The music of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) became ever more distilled and refined as he aged. His late piano works have an autumnal feel that the musicologist Michael Steinberg has described as follows: “Here, in these late musings of a keyboard master who had discovered how to speak volumes with the sparest of gestures, we find the essence of Brahms.
The last piano works of Brahms, Opp. 116-119, were composed in a short period of time, 1892-1893, when Brahms was 59 and 60 years old. A resolute bachelor his entire life, Brahms’ inspiration for these pieces may have been two remarkable women: the elderly composer and pianist Clara Schumann, with whom he had a lifelong friendship, and the young pianist Ilona Eibenschütz, who greatly impressed Brahms on a musical and personal level, and who premiered many of his late piano works.
There are seven movements in Brahms’ Fantasies Op. 116 and each has a distinct character. The movements are titled either Capriccio or Intermezzo: the Capriccios are fast and agitated, with continuous motion, and the Intermezzos are more lyrical, although still concentrated in style. This set of piano pieces makes the strongest claim amongst Opp. 116-119 for a coherent whole, based on thematic and harmonic connections. The first and last pieces are unified by the tonality of D minor and by their stormy, passionate character. In the middle of the set, movements 4-6 are centered on the tonality of E major-minor, forming a triptych that functions as the work’s emotional core. What I like about the juxtaposition of the Lieberson and the Brahms is that both composers find a remarkable balance in these works between form and content, and between thinking and feeling. In both cases, the individual pieces are essentially short movements that could stand on their own, but when grouped together into larger sets gain even greater meaning and resonance.Benjamin Hochman
Classical Music | Piano Music
Johannes Brahms
Intermezzo in E Major, Op. 116, No. 6, from Seven Fantasies Play
Recorded on 09/12/2012, uploaded on 09/12/2012
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
VI. Intermezzo in E Major: Andantino teneramente
The music of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) became ever more distilled and refined as he aged. His late piano works have an autumnal feel that the musicologist Michael Steinberg has described as follows: “Here, in these late musings of a keyboard master who had discovered how to speak volumes with the sparest of gestures, we find the essence of Brahms.
The last piano works of Brahms, Opp. 116-119, were composed in a short period of time, 1892-1893, when Brahms was 59 and 60 years old. A resolute bachelor his entire life, Brahms’ inspiration for these pieces may have been two remarkable women: the elderly composer and pianist Clara Schumann, with whom he had a lifelong friendship, and the young pianist Ilona Eibenschütz, who greatly impressed Brahms on a musical and personal level, and who premiered many of his late piano works.
There are seven movements in Brahms’ Fantasies Op. 116 and each has a distinct character. The movements are titled either Capriccio or Intermezzo: the Capriccios are fast and agitated, with continuous motion, and the Intermezzos are more lyrical, although still concentrated in style. This set of piano pieces makes the strongest claim amongst Opp. 116-119 for a coherent whole, based on thematic and harmonic connections. The first and last pieces are unified by the tonality of D minor and by their stormy, passionate character. In the middle of the set, movements 4-6 are centered on the tonality of E major-minor, forming a triptych that functions as the work’s emotional core. What I like about the juxtaposition of the Lieberson and the Brahms is that both composers find a remarkable balance in these works between form and content, and between thinking and feeling. In both cases, the individual pieces are essentially short movements that could stand on their own, but when grouped together into larger sets gain even greater meaning and resonance. Benjamin Hochman
More music by Johannes Brahms
Paganini variatons
Capriccio in d minor, Op 116, No. 7, from Seven Fantasies
Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Capriccio in c-sharp minor, from Eight piano pieces, Op. 76
Intermezzo in E Major, Op. 116, No. 4, from Seven Fantasies
Schicksalslied, Op. 54
Intermezzo in A Major, from Eight piano pieces, Op. 76
Intermezzo in e minor, Op. 116, No. 5, from Seven Fantasies
Intermezzo in b minor, Op. 119, No. 1
Klavierstücke op. 118 - VI. Intermezzo
Performances by same musician(s)
Intermezzo in e minor, Op. 116, No. 5, from Seven Fantasies
Capriccio in d minor, Op 116, No. 7, from Seven Fantasies
Seven Fantasies
The Dance, from Bagatelles
Proclamation, from Bagatelles
Spontaneous Songs, from Bagatelles
Bagatelles
Capriccio in d minor, Op. 116, No. 1, from Seven Fantasies
Intermezzo in a minor, Op. 116, No. 2, from Seven Fantasies
Capriccio in g minor, Op. 116, No. 3, from Seven Fantasies
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
Courtesy of International Music Foundation.