“I have composed a
tiny, tiny piano concerto with a tiny, tiny wisp of a
scherzo.” Thus did Brahms describe what still remains the
largest and longest piano concerto in the entire standard
repertoire. The ironic comment was made in a letter to his
friend Elisabet von Herzogenberg upon finishing the work in
the summer of 1881. He also similarly told his friend
Theodor Billroth that he would be sending “a few small piano
pieces.” His true assessment of its value lies in the
dedication to his revered teacher and adviser. The concerto
is not only massive, but of legendary difficulty. The piano
writing includes widely spaced chords, awkward arpeggios,
brutally muscular trills, and other technical challenges. On
the other hand, the relationship between piano and orchestra
is so egalitarian that for all its unforgiving virtuosity,
the piano part is never written as display for its own sake,
and indeed, it can often seem almost unrewarding. For pianists with the stamina
and skill, however, it is the equivalent of a musical
Everest, and it has retained its status as a pinnacle of
performing achievement. As far as its unprecedented
proportions are concerned, the most obvious reason for
this is the inclusion of a fourth movement when for nearly
two centuries the standard number for a concerto was
three. In the context of the overall form, however, it
results in a satisfying balance. The transfer of the
scherzo movement type to a solo concerto was a novelty
Brahms could not resist. This is no lighthearted dance
movement, but one of demonic, elemental force. Placing it
in second instead of third position, however, resulted in
criticism of the entire work as “top heavy.” Indeed,
Brahms employs trumpets and timpani in the first two
movements but not in the last two. Not bringing them back
for the finale was extremely unusual. The orchestra itself
is of the typical size, with four horns and very sparing
use of the piccolo. The concerto has connections to both
his previous works in the genre. The Violin Concerto, published two
years earlier, was originally designed to be in four
movements, and he transferred the concept (and apparently
some of the musical ideas) to this work. In addition, the
structures of the two finale movements show particular
parallels, especially the extended coda in a faster tempo
with an often implied 6/8 meter. The First Piano Concerto was
published 20 years earlier, and despite the huge gap in
time and maturity, the style and difficulty of Brahms’s
piano writing is similar. Indeed, that early work
established the type of “symphonic concerto” continued in
these two later concertos, and its enormous first movement
also established a precedent. So did the composition of a
slow movement in broad 6/4 meter. Yet where that concerto is tragically epic,
this one is ultimately of epic serenity. The first
movement of the present concerto is a vast sonata form
with memorable themes and majestic breadth. The opening,
with the dialogue between horn and piano, is among the
most distinctive in the concerto literature. The scherzo,
which is really a complex scherzo-sonata hybrid, is the
only movement not in B-flat, which helps justify its
placement in second position. The radiant slow movement
famously makes extensive use of a solo cello to present
the main theme (similar to the employment of the oboe in
the Violin Concerto, but here
even more prominently). The piano itself never plays this
melody. The finale has come in for some criticism as being
too light and playful after what has gone before, but it
is deceptively rich in content and virtuosity. Indeed, the
faster coda is pure delight. Running around 50 minutes,
the concerto can accurately be described as Brahms’s
longest orchestral work (overall behind only the German Requiem, Second
Piano Quartet, and Magelone
Romances), although the First
Symphony is potentially longer if its first movement
exposition repeat is taken.
IMSLP
WORK PAGE
ONLINE
SCORE
FROM IMSLP (First Edition from
Brahms-Institut Lübeck)
ONLINE
SCORE FROM IMSLP (First Edition [monochrome]
from the Berlin State Library)
ONLINE
SCORE FROM IMSLP (From Breitkopf & Härtel Sämtliche Werke)
1st Movement: Allegro non troppo
(First movement concerto [Double exposition sonata] form).
B-FLAT MAJOR, 4/4 time.
ORCHESTRAL EXPOSITION (WITH OPENING
PIANO RESPONSES AND CADENZA)
0:00 [m. 1]--Theme 1. In a famously evocative
opening, the principal horn presents the first gesture of the
main theme. Its first three rising notes will permeate
the movement. The triplet rhythm of the subsequent
falling motion is adopted by the piano in its response.
Rising arpeggios, beginning low in the bass, lead to an echo
of the horn figure. The horn then presents the answering
second phrase, which begins with a downward leap but is
otherwise similar. The piano responds in the same
way. Flutes, clarinets, and bassoons then introduce the
distinctive continuation with its gently falling thirds.
Halfway through this continuation,the strings make their
entrance, and there is an unusually early turn to the home
minor key.
0:43 [m. 11]--Piano cadenza. Brahms follows the
model of Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto here by inserting a
substantial solo cadenza before the orchestral exposition
begins in earnest. Taking over after the motion to
minor, the piano begins a series of rapidly upward-shooting
left hand arpeggios in groups of six notes to a beat.
Punctuating the close of each arpeggio, the right hand plays
sharp descending half-steps in octaves. A sequence in
B-flat minor is followed by one in E-flat minor. In the
next two measures, the right hand interjections include upward
motion to chords, becoming more insistent. The arpeggios
and interjections are suddenly cut off by the arrival of a
dissonant “diminished seventh” chord.
1:00 [m. 17]--With a motion back to B-flat major, the
piano grandly erupts in rich left hand chords, whose straight
rhythm is played against triplet-rhythm octaves in the right
hand that wind their way down. Then the right hand joins
the left hand harmony in the same rhythm, forming full chords
that gradually swell upward, with longer notes on the
downbeats. After four measures of this motion, the right
hand again erupts into triplets, this time with full chords
sweeping down and back up. Against this, the left hand
plays a variant of the main theme that includes the falling
thirds from the initial wind continuation.
1:25 [m. 25]--The right hand triplets move to the
middle of the keyboard, and their arching shapes are arranged
so that it sounds like each measure has three long beats with
four eighth notes to a beat instead of four beats in
triplets. The left hand strongly punctuates every two
right hand notes or chords with an octave on the “dominant”
note F. These alternate between low and high, with the
hand crossing over the right for each octave. This
obscures the triplet rhythm even more. The intensity
builds strongly, leading toward the eruption of the full
orchestra. In the last measure, everything moves
downward, including the upper octave, which the right hand
takes. The last two-note group is replaced by a sharp
anticipatory chord.
1:38 [m. 29]--Transition. From this point, the
orchestra fully takes over for the remainder of the first
exposition. The full orchestra proudly states the
opening gesture of the main theme, punctuated by timpani
rolls. The second phrase is varied, fragmented and
repeated, with the woodwinds maintaining the regular motion
while the strings introduce strong syncopation across the
bar. The descending triplet is then isolated, with the
violins rising (at first with the woodwinds) over a strong and
steady bass. The harmony moves toward F, the “dominant.”
1:53 [m. 35]--The music now becomes fully
transitional. The first violins and high winds play
yearning upward half-steps followed by a descending
octave. The triplet motion continues in other
instruments. This continues for three measures until a
high point is reached. After a triplet arpeggio in the
cellos, the first violins undulate in syncopation and the
volume greatly diminishes. F major has been established.
2:11 [m. 42]--Against continuing syncopation in the
horns, the strings begin their own metrically ambiguous
lead-in to the second theme. It begins with a yearning
upward motion and continues with long notes held across bar
lines and avoiding strong beats. Descending leaps are
introduced. Everything quiets down considerably.
The key moves to D minor, the “relative” key of F major, where
the second theme will be heard. An arching harmonized
arpeggio in the woodwinds provides the final preparation.
2:30 [m. 48]--Theme 2 (D minor). The theme is
expressive and rather melancholy. The violins present
the tune, which emphasizes a long dotted (long-short)
rhythm. The violas and cellos alternate in an
accompaniment with rising plucked arpeggios in triplet
rhythm. Clarinets and bassoons provide a background of
slow-moving harmonies. The melody gradually works its
way upward as oboes join the long wind harmonies. The
theme culminates in a highly charged harmonized statement of
the rising three-note figure that opened the main theme.
2:53 [m. 56]--Closing material. Still in D minor,
the violins and violas forcefully lead into a new idea with a
rising six-note scale figure (a “sextuplet” in one
beat). This scale figure will become important.
The woodwinds then join for a sharply articulated chordal idea
in a shorter dotted rhythm. This is punctuated by a
descending sextuplet in the low strings. After another
rising statement, the descending sextuplet is passed four
times between the first and second violins. Meanwhile,
the dotted-rhythm idea continues in the lower
instruments. The last descent is extended to two beats
with the violins joining together.
3:05 [m. 61]--The first gesture from the main theme,
with its three-note opening and descending triplet, asserts
itself dramatically in the D-minor key, presented by the full
orchestra with the strings playing tremolo. The
second gesture, the descending figure, is presented in the
winds with the falling third, but the opening gesture is heard
against it in the bass and strings, and this dominates.
The sequence is presented twice, the second time with the
strings an octave higher and with changes in the wind/brass
scoring. In the last three measures, with the strings
still in tremolo and the higher winds briefly dropping
out, a variant of the descending second gesture with the
triplet figure leads into two loud chords with string
trills. These move the key toward F with a “diminished
seventh” harmony and end the orchestral exposition.
SOLO EXPOSITION
3:24 [m. 68]--Opening cadenza. As the orchestra
breaks off, the piano emerges into three ascending loud chords
based on the three-note opening. They begin on F, the
preparatory “dominant” in the home key of B-flat, which is
immediately established. Then the piano emerges into a
rhapsodic series of octaves that work their way up in groups
of two-note descents in triplet rhythm. Bass notes on
the beat are followed immediately by right hand octaves just
off the beat. After reaching high, the octaves plunge
directly downward in both hands. They slow to straight
rhythm, then single beats and single notes in each hand.
3:39 [m. 73]--Theme 1. The piano presents its
solo version of the theme, which expands it by lingering on
the descending triplet, repeating it with syncopation and
moving it up a step, steadily building. The left hand
accompaniment is in straight rhythm, and there are
two-against-three groupings. The piano then inverts and
harmonizes the triplet, decorating it with fast arpeggios in
the now-familiar “sextuplet” groupings. At this point
the horns timidly enter against the piano with a long
note. The inverted “ascending” version is repeated and
expanded upward. Plucked descending cellos timidly
enter, as do clarinets, oboe and bassoon. The ascending
figure builds rapidly before reaching even higher toward the
next arrival point.
4:00 [m. 81]--As the piano reaches its goal, the full
orchestra enters majestically with a harmonized version of the
first three notes. The piano immediately responds with a
dramatic rising sequence of chords and octaves based on this
opening figure. It is in triplet rhythm and runs a bar
and a half. The orchestra then presents the gesture
again with new harmonies and beginning halfway through the
bar. The piano again responds in a similar way, also
with new harmonies. The figure is then passed between
the violins and the piano. Pizzicato strings
underscore the arrival point.
4:13 [m. 85]--On the upbeat, a rapid piano arpeggio in
contrary motion leads into the answering phrase, presented in
alternation between sharp staccato chords in the
strings and the piano. The winds enter here, their legato
keeping the phrase together above the alternating strings and
piano. The arrival point is again marked by a piano
arpeggio in contrary motion. The continuation follows in
the first violins, the cellos providing a contrasting line and
the other strings pulsating in syncopation. The piano
completes the phrase with minor-key inflections, off-beat
chords forming an inner texture between the melody and the
bass.
4:29 [m. 92]--The strings take up the falling-third
continuation again, this time with the cellos entering in
imitation of the first violins. This statement is more
subdued and leads into a quiet extension with a full
cadence. After the cadence, the woodwinds answer with a
very gentle, dolce response. The piano takes
this up, swelling slightly over triplet arpeggios in the left
hand. Unexpectedly, this leads to an atmospheric and
dissonant “diminished seventh” chord, punctuated by plucked
strings. Clarinets, bassoons, and horns hold this as the
piano sweeps up and down with arpeggios on the same harmony in
both hands.
5:05 [m. 104]--Transition. The “diminished”
harmony moves away from the home key, and the transition
begins in F major as the high winds present the answering
phrase of the main theme, dolce. The piano
responds with descending right-hand octaves against wide
triplet arpeggios in the left hand, moving toward
D-flat. The oboe leads a second statement in that
key. This time, the piano extends its answer, breaking
its octaves with the leading lower note off the beat.
