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Brahms Piano Concerto No.2

Classical Music Milestone: November 9

Composer Johannes Brahms is soloist in the first performance of his Piano Concerto No.2 at Budapest.


Johannes Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op.83 is a composition for solo piano with orchestral accompaniment. November 9, 1881 marks the day that the composer first performed it in Budapest, himself the soloist.   It is separated by a gap of 22 years from his first piano concerto.

He began work on the piece in 1878, completing it in 1881 while in Pressbaum near Vienna, Austria.  He dedicated this piece of music to his teacher, Eduard Marxsen.  The premiere was an immediate success. Brahms performed it in many cities across Europe soon after.



The piece is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B-flat), 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets (B-flat), timpani (B-flat and F), and strings.  The trumpets and timpani are used only in the first two movements, which is considered unusual.  Rather than the typical three movements of a concerto in the Classical and Romantic periods, this piece has four, resulting in a lengthier concerto at that time.
  1. Allegro non troppo (B-flat major)
  2. Allegro appassionato (D minor)
  3. Andante (B-flat major/F-sharp major)
  4. Allegretto grazioso (B-flat major)

Enjoy listening to Sviatoslav Richter play Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2, conducted by Evgeny Mravinsky with Leningrad (St Petersburg) Symphony.  Live recording, May 24, 1951. (Kindly the succeeding links below for the full recording.)  Thanks to truecrypt for the uploads. 




Related Links:

1st Movement (Continued) : Sviatoslav Richter plays Brahms Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 (2/5) 
2nd Movement: Sviatoslav Richter plays Brahms Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 (3/5)
3rd Movement: Sviatoslav Richter plays Brahms Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 (4/5)
4th Movement: Sviatoslav Richter plays Brahms Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 (5/5)



Video Credit:

Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 Pollini / Abbado (WPO). YouTube, Uploaded by TodoGardel. Accessed  November 9, 2013.

Richter plays Brahms' Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat major, Op.83 (Movement 1).  YouTube Uploaded by truecrypt. Accessed 9 Nov 2011.


Resources:


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