Classical Music | Piano Music

Recorded on 01/25/2005, uploaded on 01/08/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Unlike his great predecessor Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms only wrote three piano sonatas, and those all in the early part of his career. While Brahms’ sonatas made not be as universally known as those by Beethoven, they are, nonetheless, remarkable examples of the Romantic period piano music.

The Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major, although published as his op. 1, was actually composed after the second sonata in F sharp minor published as op. 2. Brahms was a stern critic of his own work and it is likely he felt the C major Sonata far more adequate than the F sharp minor Sonata to hold the position of a first opus. The C major Sonata was composed in 1853 while Brahms was in Hamburg. Compared to the F sharp minor Sonata composed during the previous year, the C major Sonata shows significant advances in Brahms’ compositional abilities. Where the F sharp minor Sonata is rhapsodic, the C major sonata shows a greater concentration on the development of musical ideas. Furthermore, the improvisational character of the F sharp minor Sonata is completely replaced by an increased understanding of Classical forms in the C major Sonata. According to Malcolm McDonald, “not since Beethoven had there been such a first movement.”

The first movement shows just such an influence of Beethoven, particularly of the Hammerklavier Piano Sonata, in the outlines of Brahms’ themes. An also apparent influence is that of Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy. However, the handling of the vast sonata form is wholly original to Brahms, embracing a more complex key-sequence than what is found in Beethoven.

The second movement is a short set of variations based on an old German folk-like song titled Verstohlen geht der Mond auf (“The furtive moon is rising”). Brahms would later rewrite the song for female chorus in 1859. The Scherzo third movement is totally Brahmsian. Brahms showed an early mastery of the scherzo form. This movement is in Brahms’ favorite scherzo meter of 6/8 and displays his unique rhythmic vitality. The finale is a lively Rondo that keeps the character of the preceding scherzo. The main theme of this movement is an ingenious derivation of the first movement’s opening theme.

The Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major was one of the pieces Brahms chose to play when he met Robert Schumann in September of 1853. Upon attacking the opening chords of the first movement, Schumann stopped Brahms’ playing and ran out of the room saying, “Please wait a moment, I must call my wife.” Schumann returned with Clara exclaiming to her, “Now you will hear music such as you have never heard before,” and motioned for Brahms to continue playing. So impressed was Schumann by Brahms’ compositions that he wrote an article in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik expounding on Brahms’ possibilities as a composer. Schumann’s article would prove to be the turning point in Brahms’ career.      Joseph DuBose

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Sonata for Piano No. 1 in C Major, Op. 1         Johannes Brahms

Allegro; Andante; Scherzo; Finale

Brahms was only 20 years old when he composed this sonata.  Although Op. 1 was completed after his second sonata, it was published as his first piece.  Brahms thought this sonata would open doors for him in the musical world.  He was right.  Schumann said of this piece: "he transforms the piano into an orchestra... this is like a small symphony..." 

The opening theme is energetic and reminiscent of the first theme of Beethoven's Sonata Op. 106, although it traverses a richer and more complex key-sequence than the Beethoven.  The movement ends with climactic writing where handfuls of notes cover a very large range of the keyboard.

The second movement is a short set of variations based on a theme from an old German love song Verstohlen geht der Mond auf (The furtive moon is rising).  The tune is treated with tenderness and captures the nocturnal mood of the song.  The movement is a lyrical paean which looks forward to the composer's Ballades, Op 10.  

The Scherzo is full of rhythmic vitality in Brahms's favorite galloping meter of 6/8.  The opening theme is loud and fierce.  This is countered, however, with a sublime, romantic trio section that offers sweeping chromatic arches along with its sense of forward movement.

The exhilarating Rondo-finale is marked Allegro con fuoco, and is in 9/8 meter, maintaining a sense of the Scherzo it follows.  The staccato main theme of the Rondo is a sly variation of a theme from the first movement.  Arpeggios on weak beats-usually the ninth-give the music an irresistible rhythmic flair. Homophonic episodes, first in G major and then in a minor, form the interior sections of the movement.  Brahms said that the Robert Burn's poem "My heart's in the Highlands" had inspired him in this movement. The rondo theme returns leading into a breathless Presto coda which ends the work with a bubbly, infectious vitality.        Jean-François Latour

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.