Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Brahms 4th Symphony PDF
Brahms 4th Symphony PDF
Brahms 4th Symphony PDF
8 Motivic Thorough-Composition
by Hartmut Cramer
105
which has no instructions other than the final movement is clearly a chaconne, or
FIGURE 8.1
tempo marking “Allegro energico e pas- a passacaglia. Joachim recognized this at
sionato,” is the best proof of this. Brahms once—no wonder, being a violinist who Fourth movement theme of
had written down the first and second masterfully performed the famous Cha- Brahms’ Symphony No. 4
# ˙ . ˙ . ˙ . ˙ . #˙ . ˙ . ˙ . ˙ .
& 34
movements during his summer “vaca- conne from J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D
tion” of 1884 in Mürzzuschlag (at Sem- minor for unaccompanied violin. (In
mering); the other two—as Brahms order to make the audience of his above- f
explicitly noted in his 1885 calendar, mentioned academy concert aware that
first the Finale, and then the Scherzo— he had concluded this symphony in an
were written in the summer the year unusual and very special form, Brahms similar difficulty, the kind of technique,
after, also in Mürzzuschlag. Brahms, added an asterisk to the “Allegro energico the process of making the arpeggios,
who never released a musical piece e passionato,” and the words “Variations everything comes together, so that I—
unfinished, and who always insisted on the theme:” followed by the theme as feel like a violinist! Try it, I wrote it
with his pupils (and himself) that it shown in Figure 8.1. down only for you.”6
should be considered as a complete Brahms, who had intensively studied Working with this piece “in all
whole in content and form, steadily the works of J.S. Bach from his early ways”—that’s what Brahms wanted to
rejected all the requests of his friends, youth on, and who held Bach’s art of accomplish almost a decade later by way
that he present them with some “juicy composition in exceptionally high of composing a symphony, proving with
appetizers” during the process of cre- esteem, not only knew this extraordi- that, the enormous creative potentialities
ation—and sometimes brutally so (“I nary final movement of Bach’s D minor the proper use of this “old,” tremen-
just put together a polka and waltz Partita very well through the interpreta- dously strict (but also free) form would
party,” or, “Just a few entr’actes tions of his friend Joachim, 5 but also, allow. Naturally, composers had already
. . . what together usually is called a because he had arranged this piece (like previously concluded a symphony with
symphony”). The only thing that his most of the other sonatas and partitas a variations movement—the most
friends could get out of him during this for unaccompanied violin) for study famous among them being Beethoven
time, as far as the “content” of his great purposes, and for “simply pure plea- with his “Eroica” Symphony No. 3, as
composition was concerned, was the sure,” for piano for one hand, as is made Brahms constantly pointed out to his
poetical comparison with the “climate” clear by a letter from him to Clara Schu- skeptical Viennese friends; but the exact
in Mürzzuschlag: “The cherries here are mann (June 1877): form of a chaconne as the concluding
not going to get sweet; you wouldn’t eat “To me, [Bach’s] Chaconne is one of movement—and climax—of a great
them!” he wrote during the summer the most wonderful, unbelievable music symphony? This, before Brahms, had
months of 1885 to the conductor Hans pieces. In one system, for a small instru- never been tried.
von Bülow, with whose orchestra in ment, the man writes a whole world of By choosing the form of the cha-
Meiningen he would be rehearsing and deepest thoughts and most powerful conne, or the passacaglia,7 Brahms had
performing this symphony later that emotions. If I were to imagine that I defined the—“old,” and always
year. So, Brahms knew perfectly well would have been able to make, to “new”—problem: How can the basic
the kind of mental work he was about to receive this piece, I know for sure, that I principle of musical (and human) devel-
impose on his contemporaries. would have become mad because of the opment—change, variation—be
His preliminary studies of the last enormous excitement and shock. If one demonstrated by way of a “fixed” musi-
movement, however, go back more than doesn’t have the greatest violinist cal line? How can creative freedom be
10 years. Even though people were try- around, then it is well the most beautiful unified with lawful necessity? How can
ing to figure out the form of the last pleasure, to simply listen to its sound in such music—and art generally—be
movement for quite some time after the one’s mind. “rigorous and free” at the same time?
