Johannes Brahms Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 18Johannes Brahms92rank/position

Brahms:String Sextet Op18 Osostowicz,Øllgaard,Dann,Camille,Ylonen,Ortner. Esbjerg EnergiMetropol

Characterized by a youthful and passionate style, this piece was composed by Johannes Brahms at the age of 27.

While influenced by his revered Beethoven, Brahms pursued his own expression, superbly conveying a rich, weighty sonority and nuanced lyricism.

Consisting of four movements and running about 35 minutes, the work is especially notable for its second movement, whose powerful, romantic melody leaves a strong impression.

This movement is also known for its use in the film “The Lovers.” It is a highly recommended piece for those who want to fully savor the allure of classical music or who are interested in the Romantic era.

String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36Johannes Brahms93rank/position

July 2018 Self-Produced Concert – From J. Brahms: String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36, Movement II

Composed in 1865, this work is commonly known as the “Agathe Sextet.” Agathe von Siebold was Brahms’s lover at the time; although they were even engaged, they ultimately did not marry.

The nickname comes from the idea that Agathe’s name, “Agathe,” is reinterpreted as the pitch sequence “A-G-A-D-H-E” and incorporated into the first movement.

Tragic OvertureJohannes Brahms94rank/position

Brahms: Tragische Ouvertüre – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra [HD]

Composed in 1880, this work was written around the same time as the Academic Festival Overture.

In a letter to a friend, Brahms wrote that he was thinking of composing “a cheerful, laughing overture (the Academic Festival Overture) and a tear-inducing overture (the Tragic Overture) as a pair,” indicating that the Tragic Overture and the Academic Festival Overture can indeed be regarded as companion pieces.

Symphony No. 1, Movement IIJohannes Brahms95rank/position

Brahms/Symphony No. 1, Movement II

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.

Symphony No. 4, Movement IIJohannes Brahms96rank/position

Brahms: 4. Sinfonie ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Andrés Orozco-Estrada

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.

Four Ballades, Op. 10Johannes Brahms97rank/position

2023 Special Class Second Preliminary Round / Brahms: Four Ballades, Op. 10 Masaharu Kanbara

This work was composed in 1854 when Brahms was 21 years old.

It is a collection consisting of four pieces.

Only the first piece in the set is said to have been inspired by the Scottish ballad “Edward,” which tells the story of a man who stabbed his father to death.

Like Chopin’s Ballades, each piece can be performed on its own, but because the four pieces form a well-balanced whole, they are often performed together.

Song of DestinyJohannes Brahms98rank/position

Brahms: Schicksalslied ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Collegium Vocale Gent ∙ Philipp Herreweghe

Composed between 1868 and 1871, this work is a piece for chorus and orchestra, with lyrics drawn from poet and thinker Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin’s Hyperion.

To the poem’s search for destiny is set music that, while powerful, also overflows with a sense of peace and consolation.