Johannes Brahms

The two Rhapsodies, Op. 79, are strong, dramatic works that date from Brahms' full compositional maturity. They differ from each other in their formal layouts much more than in their expressive mode, for which reason they are rarely performed together. The first of the pair, in B minor, is in the ABA form of a scherzo; indeed, there is a palpable affinity between the Rhapsody and Chopin's Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20. As in Chopin's work, the main section of the Rhapsody is an emotional cry for which the much quieter middle section provides needed relief; here, Brahms invests the harmonies with a particular subtlety. The second Rhapsody, in G minor, is one of the composer's most popular and effective piano works, tautly written and darkly dramatic. It is cast in a sonata-allegro form; the cascading chords of the first subject cloud the work's tonality in ambiguity, while the second subject, which unfolds in the piano's lower registers, provides a dramatic contrast rather than a lyrical one. This six-minute work, only half as long as its predecessor, foreshadows the tragic but proud mode of larger-scale works like the Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 (1884-1885).