Page:Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (Grove).djvu/13

. It begins, not with the chord of D, but with that of A; whether major or minor is uncertain, as the "third" of the chord is left out. Neither C-sharp nor C-natural are present. All is pianissimo. The Second Violins and 'Cellos sound the accompaniment, with the Horns in unison, to give them more consistency, while the First Violins, Tenors, and Basses are heard successively whispering their way through them from the top of the treble staff to the bottom of the bass, still, however, avoiding the "third."