Classical Music | Piano Music

Recorded on 04/19/2006, uploaded on 02/05/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Capriccio in d minor, Op 116, No. 7, from Seven Fantasies                          Johannes Brahms

The Seven Fantasies were written in two sets (1-3, 4-7) during the summer of 1892, less than two years after Brahms had declared to his publisher that it was 'time to stop'. These intimate and concise late works could hardly be of greater contrast to the proportions or the epic moods of the early sonatas or Rhapsodies; moreover, they demonstrate the composer's formal mastery, and his ability to distil the most complex ideas in the briefest kind of lyrical utterance. An infinite variety of moods are expressed throughout, always subjected to the discipline of form, which lends the music an improvisatory air.

Although entitled 'Fantasies', Op. 116 consists of a combination of Capricci and Intermezzi. The opening Capriccio in d minor is an exhilarating curtain-raiser: constant metrical manipulation disorientates the listener, instilling a sense of emotional conflict. This is followed by a tender and intimate Intermezzo, full of nostalgic longing. The fiery outer sections of the third piece, a Capriccio in g minor, recall the energy and vigour of the Op. 79 Rhapsodies. The middle section is typical Brahms: an expansive, richly-harmonized theme which audaciously modulates from E-flat to G Major.  A series of three Intermezzi follows, all linked by the key of E (Major - minor - Major). The first, originally entitled 'Nocturne', seems to anticipate Debussy with its improvisatory and impressionistic style; the second, a lilting (sighing) piece of intimacy and restraint is the most enigmatic of the set; the third offers serene resignation amid beautiful, flowing melodies and rich harmonies full of subtle chromatic inflections. The Capriccio which completes the set restores the d minor key of the first piece and recalls much of the agitated character of the opening. Again the music is instilled with rhythmic uncertainty, and a series of dense chords and suspensions lead to a powerful climax.

Like the same scene viewed under different lights and conditions, these late Brahms pieces seem to change with each hearing, communicating an endless variety of moods and an infinite palette of color in relation to the listener's own experience.     Ashley Wass

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.