Rhapsodies, Op. 79 (Brahms)
Encyclopedia
The Rhapsodies, Op. 79, for piano
were written by Johannes Brahms
in 1879 during his summer stay in Pörtschach, when he had reached the maturity of his career. They were inscribed to his friend, the musician
and composer
Elisabeth von Herzogenberg. At the suggestion of the dedicatee, Brahms reluctantly renamed the sophisticated compositions from "klavierstücke" (piano pieces) to "rhapsodies
".
In each piece, the main key is not definitely established until fairly late in the exposition.
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
were written by Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
in 1879 during his summer stay in Pörtschach, when he had reached the maturity of his career. They were inscribed to his friend, the musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Elisabeth von Herzogenberg. At the suggestion of the dedicatee, Brahms reluctantly renamed the sophisticated compositions from "klavierstücke" (piano pieces) to "rhapsodies
Rhapsody (music)
A rhapsody in music is a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasted moods, colour and tonality. An air of spontaneous inspiration and a sense of improvisation make it freer in form than a set of variations...
".
- No. 1 in B minor. Agitato This is the more extensive piece, with outer sections in sonata form enclosing a lyrical central section in B major and with a coda ending in that key.
- No. 2 in G minor. Molto passionato, ma non troppo allegro is a more compact piece in a more "normal" sonata form.
In each piece, the main key is not definitely established until fairly late in the exposition.
External links
- Performance of both Rhapsodies by Louis Schwizgebel-WangLouis Schwizgebel-WangLouis Schwizgebel-Wang is a Swiss pianist. Born in Geneva, the son of a Chinese mother and a Swiss father, he began studying piano at a very young age with Franz Josefovski...
from the Isabella Stewart Gardner MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner MuseumThe Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or Fenway Court, as the museum was known during Isabella Stewart Gardner's lifetime, is a museum in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located within walking distance of the Museum of Fine Arts and near the Back Bay Fens...
in MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format