PIANO SONATA NO. 1 in C MAJOR, OP. 1
Recording: Martin Jones, pianist [NI 1788]
Published 1853.  Dedicated to Joseph Joachim.

Brahms only wrote three piano sonatas, and they are right at the beginning of his career.  The C-major sonata was one of a group of pieces (also including the Sonata Op. 2) the young 20-year-old showed the Schumanns at their famous first meeting in 1853.  Robert Schumann was particularly impressed with this bold, virtuosic sonata.  Incredibly difficult and romantic, the sonata was an obvious choice for the composer to present to the world as his Opus 1.  The F-sharp minor sonata, published as Op. 2, was probably actually written earlier than this one.  This is one of the finest "Opus 1's" in the history of music.  The opening of the first movement is as grand as some of the greatest of Beethoven's piano sonatas, and the second movement is Brahms's earliest theme and variations, a form in which he would come to excel.  The scherzo movement heralds a long line of magnificent compositions in that form, which he would curiously somewhat abandon later in his career (about the time of the symphonies).  The finale is the most wild movement, but its thematic connection to the opening of the first movement is very impressive.  Late in his life, Brahms tended to look on his earliest works with some embarrassment.  They were too exuberant, too overtly romantic, not subtle enough.  That is certainly true of this and indeed the other two piano sonatas, but we can enjoy them as products of a youthful romantic composer whose style would evolve considerably.  

1st Movement: Allegro (Sonata-Allegro form).  C MAJOR, 4/4 time.
EXPOSITION
0:00 [m. 1]--Theme 1: Heroic, Beethoven-like gestures.  Thick chords.  I am here, this is my opus 1, I will be a force to contend with! (C Major)
0:30 [m. 17]--Transition passage based on fragmentation and imitation of main theme and ending with anticipation of Theme 2's opening gesture.
1:05 [m. 39]--Theme 2, Part 1: Melancholy, folk-song like character. (A Minor)
1:27 [m. 51]--Theme 2, Part 2: Drone-like bass in left hand with high thirds in the right; continuation dissolves into running scales.  Thirds and drone return, leading to buildup toward repeat/development.
EXPOSITION REPEAT
2:32 [m. 1]--Theme 1
2:58 [m. 17]--Transition
3:33 [m. 39]--Theme 2, Part 1
3:55 [m. 51]--Theme 2, Part 2
DEVELOPMENT
5:01 [m. 88]--Development of Theme 2, Part 2 with imitation between hands. (C Minor)
5:22 [m. 100]--Development of Theme 2, Part 2 works to climax.  Large modulation to B Minor.
5:30 [m. 104]--Interjection of Theme 1 in left hand.
5:40 [m. 111]--Interjection of Theme 2, Part 1 in left hand.
5:59 [m. 124]--Theme 2, Part 1 in left hand with sweeping arpeggios in right. Interjections of Theme 1 (B Minor)
6:04 [m. 128]--Hands reverse roles.  Again at 6:09 [m. 132].  Low bass trills introduced.
6:22 [m. 139]--Music becomes subdued.  Fragments of Theme 1.
6:48 [m. 153]--Sweet transformation of Theme 2, Part 1 beginning in G Major
7:04 [m. 161]--Theme 2, Part 1 in D Major; Sweeping arpeggios return and build as a transition to the Recapitulation.
RECAPITULATION
7:25 [m. 173]--Theme 1, with more colorful harmonies, abbreviated (C Major)
7:38 [m. 181]--Altered transition passage now grows more organically out of Theme 1.  Manipulated to remain in C.
8:04 [m. 198]--Theme 2, Part 1 (C Minor)
8:26 [m. 210]--Theme 2, Part 2
CODA
9:18 [m. 238]--Theme 2, Part 2 continues after the point it had ended in exposition.  Works to big climax and moves to major.
9:37 [m. 250]--Grand, heroic variation of Theme 1.
9:51 [m. 257]--"Sweeping arpeggios" from development return dramatically.
10:05 [m. 266]--Final, broad statement of Theme 1.
10:23--END OF MOVEMENT [270 mm.]

