Symphony No 1. in C major Op. 21

The symphony is clearly indebted to Beethoven's predecessors, particularly his teacher Joseph Haydn, but nonetheless has characteristics that clearly mark it as Beethoven's work, notably the frequent use of sforzandi and the prominent use of wind instruments. Sketches for the finale are found among the exercises Beethoven wrote while studying counterpoint under Johann Georg Albrechtsberger in the spring of 1795.