The left hand starts a new counterpoint in the tenor
range. In the last measure, the right-hand octaves
contract to fourths, with the “tenor” line a third below
that. The strings then gently present their
metrically-ambiguous “lead-in” from 2:13 [m. 42] in F major.
5:33 [m. 114]--The piano presents a new solo statement
somewhat reminiscent of the opening cadenza. Both hands
broadly wind up the keyboard, but the right hand plays in
straight rhythm against the left in triplets, beginning on an
upbeat. At the high point, the right hand slowly begins
to move down while adding its own second voice, the left hand
still swaying in triplets. Finally, the right hand takes
up the triplets with a cascading downward motion that
alternates two-note harmonies with single notes, while the
left hand plays straight broken octaves.
5:44 [m. 118]--New Transition Theme. Suddenly,
the violas emerge in pulsing groups of six while the cellos
and basses play a martial dotted rhythm. This becomes
the basis of a brand new transition theme that is confident,
but harmonically unstable. The two-bar unit is first
played by the bassoons and horns in D-flat major. It is
then taken by the violins and violas in F major, the pulsing
groups of six passing to the horns. A third statement
from the upper winds is again in D-flat (the pulsing passing
back to violas), and a fourth from violins and violas slides
up a half-step to D major (the pulsing moving down to the
cellos). Finally, the piano cuts off the sequence with a
string of descending chords leading back toward F major.
6:09 [m. 128]--The material of the new theme is used to
continue the extended transition. Violins and violas
isolate the martial rhythm. Against it, the piano erupts
into very light, but wide and highly virtuosic
arpeggios. These are in a fast triplet rhythm, with the
hands moving in different directions, the right stretching up
and the left reaching down. The martial rhythm fragments
into shorter figures, and a flute enters to take them over
from the strings. They are also incorporated into the
piano arpeggios. The harmony moves toward C.
6:21 [m. 133]--The piano now continues with a broader
idea stated in right hand octaves. These are initially
played in half-steps that widely alternate between high and
low. After two measures, the half-steps are replaced by
single wide leaps between the octaves. The left hand
accompanies with off-beat arpeggiated figures in triplet
rhythm. Bassoons, joined by clarinet, accompany in long
chords. The harmony is highly unstable, and it touches
on the remote key of G-flat.
6:32 [m. 137]--The wide leaps now pass to flute and
clarinet, against which the piano plays chords and resolutions
stretching up the keyboard, still in triplet rhythm.
Then the right hand plays cascading descents, still in
triplets but beginning off the beat, while the left hand plays
arpeggios in “straight” rhythm. Suddenly, the strings
begin to play the yearning upward motion and the held notes
over bar lines, familiar as the “lead-in” from 2:13 [m. 42]
and again toward the beginning of this greatly extended
transition. This begins against a persistent F in the
bass. But then, at the leaps, the strings wrench the
harmony through highly chromatic motion, finally establishing
F minor, where Theme 2 will be heard.
6:57 [m. 146]--Theme 2 (F minor). The key
signature changes to four flats. The thematic outline
clearly matches the orchestral statement in D minor at 2:33
[m. 48], but the theme is here presented by the piano without
accompaniment, and its character is changed. It is now
percussive and forceful, and the piano embellishes the melody
with chords. The theme is also given a metrically
flexible triplet-rhythm division, both in the thematic right
hand and the accompanying left hand. The latter plays
triplet arpeggios with low bass notes and wide reaches.
The presentation of the theme reaches a cascading arpeggio in
octaves, and as in its orchestral presentation, it culminates
in the harmonized statement of the rising three-note figure.
7:19 [m. 154]--Closing material in F minor, analogous
to 2:55 [m. 56]. The piano plays the initial statement
of the dotted-rhythm chords. Its lead-in, however, is
not a “sextuplet,” but an 14-note sweep in octaves split
between the hands and covering almost three octaves in each
hand. The first chords are accompanied by rapid
nine-note descent in the left hand, replacing the descending
sextuplet. The left hand then joins the chords.
The strings enter for the continuation. The cellos and
basses play the sextuplet lead-in and dotted rhythm, as they
had before. Against this, the descending sextuplet is
passed between hands of the piano instead of the
violins. The hands join for the last descent with a
rapid, cascading 19 notes in octaves, spread over two beats.
7:32 [m. 159]--In another new insert not present in the
orchestral exposition, the piano presents a highly percussive
closing theme. It stamps relentlessly, punctuated with
low bass octaves. The strings enter softly after two
measures, the lower ones plucked. A second phrase begins
like the first, but an octave higher, and now the pianist’s
power is stretched even more to the limit. The upper
notes reach higher and higher. The light string
accompaniment is now all pizzicato beneath the
thundering onslaught of the piano. The second phrase is
extended to five measures, further increasing the intensity.
7:56 [m. 168]--The tension further increases as the
piano breaks into wild high trills, harmonized in thirds, in
the right hand. These are further punctuated by
arpeggios at the end of each measure. The strings and
piano left hand play the main rising three-note figure against
these trills. The flutes and bassoons descend against
it. After two measures, the strings stop, and the left
hand plays the three-note triplet descent from the main theme
in powerful octaves. After two more measures, the
strings enter again, alternating the triplet descent with the
left hand. The last trills are in both hands, and the
pianist finally breaks off, having seemingly triumphed in an
Olympian struggle, giving way for the orchestra to close the
double exposition.
8:16 [m. 174]--Orchestral closing in F minor. The
first four measures match the analogous passage at 3:08 [m.
61]. The only change is that the second horn reinforces
the descending triplet in the strings and high winds.
The three-measure closing from the orchestral exposition,
however, is replaced by a measure of descending triplets in
the violins and violas, played in a powerful tremolo
and continuing the intensity.
8:29 [m. 179]--The orchestra extends the closing with a
strong statement of Theme 2, accompanied by the continuing tremolo
triplets. The first gesture is cut off by short
hammer-like figures in the second measure, but the theme then
restarts, continuing for three measures before the hammering
figures intervene again. Finally, things quiet down as
the clarinets and tremolo violins make a long
“chromatic” descent in half steps. A couple of whole
steps are added at the end, leading to a quiet, trembling
harmony on D-flat. This closes the double exposition and
prepares for the development section.
DEVELOPMENT
8:55 [m. 188]--First section. The opening of the
development parallels the very beginning. The horn
gently enters over the D-flat string tremolo, playing
the main opening gesture in F minor. The minor key
transforms its character. The horn entry is lengthened,
displacing the meter by a half-measure. As at the
outset, the piano responds with arpeggios and an echo.
The tremolo strings enter again and extend the piano
response by a half-measure, restoring the displaced meter. The
answering phrase and the piano’s response then follow as
expected, adding a syncopated upbeat entry at the beginning
and a small dotted-rhythm flourish at the end of both the
phrase and the response. Flute and oboe join the horn.
9:19 [m. 195]--The continuation with falling thirds is
now also played by the horn, with bassoon accompaniment.
There is a slight variation in the melodic line, with an
upward motion replacing a downward one after the first falling
thirds. The string tremolo moves downward.
Flute and first violins join the horn at the end of the
phrase. With the music already in minor, this passage
naturally incorporates the opening’s minor-key turn, which was
surprising then. There is a rapid crescendo.
9:31 [m. 199]--Corresponds to the first six measures of
the piano cadenza from 0:45 [m. 11]. The first sequence
is in F minor, the second in B-flat minor. In a twist,
Brahms now has the strings participate in music that was
originally for the piano alone. The first violins play
the sharp half-step interjections, leaving the piano to take
only the arpeggios, which are now eight notes instead of six
and split between the hands. Second violins, violas, and
cellos punctuate the beats with pizzicato
chords. In the last two measures, the piano joins the
strings on the insistent upward motion to chords. The
“diminished seventh” is replaced by a “dominant seventh” built
on G-flat.
9:46 [m. 205]--Here, the correspondence to the opening
breaks off. The key signature changes to two
sharps. The G-flat “dominant seventh,” interpreted as
F-sharp, leads to a key center on B. At first this is
major. The piano plays forceful off-beat syncopated
chords. Against them, the strings, now all bowed, play
the sharp interjections in unison. After a measure, the
strings briefly drop out and the sharp interjections, their
direction reversed, are played by the piano in full
chords. Then there is another full two-measure sequence
of this alternation a fourth higher.
9:56 [m. 209]--The piano’s syncopation now thins to
octaves instead of full chords. These now leap up and
down, usually at the distance of an octave. The motion
resembles the wide leaps from the transitional material at
6:33 [m. 137]. The violins and violas play a murmuring tremolo
while the cellos and basses play their own broad line with
octave leaps. The flutes, clarinets, and bassoons also
enter with slow-moving chords. The passage ends with two
sharp chords again confirming the “dominant” harmony in
B. There is a hint of a change from B major to B minor.
10:05 [m. 213]--Second section. It is built from
the “new transition theme” first heard at 5:46 [m. 118].
At the arrival point, the distinctive dotted rhythm from that
theme is heard first in the low strings, dovetailed with the
violins and violas. Against this, the clarinets and
bassoons play a harmonized triplet-rhythm arpeggio. The
string sequence is repeated a half-step lower and the arpeggio
is now played by the piano, with the right hand moving at
double speed. This leads to a full cadence in B minor.
10:10 [m. 215]--A series of sequences begins here, all
based on the dotted rhythm from the “new transition
theme.” The piano plays a cascading series of chords,
doubled between the hands, in continuous long-short
rhythm. Meanwhile, the strings continue to suggest the
original, somewhat broader long-short rhythm from the
theme. The piano chords arch back up and move from B
minor to D major, where they again play the same arching
motion. This in turn moves to A major, but the piano
chords are cut off by a descending harmonized triplet arpeggio
in flutes and clarinets. The piano responds with its own
descent, echoing the triplets in the left hand, but with a
rapid 32nd-note run in the right. The
arpeggio sequence is played again a fourth lower, this time
without the flutes, and the music moves back to D major.
10:25 [m. 221]--The piano begins another series of
chords in D major, but this time the continuous dotted rhythm
is in the left hand, and the right hand fills in the space
between the left hand chords. The direction is reversed,
and is now a general up-down arching motion. The lower
strings, bassoon, and clarinets continue to provide a
background based on the transition theme. After four
measures, the harmony is again diverted to a chord on F-sharp,
seeming to herald another motion to B. This is
reinforced by alternating string and piano triplet-rhythm
arpeggios. But at the end of the second alternation, the
piano arpeggio makes a deceptive motion and diverts the music
a half-step higher than expected, to C major.
10:40 [m. 227]--The next sequence is similar, with
right hand chords filling in the space between the left hand
chords. The general direction is again reversed into a
down-up arch. The harmony quickly moves through the
circle of fifths, from C major to G major to D major.
This time the chords only continue for two measures. The
arpeggios cut them off, as expected, but now they move
downward and the piano right hand speeds up again to cascading
32nd notes. This time, an expected diversion
back to B is fulfilled.
10:50 [m. 231]--It seems as if another sequence similar
to that from 10:26 [m. 221] is going to begin in B major, and
indeed it does, but after one measure, it is abruptly and
almost rudely cut off. The winds play a loud sustained
chord on F-sharp, the strings briefly drop out, and the piano
plunges down the keyboard with broken triplet-rhythm octaves
in both hands. These are in contrary motion, the right
hand following the left. The
piano lands on a powerful chord, reinforced by the
winds. The chord is D-sharp minor, “relative” to
F-sharp. The strings simultaneously take over the
plunging descent, with tremolo and staccato
markings.
10:57 [m. 234]--The piano and strings have another
alternation of the same nature, this time moving to G-sharp
minor. Finally, the piano has two full measures of
broken octaves, with four brief descents against sustained
wind chords. The bass moves down by half-step from
G-sharp to F-sharp. The piano and orchestra make a
powerful and full arrival on the chord of F-sharp major.
11:08 [m. 238]--Third section/Re-transition. With
the arrival on F-sharp, the orchestra plays the main
three-note ascent, harmonized and oriented as leading toward
the key center. The held third chord quiets
quickly. The piano begins to play light, decorative
rising arpeggios in 32nd notes. While cellos and
basses hold a low C-sharp, the other strings murmur for two
measures under the piano decorations. Then the low
strings suggest the falling-third continuation. The
piano arpeggios become freer (groups of ten and seven notes),
and suggest the opening cadenza. Flute and oboe enter,
echoing the low strings on the falling thirds. The piano
suddenly plunges down with forceful octaves in broken
triplets, the right hand following the left.
