The Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 by Johannes Brahms, is separated by a gap of 22 years from his Piano Concerto No. 1. Brahms began work on it in 1878 and completed the piece in 1881 while in Pressbaum near Vienna, and dedicated it to his teacher, Eduard Marxsen. Opus, from the Latin word opus meaning work, is usually used in the sense of a work of art. In this sense the plural of opus, opera, is used to refer to the genre of music drama. ... Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (May 7, 1833 – April 3, 1897) was a German composer of the Romantic period. ... Johannes Brahmss Piano Concerto No. ... Pressbaum is a small town in the precinct of Wien-Umgebung in Lower Austria, Austria. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... Eduard Marxsen (1806-1887), a former pupil of Ignaz Seyfried, was highly regarded in Hamburg both as pianist and composer. ...

Background

The piece is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B-flat), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (2 B-flat bass, 2 F bass), 2 trumpets (B-flat), timpani (B-flat and F), and strings (http://www.bh2000.net/score/orchbrah/brpc21.pdf). This article pertains to the musical instrument. ... Modern Oboe The Oboe is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... A bass clarinet, which sounds an octave lower than the more common Bb soprano clarinet. ... Bassoon Playing range of a bassoon The bassoon is the tenor member of the woodwind family. ... Horn may refer to: horn (anatomy), a hollow, pointed projection of the skin of various animals Horn, Austria horn (diacritic), a diacritic mark used to indicate that a normally rounded vowel such as o or u is to be pronounced unrounded horn (instrument) horn, a slang term for any wind... Trumpets in the Bible According to Eastons Bible Dictionary, trumpets in the Bible were of a great variety of forms and were made of various materials. ... A timpanist in the United States Air Forces in Europe Band. ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ...

The piece is in four movements, rather than the three typical of concertos in the Classical and Romantic periods: In music, a movement is a large division of a larger composition or musical form. ...

1. Allegro non troppo (B flat major)
2. Allegro appassionato (D minor)
3. Andante (B flat major/F sharp major)
4. Allegretto grazioso (B flat major)

The extra movement makes the concerto considerably longer than most other concertos written up to that time; a typical performance lasts around 50 minutes. As critics noted at its first performance, the scherzo brings the concerto closer to being a symphony for piano and orchestra. As in the Piano Concerto No. 1, Brahms combined elements of the classical concerto (direct opposition of soloist and orchestra, soloist virtuosity) with the chamber music-like influences of the Baroque concerto grosso. The chamber music tendencies are especially strong in the delicate slow movement (Andante), which contains an exquisite interplay of piano, cello, and winds. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The concerto grosso (Italian for big concert(o), plural concerti grossi) is a form of baroque music in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists (the concertino) and full orchestra (the ripieno). ... Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. ...

Despite its ambitious scale, when Brahms sent a copy of the completed score to his friend, the surgeon and violinist Theodore Billroth (to whom Brahms had dedicated his first two string quartets), he described the concerto as "some little piano pieces". In another incident, he called the second movement of this work a "tiny wisp of a scherzo", although it is robust music that lasts for ten minutes; similarly, he had written to his publisher of the generally cheerful Symphony No. 2 (1877) "the score is so sad you won't be able to bear it", also saying the sheet music should be printed with a funereal black border. “Surgeon” redirects here. ... A violinist is an instrumentalist who plays the violin (eg Diana Yukawa). ... Theodor Billroth, founding father of modern abdominal surgery Christian Albert Theodor Billroth (1829-1894), a German-born Austrian surgeon, is generally regarded as the founding father of modern abdominal surgery. ... The resident string quartet of the Library of Congress in 1963 A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string instruments—usually two violins, a viola and cello—or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... A scherzo (plural scherzi) is a name given to a piece of music or a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony. ... The Symphony No. ...

The piece was given its public premiere in Budapest on November 9, 1881 with Brahms himself playing the solo part. Unlike the Piano Concerto No. 1, which was rather coolly received and struggled before general acceptance, the Piano Concerto No. 2 was an immediate and great success. Brahms went on to perform it in a number of successful concerts in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, some conducted by Hans von Bülow. For other uses, see Budapest (disambiguation). ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A conductor conducting at a ceremony A conductors score and batons Conducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. ... Hans von Bülow. ...

Description

The piece is difficult mainly of its length (endurance), profundity (traversal throughout the entire emotional spectrum), and various technical difficulties, such as rapid octaves, rapid and light chords, and wide jumps.

First Movement

Allegro non troppo (B-flat Major)

This movement lasts from 17 to 20 minutes in duration, on average. It abounds in technical difficulties, mostly extreme jumps, trills, and glissandos. It is in mostly strict (with a few key deviations) standard sonata form, which shows that Brahms was less revolutionary than some of his contemporaries, such as Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Liszt redirects here. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as they were later called). ...

Analysis

Exposition

Introduction (Measures 1 - 28): The movement starts out with the horn playing the theme, piano responding. After a short interlude, the piano enters with a lengthy cadenza. The introduction is almost always played at a much slower tempo than most of the piece. For other uses, see Horn. ... In music, a cadenza (Italian for cadence) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a free rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display. ...

Orchestral Exposition (MM 29 - 68): Orchestra plays first theme forcefully, then leads to a transition. Two important lyrical secondary themes are introduced, and they are later used. The music increases in tension and leads to a regal section in D Minor, with the introduction of yet another theme. D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B-flat, C, and D (natural minor scale). ...

