The Piano Concerto No. 2 in B major, Op. 83, by Johannes Brahms is separated by a gap of 22 years from his first piano concerto. Brahms began work on the piece in 1878 and completed it in 1881 while in Pressbaum near Vienna. It took him three years to work on this concerto, which indicates that he was always self-critical. He wrote to Clara Schumann: "I want to tell you that I have written a very small piano concerto with a very small and pretty scherzo." He was ironically describing a huge piece. This concerto is dedicated to his teacher, Eduard Marxsen.

The public premiere of the concerto was given in Budapest on 9 November 1881, with Brahms as soloist and the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, and was an immediate success.

The autograph manuscript of the concerto is preserved in the Hamburg State and University Library Carl von Ossietzky.

Music

The piece is scored for 2 flutes (1st also piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (initially 2 in B bass, 2 in F), 2 trumpets (B), timpani (B and F, A and D in second movement) and strings. (The trumpets and timpani are used only in the first two movements, which is unusual.)

The work opens with the following horn call, which provides much of the thematic material for the first movement:

:<score sound="1">

\relative c'

{

\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"french horn"

\key bes

\major

\time 4/4

\tempo 4 = 92

bes4( c d) \times 2/3 {es8( d c)}

d4( f2.)

r1

bes4( f es) \times 2/3 {d8( c bes)}

c4( f2.)

}

</score>

I. Allegro non troppo

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The first movement is in the concerto variant of sonata form. The main theme is introduced by the horn solo, with the piano interceding. The woodwind instruments proceed to introduce a small motif (borrowed, perhaps unconsciously, from the opening of the first movement of his Serenade No.&nbsp;2) before an unusually placed cadenza appears. The full orchestra repeats the theme and introduces more motifs in the orchestral exposition. The piano and orchestra work together to develop these themes in the piano exposition before the key changes to F minor (from F major, the dominant) and the piano plays a powerful and difficult section before the next orchestral tutti appears. The development, like many such sections in the Classical period, works its way from the dominant key back to the tonic while heavily developing themes. At the beginning of the recapitulation, the theme is replayed before a differing transition is heard, returning to the music heard in the piano exposition (this time in B major/minor). A coda appears after the minor key section, finishing off this movement.

One motif repeated in the development has been noted by musicologists as bearing similarity to the Battle Hymn of the Republic and Say, Brothers, but it is unlikely Brahms knew of either hymn.

II. Allegro appassionato

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This scherzo is in the key of D minor and is in sonata form with a trio inserted in the development. Contrary to Brahms' "tiny wisp of a scherzo" remark, it is a tumultuous movement. The piano and orchestra introduce the theme and develop it before a quiet section intervenes. Soon afterwards the piano and orchestra launch into a stormy development of the theme before coming to the central episode (in D major). The central episode is brisk and begins with the full orchestra before yet another quiet section intervenes; then the piano is integrated into the orchestral effect to repeat the theme of the central episode. The beginning section returns but is highly varied.

III. Andante

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The slow movement is in the tonic key of B major and is unusual in utilizing an extensive cello solo within a piano concerto (the source of this idea may be Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto, which features a slow movement scored only for cello and piano). Brahms subsequently rewrote the cello's theme and changed it into a song, Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer ("My Slumber Grows Ever More Peaceful") with lyrics by Hermann Lingg. (Op.&nbsp;105, No.&nbsp;2). Within the concerto, the cello plays the theme for the first three minutes, before the piano comes in. However, the gentler melodic piece that the piano plays soon gives way to a stormy theme in B minor. When the storm subsides, still in the minor key, the piano plays a transitional motif that leads to the key of F major, before the cello comes in to reprise, in the wrong key, and knowing that it has to get back to B major, the piano and the orchestra make a brief transition to E major before finishing off the theme in its original home key of B major. After the piano plays the transitional motifs, the piano quickly reprises the middle section before the final coda is established.

IV. Allegretto grazioso – Un poco più presto

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The last movement consists of five clearly distinguishable sections, which introduce and develop five different themes.

The first section (bars 1 to 64) presents themes 1 and 2. The first theme (also the "main theme") (1–8) is first played by the piano and then repeated by the orchestra: it begins with a copy of measures 40-41 of the last movement of Mozart's piano concerto No. 27 (also in B flat). The second theme (16–20) is likewise presented by the piano and repeated – and expanded – by the orchestra. Finally, a kind of development of the first theme leads on to the next section.

The second section (65–164) contains the next three themes. Theme 3 (65–73) is very different from the previous ones, due largely to its minor setting and its distinctive Hungarian rhythm. Theme 4 (81–88) is still in a minor and theme 5 (97–104) is in F major. These three themes are each repeated back and forth several times, which gives the section the character of a development.

The third section (165–308) can be seen as a reprise of the first; it is built on the first two themes, but a striking new element is given in 201–205 and repeated in 238–241.

The fourth section (309–376) reprises themes 3, 5 and 4, in that order.

