Many people have commented on the first five bars of the first
movement. George Perle points out the symmetry of the opening.
The two related row forms, Pll and RIO, create a closed cycle of
trichords which open and close on themselves, establishing a
rhythmic retrograde that maintains a two-to-one relationship. From
mm. 1-3 prime statements of the trichord occur, and in mm. 4-5
retrograde statements of the trichords appear. However, we do not
get a retrograde statement of either the rows or the trichord
order. These trichords are placed in fixed pitch class positions,
so they also represent repeats of the same pitch class material.