Piano Exposition (MM 69 - 173): Piano enters with a short section by itself. The music builds in tension until the theme is repeated by both piano and orchestra. After this, a motif is introduced with a short transitionary section to build to the second part of the exposition, which is in the dominant key, F Major. The piano and orchestra play a light and delicate section building on the light themes introduced in the orchestral exposition. At measure 146, the music drastically changes; the key turns into the parallel minor, F Minor. The piano develops the secondary theme that was introduced in the orchestral exposition, but plays it much louder. The minor section abounds in large leaps (mostly left hand) with a difficult right hand portion (because of its duration). Also see: F minor, or F-sharp minor. ... Also see: F major, or F-sharp minor. ...

Transition (MM 173 - 188): Orchestra plays very forcefully, gradually building in tension and tapering off; in most interpretations the orchestra slows down to the tempo of the introduction.

Development (MM 188 - 261): This is a lengthy development, first starting in F Minor, working its way back to the tonic. It abounds in chordal difficulties. Also see: F major, or F-sharp minor. ...

Recapitulation (MM 262 - end (376): About the same as the exposition, just without an orchestral exposition. The second part of the exposition is in B-flat Major, NOT F Major, and the minor section is in B-flat Minor, NOT F Minor. An additional section at the end marks a lengthy coda.

Overall this movement contains triumphic, calm/cajoling, as well as stormy/impassioned moments.

Second Movement

2. Scherzo - Allegro appassionato (in D Minor) A scherzo (plural scherzi) is a name given to a piece of music or a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony. ... D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B-flat, C, and D (natural minor scale). ...

Brahms sent a letter to his friend describing this scherzo as a "tiny wisp of a scherzo." However, it is strongly impassioned music that lasts for more than 9 minutes. Like most scherzi, this movement is in ternary form. A rarity in concerti movements is that in this movement, a repeat is required for a large section. The movement is special that it unites the piano and orchestra closer together. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Analysis

Measures 1 to 105 are repeated.

A1

i. The piano states the main theme forcefully, with a small but exceedingly fitting orchestral accompaniment. It continues to play with a substantial orchestral accompaniment while develping this theme.

ii. After this development, the strings at measure 43 play a secondary theme, marked "tranquillo e dolce" that is exceedingly important in this scherzo; it serves as the rhythmic basis for several other motifs. Piano and strings play a usually quiet, melancholy section.

Transition

The wind instruments play a modulation of the first theme, with piano outbursting in a manner similar to Beethoven's music. Piano and orchestra work through an explosive section based heavily on key modulations. Rhythmic motifs from an earlier melancholy section are heard, eventually leading to the next section. Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer of Classical music, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. ...

B

This section is in the parallel key, D Major. The strings play the theme for this section, which is more triumphant than the main section. Piano responds with octaves, made difficult through the requirement of lightness yet legato at the same time. The music builds in tension until the theme in D Major is repeated by the piano and orchestra. Also see: D minor, or D-flat major. ... In musical notation legato indicates that musical notes are played smoothly. ...

A

(Work in progress)

The music progresses in a similar matter as the original main section, except right off from melancholy, the music turns darker, marked "sempre piu agitato." The music grows more passionate and tense until reaching a climax, ending the movement.

Third Movement

Andante (B-flat Major/ F-sharp Major)

(Work in progress)

This movement is unusual in that there is an arrangement for solo cello in this work, thus looking into Brahms's chamber music tendencies. The opening melody is beautiful and serene. This article is about the stringed musical instrument. ...

Fourth Movement

Allegretto grazioso

(Work in progress)

Brahms described this movement as a "little kitten with tiger fangs," which fits this movement well due to its elegance.

Notable Interpretations

• Sviatoslav Richter with Erich Leinsdorf and Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Grammy Award-winning)
• Emil Gilels with Eugen Jochum, and an earlier interpretation with Fritz Reiner
• Maurizio Pollini with Claudio Abbado
• Krystian Zimerman with Leonard Bernstein and VPO
• Rudolf Serkin with George Szell and Cleveland Orchestra
• Leon Fleischer with Szell and Cleveland Orchestra
• Nelson Freire with Riccardo Chailly conducting Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter (Russian: , Svjatoslav Teofilovič Rikhter) (March 20 [O.S. March 7] 1915 – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet pianist, widely recognized as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. ... Erich Leinsdorf (February 4, 1912 - September 11, 1993) was a conductor. ... The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, based in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the leading orchestras in the world. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Emil Grigoryevich Gilels (Russian: Эми́ль Григо́рьевич Ги́лельс, Emili Gregorievič Gilelis; October 19, 1916 – October 14, 1985) was a Soviet pianist. ... Eugen Jochum (November 1, 1902 – March 26, 1987) was a conductor. ... This article contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Maurizio Pollini Maurizio Pollini (born January 5, 1942) is an Italian classical pianist. ... Claudio Abbado (born June 26, 1933) is a noted Italian conductor. ... Image:Krystian Zimerman. ... Leonard Bernstein in 1971 Leonard Bernstein (IPA pronunciation: )[1] (August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, and pianist. ... The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (in German: Wiener Philharmoniker) an orchestra in Austria, regularly considered as one of the finest in the world. ... Rudolf Serkin (March 28, 1903 – May 8, 1991) was an Austrian pianist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the major symphony orchestras in the United States. ... Leon Fleisher Leon Fleisher (born July 23, 1928) is an American pianist and conductor. ... Nelson Freire (born 1944) is a Brazilian classical pianist. ... Riccardo Chailly (born February 20, 1953) is an Italian conductor. ... The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra is a German orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. ...

External links

• BBC Radio 3's Discovering Music (includes a link to an .ram file discussing the piece)
• Brahms' Orchestra Works (free music score of this composition available. In public domain.)
• Piano Concerto No. 2 was available at the International Music Score Library Project.