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BRAHMS AND HIS PIANO MUSIC

Johannes Brahms, the great German master in the second half of the 19th
century. We can call him a some kind of protagonist of the classical
tradition. Although he was from Hamburg, he lived in Vienna, like in the
case of Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn. With classical tradition comes the
piano music, and Brahms was prolific in sonata and symphonic style. A
pianist is lucky in the sense of Brahms repertory- that is if the pianist likes
him. Brahms, although was very famous in his lifetime, one can argue that
it is not the most approachable music. Admiring the music of
Renaissance, combined with rich chords and forms of the classical era,
Brahms was certainly an original composer.
Brahms tore apart many things he wrote- a reason to consider everything
he published as important. He sent his compositions to his friends for their
opinion, with attaching a note that labeled the work as a bad piece! For
him, a composition would be reworked on many times, and even
performed, before it was sent off to publishing.
Importance of piano (and even organ) in the life of Brahms is very obvious.
Especially his early Works are dominated by piano music. As many other
composers of the time he recieved pianistic training. From the start he
deviated from the virtiosic fashion of his time. His early piano music
includes a scherzo, and 3 sonatas. Interestingly, these 4 works do not

surpass op.5. These early piano music are overlooked by many. Indeed one
cannot deny that rather than piano Works they sound like transcriptions of
symphonies. These early Works

have great examples of motivic developement, as in Bach or Beethoven,

colorful usage of harmonies as in Chopin and Liszt, and a poetism of
Schumann, while having something original in them. Looking at the first
movement of F minr sonata op.5, we can see all of these examples. With
continuous modulation an deven metamophoses, we seem to have a great
drama, a story. In the last movement of F minr sonata, Brahms uses the
notes F A E, as in frei aber einsam. (free but lonely.) We may say this
musical cryptogram idea were inspired by his mentor, Schumann. Slow
movements of the 3 sonatas are rather interesting, for they are all based
on a text. First and third sonatas have the words actually written out. In
the first two sonatas we also see Brahms experimenting with variations,
expoiting the call-response structure in a free and imaginative way. It is
also notable that he actually writes out the words, not as in lyrics but as in
creating a atmosphere for the text, or as an inner thought. (Let us not
forget Beethovens Les Adieux writes out the words for the opening
chords.)
For a man with so much imagination and creativity, at least for Brahms,
variation becomes something full of fantasy. The next variation comes as a
whole work. Variations on a theme of Schumann. It must be noted that

pianistic idioms in the work derives from the genius of Schumann himself.
A great homage by Brahms. What starts becoming interesting with the
variations of Brahms is the rapid mood changes. He even notes B for
slower meditative ones, and Kr (Kreisler) for more aggressive, impulsive
ones. His later output in variation form is two Variations in D, op.21. These
are the only piano variations with original themes. Maybe this makes them
the most Brahms variations of them all, although today they are rarely

performed. They are not concert Works, but maybe more suitable for
expressing oneself in ones room. Then come the great Haendel Variations.
Some argue that some of these variations are the best in this form. There
also exists an orchestra version, yet piano, having one sonority, (while
losing some orchestral effects) creates a different journey. Walter Frisch
names them .. supreme manifestation of this neo classical and neo
baroque tendency.. Brahms even called it his favorite work! A such work
by Brahms that Wagner was surprised and admired Brahms for what may
still be done in old forms. He takes the Goldberg Variations of Bach and
Diabelli variations of Beethoven as a starting point. Taking an incredibly
simple melody by Haendel and developing it into a monument, with the
finale fugue using the whole orchestra. This work also combines older
keyboard idioms and newer ones into one continuality.
Then comes another Schumann variations, on a theme Schumann wrote
before his suicide attempt. It is really different to see variations with less

fantasy and restricted mood range, which gives them a different kind of
beauty and creates a darker, heavier work, with last variation being a
major funeral march.
We then arrive at the infamous Paganini variations. These are very
virtuosic and technical pieces and actual studies. Clara Schumann could
not play them and called them the witch variations. Yet this technical and
virtuosic display is never without a fantasy and musicality. Brahms again
manages to create something extraordinary, variations filled with
polyrhythms and fantasy, created out of a very clear and rhythmical
theme.
Then Brahms went on to complete contrasts, and composed his Waltzes
and Hungarian

dances. Waltzes are a sign of his Viennese life. He is known to edit some of
Schuberts dances for publication. Brahms gave his tribute to dance form
and composed fun miniatures, maybe a tribute to his beloved city. Again
Walter Frisch defines these (and Hungarian Rhapsodies) as an
achievement n combination of folk and high art.
Around forty opuses later, we come to late phase of Brahms piano writing,
starting with short character pieces, and titles such as capriccio or
intermezzo. Capriccios tend be faster with marks such as agitato, while the
intermezzos are more lyrical. Although it must be noted that rather than
expansive melodic writing, he uses the melodies more economically, with

smaller range and even motives. The two rhapsodies, written around
same time are again what we may name concert Brahms. They are
single movement piano Works, yet they are perfectly in form, first one
being in ternary and second is a sonata form. We can see even later in his
life, he did not forget them.
We come to the final sets of Brahms piano miniatures. Opuses 116-119.
With these late pieces (one may go far as to suggest that some moments
of these pieces are the some of the most beautiful moments in piano
music.) In these late sets we see that the distinction between melody and
harmony is no more, breaking down the tradition. With these pieces we
also see a Brahms who is very introverted. Unlike before, asking his friends
to comment, perform, he only played and worked on these on his own. His
interest for bigger genres were lost. These pieces have very refined
counterpoint, which is very easy to miss, and may not be even audible to a
listener, but for the player. He had no more interest in looking into new
horizons in piano technique, did not push the boundaries, rather searched
for the expressive

qualities of the piano. It is also very important the note that final piece of
these sets, op.119 no.4, is and extraverted Rhapsody, with wildness and
gypsy tunes. One can consider it a homage to his younger self.

His final Works are choral preludes for organ. Although not piano, we can
count it close. They were actually published in 1902. They are modeled
from Bachs Orgelbchlein. With choosing of chorales like Oh world, I
must leave you., we can see his intentions and thoughts with this set.
This set is, very Brahms, with his uniqueness of using the historical and
modern all together. He was a great master in the history of piano, and
music.

References
Frisch, W. Piano and organ music. Retrieved 8 May 2016, from
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/51879pg7#
S51879.7
Lindsay, C. (2013). Why are the late-piano works of Brahms (op 116-119)
considered significant? - Quora. Quora.com. Retrieved 8 May 2016, from
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-the-late-piano-works-of-Brahms-op-116-119considered-significant