very first performance, Brahms himself, “But the piece demands that one Conceptually, this movement is fully
as usual, didn’t comment publicly on his must work with it in all ways. And one equivalent to Bach’s Chaconne (Figure
works; besides, he believed what he also doesn’t want to hear music simply 8.2). Bach varies a theme (motif) of four
wrote to Hans von Bülow after the sounding in the air; Joachim is not here bars, i.e., its supporting bass line; and he
“mishap” of the first performance of this so often, and therefore I try this and does it in such a way, that with practi-
symphony at the end of September 1885 that. But whatever I take, orchestra or cally every new four-bar section, a new
in Vienna (Brahms and the pianist piano—the pleasure is always spoiled. variation begins, practically without
Ignaz Brüll performed it on two pianos “In only one way, I find, can I create changing the bass-line harmonically. All
among a few close friends): “I am not for myself a much smaller, but approxi- in all, Bach is very careful in changing
really interested in a premiere. More in a mating, and wholly pure pleasure of this the harmonics during the composition;
performance after 10 or 20 years— piece—if I play it with the left hand the first, elaborated part of variations is
which for an artist the likes of us means alone! Even the history of the egg of in D minor, the second in the related D
immortality”4—it is obvious that this Columbus then comes to my mind! A major mode; then comes a part—which
106
is equally strictly composed, i.e., starting
FIGURE 8.2
every four bars with a new variation—
Opening of the ‘Chaconne’ from J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 2 for again in D minor, until Bach concludes
Unaccompanied Violin in D minor this immense work with a cadenza. The
j
3 j œœ œ . œ œ œ . œj œ j “trick” which Bach uses to create
b
& 4 œ˙˙ . œ ˙ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ˙˙ . œ
œœ # ˙˙ œœ ˙˙ # œ
changes throughout the composition,
œ œ J and even changes of the changes, despite
j jj j j the “fixed” theme, or motif, is to vary
œœ œ . œ œ œ . œj œ #œœjj. . œ œ œ . œ œ .œ .
œ
. œœj œ j œ the other voices, to change the theme
6
b
& œœ ˙˙ œ œ
œ œ œ . œ œœ . œ . œ
#˙ œœ ˙˙ œ œ. œ. œ œ. œ œ
J # Jœ
itself rhythmically, to place it into other
œ Jœ . registers, and to “disguise” it, or “adapt”
j ‰ r j j j
j ‰ j‰ ‰ ≈ œ r œ j
it to its environment in such a way, that
œ j œ . œ œ . œ œ # œ œ œ . œœj‰ œ j œ
11
b œ
partly a “logical,” partly a surprising
& œœ œ . œ œ . œ œ . œ œ . œ œ . œ œ . œ œ . œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ . œ . œ
J ‰ Jœ ‰ ‰ ≈ Rœ Jœ ‰ Œ ‰ ≈ Rœ J # Jœ
process of development takes place.
And, when this can lead to such a mag-
j
œ j ‰ œ . œ œ . # œ œ . œ œ # œ . œ œ . œ œ . œ œ ‰ .≈ œœ # œœ . n œœ . œ ‰œ .≈ # œœ
15 œ œ nificent result with only four voices on a
b
& œœ œ . œ œ . œ œ . œ œ . œ ˙ R R
“small” string instrument, what then can
œ
J ‰ Jœ ‰ ‰ ≈ Rœ œ . œ ˙
be accomplished with a big orchestra
J with many voices?
œ . n œ œ . œ œ . œ œ . œ œ . œœ œœ .. œ œœ .. œ œ œ . œ œ œ . œœ œ . œ œ . œ œ . # œ
That is exactly what Brahms demon-
& b n œ b œ # œ ‰ ≈ Rœ œ . n œ # œ . œ J ‰ ≈ R # œ n œ ‰ ≈ Rœ
19
strated with the final movement of Sym-
phony No. 4 in E minor: With 8 bars,
his theme/motif takes exactly twice the
number of bars, as does Bach’s Cha-
conne. The other basic difference:
FIGURE 8.3
Brahms theme is placed in the soprano
Opening of fourth movement of Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 (instead of the bass) voice. Otherwise,
Allegro energico e passionato ˙ .
# 3 ˙. ˙. ˙. #˙ . ˙. the formal architecture is the same: The
˙. ˙.
