Brahms's masterpieces. Popular classical music.
Here are some recommended works from the many masterpieces left by the German composer Johannes Brahms.
If you get to know Brahms—hailed as one of the “Three Bs” of German music alongside Bach and Beethoven—you’ll be well on your way to becoming a classical music connoisseur.
His Symphony No.
1, composed with deep respect for Beethoven, was so strongly influenced by him that the conductor of its premiere, Hans von Bülow, famously called it “Beethoven’s Tenth Symphony.”
Please enjoy the world of Brahms, which continues to be cherished by classical music fans today.
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Brahms’s Masterpieces: Popular Classical Music (91–100)
String Sextet No. 2 in G majorJohannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms’s String Sextet, composed in 1865, is one of his representative works.
It is notable for incorporating the so-called “Agathe motif,” said to convey his feelings for his former lover Agathe von Siebold.
Although purely an instrumental piece, Brahms’s inner conflicts and experiences in love are expressed in its timbres.
It premiered in Boston in October 1866 and was performed in Zurich the following month.
It remains beloved today, appearing, for example, in the final scene of the film The Cement Garden.
This work, with its deep emotion and rich harmonies, is sure to leave you with a warm feeling.
String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 51 No. 1 – II. MovementJohannes Brahms
Released simultaneously with the String Quartet No.
2, both works are dedicated to his close friend Theodor Billroth, a renowned surgeon and amateur musician.
It is well known that Brahms was haunted by the towering specter of Beethoven when composing symphonies, taking more than twenty years to complete his Symphony No.
1.
He was equally cautious with his string quartets, spending at least eight years on the first two, which were unveiled together.
This is a deeply moving piece that combines gentle, sweet melodies with a touch of wistful longing.
Waltz of LoveJohannes Brahms
Among Johannes Brahms’s Waltzes, Op.
39, composed for piano four hands, the most famous is No.
15, the “Waltz of Love.” It is a calm, mature, and beautiful piece.
There are no dramatic shifts along the way; it maintains a serene melody throughout.
It’s a perfect piece for spending a relaxed, gently passionate time with a loved one.
Brahms’ Lullaby (from Burnam Piano Method 4)Johannes Brahms
A world-renowned piano method by Edna Mae Burnam, a composer and music educator who made significant contributions to piano education in the United States.
Its content allows learners to steadily and comfortably master the basics of piano playing through repeated practice.
Speaking of Burnam, her Burnam Piano Technique—famous for its unique stick-figure illustrations that match each exercise—is also well known! Each book is designed for quick progress, so it’s also recommended as a supplemental resource alongside another primary beginner method.
Symphony No. 1Johannes Brahms
It’s a very popular piece among the classics, and I think you’ve heard it in many different contexts.
Brahms certainly has his own distinctive world and quirks, but as you listen, it gradually becomes something quite comfortable—a masterpiece among masterpieces.
Symphony No. 1, Movement IIJohannes Brahms
Brahms’s Symphony No.
1, which he is said to have spent 20 years composing, is a masterpiece especially beloved among classical music fans.
Among its movements, the second is distinguished by the beauty of its theme played by the oboe and violin, extolling a serene and tranquil beauty.
Theme and Variations (from String Sextet No. 1)Johannes Brahms
As the subtitle indicates, this piece is Brahms’s own arrangement of the second movement from his String Sextet, created as a gift for Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann’s wife.
The romantic melody at the beginning is especially memorable.
It is used in Louis Malle’s French film “The Lovers.”
Three Intermezzos, Op. 117 – No. 2Johannes Brahms
A composer born in Germany, he is hailed as one of the Three Bs along with Beethoven and Bach.
This piece, with flashes of brightness and melancholy, is profoundly epic and wonderful.
It seems the background of its composition involved an engagement, a broken engagement, and many worries.
You can catch glimpses of that throughout the music.
Symphony No. 4, Movement IIJohannes Brahms
After the weighty motif of woodwinds and horns, the flow of the music leading up to the entrance of the strings feels like a beam of heavenly light breaking through the clouds.
The way each instrument’s melodies interweave with intricate complexity is truly a work of art.
The more you listen, the more you come to love it—an exquisite masterpiece with remarkable depth.
Holy LullabyJohannes Brahms
This is the second of the Two Songs composed by Johannes Brahms to celebrate the birth of Joseph Joachim’s son, setting music to a text by Emanuel Geibel, which is a reworking of a poem by Lope de Vega.
It is scored for alto (a female voice type), viola (a lower-voiced member of the violin family), and piano.