Johannes Brahms Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

Holy LullabyJohannes Brahms71rank/position

Brahms: 'Sacred Lullaby' from Two Songs

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.

Song of RainJohannes Brahms72rank/position

Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78 “Rain Song” — Szeryng/Rubinstein

This piece was composed in Pörtschach, a summer resort on the shores of Lake Wörthersee in southern Austria.

When you feel like escaping Japan’s sticky, oppressive heat, it’s the perfect time to listen to a work written in a summer retreat.

Try listening while imagining a cool lakeside scene.

Two Clarinet Sonatas, Op. 120Johannes Brahms73rank/position

Brahms: Clarinet Sonata No.1 Op.120-1, Part,2, Poulenc: Clarinet Sonata Part,1, Narihito Mukeda(Pf)

Composed in 1894, this is the last chamber work that Brahms completed.

In his later years, Brahms wrote several chamber pieces for clarinet.

Around 1890, he felt his own decline and lost the will to compose.

At that time, he met the clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld.

It is said that hearing Mühlfeld’s performances rekindled Brahms’s creative drive and prompted him to resume composing.

Four Serious SongsJohannes Brahms74rank/position

Brahms – Four Serious Songs. Hermann Prey

This is a set of four songs composed in 1896.

As with A German Requiem, the texts were selected by Brahms himself from the Bible.

Songs 1 and 2 are from Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament, Song 3 is from Sirach in the Old Testament, and Song 4 is from the First Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament.

Intermezzo in B minor, Op. 119 No. 1 (Four Pieces, No. 1)Johannes Brahms75rank/position

Brahms – 4 Klavierstücke, Op. 119

Among the masterpieces left by the German composer Johannes Brahms, the short pieces he wrote late in life have a special poignancy.

Composed in 1893, this work strongly reflects Brahms’s inner turmoil and sense of loneliness.

Beginning with slow, dark chords, its world of sound—woven from complex harmonies and delicate expression—awakens deep emotion in the listener.

In a letter to Clara Schumann, Brahms described the piece as “melancholy, with swirling dissonances,” and one can feel the composer’s quiet resolve as he contemplates the end of life.

It is a highly recommended piece for those who are drawn to introspective music.

F.A.E. Sonata, Movement IIIJohannes Brahms76rank/position

Brahms / F.A.E. Sonata, Movement III, WoO 2 / Pf. Shohei Sekimoto, Vln. Gentaro Kagetomi

Composed in 1853.

The F.A.E.

Sonata is a violin sonata collaboratively written by Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Albert Dietrich.

It was dedicated to their mutual friend, the violinist Joseph Joachim.

The title “F.A.E.” comes from Joachim’s motto, Frei aber einsam (“Free but lonely”).

Brahms composed the third movement.

Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115Johannes Brahms77rank/position

Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115

Brahms, a leading musician of the late 19th century, is known as a representative German composer, often mentioned alongside fellow Germans Bach and Beethoven.

The chamber work for clarinet and string quartet that he composed in his later years is a gem in which mature craftsmanship and deep emotion are beautifully fused.

Inspired by his encounter with a clarinetist, the piece embodies Brahms’s gentleness and a sense of resignation.

It’s a highly recommended work for those interested in classical music who aren’t sure where to begin.