Flute I & II & 4 theme is in 3/4 time, and is varied—
? # 3 ˙. ˙.
soons) sing the theme (changed rhyth-
4 ˙. ˙. ˙ . n˙ .
mically by way of octaves) strongly with
Trombone III
f ˙. ˙. the bow (arco), while the middle voices
? 34 ∑ Ÿ̇ ~~~~~~~~~
Tympani ∑ ∑ ∑ . ˙. œŒŒ œ ŒŒ of the string section accompany this
(likewise arco) with a rhythmically dis-
f placed counterpoint, and the first violins
(“ben marcato largamente”) with a “lyri-
cal” one.
107
After a rather free variation of the
FIGURE 8.4
theme by the flute, which is only “sup-
ported” by the first French horn and the Strings take up theme in fourth movement of Brahms’ Fourth
#
& 34 Œ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œœ Œ Œ # œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ Œ Œ œ
upper strings, comes—as in Bach’s
Œ
9 pizz.
œ œ
work—an equally rigorously (and Violin I
& 4 Œ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œŒ Œ œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ
pizz.
the related E major mode, in which
œ œ œ #œ œ
Violin II
Brahms takes the liberty to present the
œ
fpizz. œ #œ
theme not only by one group of instru-
# œ
34 Œ œœ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ # œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œ
dim.
Viola B œ œœ œœ Œ
ments alone, but lets it roam through all
œ œ œ #œ œ
the voices.
f
? # 3 Œ œœœ œ
Œ œœœ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œœœ Œ Œ # # œœ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ
dim.
In measure 129 (not shown) the
Œ
pizz.
reprise begins, where the theme is quot- 4 œœ œ œ nœ œ
Violoncello
ed “verbatim” by the brass and wood- f œ
? # 34 Œ œ Œ Œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ
pizz. dim.
winds, but is varied contrapuntally start-
Contrabass œ œ œ nœ œ
ing with the upbeat to measure 133,
played fortissimo by the upper strings,
f dim.
. œ #˙
arco
of this motif, is made clear by the fact & œ . J # œ J œ
œ œ
that Brahms emphasizes this place with
farcoben marc. largamente j j j
# j ‰ œœ ‰ # œœ .. ‰ œœ ‰ œœ ..
Vl.
& ‰ j ‰ œ . ‰ œ ‰# œ . ‰ œj ‰ œœ .. ‰ œ ‰ ‰ # œ ‰ œ .. ‰ œœ ‰ # œ ..
a tympani (kettledrum) (Figure 8.3);
œ œ. œ # œ œœ .. œ œ œ J J
fœ œ.
and he does this, not only when present-
n n œœ œœ .. œ œ .
ing this motif, but again and again dur-
œ. # œ.
B # ‰ œœj ‰ œœ .. ‰ œœ ‰ œ . ‰ œœj ‰ œœ .. ‰ œœ ‰ œœ .. ‰ # œœ ‰ # œœ .. ‰ Jœœ ‰ œ . ‰ J‰ ‰ œ ‰ œ.
arco
ing the whole movement. This interval
Va.
J J J J
f
of E-Aˇ, which is heard clearly by way
of this suddenly introduced roll of the
?# œ œ œ œ #œ œ
˙ ˙ œ ˙
kettledrum (with the e being additional- Vc.
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ #˙ œ
ly strengthened by the trumpets and the f
?# œ œ œ œ #œ œ
two first French horns, while the aˇ′′ is
˙ ˙ œ ˙
˙ ˙ ˙ #˙
f ˙ œ
Cb.
played by the upper winds (two flutes,
one oboe, and one clarinet), as well as
also the fourth French horn and the first
108
trombone, is nothing but the “Lydian
FIGURE 8.5
interval.” It interrupts the line of devel-
Conclusion of fourth movement of Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 opment of the E minor motif, creating
? 34 Ÿ~~~ œ œ œ œ œ. Œ Œ ∑ ∑ Œ Œ œ œ. Œ œ œ. Œ œ
an “unclarity” in the key, even “lifting it
296
. . . . .
Tympani off its hinges” (since modulations in all
> > > > > # >œ œ.
> œ # œ
directions become thinkable), and
# # œ œ œ # œ œ. >˙ >˙ œ œ # œ œ œœ œœ
& 34 ‰ #œ œ ‰ #œ
makes clear from the very beginning:
Violin I nothing is constant, but change itself!
