That said, here are some important things to consider:

We aren't listening enough, or we aren't well-prepared enought to be ABLE to listen meaningfully.  This effects everything from whether we drag/rush with regard to the inner voices to whether or not the oboe has a chance to be heard in a tutti passage.  In order to listen better you need to both: 1)  Know your part well enough that you can escape it.  2)  Be familiar enough with the piece on the whole to know where to point your ears.  This is why both practicing and writing down who to listen for is so vital.

This is most important thing we need to work on.  But, as I've said above, it's not something you can just decide to do in rehearsal, you must practice in order to enable yourself to do it.  The biggest reason to do so, however, is NOT so we'll have a cleaner/more effective performance (which we will).  It's that you will LOVE what happens when you get beyond your part.  The experience of playing in orchestra will be transformed in a way you can't possibily appreciate until you make it happen for yourself.

We're letting Beethoven get the better of us with his subito dynamics.  Beethoven doesn't like diminuendos.  He doesn't like to ease his way between dynamics.  He likes to throw them at you hard and fast and catch you offguard.  Unfortunately, in order for the AUDIENCE to be caught off-guard by all these changes, and for them to express the kind of "play" that's all over the music, WE have to make them with precision.  Know where the quiet dynamics, in particular, are.  OVER play them at the start.  If you're too quiet it's easy to adjust up.  If you're too loud, we're sunk.  This takes both practice and REVIEW of your part, even without an instrument.

ALSO, changes in dynamic shouldn't be effecting the tempo so much.  Practice passages with a lot of dynamic changes with a metronome to know your body's rushing/dragging tendencies and learn to work against them.

We're losing the tension by getting louder.  The sustained quiet passages, particularly in the third movement, are wonderfully effective ONLY if they STAY QUIET.  You have to be on your guard against things getting louder before they're meant to, or getting too loud too fast in crescendos.

In your practice emphasize RHYTHM and DYNAMICS over ALL THINGS.  If you're struggling with a passage and you've done your best with it but can't execute it cleanly.  Just practice keeping up rhythmically with a metronome and make sure you're in the right dynamic.  If you end up dropping a few notes it won't be a big deal compared to having either of these two dimensions suffer.

EVERYONE MUST WORK ON PLAYING QUIETER AND LIGHTER THROUGHOUT ACCOMPANIMENT PASSAGES

Woodwinds

1st Mov:

-Be sure to match the strings' articulation of the dotted-figures throughout.

-Let flute lead texture at E

-Bassoons: Match string length at I, Play Out in mm. 278-281

2nd Mov:

-Flute/Oboe: Match strings' articulation at Q

3rd Mov:

-Match string articulations at A (and in analogous place at E)

-As short as possible and as soft as possible at B

-Light and short at C

-K VERY legato

-Oboes please rehearse from L-N with a metronome.

-Everyone please practice S-T with a metronome

Brass

-In general you need to lighten up in tutti passages, at least in louder dynamics.

-Horns please practice the following, with a metronome except on the 2nd mov.

1st Mov. mm. 223-L

2nd Mov. R-End

-EVERYONE please make an effort to make the following as short and light as possible

3rd Mov. B-C, D, 5 after R-S

Strings

1st Mov.

2nds: Please practice the opening with a metronome to be rhythmically secure with the trill figure

Celli/Bassi: Please practice G to 5 after H with a metronome

Celli: Please practice 8 after L to M

1sts and 2nds: Please be secure enough with the last 10 bars of the movement that you can look up.

2nd Mov.

-EVERYONE MUST BE QUIETER FROM THE FIRST NOTE

-KNOW YOUR ACCIDENTALS (2nds 3 after P)

3rd Mov.

-EVERYONE MUST PLAY THE ACCOMPANIMENT SECTIONS LIGHTER

-Violins: Please practice from K-M with a metronome (do the WHOLE passage to make transitions between rhythmic gestures solid); Same thing S-T

WOODWINDS:

 -Make sure to match the articulation of the strings from B-E

-Allow flute to lead balance from I-L, also in this passage work for true legato and go after the dynamics

-2 and 3 after F and similar places (Flute/Oboe/Clarinets) PLAY OUT!

BRASS:

-All long notes (half notes or longer) should be attacked WITHOUT ACCENT ("Ah" not "Tah")

-Horns at G and 6 after M, each bar louder until you get to the whole notes

STRINGS:

Practice the following to be sure you are contributing as much as possible to the overall gesture:

-8 before D: Make a real difference between forte and fortissimo

-Practice all instances/variations of gesture 2 after E: Focus on an explosive cresc. from rather quiet to quite loud (Cellos get the gesture first at H--basses never have it.)

-1sts/2nds/Violas: Practice F making sure you're really exploding at the beginning of the 2nd bar.

-Same at G and after M, now with everyone

-Practice from 2 before H to the 2nd bar of I for dynamics

-1sts and Cellos: Practice L for a TRUE legato.  Three-note quarter-note pick-ups, (e.g. right at L/9 after L) must be ONE GESTURE into the following bar.

-Practice any off-beats with a metronome.

The schedule for this coming Monday (Sept. 24) will be as follows:

7-8:30pm Beethoven Independant String Sectionals

7-8:30pm Beethoven Woodwinds/Horns Sectional (No Trumpets/Timpani)

8:30-8:45pm Break

8:45-9:15pm  Beethoven Tutti String Sectional (3rd/4th Mov.)

I'll send a more detailed list of passages to focus on in the next 24 hours, but wanted to get you all this information so you could plan your lives for next week.

See you at rehearsal!