I've got tickets to see a performance Brahm's 1st Symphony this Saturday. Really looking forward to it, as the guest violin soloist is supposed to be great.

I've not seen this piece performed live before, but heard several recordings, and it's a good one. Brahms really struggled with it, and it took him 14 years to complete. He wrestled with his reputation as Beethoven's "successor" in the musical public and how to live up to that legacy and pressure. His 1st Symphony is often jokingly referred to as "Beethoven's 10th," but I think that sells Brahms a little short. The opening movement has a great Bach-inspired counterpoint vibe, something Beethoven would never have tried.