The final section, the coda, is built on the main theme, but even here (398) Brahms presents a new element, restating the main theme in triple rhythm (a device he used earlier to end his violin concerto) over a little march, first played by the piano, then answered by the orchestra, which trades themes with the soloist before the final chords.

<!--Sources for "notable"? and sources generally==Notable interpretations==

  • Géza Anda with Herbert von Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker (recorded in 1967) and earlier with the same orchestra conducted by Ferenc Fricsay (recorded in 1960, both on Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Claudio Arrau with Bernard Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (recorded in 1969 on Philips)
  • Vladimir Ashkenazy with Bernard Haitink and the Wiener Philharmoniker (recorded in 1984 on London/Polygram Records)
  • Emanuel Ax with Bernard Haitink and the Boston Symphony Orchestra (recorded in 1997 on Sony)
  • Wilhelm Backhaus with Karl Böhm and the Staatskapelle Dresden (recorded in 1939 on EMI) and with the Wiener Philharmoniker (recorded in 1953 and in 1967 both on Decca)
  • Daniel Barenboim with Sergiu Celibidache and the Münchner Philharmoniker (recorded live in 1991)
  • İdil Biret with Antoni Wit and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (recorded in 2000 on Naxos Records)
  • Van Cliburn with Kirill Kondrashin and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra (recorded live in concert in 1972, remastered and released by RCA Victor Red Seal Label in 1994)
  • Van Cliburn with Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (studio recording made in 1962 on RCA Living Stereo, LSC-2581, in 1962)
  • Edwin Fischer with Wilhelm Furtwängler and the Berliner Philharmoniker (recorded live in 1942 on Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Leon Fleisher with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra (recorded in 1962 on Epic)
  • Nelson Freire with Riccardo Chailly and the Gewandhausorchester (2006, Decca)
  • Bruno Leonardo Gelber with Rudolf Kempe and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (recorded in 1973 on EMI)
  • Emil Gilels with Eugen Jochum, and the Berliner Philharmoniker (recorded in 1972 on Deutsche Grammophon), and an earlier interpretation with Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (recorded in 1958 on RCA Victor)
  • Hélène Grimaud with Andris Nelsons and the Vienna Philharmonic (2013, Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Horacio Gutiérrez with André Previn and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (recorded in 1988 on Telarc Digital)
  • Vladimir Horowitz with Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra (recorded in 1940 on RCA Victor)
  • Stephen Kovacevich with Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra (recorded in 1979 on Philips)
  • Alicia de Larrocha with Eugen Jochum and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (recorded live in 1981, remastered and released by Weitblick Label in 2009)
  • Ivan Moravec with Jiří Bělohlávek and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (recorded in 1988 on Supraphon)
  • Maurizio Pollini with Claudio Abbado and the Wiener Philharmoniker (recorded in 1976) and performed later with the Berliner Philharmoniker (recorded live in 1995, both on Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Sviatoslav Richter with Erich Leinsdorf and Chicago Symphony Orchestra (won for Best Classical Performance – Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with orchestra) at the Grammy Awards of 1961), and an earlier interpretation with Yevgeny Mravinsky as well as a later one with the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Lorin Maazel (recorded in 1969 on His Master's Voice)
  • Arthur Rubinstein with Witold Rowicki and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra (live recording, 1960). Rubinstein made earlier recordings with the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra conducted by Josef Krips (RCA Victor, 1958), with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Charles Munch (recorded in 1952 on RCA) and the London Symphony Orchestra under Albert Coates (the first recording of this work, made in 1929 on the His Master's Voice Label), as well as a later interpretation with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy (recorded in 1971 also on RCA Victor)
  • György Sandor with Rolf Reinhardt and Baden-Baden Radio Symphony Orchestra
  • Artur Schnabel with Adrian Boult and BBC Symphony Orchestra (recorded in 1935)
  • Rudolf Serkin with George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra (recorded in 1966 on Columbia)
  • André Watts with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic (recorded in 1968 on Columbia)
  • Igor Zhukov with Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio
  • Krystian Zimerman with Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (recorded in 1985 on Deutsche Grammophon)-->

Performance history

Performances of Brahms' second piano concerto, featuring Brahms himself.

  • Budapest, Austria-Hungary: 9 November 1881
  • Leipzig, German Empire: 1 January 1882
  • Hamburg, German Empire: 6 April 1883
  • Graz, Austria-Hungary: 28 November 1884
  • Vienna, Austria-Hungary: 2 December 1884

References

  • Piano Concerto No. 2: Brahms' autograph manuscript in the Hamburg State and University Library Carl von Ossietzky
  • Arranged for 2 pianos; annotated in composer's hand at The Juilliard Manuscript Collection
  • played by Arthur Rubinstein, Charles Munch, Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • Piano Concerto No. 2 played by Claudio Arrau, Carlo Maria Giulini, Philharmonia Orchestra
  • played by Sviatoslav Richter, Charles Munch, Boston Symphony Orchestra