11:26 [m. 244]--The three-note ascent with
harmonization in F-sharp is heard again from the orchestra as
the piano finishes its downward plunge. But then the
last note, E-sharp, is reinterpreted as F, and the figure is
repeated starting from that note, the harmony skillfully
moving to the home key of B-flat as signaled by its key
signature. A timpani roll marks the significance of the
moment. The five measures from that point are a direct
transposition of the previous passage, except the flute/oboe
echo is now taken by a bassoon. The plunging piano
octaves do not interrupt, and instead the passage continues.
11:45 [m. 250]--In the new continuation, the flute and
oboe reassert themselves on the falling thirds after the
bassoon’s brief usurpation. The piano arpeggios return
to regular 32nd notes, but they still pause on
chords with the motion reminiscent of the first cadenza.
The harmony becomes active, with the bass moving up by
half-step from the “dominant” note F. Another
alternation between low strings and flute/oboe on the falling
thirds suggests C major over its “dominant” note G in the
bass. The low strings begin another statement, leading
up to A in the bass, but there is no wind echo. Instead,
the hushed piano arpeggios are isolated, slowed down to
“sextuplets,” and suspended, suggesting a full motion to A
major.
12:04 [m. 256]-The final transition is magical. Over a
held A- major chord in the strings, the piano settles into a
series of shimmering oscillations. The left hand leads
into these with an A-major arpeggio. The hands,
separated by an octave, are in the upper register. The
top notes of the oscillations outline descending
half-steps. These gradually move up: F—E, G—F-sharp,
A—G-sharp, and finally B-flat—A. The low strings move to
the “dominant” note F under this last upward shift. This
atmospheric passage, almost like a celestial music box,
creates a wonderful preparation for the hushed, but highly
satisfying entrance of the main theme for the
recapitulation. The horns, supported by clarinets, enter
early in preparation for this.
RECAPITULATION
12:16 [m. 260]--The main theme is clearly heard in the
first horn, holding the opening note over from the previous
upbeat, now harmonized by clarinets. The shimmering
piano oscillations continue under this entry, as does the
string background. The piano figuration works its way
downward, replacing the original piano response and even
echoing the descending triplet. But then, in a skillful
variation, the flute and oboe take over the rising figure
following the echo, and the piano immediately plays its original
response, delayed by a measure. This causes it to
dovetail with the answering phrase. The piano’s original
response to that is heard where expected, but its ending is
punctuated by pizzicato string arpeggios.
12:39 [m. 266]--The continuation with falling thirds is
presented as at the beginning, with strings following
winds. But now the piano enters overlapping with its
conclusion. At the beginning, this was where the big
first cadenza occurred. Here, the piano plays gentle
harmonized triplets that move to the minor key. These
wind their way down the keyboard, building as they go, with
the bass adding wider leaps. The triplets are somewhat
reminiscent of the first cadenza. There is a brief wind
interjection derived from the familiar “lead-in,” then the
piano plays an abbreviated version of its solo statement from
5:35 [m. 114]. It is reinforced by the strings. It
leads directly into the “new transition theme” from 5:45 [m.
118].
13:11 [m. 276]--Brahms has deftly elided from
orchestral exposition material into the latter part of the
solo exposition, abridging both. From this point, the
structure closely matches the solo exposition from 5:45 [m.
118], transposed up a fourth. The piano tumbles into the
“new transition theme,” overlapping with it. The four
statements are in G-flat, B-flat, G-flat again, and G.
There are some slight changes in scoring. Oboes and
clarinets replace horns on the first one. A bassoon
joins the third. Cellos always pulse with the violas,
and the horns pulsate on both the second and fourth statements
(replacing cellos on the fourth one). The piano chords
lead back toward B-flat.
13:36 [m. 286]--Light, virtuosic piano arpeggios in
contrary motion against the martial rhythm, analogous to 6:11
[m. 128]. Many of the left hand arpeggios are narrowed
by an octave, making them easier to execute. The flute
entry on the short fragments from the martial rhythm is
replaced by a clarinet.
13:48 [m. 291]--Broad idea in right hand octaves with
fast-moving harmony, analogous to 6:22 [m. 133]. The
bassoons are joined by a horn instead of a clarinet. The
harmony touches on C-flat (analogous to G-flat before).
13:59 [m. 295]--Upward chords and resolutions, then
cascading descents, followed by yearning “lead-in,” analogous
to 6:33 [m. 137]. The wide leaps are here played by
clarinet alone, the flute only joining at the end and adding a
brief extension. The harmony moves to the home minor key
(B-flat minor) for Theme 2, signified by a change to a
five-flat key signature.
14:24 [m. 304]--Theme 2 (B-flat minor). The piano
presents its forceful version of Theme 2 as it did in the
F-minor statement at 6:58 [m. 146].
14:46 [m. 312]--Closing material in B-flat minor,
presented as it was in F minor at 7:20 [m. 154]. There
is one major change. During the continuation introduced
by the low strings, where the descending sextuplets had before
been passed between the hands of the piano, here they
alternate between the violins and the piano, the latter
playing with both hands in octaves. Thus, the
presentation of the same material from both the orchestral and
solo expositions is unified here in the recapitulation.
14:59 [m. 317]--Percussive closing theme, analogous to
7:33 [m. 159]. The two-flat key signature of B-flat
major returns two-measures into the second statement.
Previously, the F-minor key signature remained in force at
this point. The last two measures do not reach as high,
replacing some of the chromatic ascents with
repetitions. This changes the path of the harmony.
15:23 [m. 326]--Wild trills harmonized in thirds,
analogous to 7:57 [m. 168], but with important harmonic and
structural alterations. The first two measures dispense
with both the thematic orchestral counterpoint and the
punctuating arpeggios. Instead, the left hand plunges
down in thunderous block chords against the trills, which also
move down by octave. The harmony is also completely
changed. These first two measures are centered on
F-sharp minor and C-sharp minor. The orchestra only
provides punctuating chords and a wind background.
15:29 [m. 328]--In the next measure, the descending
triplet from the theme does appear in violins and violas while
the harmonized piano trills now thunder with both hands in the
bass. The next measure erupts into a sweeping, rapid
upward piano arpeggio while the strings complete the thematic
fragment with a rising fourth. F-sharp minor now leads
to C-sharp major. Then the first two measures with the
trills and chords on F-sharp and C-sharp are repeated, but
they are now in major.
CODA
15:41 [m. 332]--The expected climax is averted.
The piano trills again move to the bass, as they did four
measures earlier, but they quickly become quiet. Brahms
skillfully reinterprets F-sharp as G-flat and E-sharp as
F-natural to pivot back to B-flat, initially B-flat minor,
where the music was before the diversion to F-sharp and
C-sharp. Very subtly, the main theme emerges on its
original instrument, the horn, gradually moving to
major. In an extension, the descending triplet is twice
repeated, doubled by the oboe and then, making its brief
appearance, the piccolo. The rising fourth follows as
the piano right hand begins to play broken octaves, moving up
chromatically in sextuplets and subtly echoing the
triplet. The left hand continues with the low bass
trill.
15:58 [m. 337]--The pattern continues with the
answering phrase in the horn. This time the oboe and
clarinet echo the descending fourth. The piano pattern
speeds up the sextuplets to nine-note groups and
descends. The descending fourth is echoed again, now by
clarinet and bassoon. A third, extremely quiet echo is
provided by bassoon, oboe and piccolo, the latter instrument
making its second and last “cameo” entrance. The
atmosphere is extremely hushed, mysterious, and tense.
The low bass trills continue and the chromatic piano figures
work their way down. They soon contract from the octave
over a persistent B-flat, then expand down an octave below
this note, again in sextuplets. The low strings provide
a background.
16:15 [m. 342]--Suddenly, the full orchestra, with pizzicato
strings, enters strongly with the three rising notes of the
theme. The piano follows a half-bar later in powerful
chords, completing the first gesture. There then follows
a series of imitations based on the harmonized descending
triplet and rising third. The piano, with the right hand
displaced just after the left, plays with the plucked
strings. Flutes, oboes, and bassoons form a second
group, clarinets and horns a third. The figure is passed
somewhat irregularly between these three groups. After
two iterations from the piano/strings and one each from the
other groups, the figure moves up a step for a pair of
alternations between the first wind group and the
piano/strings.
16:28 [m. 347]--As the clarinets and horns attempt to
imitate at the new level, the piano forces the figure up
another step. The octave motion is decorated with
falling-octave embellishments, which have already been heard
punctuating the gestures of the imitation. After the
first wind group plays one full statement, the groups subtly
merge together. The descending triplet is then isolated
without its sequel for seven straight statements with an
intense buildup. The fifth statement moves down a
fourth. The strings separate themselves and take up
their bows The horns join them in a chordal
background. The last statement of the triplet figure is
stretched out to an arpeggio, which leaps powerfully up an
octave.
16:35 [m. 350]--A highly fulfilled version of the
transitional material from 1:55 [m. 35] with yearning upward
half-steps and falling octaves is now played. It is
metrically slightly expanded, but still recognizable.
Horns, timpani and the piano provide the descending triplet
motion. The passage is colored by tremolo
figures in the middle strings. As before, a triplet
arpeggio in the cellos leads out of it.
16:47 [m. 355]--The falling third continuation of the
main theme now has its apotheosis. It rings from the top
line of the piano over continuous descending sextuplet
arpeggios, supported by plucked strings. A second
statement is provided by a flute solo supported by bowed first
violins and cellos, with the piano continuing the
arpeggios. The flute is joined by an oboe after two
measures. These instruments, soon joined by horns, spin
out the conclusion of the phrase, which then dissolves into
two-note descents in the first violins. There is another
brief oboe/horn entrance, and then the violins are left to
settle things down. The piano arpeggios, continuous
throughout, conclude with two gently expectant sighs separated
by rests.
17:26 [m. 369]--With a sudden powerful orchestral
chord, the piano plays a sweeping two-octave scale in both
hands, stretching twenty-one notes over two beats. At
its culmination, it erupts into a double trill on F, supported
by flute and oboe. Then the orchestra plays the
ubiquitous main motive. Violins play the downward motion
of the answering phrase while low strings and bassoons take
the upward motion. The timpani have been used sparingly
throughout, but now their punctuating rolls add power to the
sustained trill, now joined by clarinets with the other flute
and oboe. The descending triplet is isolated and given
two separate statements, supported by downward leaps in
straight rhythm from low strings, horns and bassoons.
17:35 [m. 372]--The descending triplet is now given
three consecutive statements as the piano trill, supported by
wind instruments, moves up to F-sharp. Then the trill
works up to G and A, finally reaching a thrilling and
satisfying arrival on B-flat, as if the wind instruments
have supported the pianist in an ascent to the summit.
The arrival is punctuated by an upward series of chords in the
piano with the right hand closely trailing the left. Two
sharp and short B-flat chords from the piano and full
orchestra, followed by a long and sustained clinching one, end
this monumental movement.
17:58--END OF MOVEMENT [376 mm.]
2nd Movement: Allegro
appassionato (Scherzo-Trio/Sonata form hybrid). D MINOR, 3/4
time.
EXPOSITION
(Scherzo Part 1)
0:00 [m. 1]--Theme 1. The piano launches
into the main scherzo theme, beginning with a two-beat,
four-note pickup on D and E in both hands. This leads to
an upward-shooting arpeggio landing on a chord. The low
strings enter with a three-note descent, supported by
horns. After holding the chord, the piano begins to
develop the three-note descent from the low strings,
developing it into a heaving, surging undulation. This
figure twice moves upward, then stretches into a forceful
cadence figure with ringing chordal grace notes. Under
this, the low strings and horns provide heavily syncopated
reiterations of the note B-flat, breaking these to support the
D-minor cadence.
0:15 [m. 16]--As the piano reaches its cadence, the
wind instruments play the opening gesture with the pickup,
arpeggio, and chord. The piano immediately imitates this
a fifth higher, moving right to the surging undulation.
