Eight piano pieces, op.76

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Johannes Brahms

The 8 piano pieces op. 76 by Johannes Brahms each comprise four capriccios and intermezzi. The one published in February 1879 collection of character pieces Brahms came after a long time with a work for solo piano out that of the 29 October 1879 Hans von Bülow in Berlin premiere was. While he had already composed the first capriccio in 1871, he wrote the remaining pieces in 1878 in Pörtschach am Wörther See .

The collection, which was originally divided into two volumes, shows the influence of Robert Schumann and Frédéric Chopin , whose complete editions at Breitkopf & Härtel Brahms was in charge of at the time. In condensed form, the mostly three-part pieces already indicate the internalized late style of Opera 116 to 119, whose features include the multi-layered piano setting, the chromatic and rhythmic refinements.

To the music

The two forms differ significantly from each other in terms of tempos and performance designations, dynamics and character. If the Capriccios prefer the fast pace and are energetic, excited and sometimes passionate, the intermezzi are slower and of a rather restrained expression.

Overview

  1. Capriccio in F sharp minor (6/8, Un poco agitato, restlessly moved )
  2. Capriccio in B minor (2/4, Allegretto non troppo )
  3. Intermezzo A flat major (alle breve , grazioso, graceful, expressive )
  4. Intermezzo in B flat major (2/4, Allegretto grazioso )
  5. Capriccio in c sharp minor (6/8, agitato, ma non troppo presto. Very excited, but not too fast )
  6. Intermezzo A major (2/4, Andante con moto, gently moving )
  7. Intermezzo in A minor (alla breve, Moderato semplice )
  8. Capriccio in C major (6/4, Grazioso ed un poco vivace. Gracefully lively )

In the ballad-like first capriccio, the releasing hands weave a restless to threatening sound carpet of flowing sixteenth notes, which rears up like waves and ends in a radiant C sharp major vortex. From bar 14 a wistful cantilena begins, which is reminiscent of the fourth ballad op.10 and in which the accompaniment maintains the flowing movement. There are polyrhythmic entanglements and passages that already extend over six octaves in bar 9.

The second piece is probably the most popular and catchiest in the collection. With its Hungarian- tuned motifs and the almost continuous staccato , which also affects the accompaniment , it creates a mood contrast to the pathos of its predecessor. Brahms also develops a counterpoint from the descending chromatic line of the bass and provides material for further entanglements; so the motif at the end of the piece can be found in the upper part. With the descending chromatic line of the bass, Brahms also develops a counterpoint and provides material for further entanglements, as the motif can be found in the upper part at the end of the piece.

The first interlude in the collection stands out from the burlesque hustle and bustle of the previous piece and thus forms a lyrical counterpoint. The term grazioso , which Brahms also uses for the following piece, indicates a restrained melancholy that pervades the work. A five-bar, descending theme unfolds over a pizzicato- and lute-like eighth note accompaniment, a technique that Brahms will take up again in the middle section of his late rhapsody from the piano pieces, Op. 119 . The syncopated development of the melody arpeggiated in places relieves the piece of any kindness and leads to a subtle inner tension.

The Schumannesque melody of the three-part B flat major intermezzo goes back to the central cipher A-Es-CH (or As-CH ) from the poetic dance cycle Carnaval with the tone sequence es - a - h - d - e . The loosened melodic line darkens from bar 12 and changes into a nervous third and sixth passage in G minor, typical of Brahms' piano setting . In the melancholy, in places polyphonic development -like middle section, Brahms combines several voices into a sequence of ninths and sevenths .

The following C sharp minor Capriccio is rondo-like and surprises with its dramatic features and massive sound substance. The right hand plays a melody ascending diatonic in quarters and a chromatic eighth figure, which results in a parallel movement of sixths. While the melody moves in ¾ time, the bass accompaniment follows the specified 6/8 time and thus leads to polyrhythmic effects again. The dynamic and agogically soaring brief coda with its chord clusters anticipates the pathos and the piano setting of Sergei Rachmaninoff , as can already be seen in the famous C sharp minor prelude .

The sixth intermezzo, flowing like waves, is determined by a conflict between triplet and duole movement that runs through the entire piece. With its sweeping melody, the enthusiastic middle section in F sharp minor - also rhythmically and harmonically - anticipates that of the later, second interlude in A major ( Andante teneramente ) from op. 118. In the short coda from bar 83, Brahms lets this melody - now in major - sound again and enriches it with arpeggiated chords with an intimate and enchanting harmony.

Intermezzo No. 7 begins in the narrative style and is reminiscent of the gloomy beginning of the first ballad in D minor from the Op. 10 cycle, while its simple melody in the folk tone is reminiscent of Chopin's Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55 .

Brahms closes his collection with a lively, comparatively bright Capriccio in C major . The syncopated theme varies the motivic material of the previous piece. The flowing eighth note movements of both hands merge into a chain of chords in the right hand in the middle section. In the further course, harmonic tensions (around bar 48) and the agogic development of the coda from bar 61 onwards surprise .

Emergence

The piano pieces only appeared after Brahms had not written any more independent solo piano works for a long period of time. According to the published 1866 Paganini Variations , that of his highly esteemed op waltzes for piano four hands. 39 and the first part of the first also for four hands written Hungarian Dances it came to a long publication break in this field, which ended until 1879. For Andrea Bonatta this shows how difficult it was for Brahms to find new ways of expression after pianistic explorations of the virtuoso Handel and Paganini Variations.

