I have heard arguments that the introduction of Beethoven's first symphony is an example of tonal ambiguity from several people, but the first one I heard it from was Chairat Chongvattanakij, a youtube channel that has analysis videos of 6 of Beethoven's 9 symphonies. Specifically I heard it in this video, not surprisingly, an analysis of Beethoven's first symphony:
But I disagree. Instead, here is my perspective on the situation.
First measure emphasizes the subdominant, but we don't know it yet. There is then further emphasis on the submediant and the dominant. But we don't know until towards the end of the introduction that that is what is going on. Still, the harmonic motion is too clear for it to truly be tonal ambiguity. True tonal ambiguity would involve harmonic motion that isn't as clear as it is in Beethoven's works, and more likely, the whole tone scale or the pentatonic scale. Only 1 composer I know of did this on a regular basis, that one being Claude Debussy.
So what else could explain this fleeting C major that isn't confirmed until the Allegro? Modulation. I think this is what is going on, starting from the cadence on F. It would explain why C major is only there in fleeting moments before it goes back to being in A minor or whatever. It isn't until the last measure with its long G chord and its fast downward scale that leads straight into the Allegro that C major is confirmed as the key. Further evidence that this is modulation and not tonal ambiguity? Basically any of Beethoven's works, they all involve lots of modulation, including moments where the modulation is almost constant.
A great example of this though is his Rondo a Cappricio, which modulates a lot and has this moment of constant modulation where the key moves from B major to Ab major, through a bunch of seventh chords, most of them being diminished 7ths on the leading tone of the key they lead to or in third inversion. The sequence of vii°7 -> I is interrupted by G#°7, a chord that is treated like a B°7 that leads to C minor. This then leads to another sequence of V7 -> vii°7 4/2 -> V7 -> I, which ends on Ab major. In fact, I could analyze this entire piece, and perhaps I should.
But getting back to his first symphony, I think modulation is the answer. The harmonic motion is too clear to be tonal ambiguity, yet the C major is too fleeting to sound like the tonic in the introduction. The only thing that explains both of these things is modulation.
Here is the symphony with the score, so that you can see the fleeting C major:
And here is Rondo a Cappricio so that you can see why I think it is modulation and not tonal ambiguity that is the answer:
Do you think modulation is the answer as to why C major doesn't feel like the tonic in the symphony introduction, or do you think Beethoven truly is being tonally ambiguous?
But I disagree. Instead, here is my perspective on the situation.
First measure emphasizes the subdominant, but we don't know it yet. There is then further emphasis on the submediant and the dominant. But we don't know until towards the end of the introduction that that is what is going on. Still, the harmonic motion is too clear for it to truly be tonal ambiguity. True tonal ambiguity would involve harmonic motion that isn't as clear as it is in Beethoven's works, and more likely, the whole tone scale or the pentatonic scale. Only 1 composer I know of did this on a regular basis, that one being Claude Debussy.
So what else could explain this fleeting C major that isn't confirmed until the Allegro? Modulation. I think this is what is going on, starting from the cadence on F. It would explain why C major is only there in fleeting moments before it goes back to being in A minor or whatever. It isn't until the last measure with its long G chord and its fast downward scale that leads straight into the Allegro that C major is confirmed as the key. Further evidence that this is modulation and not tonal ambiguity? Basically any of Beethoven's works, they all involve lots of modulation, including moments where the modulation is almost constant.
A great example of this though is his Rondo a Cappricio, which modulates a lot and has this moment of constant modulation where the key moves from B major to Ab major, through a bunch of seventh chords, most of them being diminished 7ths on the leading tone of the key they lead to or in third inversion. The sequence of vii°7 -> I is interrupted by G#°7, a chord that is treated like a B°7 that leads to C minor. This then leads to another sequence of V7 -> vii°7 4/2 -> V7 -> I, which ends on Ab major. In fact, I could analyze this entire piece, and perhaps I should.
But getting back to his first symphony, I think modulation is the answer. The harmonic motion is too clear to be tonal ambiguity, yet the C major is too fleeting to sound like the tonic in the introduction. The only thing that explains both of these things is modulation.
Here is the symphony with the score, so that you can see the fleeting C major:
And here is Rondo a Cappricio so that you can see why I think it is modulation and not tonal ambiguity that is the answer:
Do you think modulation is the answer as to why C major doesn't feel like the tonic in the symphony introduction, or do you think Beethoven truly is being tonally ambiguous?