<P> The first movement, in time, is in sonata form, with typical performances between 12 and 18 minutes long depending on interpretation and whether the exposition repeat is played . Unlike the longer introductions in Beethoven's first two symphonies, the movement opens with two large E ♭ major chords, played by the whole orchestra, that establish the tonality of the movement . </P> <P> The conductor Kenneth Woods has noted that the opening movement of Eroica has been inspired by and modeled on Mozart's Symphony No. 39, and shares many attributes of that earlier symphony which predates this one by a decade and a half . </P> <P> The exposition begins with the cellos introducing the first theme . By the fifth bar of the melody (m . 7), a chromatic note (C ♯) is introduced, thus introducing the harmonic tension of the work . The melody is finished by the first violins, with a syncopated series of Gs (which forms a tritone with C ♯ of the cellos). The first theme is then played again by the various instruments . </P> <P> The modulation to the dominant key of B ♭ appears early (mm . 42--44). In the traditional analysis, this is followed by three (or in some views, two) transitional subjects that significantly expand the scale of the exposition--a lyrical downward motif (mm . 45--56), an upward scale motif (mm . 57--64), and a section beginning with rapid downward patterns in the violins (mm . 65--82). This eventually leads to a lyrical second theme (m . 83) that arrives "unusually late". After this, the second half of the exposition eventually builds to a loud melody (m . 109) that draws upon the earlier downward motif (m . 113). The climactic moment of the exposition arrives when the music is interrupted by six consecutive sforzando chords (mm . 128--131). Later, and following the concluding chords of the exposition (mm . 144--148), the main theme returns in a brief codetta (m . 148) that transitions into the repeat / development . </P>

Who plays the first theme in eroica the first time