Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2

Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast

Brahms’ two piano concertos could not possibly be any more different. The first, written when Brahms was just 25, is dramatic, stormy, and impulsive. This makes sense seeing at it was written practically as a direct response to the attempted suicide of his friend and mentor Robert Schumann. The second, written 22 years later when Brahms was a seasoned and mature composer at the height of his abilities, was not, as far as we know, inspired by any specific event. It is a warm, almost sun-tanned piece, but it also does something that makes it both the perfect piece to analyze on a show like this, but also makes it a rather elusive one that takes some baking to really understand and appreciate. What Brahms does in the 2nd piano concerto is to distill everything that makes Brahms really Brahms into one 50 minute piece of music. There’s continuous development, gorgeous melodic lines, contrasts of character, stern willful music immediately followed by tenderness, Hungarian music, light music - it’s ALL there - but here’s the key - it’s not an events based piece. What I mean by that is that its not like Brahms moves from one character or personality trait to another like he’s putting together mismatching clothes. Instead, he integrates all of these different facets of his music into the whole - one moment you are hearing stern and powerful music, and the next, almost without realizing, you are into some of the most tender music he ever wrote. This is the power but also the complexity of Brahms’ 2nd piano concerto. Join us to learn all about it!