BRAHMS'S SYMPHONY NO 1:
- THE BEST MOMENTS -

I kicked off my Symphony No. 1 with a bit of a tease, you know, like when you think you're about to get a joke but it's just the setup. The timpani rolls in like thunder looking for a storm, and then BAM! The strings and winds come in with a melody that's more gripping than your grandma's cheek pinch.

I decided to give the audience a break with the second movement, Andante sostenuto, because after the first one, they needed it like a nap after Thanksgiving dinner. It's like a lullaby that could put a caffeinated squirrel to sleep, with the oboe singing a tune so sweet, it could make onions cry tears of joy.

I must have been in a whimsical mood when I penned the third movement, Un poco allegretto e grazioso, because it's like watching a ballet dancer trying to do the polka. It's light, it's frothy, it's the musical equivalent of a kitten chasing a laser pointer – utterly delightful and slightly ridiculous.

I start the fourth movement, Adagio - Più andante - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio, with the kind of suspense that makes you think I'm about to reveal the secret of the universe, but nope, just another symphony movement. Then it picks up the pace, and we're off to the races, with horns and strings sprinting towards a finish line that's as grand as a fireworks finale, but with more violins and less risk of setting your hair on fire.