Analyse And Interpretation Of Brahms Symphony No.1

Johannes Brahms is one of the greatest western composers in the 19^th century and known together with Bach and Beethoven as "3Bs". Brahms's symphony strictly follows classicism in its form: adopt a 4-movement structure and typical symphonic approaches during the classicism period, apply classical counterpoint skills to present the profoundness of polyphony, and employ logical theme development methods to endow his works with grandness. However, since Brahms lived in the 19^th century when romanticism was under vigorous development, his works also showed strong romantic features: deep and dense acoustic colors, novel harmonic progress, voluminous internal feelings, and so on. It can be said that, under the shell of classicism Brahms's works contain some romantic connotations. Handling and interpretation of musical works by the conductor shall not deviate from the composer's original intent and creative style, while exploration of the composer's creative intention must be based on comprehensive understanding of his social environment, life experience, creative background and his character.Symphony holds an important position in Brahms's creative career and the four symphonies he created are still influential until nowadays, among which Symphonies No.1 and No.4 are most popular. Brahms Symphony No.1 gives a strong sense of striving, contains a philosophical belief in finding truth, breaking away from grief and walking up to brightness, and at the same time reflects an unforgettable tragic complex as well as sensitive and vulnerable emotional trait, which is closely related to his life experience. So, comprehensive understanding of a composer's life and emotional experiences is the basis for successful interpretation of his works.