at one time being very much interested in Irish
folk-dances) with its typical three final notes, _e.g._

[Music]]

[Footnote 140: It was written, to use Beethoven's own words, in an
"aufgeknoepft" (unbuttoned) condition, _i.e._, free, untramelled,
rather than straight-laced, swaddled in conventions.]

We shall now make a few comments[141] on the first movement of the
_Third_ or _Heroic Symphony_, merely to stimulate the hearer's
interest, for the music may be trusted to make its own direct appeal.
After two short, sonorous chords, which summon us to attention, the
first theme, allegro con brio, with its elemental, swinging rhythm, is
announced by the 'cellos. It is often glibly asserted that these notes
of the tonic triad are the whole of the first theme. This is a great
misconception, for although the motive in the first four measures is
the generative basis for the entire movement, the arresting, dramatic
note of the theme is the C-sharp in measure five. This theme in fact
is a typical example of Beethoven's broad sweeps of thought; for
prolonged with secondary melodic phrases in the first violins and
flutes, its real close does not come until the 13th measure, _e.g._

[Music]

[Footnote 141: These are based in this work and in all Symphonic
compositions on the full orchestral score (in the Peters edition); the
student is therefore recommended to adopt this practise. For in
Beethoven and all orchestral writers the thought and expression are so
integrally bound up with the tone color and idiom of the various
instruments that when their works are reduced to another medium much
of the eloquence is lost. For those who cannot handle an orche