Brahms-Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2

As one of my favorite pieces to play, I've decided that this is going to be my first piece to analyze. I actually have been working on this piece and almost have it memorized. However, for one of my Music History classes, I did a little research and would like to share what I have found to be very helpful as I journey in mastering this beautiful piece.

Johannes Brahms, born on May 7, 1833 in Hamburg, Germany, was the son of Johann Jakob Brahms and Christiane Nissen. As an outstanding musician from a young age, Brahms studied both the piano and cello. The piano, however, was his chief means of artistic expression throughout his life. When he played it, it would be known, instinctively by the listener, exactly how he intended to convey his masterpieces. Whether it be a feeling of aspiration, deep tenderness or noble passion, Brahms's manner of interpretation was very free, elastic, and expansive but the balance was always there.

In the summer of 1893 in Ischl, which he frequently visited, Brahms was to be completing his sixtieth year. During this time he composed a series of four collections of shorter pieces, including on in particular, the Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2. This shorter piano piece is ranked among the most impressive and individual accomplishments of Brahms's final years. We are lucky to have Op. 118, No. 2 among the very few of his surviving manuscripts. Brahms was an avid collector of "other composer's" manuscripts, however, due to his own perfectionism, he destroyed many of his own compositions. Although we may never have all the answers to our questions regarding Brahms's artistic intentions from this score, his piano text at least provides a reliable source of reference for evaluating performance. To it we can add the many surviving descriptions of his playing style, which further help to clarify its meaning.

The music reveals the mature style of Brahms. It appears as introspective and subdued, with a darkly muted and deeply serious aspect, but leads the listener in the form of any easy, expressive, outward display of passion. This piece is lyrical in character, however, introverted as if transmitted on a one-on-one line of communication, primarily to Brahms himself, or to only a select few listeners. The external form of Op. 118, No. 2 is a straightforward A-B-A form. It contains a harmonic language that remains relatively uniform in rhythm and texture. The underlying life of this music resides not on the surface but is partially hidden in its inner, deeper structure. It displays a deeply personal language that is spoken through Brahms's technical and expressive concentration.

Listen as the opening phrases display sounds so warm-hearted and spontaneous, one cannont be confused in the passion that is so deeply personal to Brahms. There is a sense of richness achieved largely with a diatonic harmony. Brahms manages to make a major key nostaligic, gentle, as well as softly tragic. A will end in the key of A Major, but the last four bars resemble much more nearly B section, even though the original motive is interrupted by a variation of the original theme of A. We will return to F major, but this time energy is added as in a good development section. Section B is stable in it tonality and complete unto itself. From the cadence of this middle section, Brahms builds a bridge back to the return of the opening, and in doing so develops a vital thematic kinship. He does so without for one moment renouncing the deep passion and expressive legato.

Like Beethoven, Brahms was most particular that his marks of expression (always as few as possible) should be the means of conveying the inner musical meaning. The sign <> was used by Brahms as a way to express great sincerity and warmth, applied not only to tone but also to rhythm as well. He would linger not on one note alone, but on a whole idea, as if unable to tear himself away from its beauty.

Brahms's manner of interpretation is very free, expansive but balanced. Fanny Davies, a pupil of Clara Schumann who heard Brahms often, stated, "as I got to know him (Brahms) better, his touch could be warm, deep, full and broad in the fortes and not hard even in fortissimos; and his pianos, always of carrying power, could be as round and transparent as a dewdrop. He had a wonderful legato." As many of Brahms's students recall from hearing Brahms play Op. 118, "he played as if he were just improvising, with heart and soul, sometimes humming to himself, forgetting everything around him." His playing was altogether grand and noble, like his compositions.

Let us expand on this statement, forget about everything around us, and enjoy the message that Brahms is conveying through one of these timeless classics.