Appearing to approach the cadence figure again, Brahms
extracts a leaping gesture from the undulating material,
already anticipated by the low strings. This is played
four times with subtle harmonic alterations, the last adding a
second downward leap. The low strings continue their
anticipations of each statement. Clarinets and bassoons
provide harmonic sighs in support. The cadence is
avoided, and the piano works down in syncopated chords with a
rumbling bass, approaching a hushed half-close in A minor.
0:39 [m. 43]--Theme 2 (A minor). Overlapping with
the half-close, the violins and violas in unison present the
second theme, another sighing gesture, but a more melodic
one. Brahms marks it tranquillo e dolce.
It is characterized by a long held note leading to a quick
upper neighbor motion, followed by a three-note descent.
These elements are extended in the unison statement. It
has a distinctively austere flavor. Cellos and basses
punctuate the close.
0:52 [m. 54]--Overlapping the string statement with an
arpeggio, the piano presents its colorfully harmonized and
decorated version of the austere theme. After five
measures, the piano varies the theme, adding a distinctive
closing gesture with descending notes. These are
supported by off-beat chords and a widely leaping left
hand. A restatement of this gesture, beginning higher,
leads to a full arrival on E minor.
1:03 [m. 66]--In a continuation, the main gesture of
Theme 1 returns as an upbeat. It continues with a
delicate rising arpeggio, the left hand rising above off-beat
punctuation in the right hand. This is accompanied by
isolated plucked string chords, a single beat followed by
three chords with a descending bass line. The key
appears to move back toward D minor. The upbeat and
hand-crossing arpeggio are repeated and the plucked string
bass continues to descend. A third statement of the
Theme 1 motive leads to a soaring line in the right hand, the
same hand playing off-beat chords. The left hand has a
wide ranging, disjointed line, doubled by plucked low strings.
The key moves back to another full cadence in E minor.
1:12 [m. 74]--The pattern from 1:03 [m. 66] begins
again, but this time the second statement of the hand-crossing
arpeggio is a third higher, and the third statement of
the Theme 1 motive is moved up a fourth. The soaring
line is replaced by a more jagged variant, more closely
matching the left hand and low strings. The left hand
itself uses more harmony against it.
1:18 [m. 82]--The jagged line leads into a more
melodious extension. It is characterized by off-beat
chords underneath the melodic line. Three phrases move
up in sequence, and then the melody works back down. As
the extension begins, the violas and cellos play three
interjections of the Theme 1 motive, also moving up in
sequence. The third of these is immediately repeated a
step lower. As the piano works its way down, the volume
diminishes and the key moves to A minor. The violas and cellos
settle on a long low E, which they then pluck three
times. The piano cuts off, leaving the strings,
including violins, to pluck a half close.
1:31 [m. 95]--Transition. The plucked strings
repeat their half close, then continue the pattern, repeatedly
avoiding a full cadence in A minor. The piano breaks
into a variant of Theme 2, beginning off the beat and
accompanied by arpeggios in both hands. The sighing
gestures of the theme at the top of the right hand project
over the arpeggios.
1:39 [m. 102]--A cadence in A minor is finally
reached. The piano plays three alternations of an octave
A in the left and right hands, followed by one on the leading
tone, G-sharp. Against these, the cellos/violas and
violins alternate on harmonized statements of the Theme 1
motive and its inversion. These change A minor to
A major. The string basses enter, plucking on A.
For the first ending (m. 106a), these four measures are
repeated in full and followed by two more detached octave
alternations on A with short string chords. The volume
fades to pianissimo.
EXPOSITION (Scherzo Part 1) REPEATED
1:49 [m. 112a, upbeat to m. 1]--Theme 1, through first
cadence, as at the beginning.
2:02 [m. 16]--Continuation beginning with winds,
leaping gesture and half-close in A minor, as at 0:15.
2:26 [m. 43]--Theme 2 in A minor presented by strings,
as at 0:39.
2:39 [m. 54]--Decorated piano statement of theme and
arrival at E minor, as at 0:52.
2:51 [m. 66]--Continuation with Theme 1 gestures, left
hand arpeggios crossing over right, then soaring line, as at
1:03.
2:58 [m. 74]--Same pattern reaching higher, then
disjointed line, as at 1:12.
3:05 [m. 82]--Melodious extension with motion back to A
minor, as at 1:18.
3:18 [m. 95]--Transition with off-beat variant of Theme
2, as at 1:31.
3:26 [m. 102]--Cadence in A minor with piano octave
alternations and Theme 1 motives in strings, as at 1:39.
At the second ending (m. 106b), the pattern breaks, with the
piano dropping out, the violins moving up and then the winds
(flutes, oboes, bassoons) echoing them with a sudden
entry. Strings and winds hold the chord (a “dominant
seventh” on A). Then the piano enters against it,
playing the Theme 1 motive in octaves between the hands.
After one low bass statement, the piano isolates the
first four notes, stating them four times, each time moving up
an octave and strongly building. A harmony note (E) is
added to the last three. These four-note figures obscure
the meter, creating a three-bar “hemiola” or cross-rhythm.
DEVELOPMENT
Scherzo Part 2
3:37 [m. 114]--Section 1. Statement of Theme 1 in
C-sharp minor, beginning with the rising arpeggio in the low
strings. The piano answers, rising up in chords quickly
alternating between hands, then continuing with the undulating
motion. The low strings play the familiar descent.
The piano then erupts into brilliant arpeggios in both hands
that incorporate two-and three-note block harmonies with
crunching dissonances. Two of these arpeggios lead to
more forceful chords, supported by string interjections and
leading to a cadence in E minor. The low strings begin
another statement of the theme under the cadence.
3:48 [m. 126]--The statement with chords and virtuoso
arpeggios is repeated in E minor, but then extended with a
third arpeggio that changes the harmony before the last
forceful chords. These are now not supported by the
string interjections, and they lead to an arrival on A major.
3:59 [m. 140]--Section 2. The strings and winds
alternate on three statements of the main theme opening.
The strings present the four-note upbeat and arpeggio and the
winds follow with the undulation. The three statements
are in D minor, F minor, and G-sharp minor. Against
these, the piano plays strong rising octaves in both
hands. These rise steadily up the scale, although the
octaves against the second, F-minor statement are displaced by
moving them to the low bass. The last G-sharp minor
statement is extended by two measures, building powerfully.
4:11 [m. 155]--The attention now turns to Theme 2,
which is presented forcefully by the woodwinds in C-sharp
minor. Against this, the piano plays wild octaves
rapidly alternating between the hands with leaps that seem to
anticipate the upcoming “Trio” theme. The strings and
horns join, leading in the second phrase as the piano briefly
breaks from its treacherous octaves.
4:18 [m. 163]--The presentation of Theme 2 begins
again, this time in A minor, the first four measures given in
the same manner by the woodwinds with the wild piano
octaves. The second phrase, however, is even more
forceful, with the full orchestra, including trumpets and
timpani, joining in. At this point, the piano has a
welcome extended break. The orchestra lengthens the
phrase by twice extending the three-note descent. This
leads to a massive cadence in the home key of D minor.
The cadence overlaps with the beginning of the Theme 1 head
motive in clarinets, bassoons, timpani, violas, and cellos.
4:31 [m. 178]--The head motive of Theme 1 is used to
twice reiterate the D-minor cadence, the violins, flutes and
oboes following the lower instruments and timpani. The
arpeggio in the lower instruments moves down, and the
following one moves up. The four-note upbeat and the
following downbeat are then isolated four more times, leading
directly into the “Trio” section and an abrupt change from
minor to major.
Trio (Part of Development)
4:40 [m. 188]--Section 3. In bright D major, the
violins confidently present the leaping triple-time march
theme. The detached leaping notes are accompanied by a
mildly syncopated sighing figure in the horns, violas, and
cellos. This figure is derived from Theme 1’s low bass
descent. The first phrase is repeated with the
instrumentation reversed, flutes and oboes also joining on the
sighing figures.
4:58 [m. 204]--Section 4. The full orchestra
erupts out of the trio theme with a grand, commanding descent
derived from the syncopated sighing figures. The rhythm
of a long note lasting two and a half beats, followed by a
clipped eighth note, is distinctive. The gesture is
stated twice in E minor, followed by by a third, more decisive
descent that leads to an arrival on an A-major chord
punctuated by a timpani roll.
5:14 [m. 216]--The orchestra abruptly drops out, and
the piano, absent for some time, enters with a winding,
convoluted pattern in octaves. At first, the left and
right hands are doubled, but after two similar gestures, the
left hand changes its motion, creating harmony with the right,
though both hands still play in awkward, extremely challenging
octaves. The passage concludes with a descent to an
A-major cadence. After the grand orchestral climax just
heard, Brahms marks this entry pianissimo and sotto
voce, which only adds to its difficulty.
5:23 [m. 224]--The cadenza-like convoluted pattern just
heard in octaves is now repeated as a melody with full, rich
three- and four-voice harmony. The right hand plays
intricate legato double notes, adding a voice below
the existing melody. The left hand plays another pattern
similar to the original. After four measures, it too
plays in double notes, creating a four-voice texture.
Mild syncopation is added before the cadence, which trails
off.
5:32 [m. 232]--The piano again briefly drops out as
clarinets, bassoons, horns, and low strings enter with another
twofold statement of the descent from 4:58 [m. 204], now in A
minor. The previously majestic figure is now transformed
into a hushed, almost funereal punctuation. The third,
more decisive descent is not heard, but there is still an
implied motion toward D.
5:45 [m. 240]--Section 5. The piano again enters
alone, now with a seemingly new idea. The expected
motion toward D major or minor is diverted to F major
(“relative” to D minor). The new idea is a broadly
lyrical theme with a descending right-hand melody. The
left hand accompanies in wide arpeggios, arching up and back
down. It turns out that the melody is also derived from
the “majestic” descending figure. This is confirmed when
a lower voice is added in the right hand under the distinctive
downward leap that ends the figure. This lower voice
reaches down into the tenor register against left hand
undulations.
5:54 [m. 248]--The lyrical melody is repeated a third
lower in D minor, the originally expected key.
6:03 [m. 256]--Section 6. In preparation for the
coming climax, the strings surreptitiously play the opening of
the trio theme unison in D minor. The piano answers with
a fragment of its convoluted octave pattern. These
elements are then combined. The piano further fragments
its material to four brief one-bar patterns split between the
hands and rising steadily. The strings similarly
fragment the trio theme, also rising. As the strings and
piano both rise, there is a strong buildup.
6:10 [m. 264]--The woodwinds enter with a leaping
octave, then descend. Against this, the piano’s hands
join together, still playing the fragments in octaves.
As the winds descend, the piano plays another fragment, this
time punctuated by forceful string leaps. A piano chord
signals another wind octave, which is now syncopated.
The strings and piano again play against the wind
descent. As the piano plays its chord again, the first
violins join the flutes and oboes on a third octave
leap. The lower winds and strings follow in quick
imitation, creating a strong syncopation. The tension
has now reached its breaking point.
6:18 [m. 272]--Everything culminates in a grand,
triumphant statement of the main march-like trio theme.
In the piano, the theme is presented with chords broken
between the hands, the right hand following the left.
Boosting the piano, the theme is blasted out in radiant
splendor by horns and trumpets. Meanwhile, the strings
play the syncopated sighing figure, the violas and cellos
alternating with the violins. This creates an almost
bell-like effect. After four measures, the woodwinds
enter with chords. The trio theme now moves in a new,
upward direction, steadily building as the second violins and
violas move to tremolo.
6:25 [m. 280]--The climax arrives, appropriately, on
the descent from Section 4, now in its most resplendent
garb. The arrival is punctuated by timpani rolls, and
the piano drops out, leaving the full orchestra to present
it. The initial long-short pattern is reiterated, and
then the closing is more decisive, with a full D-major
cadence. The reiteration extends the phrase to six
bars. As massive as this climax is, it abruptly cuts off
after the final cadence. The key signature changes back
to the one flat of D minor.