2nd Movement: Andante (Small Theme and Variations).  C MINOR, 2/4 time.
0:00 [m. 1]--THEME (an "old German love song [Minnelied]").  Bare melody answered by chords in a "call-and-response" fashion.
0:39 [m. 9]--Second part of Theme, featuring a new phrase.
0:57 [m. 13]--VARIATION 1- "Call" broken into triplets.  "Response" adds dissonance to cadence in first phrase.
1:32 [m. 23]--Second part.  New phrase is broken and split between the hands.  Dissonance returns in final cadence.
1:52 [m. 28]--VARIATION 2- Original "call" in left hand against a new, passionate triplet melody in the right.  Slightly extended.  "Response" moves above passionate melody.
2:21 [m. 36]--Repetition of call and response reverses hands.
2:50 [m. 43]--Second part.  Only slightly varied.
3:05 [m. 47]--Unexpected repetition of second part adds strange high, interjecting chords, changing the 2/4 meter to 1 bar of 4/16 plus 3 bars of 3/16, repeated twice. 2/4 returns for last three-bar phrase.
3:28 [m. 58]--VARIATION 3- Theme is now radiantly transformed in the major key.
3:59 [m. 66]--Second part works to warm, rich climax.
4:24 [m. 73]--CODA.  Original "call" alternates between hands in a soothing transformation.
4:56 [m. 84]--Listen to the last five chords in the right hand.  They anticipate the opening theme of the third movement (Scherzo).
5:13-END OF MOVEMENT [86 mm.]

3rd Movement: Scherzo - Allegro molto e con fuoco (Scherzo with Trio).  E MINOR, 6/8 time (with two 4/16 and six 3/16 bars).
SCHERZO
0:00 [m. 1]--First strain of Scherzo.  Fiery statement of main element.  Listen for connection to very end of second movement, which it should follow without any pause.
0:14 [m. 1]--Repetition of Scherzo first strain.
0:28 [m. 17]--Scherzo theme somewhat developed.
0:43 [m. 33]--Becomes subdued, builds.  Close, hushed, thick chords against drum-like drone in left hand, building to cascading arpeggios.
1:01 [m. 52]--Mysterious statement of scherzo theme.
1:12 [m. 63]--Theme gains strength for a forceful statement.
1:21 [m. 73]--Fragments of tune gain strength until large descent in thick chords.
1:35 [m. 85]--Scherzo comes to a close with low, angry chords and a final descending arpeggio in octaves. [100 mm.]
TRIO (C Major), 3/4 time.
1:51 [m. 101]--Two notes introduce trio section, which is a broad, but quick melody in triple time.
2:25 [m. 103]--Repetition of first part of trio.
2:57 [m. 137]--Second part of trio begins with the broad melody turning to the minor, gradually building.
3:27 [m. 169]--Triumphant statement of trio melody.
3:45 [m. 189]--First chords of Scherzo enter surreptitiously in the left hand, similar to end of second movement.  Music dies away, and a sudden downward scale leads to repetition of Scherzo. [110 mm.]
SCHERZO REPRISE
4:02 [m. 1]--See 0:00.  No repetition of first strain, as at 0:14.
4:17 [m. 17]--See 0:28
4:32 [m. 33]--See 0:43
4:50 [m. 52]--See 1:01
5:00 [m. 63]--See 1:12
5:10 [m. 73]--See 1:21
5:23 [m. 85]--See 1:35
5:40--END OF MOVEMENT [210 (+100) mm.]

4th Movement: Finale - Allegro con fuoco (Rondo).  C MAJOR, 9/8 and 6/8 time.
0:00 [m. 1]--First statement of RONDO theme (A) in 9/8.  Listen carefully to the first few chords.  The melodic outline follows the beginning of the first movement exactly.  Character transformed into a breathless gallop.
0:20 [m. 1]--Repetition of first part of Rondo theme.
0:36 [m. 13]--Second part of Rondo theme begins in A Major with fast cascading chords.
0:53 [m. 26]--Return of opening material.
1:14 [m.42]--FIRST CONTRASTING THEME (B).  More songlike, with distinctive arpeggios in left hand (G Major).  Stated at lengh, gaining strength at the end.
2:24 [m. 87]--Abbreviated, subdued return of RONDO theme (A) in home key, slight buildup.
2:51 [m. 107]--SECOND CONTRASTING THEME (C).  Change to 6/8 meter.  Supposedly based on a Scottish folksong (A Minor).
3:12 [m. 125]--Motion back to 9/8 time as theme C continues.
3:33 [m. 139]--6/8 meter and opening material of C return.  Music builds, subsides.
4:11 [m. 173]--Transition.  Phrases of Rondo Theme (A) in 9/8 alternate with phrases of C in 6/8.
4:33 [m. 191]--RONDO theme completely takes over for a final statement, now including the second part with cascading chords (4:46) [m. 201].
5:11 [m. 220]--Transition/build to coda.  Rapid repeated notes in left hand.
5:20 [m. 228] --CODA.  Meter makes a final turn to 6/8, in which the movement will end.  Consists mainly of chords in right hand against rushing arpeggios in left.
5:56 [m. 282]--Final statement of opening fragment from Rondo theme, but music remains in 6/8.
6:11--END OF MOVEMENT [292 mm.]
END OF SONATA


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