Brahms communicates to me one thing ‘This is how it is’. His music to me as funny as it may sound, has always been so confident, so sure, as if there is no other way the piece could have possibly been written. From his concerti, to his Piano trios, to his Intermezzi, there is a sense of style and grandeur, which is consistent throughout. An expansiveness, which I have only ever come across in Brahms.
Take for instance Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5. An expansive work spread over not 3 or 4 but FIVE movements. From the word go, Brahms broad sound dominates the opening and its intense nature leaves no time for breath. The second movement displays Brahms more romantic approach in this gorgeous song. The grand finale ends in F major, over the top in gesture, and scale. True Brahms style. The Sonata runs for about 4o minutes and is a great example of his love for classical form with a dab of romantic color.
Paganini Variations, Op. 35
Say no more. If you got the chops to rip into some thirds, glissandi rhythms, mind buzzing left and right hand co-ordination, then this piece is for you. Based on the famous Paganini theme, Brahms creates a masterwork of technical brilliance and thorough-composition. His ability to take the theme, and develop it over two books is beyond me, but it is that expansive creativity and that ‘larger than life’ outlook that gives Brahms that characteristic we all know and love….well at least most of us. Kind of bitter I can’t play these pieces…might just stick to Reger..
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