6:32 [m. 286]--Re-transition. Abruptly quiet, the
clarinets, bassoons, and horns play a vestigial version of the
descent, harmonized in thirds and back in minor. The
strings accompany with plucked arpeggios. As this fades,
the piano enters with the familiar four-note upbeat to the
main scherzo theme in both hands. The figure is then
repeated at steadily higher levels with a strong buildup,
seemingly anticipating the arrival of the
recapitulation. Because the figure is only two beats, it
creates a strong cross-rhythm, or “hemiola.” After a
one-beat break, the entire head motive is presented and
extended upward, with full harmonies split between the hands.
6:46 [m. 299]--The woodwinds enter with a sharp chord
that quickly diminishes, cutting off the piano and confirming
that the buildup has been a false start. The strings
enter in imitation against this held chord, cellos, then
violas, first violins and second violins, suggesting the
rising arpeggio of the main scherzo theme. The strings
reach the top of their ascent and devolve into a high,
shimmering tremolo. The woodwinds then subtly
hint at the surging undulation from the main theme, and the
string tremolo also introduces gentle descents.
Finally, all the instruments reach a suspended held A-major
chord, the preparatory “dominant” harmony. This fades
out in a moment of great anticipation.
RECAPITULATION (Abbreviated and Varied Scherzo Reprise)
7:02 [m. 315]--Theme 1. It is presented
essentially as at the beginning as far as structure is
concerned, but the scoring is drastically changed. This
is immediately apparent, as the four-note upbeat begins not in
the piano, but in the strings, which also play the
continuation. The piano, for its part, now plays the
three-note descent formerly taken by the low strings (it is
supported by the string basses here, who do not play with the
other strings). To this it adds rising octave flourishes
in both hands. The horns have the same role. In
the last six measures, the piano takes over its original role,
but it is now reinforced by the full string section on the
same material. The cellos and basses add two statements
of the opening motive before the cadence.
7:15 [m. 331]--The continuation and transition begins
as at 0:15 and 2:02 [m. 16], with the woodwinds again
leading. The imitation, however, is taken by the strings
instead of the piano, which again plays the three-note descent
and rising octave flourishes.
7:25 [m. 342]--At this point, during the undulating
motion, there is major deviation from the exposition. As
in the immediately preceding presentation of the theme, the
piano and strings join together on material the piano alone
had played before. As in the exposition at this point,
the leaping gesture is extracted and reiterated, but now the
low strings add repetitions of the four-note upbeat underneath
it. In the reiterations of the leaping figure itself,
the harmony is changed to avoid the A-minor half-close.
7:35 [m. 353]--The descending syncopated chords briefly
heard in the piano at the end of this bridge passage before
are now greatly expanded and incorporate the strings.
They continue passionately for eight measures, under which the
low strings now play the entire head motive of the main theme
twice, including the four-note upbeat and the upward-shooting
arpeggio, then continue with an expansion of the
arpeggio. The chords of the half-close are recognizable,
but now they are in the home key of D minor. As
expected, the opening of Theme 2 overlaps with this
half-close, but instead of the full presentation, it is given
as an anticipatory gesture by the first horn, which reaches a
held note punctuated by a plucked string chord.
7:49 [m. 366]--Theme 2 (G minor and D minor). The
plucked chord under the horn is a colorful “diminished
seventh.” The first statement of Theme 2 is presented,
not by unison strings, but by unison woodwinds, still marked tranquillo
e dolce. The beginning is marked by another
plucked string chord that confirms the harmonic motion to the
unexpected key of G minor (the “subdominant”), where the
woodwind statement is played. At the end, which was
previously marked by a downward leap, the woodwinds, joined by
horns, instead descend twice in harmony, leading back to the
“correct” D minor key.
8:01 [m. 377]--As expected, the piano arpeggios overlap
with the close of the woodwind presentation of Theme 2,
corresponding to 0:52 and 2:39 [m. 43]. They are in D
minor, where the first woodwind statement would have been
expected. For the first six measures, the piano only
plays the accompanying arpeggios. The thematic melody
itself is played and harmonized by the horns. The piano
takes over, using its exposition patterns, from that point as
the horns drop out. The extension of the piano’s
decorated statement leads to a full cadence in A minor,
corresponding to the arrival on E from A in the exposition.
8:15 [m. 389]--The piano continuation corresponds to
1:03 and 2:51 [m. 66], with the left hand arpeggios crossing
over the right hand, along with the descending plucked
strings. There is, as expected, another cadence on A
minor.
8:23 [m. 397]--The next statement does correspond to
1:12 and 2:58 [m. 74], but it is greatly intensified with
significant alterations. Brahms prominently adds the
marking sempre più agitato, which indicates that the
energy will continue rather than eventually fading, as it did
in the exposition. Here, the hand crossing is dispensed
with, and the right hand plays the arpeggios itself in octaves
off the beat. Then the “jagged variant” is restructured,
with the right hand playing a single wide-ranging line, the
melodic notes poking out of the top. The
arrangement clearly exposes a duple cross-meter that was not
as apparent before. Because the right hand is not
playing chords, the left hand now punctuates with rolled
chords.
8:30 [m. 405]--In broad outlines, this passage
corresponds to the “melodious extension” from 1:18 and 3:05
[m. 82], but where that diminished in volume, this builds
powerfully. The viola/cello statements of the Theme 1
opening motive are present where they would be expected, and
the general contour of the piano right hand follows the
previous melody. The key also moves back to D minor, as
it did from E minor to A minor in the exposition. Here,
however, both hands cascade down the keyboard with copious
double notes. Where there had been a cutoff and a quiet
plucked half-close, the piano now thunders into the coda.
CODA
8:40 [m. 419]--The piano left hand plays a massive low
octave D. Then both hands work up with passionate,
brilliant patterns alternating chords and single notes,
clearly derived from the opening motive of Theme 1.
Against this, the same woodwinds that played Theme 2 at 7:49
[m. 366] (flute, oboe, bassoon), play its first four measures
at the same level, the “subdominant” or G minor.
However, the relentless piano continues to assert D minor and
major. As the piano reaches a punctuating arrival, it
begins its pattern again an octave higher. The violins
and violas immediately echo the woodwind statement from Theme
2.
8:47 [m. 427]--The horns play and hold a low D, further
asserting the home key note as a “peal point.” The
piano, having reached its arrival again, is now very high and
begins an extremely energetic, almost frenetic downward
plunge. This descent is peppered with dissonant
“diminished” harmonies and patterns beginning on the weak
second beat of the measure. After four measures, the
duple cross-meter seems to assert itself again with a plucked
low-string D. There is some resemblance to the tolling,
leaping “trio” theme.
8:52 [m. 433]--The main motive of the scherzo theme
asserts itself again in the violas and cellos as the tumbling
piano more overtly hints at the “trio” theme in a
cross-meter. The piano then abruptly drops out as the
violins take over the scherzo theme. At the same time,
the horns begin to assert themselves with strong syncopated
harmonies, continuing the cross-meter. The violins state
the scherzo motive twice, then pass it back to the violas and
cellos, who extend the arpeggio up another measure.
8:59 [m. 442]--The low strings now play their familiar
three-note descent from the main theme, now in diminished and
straight note values. The violins then play the “surging
undulation,” also in reduced note values. The effect is
that these elements of the theme are accelerated, propelling
the music toward its close. The piano enters again with
an arpeggio flourish in both hands. The undulation in
the violins is repeated first an octave higher, again with the
piano flourish. The violins then bring it up another
octave, now with the piano flourishes becoming
continuous. The woodwinds and brass enter to provide
support. This highest statement is extended through
reiteration and reaches a powerful cadence with timpani.
9:06 [m. 451]--After this cadence, the piano plays one
more massive upward surge using the alternating chords and
single notes from the beginning of the coda. The full
orchestra punctuates this surge once, then again as the piano
reaches the top. The powerful movement, at first so
seemingly out of place in a piano concerto, closes with one
more short chord, then a final held chord from piano and
orchestra, the piano moving to the lower register for the last
one.
9:24--END OF MOVEMENT [457 mm.]
3rd Movement: Andante – Più Adagio – Tempo I
(Ternary form). B-FLAT MAJOR, 6/4 time.
A Section--B-flat major
0:00 [m. 1]--As in the Violin
Concerto, composed shortly before, Brahms here entrusts
the presentation of his slow movement’s main theme to another
instrument. There it was an oboe, here it is a solo
cello, typically played by the orchestra’s principal
cello. The broad 6/4 meter is reminiscent of the slow
movement from the much earlier First Piano Concerto. The
cello sings forth the theme, which is characterized by broad
long-short dotted rhythms. The accompaniment is provided
by the remaining cellos, violas, and plucked string
basses. In the fourth measure, an octave leap briefly
arrests the motion.
0:28 [m. 5]--For the next four-bar segment, the solo
cello adds rising three-note arpeggios leading into the longer
notes, arching up and back down toward the close of the first
thematic statement. During this second phrase, the first
violins enter with a held high B-flat, from which they descend
in syncopation after two measures.
0:56 [m. 9]--The principal bassoon enters. It
joins the first violins for the presentation of the consequent
phrase. The solo cello joins the other members of its
section on their descending accompanying line, and the second
violins join the accompaniment. The horns also enter
with with octaves in support of the bassoon. For three
measures, the phrase is presented as the first solo cello
statement, but the halting octave leap is replaced by a more
flowing continuation, which rises and gently builds in volume.
1:22 [m. 13]--The solo cello again breaks away and
plays the high B-flat previously played by the first
violins. It is joined on this high note by the entering
oboe. The bassoon breaks away from the melody, briefly
joining the violas on their line. After one measure, the
first violins very briefly break for two beats, passing the
melody to the solo cello and oboe. They then enter
again, taking the phrase to its cadence. The solo
cello/oboe line provides the syncopated descent that the first
violins had played before. At the very end, the oboe
breaks away from the solo cello and is the only instrument to
rise up to the cadence.
1:50 [m. 17]--In a six-bar closing phrase, the other
wind instruments enter. The oboe and the solo cello play
the same two descending arpeggios, but the cello plays a beat
later than the oboe. The oboe then continues the melody
on its own with a gently rocking line, and the cello takes
over after a measure. The flutes make their first entry
against the cello line, harmonizing it above. The oboe
again takes over to begin the last two measures. Its
syncopated leap down and back up (leading to an interrupted or
“deceptive” cadence) is echoed by the solo cello (leading to a
full cadence), rounding out the first orchestral thematic
presentation. The violins add a syncopated
accompaniment. The cadence arrives as the piano enters.
2:31 [m. 23]--The piano makes its first entry with two
quiet, widely upward-winding arpeggios, doubled in octaves
between the hands, the second reaching a step higher than the
first. Both begin low on the keyboard and reach quite
high by the end, and both interrupt the constant upward motion
with isolated downward steps, including at the end.
Against them, the strings and horns hold quiet chords,
changing the harmony between them.
2:52 [m. 25]--The supporting instruments drop out, and
the piano continues in a rhapsodic cadenza. The right
hand breaks into triplet rhythm with a downward-winding line
while the left hand continues to play its broad arpeggio-like
figures in straight rhythm. Because the 6/4 time
signature is already rich with possibilities for metrical
ambiguity, this two-against-three rhythm adds another layer to
it, especially at this slow tempo. As the right hand
slowly wends its way downward two octaves and adds lower
harmonies, the left arches back with it. After the
initial two-bar pattern, a similar one follows, the right hand
starting a seventh (almost an octave) higher. Here, the
second bar has greater downward motion.
3:17 [m. 29]--The rhythms are now reversed, with the
triplets moving to the left hand. It plays broadly
arching arpeggios while the right hand introduces mildly
upward surging figures in straight rhythm. After two
bars, the right hand breads into a series of patterns where
the lower harmony moves down against syncopated repeated
notes. The left hand changes its arpeggios to purely
upward motion with leaps back down to begin anew, still in
triplets. The top syncopated repeated notes gradually
move down two levels.
3:41 [m. 33]--On the upbeat, still in m. 32, the right
hand breaks into a five-note harmonized arching figure against
shorter left-hand triplet arpeggios. This figure is
repeated a third lower, adding a sixth note. The entire
right hand pattern is then moved down an octave, and the two
statements of the figure are heard there. At this point,
the volume builds, and the cadenza is rounded off by the right
hand leaping back up to the treble register for three upbeat
chords as the left hand begins arpeggios with very low
octaves.