For the pianist, chamber musician and gifted sightseeing player, this phase did not mean that he would have given up the piano entirely. In addition to the waltzes and Hungarian dances , he also wrote the sonata for piano and violoncello op 38 , the love song waltzes op.52 , the version for two pianos of his Haydn Variations op.56b, the piano quartet No. 3 in C minor op. 60 and the New Love Songs op.65 . In 1878 he also began to work on his symphonic second piano concerto in B flat major ; the piano thus plays an important role for the chamber - and later concert music.

Influence and choice of title

Robert Schumann, drawing by Adolph Menzel

The collection reveals historical models that Brahms dealt with during his organizational and philological activities. The second, quite popular Capriccio in B minor is based on the twelfth piece of the Davidsbündlertänze in key, rhythm and character and paraphrases the beginning of the model.

While Theodor Billroth believed he recognized “an almost deliberate Schumannian character” in the ballad-like seventh piece and for him it embodied the “memory of Schumann's first period”, Max Kalbeck already pointed out that it was the F minor nocturne oriented by Chopin. Constantin Floros , on the other hand, shows the similarity of the motif to the first piece from Schumann's piano cycle Kinderszenen , the structure of which is also reflected in him.

In addition to the influence of Schumann and Chopin on Op. 76, as described by Kalbeck, research also focuses on the general importance of François Couperin's piano music on Brahms' compositional development. He had published his Pièces de Clavecin, Livres I / II as part of the Monuments of Music Art directed by Friedrich Chrysander and later became increasingly interested in Couperin.

At first Brahms did not know how to name the individual pieces and wrote to his publisher Fritz Simrock : “Do you know a title! ?? !! ??!? 'From all over the world' would be the most sincere, Kirchneriana the funniest, can you think of any one? Kapricen and intermezzi or fantasies would be the right thing if the different endings were possible. ”The first suggestion was probably meant to be self-deprecating and possibly refers to the play From Foreign Countries and People , with which Schumann introduces his children's scenes . Brahms admitted to Simrock that he was “actually not at all clear” about the title. Before the print version of the later piano pieces op. 118 and 119 he wavered between the terms "Fantasias" and "Piano Pieces". Simrock tried to persuade him to choose a "speaking overall title", to which Brahms reacted negatively: "Unfortunately, this time he could not say" monologues or improvisations "[...]" There is probably nothing left but "piano pieces" As Katrin Eich explains, Brahms wanted to avoid overly poetizing and associating his music with the “relative neutrality” of the title.

literature

  • Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work . StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, pp. 189–215
  • Katrin Eich: The piano works, piano pieces II , in: Brahms-Handbuch, Ed. Wolfgang Sandberger, Metzler, Weimar 2009, ISBN 978-3-476-02233-2 , pp. 358–362
  • Constantin Floros : Studies on Brahms' piano music - Schumann models and techniques in Brahms . In: Brahms Studies , Volume 5, Johannes Brahms Society, Hamburg 1983, pp. 31–46

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Constantin Floros : Studies on Brahms' piano music - Schumann models and techniques in Brahms . In: Brahms Studies , Volume 5, Johannes Brahms Society, Hamburg 1983, pp. 36–37
  2. ^ Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work . StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, p. 193
  3. ^ Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work . StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, p. 196
  4. ^ Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work . StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, p. 196
  5. ↑ Johannes Brahms, 8 piano pieces op.76 . In: Harenberg piano music guide, 600 works from the baroque to the present . Meyers, Mannheim 2004, p. 206
  6. ^ Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work. StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, p. 201
  7. ^ Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work. StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, p. 203
  8. ^ Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work . StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, p. 204
  9. ^ Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work . StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, p. 207
  10. ↑ Johannes Brahms, 8 piano pieces op.76 . In: Harenberg piano music guide, 600 works from the baroque to the present . Meyers, Mannheim 2004, p. 207
  11. ^ Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work . StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, p. 207
  12. ^ Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work. StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, p. 191
  13. ^ Andrea Bonatta: Johannes Brahms. The piano work. StudienVerlag, Innsbruck, Vienna 1998, p. 190
  14. ↑ Constantin Floros: Studies on Brahms' piano music - Schumann models and techniques in Brahms . In: Brahms Studies , Volume 5, Johannes Brahms Society, Hamburg 1983, p. 33
  15. ↑ Quoted from Floros: Studies on Brahms' piano music - Schumann models and techniques in Brahms . In: Brahms Studies , Volume 5, Johannes Brahms Society, Hamburg 1983, p. 33
  16. ↑ Constantin Floros: Studies on Brahms' piano music - Schumann models and techniques in Brahms . In: Brahms Studies , Volume 5, Johannes Brahms Society, Hamburg 1983, p. 34
  17. ↑ Katrin Eich: The Piano Works, Piano Pieces II . In: Wolfgang Sandberger (Ed.): Brahms Handbook . Metzler, Weimar 2009, p. 361
  18. ↑ Quotation from Constantin Floros: Studies on Brahms' piano music - Schumann models and techniques in Brahms . In: Brahms Studies , Volume 5, Johannes Brahms Society, Hamburg 1983, p. 34
  19. ↑ Quoted from: Katrin Eich: The Piano Works, Piano Pieces II . In: Wolfgang Sandberger (Ed.): Brahms Handbook . Metzler, Weimar 2009, p. 361
  20. ↑ Katrin Eich: The Piano Works, Piano Pieces II . In: Wolfgang Sandberger (Ed.): Brahms Handbook . Metzler, Weimar 2009, p. 361