Description
Dedicated to Elisabeth von Herzogenberg, these two rhapsodies are among the most popular of Brahms's solo piano works. Both the B minor and G minor pieces are dramatic in character, marked by powerful chords and passionate melodic lines. Technically substantial and grandly conceived, they make effective closing pieces in recital programs. Composed in 1879, the pair runs about fifteen minutes with over 8,400 notes, and though classified as character pieces, their scale rivals a sonata, calling for the rich chordal power and forward drive expected at an advanced level.
Character pieces that depict a specific mood or scene, including Beethoven's Bagatelles — short works full of distinct personality.
About the Composer
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Johannes Brahms was a composer born in Hamburg who rose to prominence after being championed by Robert and Clara Schumann, later settling in Vienna. He fused classical formal rigor with Romantic expressiveness across symphonies and chamber music, and in his later years wrote many introspective piano miniatures. This site includes 25 of his works, such as intermezzi, waltzes, and ballades.
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