3:54 [m. 35]--The orchestra enters with a powerful
allusion to the main theme in the minor key, complete with tremolos
in the inner string parts. This only lasts one measure,
then the piano begins an angry two-bar sequence of piquant
trills and rapidly descending downward and upward measured
arpeggios. Against them, the string tremolo
continues. Ascending cello arpeggios, followed by
descending wind ones, help suggest a motion toward F minor.
4:10 [m. 38]--As the second piano surge concludes,
there is a sharp chord and a held bass note on B-flat.
The piano begins a long three-measure series of oscillating,
undulating chords in triplet rhythm, the left hand closely
followed by the off-beat right hand. String arpeggios
discreetly accompany this, hovering on the harmony of G-flat
major. In the third measure, the key moves again toward
F. After these three bars, the piano plays a huge
arpeggio ascent, punctuated by a string chord, still in
triplet rhythm and still with the right hand closely following
the left. This is capped by three powerful chords
leading to an arrival on F.
4:33 [m. 42]--With the arrival on F, which now
functions as the “dominant” harmony, the minor-key allusion to
the main theme from 3:54 [m. 35] is heard again with the same
harmonies (suggesting B-flat minor), but with even more
powerful scoring. The counterpoint formerly played in
the low strings is heard in all violins with sharp tremolo,
doubled by oboes, while the thematic allusion itself is in the
low strings and bassoons. There then follows another
two-bar sequence of the piano’s “angry” trills and rapidly
measured arpeggios. These do not follow the same
harmonic pattern as the first sequence, although the scoring
and figuration is otherwise similar. At the end, the key
seems to move toward E-flat minor.
4:51 [m. 45]--Here the pattern of oscillating,
undulating triplet chords from 4:10 [m. 38] is played
again. This pattern closely follows the previous
one. The held bass pedal note is on E-flat, the string
arpeggios outline C-flat major, and the key moves back toward
the minor version of the home key (B-flat minor). In the
third measure, the piano’s key signature even changes to
indicate this. The large arpeggio ascent follows as
before with a strong arrival on B-flat, but the piano does not
participate in the clinching downbeat chord.
5:15 [m. 49]--The strings hold a chord of B-flat major
and the volume suddenly diminishes. The piano again
begins a rumination using the undulating triplet chords, still
with the left hand leading the right. This is now more
introspective, with much sparser accompaniment. The
piano vacillates between major and minor, but the key
signature for B-flat minor remains in force, only in the
piano. After two measures of this, the large arpeggio
ascent is stated loudly, this time condensing it to three
statements in a measure and a half. The undulation
begins again, louder this time, but it collapses into a
plunging descent.
5:52 [m. 55]--The descent arrives at a full cadence in
B-flat minor, where a transition begins. The violins
quietly state a measure of the main theme in minor, followed
by one of the upward-winding piano arpeggios as heard at 2:31
[m. 23], played under warm low wind harmony. The violins
then play the thematic fragment even more quietly an octave
lower. With a shift in harmony, the piano plays a second
winding arpeggio that reaches high and gently leads to the key
of F-sharp major for the “Più Adagio” B section.
Brahms marks this second arpeggio dolce and indicates
a significant slowing, ritardando molto.
B Section--Più Adagio, F-sharp major
6:30 [m. 59]--Brahms achieves an ethereal, otherworldly
sound in this middle section through transparent scoring and a
remote key. In the first of two six-bar phrases, the
slow harmonized melody is played by the clarinets, marked ppp
and dolcissimo. It is a long-breathed line that
would provide the melody for a contemporary song
(“Todessehnen,” Op. 86, no.
6). The piano, marked molto espressivo, plays
wide arpeggios in the left hand, while the right hand plays
wide leaps that lean into the middle part of the bar and then
follow the clarinet melody. A pedal F-sharp in the
cellos underlies the first four measures.
7:01 [m. 63]--In the fifth measure, these figures and
the left hand arpeggios are shortened to fit two in the
bar. The cellos move away from the F-sharp, only to come
back to it. The sixth measure of the phrase places three
right hand chords in the first half of the bar, supporting
three notes in the clarinet melody. The measure ends
with a cadence figure, closing the first phrase.
7:19 [m. 65]--For the second phrase, the clarinets drop
out, and the remaining strings enter. The piano has the
leading line now. For the first two measures, the
patterns resemble those of the first phrase, but in the third
measure, downward leaps are introduced, with two figures in a
measure. These are reversed in the fourth measure and a
descending harmony is added. As in the first phrase, the
left hand arpeggios also follow the shortened patterns.
The strings, marked ppp, play a similar role to the
clarinets in the first phrase, but they are clearly
subservient to the piano here.
7:53 [m. 69]--The fifth measure continues the upward
leaps, with two patterns in the bar, while the final measure
returns to a single wide gesture for the entire bar.
These two measures are marked ritardando, slowing to
an almost glacial pace before the following transitional
passage.
8:15 [m. 71]--Re-transition. Brahms marks a
return to “Tempo I,” and the solo cello returns, presenting
the opening melody as at the beginning. But the key is
still F-sharp major, indicating that this is not the true
return. Nonetheless, the first four measures are
essentially played unaltered in the new key. The
alteration comes with an added fifth measure, in which the
sighing figure following the arresting leap in the fourth
measure is reiterated.. Only after this measure does the
key signature change back to two flats, indicating a motion
back to B-flat, which begins at the very end of this extra
bar.
8:50 [m. 76]--On the upbeat, the solo cello leaps high
and works down in an arpeggio, using that arpeggio to make the
key shift back to B-flat major. The other strings join
in, and the piano, absent for the F-sharp-major statement of
the main theme, subtly enters with another upward-winding line
in the right hand. As the solo cello holds a long note,
the piano emerges into a trill-like motion in both hands that,
in measured groups, speeds up to an actual trill. It is
against this trill that the “proper” reprise in B-flat will
begin. The solo cello leads into it.
A’ Section--B-flat major
9:06 [m. 78]--Now in the home key, the solo cello
continues the presentation of the main theme, but the segment
from 0:28 [m. 5] is skipped. Instead, the cello plays
the consequent phrase from 0:56 [m. 9], which it did not play
before. This phrase was played by the bassoon and first
violins. The violins themselves are absent here, and the
piano, which had not entered at this point before, continues
with its trill, making wide leaps of a fourth and a fifth
doubled in both hands. After this decoration, the piano
drops out, leaving the solo cello and low strings alone for
three measures.
9:30 [m. 82]--The phrase continues as at 1:22 [m. 13],
now with the solo cello continuing on the main melodic line
previously played by violins. Here, it had broken away
for a high note with the oboe. That instrument does
enter with the note, but now the piano comes in with it,
playing another trill that begins on the oboe’s high
B-flat. After the violas double it for a few notes, the
oboe has the syncopated descent to itself. The piano
plays another trill, then breaks into a rapid, decorative
seven-note arching figure in contrary motion between the
hands, which expand outward. As the cello and oboe
continue with the main lines, the piano gradually moves down,
alternating trills and seven-note arpeggios.
9:56 [m. 86]--The closing phrase from 1:50 [m. 17] is
expanded from six to eight measures. The first two, with
the close imitation on descending arpeggios between the oboe
and solo cello, are presented as they were before. They
are followed by the two-bar expansion, which continues the
same idea The flute now takes over the syncopated
arpeggios from the oboe, and the solo cello breaks into two
sequential six-note scale descents against them. These
are rapturous in their effect. At the same time, the
piano enters with a new series of triplet-rhythm arpeggios
alternating between the hands, the right hand moving up
followed by the left hand moving down. These delicate
arpeggios wonderfully complement the flute and cello lines.
10:21 [m. 90]--The closing phrase continues. The
solo cello presents both statements of the gently rocking
continuation instead of echoing the oboe. In the first,
it is supported by the other strings, and in the second by the
winds. The oboe doubles and the flute plays its original
upper harmony. The piano changes its figuration, with
the hands now moving continuously together, still in contrary
motion. Before the syncopated leap down and back up (in
which the cello continues, joining the flute and oboe), the
left hand begins to play straight duple rhythm against the
right hand’s triplets. For the figure itself, and the
cello’s echo of it (supported by syncopated violins as
before), both piano hands have rising harmonies. These
last two bars, with the “deceptive” cadence followed by the
full arrival, slow down in preparation for the coda.
Coda--Più Adagio
10:57 [m. 94]--This point is analogous to the first
piano entry at 2:31 [m. 23], and indeed the coda begins with
the same two winding arpeggios. The only changes are
subtle. The main one is that the solo cello plays a
larger role, adding downward, partly chromatic steps on the 5th
beat of each measure. This necessitates some minor
chromatic alterations to certain notes in the piano
figures. The second one is actually less chromatic than
before. Brahms does add new rolled chords to the left
hand at the end of each figure. From here, the remainder
of the A section, beginning with the piano cadenza, is
cut.
11:18 [m. 96]--The piano cadenza heard here before is
replaced by a new, atmospheric cadenza-like passage based on a
continuous trill. The low strings and horns drop
out. A rolled chord leads to the trill, which becomes
continuous in the top line. The trill moves steadily up
by step, and under the third note, a descending arpeggio in
triplets begins, with some added colorful harmonies and one
leap back up. The triplets then dissolve into a faster
upward arpeggio under the last trilled note, A to
B-flat. At the same time, the solo cello enters with a
held E-flat. This note has a fermata in both
instruments. The cellist determines how long it lasts,
as the cello has a descending arpeggio before the piano’s
final turn to the cadence.
11:52 [m. 98]--The fermata and the trill make
this arrival extremely fulfilling. The wind instruments
enter with a held B-flat chord as the piano and cello reach
it. Then the piano plays one last harmonized upward
sweep, all on the chord of B-flat major. The strings
punctuate this halfway through the penultimate measure (m. 98)
and they then enter in support of the final bar, which is
marked with another fermata.
12:17--END OF MOVEMENT [99 mm.]
4th Movement: Allegretto grazioso – Un poco più
presto (Sonata-Rondo form with extended coda). B-FLAT MAJOR,
2/4 time.
EXPOSITION
0:00 [m. 1]--Theme 1 (Rondo Theme). The piano
begins directly with the presentation of the bouncy, initially
delicate main theme. The right hand plays it in
octaves. It is characterized by persistent dotted
(long-short) rhythms. A half-step downward turn is
followed by a brief descent, and then it works upward with a
rising flourish. The second half of the phrase combines
the downward turn with the rising figure. Against this,
the left hand plays widely-spaced three-note rising arpeggios,
two in a bar. All of this is heard over four gently
upward- and downward-arching figures in the violas. The
theme avoids an arrival on the main key until the end,
focusing initially on the “subdominant” (E-flat) and
“dominant” (F) harmonies.
0:11 [m. 9]--The theme’s opening phrase is repeated by
the first violins. The other strings support with
plucked harmonies. The gently arching viola figures
alternate between flute/oboe and clarinet/bassoon pairs.
The piano, meanwhile, breaks directly into light staccato
arpeggios, including some two-note harmonies, switching
between downward and upward motion.
0:19 [m. 17]--The contrasting phrase of the theme is
first presented by the piano unaccompanied. It begins on
the upbeat, right after the conclusion of the previous
phrase. It contrasts with its narrower range and with
added harmonies in the right hand, including thirds. A
closing turn is played in thirds. The left hand
accompaniment is again in wide arpeggios, but a fourth, lower
note is added to them.
0:25 [m. 21]--The first violins begin a repetition of
what the piano has just played, supported still by the other
plucked strings. The piano itself breaks into arching,
partly harmonized arpeggios in the right hand. After the
first two bars, however, there is an extension through
repetition, and the piano right hand begins to harmonize and
imitate the violins, twice making large upward leaps. A
two-bar unit is repeated, then fragmented with a colorful
chromatic note (D-flat), and the closing turn is avoided.
0:33 [m. 28]--The piano takes over as the violins join
the rest of the plucked strings. It further fragments
the material, isolating the descending dotted rhythm.
Then it breaks into a highly atmospheric, rapid rising scale
harmonized in thirds. This scale is divided into
seven-note units on each beat. Against it, the first
violins take bows again and isolate the dotted rhythm, leaping
down a fourth and repeating it four times. Flutes,
oboes, and horns enter with a sustained chord against the
scale. After the scale, the piano breaks into a trill in
the right hand and a sequence of four light descending
arpeggios in the left, leading to the return of the opening
material, which will function as a transitional bridge.
