Johannes Brahms

Classics Explained: BRAHMS - Piano Concerto No. 2 (Siepmann)

• Introduction, cue and First Main Theme
• Introduction; opening horn call and piano's answer
• Theme One taken up by strings and solo oboe; piano
• Rising three-note scalewise pattern
• Complex variant of Theme One with very different s
• Quicker, descending six-note 'answer'
• Second, answering phrase
• Orchestra and piano in mixed variants of Theme One
• Theme Two, hushed and 'tuneless', with piano, clar
• First Main Theme completed by orchestra
• Peace shattered as piano bursts back in like a tig
• Oboe Theme returns, now delicately embroidered by
• Cue and Third Movement (Complete)
• Variant of opening horn call in bass
• Finale: Introduction, cue and Main Theme
• Orchestra returns; beginning of Exposition proper
• Big, 'singing' theme in orchestra; piano 'forgotte
• Violins take up tune, with winds and piano accompa
• Call to arms by strings; marshalling of orchestral
• Piano introduces Part 2 of the main theme
• Part 3 of the theme, led by piano, in 'fiercely' s
• Piano re-enters fry with massive expansion of open
• First Episode, Part 1
• Piano 'explores' two main facets of opening theme
• Transition. sense of key weakened. Piano and orche
• First Episode, Part 2
• Piano hands theme over to clarinets and bassoons
• First Episode, Part 3, in piano, first; then flute
• Piano and orchestra in friendly dialogue before pi
• Strings and flutes take theme, with bubbling comme
• 'Winged' harmonic shadow of pure pianistic tone-co
• New 'transitional' theme from orchestra developed
• Tipsy dancers (piano and winds) return, tiring; st
• In the central Episode, the orchestra throws down
• After indecision and discussion, the mood suddenly
• ... to which the piano duly responds with a stormy
• Reminder of Second Main Theme in its original form
• Ttransfomation of Second Main Theme by piano
• Piano kick-starts run-up to final section in a var
• Orchestra sets off on jaunty march, later joined b
• Piano hijacks orchestra's 'call to arms'
• Piano propels orchestra into final section
• Piano and orchestra, now allies, explore theme, bu
• Summation and cue to the movement as a whole
• Dramatic eruption of orchestra leads to the Develo
• Finale (Complete)
• Pianistic 'tiger' replaced by gentle reflective, s
• Transformed 'tiger' theme amicably shared by piano
• An apparently new theme - but Battlle Hymn of the
• Brief, downward-driving section prepares for the R
• On the threshold of the Recapitulation
• Recapitulation: The Magical Return
• From Gate-crashing Tiger to Celestial Tenderness -
• And unexpected and portentus change of mood, sugge
• Summation
• First Movement (Complete)
• Second Movement: The upward-driving opening gambit
• Downward-driving answer from lower strings
• Theme vs Melody
• Eerie, unharmonised, 'white' sound of Second Theme
• Second Theme taken up and developed by piano
• Expectation and surprise; harmonic fluidity and in
• Return (and transformation) of Theme Two
• Theme One returns in orchestra; Theme Three emerge
• Sequence of fragmentary episodes begins with unexp
• Variant of Theme Three in piano
• Rescored variant of 'fanfare' theme; from grandeur
• Rhapsodic variant of fanfare, this time for piano
• Recapitulation of opening, with piano and orchestr
• Theme Two transformed by new instrumentation
• Cue and Second Movement (Complete)