1. The first few minutes of this piece are pianissimo, and I must say I enjoyed the extreme softness in the beginning of the symphony. As I was listening I noticed the crescendo throughout the piece until about one minute and thirty four seconds. Then the orchestra was playing pianissimo again for just a few seconds. I then heard another crescendo. I think this lasted throughout the rest of the symphony. I did notice the end of the piece went decrescendo for just a few seconds. The symphony ended fortissimo. The Dynamics of this symphony achieved by the conductor and orchestra was mind blowing. I think learning about dynamics helped me appreciate the piece much more.
2. I believe it is the Brass family playing