0:41 [m. 35]--Transition based on main rondo
theme. The opening of the theme appears to return again
in the violins, with the piano playing its light, partially
harmonized arpeggios. But this only continues for four
bars. For the first time, there is a buildup in
intensity. The full wind section enters as the piano
briefly drops out. All strings take their bows, and the
violins isolate the dotted-rhythm downward turn with the
following rising figure. Then they fragment it further,
isolating only the measure with the rising figure. All
of this gradually moves up in a sequential way.
0:52 [m. 45]--The piano enters with a powerful
statement based on the dotted-rhythm downward turn. The
left hand strides up in confident octaves leaping between
B-flat and F. The orchestra, led by the violins,
immediately responds with the rising figure and the following
closing gesture. The piano repeats its powerful
statement. The orchestra responds again, but this time
the response is changed in harmony and moves toward D minor.
1:01 [m. 53]--The rising figure and closing gesture are
again stated by the orchestra with different harmony, briefly
moving back home to B-flat. Then the rising figure is
twice isolated, rising higher, with the leaping bass sliding
up to B-natural and then C. The violins, supported by
loud wind chords, isolate the dotted rhythm, leaping down
between C and the B-natural a ninth (a step more than an
octave) below. The piano takes over with this leap in
octaves between the hands, cutting off the orchestra.
After two bars, the right hand moves the same leap up a third,
harmonizing with the left. The piano rapidly diminishes
in volume. Three descending chords with quiet horn
support lead to the key of A minor.
1:15 [m. 65]--Theme 2, Part 1 (First episodic theme in
A minor). The secondary and closing theme complex
includes three elements. The key signature here changes
to one flat in anticipation of the second and third of these
in F major, but the first and most prominent is in the
unexpected key of A minor. It is one of Brahms’s
“Hungarian”-inspired melodies, with a wistful, sighing
harmonized melody. It is played initially by flutes,
oboes, and bassoons. The piano lightly accompanies with
skipping chords in triplet rhythm alternating between hands
and gradually moving upward. After four measures, the
strings take over from the winds.
1:25 [m. 73]--The answering phrase to the “Hungarian”
theme again alternates between the woodwind and string groups,
reaching a full cadence in A minor. The piano chords are
now more continuous, with the hand alternation creating the
effect of 3/4 meter superimposed upon the main 2/4 heard in
the thematic presentation of the winds and strings. Each
bar has a new upward-moving group of piano chords.
1:34 [m. 81]--Theme 2, Part 2 (Second episodic theme in
F major). The first closing theme is presented by the
piano. The motion to F major is direct. It begins
with a gesture in sighing chords. The right hand then
continues with an undulating triplet-rhythm harmonized in
thirds. The left hand settles on leaping octaves.
The strings lightly accompany with two-note phrases
emphasizing upward half-step motion. The second
statement of the sighing chords is again followed by the
triplets, this time harmonized in sixths and moving briefly
back toward A minor.
1:44 [m. 89]--The clarinets present the “answering
phrase.” The first four measures closely follow the
piano statement. The leaping bass is transferred to the
plucked cellos and the half-steps to the bassoon. The
closing half-phrase, however, is changed, with the sighing
harmonies moving down and the following triplets (in sixths
and thirds) twice pausing on the second beat, leading toward a
cadence in F major. The upper strings gradually enter,
also playing pizzicato.
1:54 [m. 97]--Theme 2, Part 3 (Third episodic theme in
F major). The piano presents this lighthearted
theme. The right hand is quite high. The theme has
long downbeats and trill-like upbeats. The left hand
plays rising arpeggios against the longer notes. The
plucked strings accompany with solid downbeats and responding
chords on the upbeats. Halfway through the phrase,
clarinets and horns enter with a gentle descent to mark the
half-close. The second half of the phrase adds color
with a very brief hint at A major/minor. Its close is
again punctuated by clarinets and horns.
2:03 [m. 105]--As in the second episodic theme, the
“answering phrase” is given to woodwinds. Here, it is
the flute and oboe. The piano adds a new
counterpoint. It begins with two rising scale patterns
harmonized mostly in thirds, doubled an octave apart in both
hands. These are in rapid triplet rhythm, as is the
continuation, where the thirds give way to trill-like motion,
still in triplet rhythm. These two elements, the rising
thirds and the trill-like motion, alternate a second
time. The flute/oboe statement of the melody leads to a
full cadence in F major, where a piano trill in both hands
leads to a cascading scale descent.
2:12 [m. 113]--The elements of Theme 2 (or the three
episodic themes), having been presented, are now partially
stated again in a different order, using the established keys
of B-flat major, F major, and A minor. The previous
cadence leads to the first phrase of the second one, now in
B-flat. It is played by the violins, again with plucked
cellos giving the mainly octave leaps in the bass. The
piano decorates the first four bars with staccato
arching arpeggios, then trills leading to a half-close.
In the second part of the phrase, a flute takes the arching
arpeggios, which are then passed to the piano against the
violin triplets. This phrase closely follows the F-major
statement at 1:34 [m. 81], and moves toward D minor.
2:21 [m. 121]--Now the first phrase of the third
episodic theme is heard, presented by the piano as at 1:54 [m.
97]. The hint of A major/minor at the end is now
confirmed, as there is a full motion to A minor. There
is a new descending horn entry against the last few measures.
2:31 [m. 129]--Unexpectedly, but naturally, the first
episodic theme is presented again in its original key of A
minor. The original wind instruments do play it, but now
they dovetail every measure with the piano, which takes over
and then passes back to the winds. Piano arpeggios that
accompany the winds lead seamlessly into the piano’s portions
of the melody. This pattern is used for the first
phrase from 1:15 [m. 65]. Plucked cellos and basses
punctuate the downbeats.
2:40 [m. 137]--The answering phrase more closely
follows its presentation at 1:25 [m. 73]. The piano in
particular follows its previous pattern with alternating hands
suggesting a superimposed 3/4 meter. The major
difference is that now the strings present the entire phrase
rather than the woodwinds playing the first part.
2:50 [m. 145]--The second episodic theme follows again,
now in its original key of F major. Since the
first phrase was played at 2:12 [m. 113], the second phrase is
now given by its original instruments, the clarinets, as at
1:44 [m. 89]. After the first four bars, however, a new
element is introduced. Very quietly (ppp), the
violins and violas, in syncopation off the beat, play the
motion to the cadence in F major. This alteration to the
end of the phrase serves to introduce the transition back to
the main (rondo) theme.
3:00 [m. 153]--Transition. The plucked strings,
beginning with the cellos and moving through violas, second
and first violins, repeatedly play the fifth F-C against a
held F-major chord in clarinets, horns, and oboes. The
piano left hand then takes up this constantly rising fifth
while its right hand plays two short two-note descending
figures off the beat, followed by a longer plunge. The
entire pattern is then repeated on the fifth D-A against a
D-major chord (with mild hints at D minor in the right hand
figures).
3:09 [m. 161]--The strings hold a “diminished seventh”
chord, using that flexible harmony to move back toward the
E-flat harmony that opens the main rondo theme. The
piano continues with similar figuration using the descending
plunge, also on this harmony. After two bars, the
violins anticipate the undulating motion of the main theme,
but without the dotted rhythm as the piano isolates shorter
figures. This leads back to a welcome return of the
rondo theme’s opening phrase.
3:14 [m. 165]--Theme 1 makes a return to close off the
exposition and initiate the development section, as is typical
in a sonata-rondo hybrid form. This time, it is given a
new and fresh scoring, with the oboe playing the main
melody. The piano magically combines its original left
hand line from the beginning with right hand figures that
continue the pattern of the previous transition. The
violas play their original arching counterpoint. The
other strings join, but they are plucked, the first violins
partially outlining the theme. Only the opening phrase
is played as a return.
DEVELOPMENT
3:21 [m. 173]--First section. The piano emerges
from the oboe statement with a descending arpeggio on the
upbeat. The key shifts down a step to A-flat
major. There, the cellos begin a variant of the main
rondo theme that focuses on the descending line in dotted
rhythm. The first violins play a fresh new
counter-melody that features a prominent upward leap at the
end. The piano, meanwhile, continues its established
figuration, incorporating both upward and downward
motion. After four measures, it takes over for the
violins and cellos, providing a continuation that isolates a
rising flourish from the theme and adds strong syncopation
across the bar line. This surges, then tumbles toward
the next statement.
3:32 [m. 181]--The key makes another abrupt shift, this
time to the remote E major. Here, the statement just
heard is repeated with the violins and cellos exchanging their
parts, the cellos now taking the new counter-melody. The
piano continuation begins as before, with different
harmonization, but just before the last measure it introduces
a cross-grouping over the bar line and erupts into an
upward-shooting arpeggio with three fast triplets in the right
hand. These lead toward C major.
3:41 [m. 189]--The piano cuts off and the orchestra
takes over alone with the entry of the wind instruments.
Beginning in C major, there is a passage that starts with the
head motive of the main rondo theme, then devolves into a
sequence based on the descending line in dotted rhythm.
This descending line is repeated up a half-step. It then
begins up another half-step, but quickly breaks off before
shifting up yet again and continuing down as expected.
The accents are placed in a way that feels syncopated, and the
strong entries of the wind instruments right before the bar
lines increase this feeling. This last descent has
arrived on the unison note A-sharp. Still in unison, the
instruments powerfully leap up to G and back down to A-sharp.
3:54 [m. 202]--The A-sharp is the “leading note” in the
key of B minor, and in that key, the piano jumps in with
sudden force, playing a series of ascending broken chords with
triplets in the right hand and straight rhythm in the
left. These lead to a half-close a fifth higher, in
F-sharp minor. The strings accompany lightly.
There then follows a rising sequence based on the opening
dotted rhythm of the rondo theme, with the figure moving up by
half-step in the right hand. The left hand plays arching
arpeggios. Horns and cellos lightly support before
clarinets and violas enter. The passage is lyrical, but
intense. It leads back to B minor, and the piano plays a
rising arpeggio in slow triplets to close it off.
4:08 [m. 212]--The orchestra drops out, and the piano
alone returns to the long-absent contrasting phrase of the
main rondo theme as heard at 0:19 [m. 17]. It is
transformed into a wistful version in B minor. After the
first four measures, it develops into a cadenza-like
extension. This isolates the closing turn and changes it
to both down-up and continuously descending motion. The
right hand is harmonized mostly in sixths, but also in thirds
and fourths. The left hand accompaniment incorporates
the familiar arching motion along with triplet
arpeggios. The mini-cadenza remains in B minor for some
time, but moves toward D minor and closes with a
briefly-slowing left-hand arpeggio outlining a colorful
“diminished seventh” chord.
4:30 [m. 228]--Second section. Brahms places a
“caesura,” or full break, before the upbeat of m. 227.
The piano then resumes the figuration as heard in the
preceding “mini-cadenza.” It is interrupted by the
orchestra, which asserts the dotted-rhythm descending line
used through much of the development section thus far.
There is then another alternation between the “mini-cadenza”
material in the piano and the descending line in the
orchestra. The entire passage is in D minor. The
orchestra lands on a unison C-sharp, the “leading tone,” and
plays the powerful leap up and back down as heard before 3:54
[m. 202].
4:42 [m. 238]--As at 3:54 [m. 202], the piano plays the
forceful broken chords, now in D minor leading to a half-close
in A minor. The rising sequence also follows, leading
back to D minor as expected, with a slight change in scoring
at the point of the rising slow-triplet arpeggio, where the
upper strings all enter. There is then a second arpeggio
on the “dominant” chord in D minor, which Brahms marks with a
slight slowing. Then, in the briefest of re-transitions,
the piano re-harmonizes its upper note and the left hand leaps
down to a low F, the “dominant” note in the home key of B-flat
major. This quietly intense, atmospheric chord is held,
creating great anticipatory tension.
RECAPITULATION
5:03 [m. 252]--Brahms marks another “caesura” before
the upbeat of m. 251. This pause prepares the
recapitulation in the home key of B-flat major. Because
of its use throughout the development, and because of its
opening on the “subdominant” E-flat harmony, Brahms omits the
first phrase of the main rondo theme and its repetition.
He opens with the contrasting phrase from 0:19 [m. 17], which
has just been used as the basis for the “mini-cadenza.”
Its first part is played by the piano alone exactly as in its
first appearance. The only difference is a new marking
of dolce.
5:09 [m. 256]--Violin repetition, extension, and
fragmentation of phrase with piano arpeggios, harmonization,
and imitation, as at 0:25 [m. 21].
5:18 [m. 263]--The continuing piano fragmentation
follows as at 0:33 [m. 28]. The atmospheric scale in
thirds follows as expected, bit it is now more complex and
difficult. Brahms has the right hand play the scale in
thirds by itself, where the left hand played the lower third
before. The left hand is given a new rising and
zigzagging line in fourths and fifths, played in groups of six
that clash with the seven-note groups in the scale.
These groups of six are also used under the trill for the
descending arpeggio, which now has eight three-note descents
instead of four four-note descents during the two measures of
the trill. The orchestral material, including the
leaping violins, is unchanged.
5:27 [m. 270]--Transition based on main rondo theme
with buildup in intensity, as at 0:41 [m. 35].
5:37 [m. 280]--An unexpected insertion is heard
here. It is based on the rising flourish from the first
phrase of the theme. The piano repeats the flourish four
times, with the left hand leaping up or down an octave between
each one. The last of these shifts its final two notes
upward, leading to an orchestral interruption that is a
restatement of its last measure before the interruption, moved
up a half-step. The piano takes up repetitions of the
rising figure again, stating it seven times, again with the
left hand leaping between them. The first two notes of
each are unchanged, but the last two gradually shift upward
after each pair, beginning with the second and third of
them. An eighth figure is a higher-reaching arpeggio
that ends the insertion.
5:44 [m. 287]--Analogous to 0:52 [m. 45]. The
piano’s powerful statements are similar, especially in the
bass, which still strides between B-flat and F. The
right hand, however, is a third higher and suggests a shift to
minor, still on B-flat. This is confirmed by the
orchestral response, which replaces the rising figure with a
zigzagging one. The repetition follows as expected, and
the orchestral response again emphasizes B-flat minor and its
relative major, D-flat.
5:53 [m. 295]--Analogous to 1:01 [m. 53]. The
restatement of the rising (now zigzagging) figure and closing
gesture is omitted. The figure is twice isolated, now
moving in a downward direction, and the leaping bass slides
from G-flat to G to A-flat. The leaping violins on the
dotted rhythm jump down from A-flat to the G a ninth
below. The piano takeover adds two measures, repeating
the violin leaps before moving to its original condensed
leaps. Instead of the right hand moving up a third after
two bars, both hands move up a half-step. The descending
chords with horn support follow, but they are unexpectedly
extended two bars, with one chord in each, leading to D minor.
6:10 [m. 309]--Theme 2, Part 1 (First episodic theme in
D minor). This presentation closely follows its
analogous original statement in A minor at 1:15 [m. 63].
D minor has the same relationship to the home key of B-flat as
A minor did to F major, where the other subsidiary themes were
heard. The piano figuration, with the alternating,
skipping chords in triplet rhythm, is similar. The major
difference is that the first four measures of the harmonized
melody are played by the strings, and the next four are taken
by the woodwinds, reversing the process from the
exposition. Clarinets also replace flutes in the wind
section.
6:19 [m. 317]--Answering phrase, analogous to 1:25 [m.
73]. The piano again has the continuous figures creating
the effect of a superimposed 3/4. As in the first
phrase, the strings begin and the winds follow, reversed from
the exposition. It leads to a full cadence in D minor.
6:29 [m. 325]--The second episodic theme with the
sighing gestures and undulating triplets is omitted at this
point. It is replaced by a new transition in the piano,
derived from a leaping gesture at the end of the first
episodic theme. This leaping gesture takes on an almost
martial character, with powerful syncopated right hand chords
and large leaps from bass notes to chords in the left
hand. The chords are punctuated by trill-like gestures
derived from the third episodic theme. After the
first four measures, the chords start again, but this time the
trill-like figures are replaced by another leap and then a
gentle descent, moving the key from D minor home to
B-flat. The whole passage is accompanied by plucked
string chords.
6:39 [m. 333]--Theme 2, Part 3 (Third episodic theme in
B-flat major). It is only given one phrase, as opposed
to its three different phrases in the exposition. It is
scored like the answering phrase at 2:03 [m. 105].
Brahms employs the piccolo instead of the regular flute for an
exceedingly joyous effect. The decorative piano figures
from that statement are also given, the triplet scales
harmonized in thirds and then the trill-like figuration.
The musical direction, however, follows the statement at 2:21
[m. 121], leading into the restatement of the first episodic
theme and a return to D minor. The piano’s trill-like
figures slow down to a descending arpeggio in straight rhythm
in both hands.
6:49 [m. 341]--Return of first episodic theme,
analogous to 2:31 [m. 129]. The dovetailing effect
previously heard between the piano and winds is preserved, but
here the strings replace the winds. The answering phrase
is omitted in favor of a four-bar extension that continues the
dovetailing effect and moves downward, diminishing in volume.
7:06 [m. 353]--Transition to Coda. The second
episodic theme, absent to this point in the recapitulation, is
now used to close it off. Shifting abruptly back to
B-flat, the clarinets begin to present it, as they originally
did in the answering phrase, with the leaping bass in plucked
cellos. But then the triplets are unexpectedly taken
over by the oboe in a single line, turning to the “relative” G
minor, supported by violins and violas. The clarinets
enter again with the sighing gestures, now in G minor, and the
piccolo joins the oboe on the triplet response, which is a
fourth lower, the violins and violas again providing support.
7:16 [m. 360]--Unexpectedly, the piano emerges into the
atmospheric scale in thirds, played with the new zigzagging
left hand line as it was during the passage at 5:18 [m.
263]. But now its two measures, each of which covers two
octaves, are interrupted by a trill in both hands. This
trill also follows the second measure of the scale. The
only orchestral support is an octave in the horns.
Following the second trill, the piano hovers on a series of
arpeggios in contrary motion, grouped so that there is a
syncopated emphasis on the second note in each group of four
sixteenth notes. The cellos, then violas rise against
the piano figures in slow leaps. D major is suggested,
leading toward G minor or major.
7:27 [m. 369]--An artful harmonic pivot leads to
harmony on E-flat, which is of course associated with the
beginning of the main rondo theme. Bassoons and horns
present a skeletal, but recognizable version of its opening
figure, without the dotted rhythm. The piano plays
delicate and tender arpeggios in alternating contrary motion
against it. The violas and cellos then take over the
continuation of the rondo theme without the dotted rhythm, the
piano arpeggios coming together in three-note
cross-rhythms. The alternation, including the piano
arpeggios, is repeated a second time as the basic outline of
the theme’s first phrase is completed. This leads
suddenly and directly into the new tempo for the extended
coda.
CODA – Un poco più presto
7:37 [m. 377]--First section. On its own and in
the suddenly faster tempo, the piano launches into a skittish
version of the main rondo theme in triplets, whose persistence
suggests an actual shift to 6/8 time (which is not
indicated). Rapid rolled chords in the left hand are
followed by right hand responses in octaves, often moving in
scale patterns. The first phrase and the contrasting
phrase are clearly recognizable, the latter following directly
upon the former. In the contrasting phrase, plucked
strings enter as a punctuation after four bars, and the
outline of its original extension is even clear, though
shortened by one bar. The volume builds, and the passage
culminates on a hammered descending fourth.
7:55 [m. 398]--The full orchestra suddenly enters on
the hammered descending fourth, the piano moving to rolled
chords in both hands. At the same time, the harmony
abruptly shifts to D major for four measures of this
hammering, the piano dropping out after two of them. The
harmonic shift also matches the original theme. A
sweeping violin scale leads to G major, where the next section
begins.
7:58 [m. 402]--Second section. In G major, the
orchestra briefly abandons the triplet rhythm and implied 6/8
time and returns to the theme’s familiar dotted rhythm,
marching powerfully down the scale before again emerging again
into the hammered descending fourth. Another sweeping
violin scale, with a subtle downward turn, leads to E-flat
major, where the entire sequence is heard again with a
four-measure extension on the hammered fourth. The piano
is absent for this entire passage.
8:15 [m. 422]--The piano now enters powerfully, taking
over the triplets in octaves and converting the descending
fourth to a third. This third is obsessively repeated
for seven straight measures, under which the strings and
bassoons hold harmonies, then gradually expand outward with
the bass instruments descending by half-step and the violins
also rising mostly by half-step. After the obsessive
seven measures, the piano triplets slide upward, arriving on
F, which will serve as the “dominant” to re-establish the home
key of B-flat. The piano octaves now tumble downward to
underscore this arrival. Through the whole passage, the
volume diminishes, then swells and recedes again at the upward
slide.
8:23 [m. 432]--Third section. Definitively in the
home key, the low strings play the opening turn and descending
line from the main theme. The descending line is
immediately imitated one measure later by the violins and
violas, and a measure after that by flute and clarinet.
Meanwhile, the piano continues the triplet rhythm, alternating
highly decorative broken octaves and harmonies (mainly thirds)
in contrary motion between the hands. The imitation
sequence is then repeated with the same instruments, minus the
opening turn in the low strings and with the first notes of
the descending line moved up a half-step.
8:30 [m. 440]--The entire sequence from 8:23 [m. 432]
is repeated with slight variation. The entries are
reversed, but the first statement of the opening motive and
descending line originally played by low strings is played by
the oboe instead of flute and clarinet. Imitation by
violins and violas, then low strings follows. The piano
figuration reverses the order of the hands, so that the right
hand leads the left. In the repetition, the flutes and
clarinets, now with lower harmony, replace the oboe.
8:37 [m. 448]--Fourth section. The violas and
cellos isolate the opening dotted-rhythm turn of the theme as
the piano continues its triplet figuration in alternating
contrary motion between the hands. After two measures,
the violas and cellos use the rhythm to slide up four
half-steps before settling on a held A. The volume
builds.
8:41 [m. 452]--The piano emerges into a new bell-like
pattern alternating “outer” thirds and seconds with “inner”
single notes, the hands still in contrary motion. The
horns enter on the rhythm with a repeated F against the held
viola/cello A. Those instruments, still on the dotted
rhythm, move up to a held C, against which the horns again
pulse on F. Violas and cellos begin the pattern once
more, then slowly rise with a double-dotted (longer first
note) rhythm, the horns adding shorter pulses on the long
notes, as the piano continues its bell sounds.
Everything abruptly cuts off with a very brief pause for
breath, leaving hanging the harmony of D minor and its
“leading tone.”
8:47 [m. 460]--Fifth section. The piano plays an
upward sweeping arpeggio reminiscent of the theme’s rising
flourish. The theme itself begins again in the full
orchestra. It is interrupted after the descending line
by a repetition of the piano arpeggio, which the violins join
at the end. The orchestra begins again, extending the
opening half-step turn before descending. The piano now
plays two shorter arpeggios punctuated by full orchestral
chords that mark a powerful, definitive cadence on B-flat.
8:58 [m. 472]--Sixth (final) section. At the
cadence, the piano rings out forceful octaves, leaping down a
ninth and supported by wind chords. After two measures,
the strings imitate these. Before they can finish, the
piano sweeps upward in an arpeggio. This continues,
moving down and up in wave-like motion, as the first violins
use the dotted rhythm to circle around the key note
B-flat. The other strings slide down by half-step.
The winds enter and join the strings on chords against the
piano’s continuing wave-like arpeggios. The top line of
these slower chords again circles around B-flat as the bass
again slides down.
9:10 [m. 484]--The piano’s wave motion cuts off.
Two sweeping arpeggios, each with nine rapid notes in both
hands, rise up the full length of the keyboard against held
B-flat chords in the orchestra. After the second of
these arpeggios reaches its closing chord, the piano and
orchestra punctuate it with another short chord. This
prepares the final held chord, which brings this massive
concerto to its close.
9:29--END OF MOVEMENT [488 mm.]
END OF CONCERTO
BRAHMS LISTENING GUIDES HOME