ƒ S S
# 3 #œ œ >˙ >˙˙ # >œœ œœ # >œœ >œœ >œ >œ n >œ œ. œ. œ. œ. The other interval which Brahms
Violin II & 4 œ œ œ̇ œ œœ. ˙ #œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ Œ œ uses predominantly at this prominent
> ƒ
place, is the third, and its inversion, the
.
> .
œ >˙˙ >˙ >œ œ >œ >œ >œ # >œ # >œœ œœ œ œ œ sixth. The fact that this is no accident, is
Viola B
#
4
œ
3 # œœ œœ œœ # œ œ ˙ #œ œ œ œ ‰ #œ œ ‰ œ #œ demonstrated by the use of pizzicato in
ƒ S S
the strings beginning in measure 9 (Fig-
>˙ >œ œ >˙ > >
> œ œ œ > > >
#œ nœ œ œ œ œ > œ œ œ
ure 8.4); almost all the chords of the
Violoncello ? # 3
4 œ œ œœ strings contain both complementary
ƒ
Contrabass intervals. The prominent and character-
? œ. Œ œ. œ. Œ œ. œ. Œ Œ œ. Œ Œ œ. Œ Œ œ. Œ Œ Œ Œ Ÿ~~
istic use of these intervals—third, sixth,
˙ . œ ŒŒ
304
œœœ œ œ
tympani)—shows itself throughout the
œ œ œ. ˙. œ
# œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ œœ œ entire movement, until the very end
‰ ‰ ‰ œ œœ œ # œ Œ Œ œ̇ . œ ŒŒ
& œ œ œ. Œ Œ œ
(Figure 8.5). [text continues on page 110]
S S
# œ. œœ. œ. œœ. œ. œ œ œ œ. ˙. œ
œ ‰ œ œœ œœ œœœ œ
Vl.
& œŒ œŒ Œ Œ œ Œ Œ . œ ŒŒ
œ œ œ œ. # œ œ̇
œ œ œ #œ . ˙. œ
B # œ ‰ œ # œ œ ‰ œ # œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. Œ Œ œ Œ Œ . œ ŒŒ
Va. œ œ œ œ œ̇
S S
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ.
? # œ œ œ œ œ Œ Œ Œ Œ ˙ . œ ŒŒ
Vc.
œ œ
Cb.
œ.
109
This results—apart from the very
FIGURE 8.6
free, but equally strict usage of the cha-
conne form—in the stunning complete- Opening of first movement of Brahms’ Symphony No. 4
ness of the whole movement. But on this
.
Allegro non troppo
œ. . . œœ. .
rests the no-less-surprising conceptual # C Œ œœ Œ œœ. Œ œœ. Œ œ Œ œœ Œ # œœ. Œ # œœ. Œ œœ Œ Œ œœ. . œœ
Œ œœ Œ
unity of the entire symphony. The Flute I & II & Œ
p dolce
aforementioned intervallic relationships .
& b b C Œ Œ œœ. Œ œ Œ Œ œœ. Œ œœ. Œ œ Œ Œ œœ. Œ œœ Œ Œ œ Œ œœ
.
œ œ œœ
mark the opening of the symphony
(Figure 8.6), dominate the first move-
Clarinet I & II
(A) . œ. # œ
. # œ
œ. . œ.
p. dolce . . .
œœ
œ .
? # C Œ Œ œ Œ œœ Œ œœ. Œ œ
œ œ. . œ œ.
Œ œ Œ # œœ Œ # œœ Œ œ Œ Œ œœ. ŒœŒœ
ment (Figure 8.7), and are equally
prominent throughout the second and Bassoon I & II
. œ.
third movements (which, as already p dolce
mentioned, according to Brahms’ note- & CŒ w w w b ww ŒÓ ∑
œœ
French Horn
book, he composed, or rather wrote I & II (E)
w w w
p ww
down, as the very last piece of the sym- French Horn
& CŒ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ww
phony). III & IV (C)
p
Even more revealing is the fact, that
œ ˙ ˙ œ ˙ œ
# ˙ œ ˙ Œ #œ œ
Brahms took the idea of the opening
Violin I & C Œœ Œ Œ ˙ Œ Œ
motif, rhythmically and harmonically,
p
from no less a composer than # œ
Beethoven, as the following measures Violin II & C œ ˙ Œ œ ˙ Œ œ ˙ Œ #œ ˙ Œ ˙ Œ œ ˙ Œœ
(Figure 8.8) from the “Adagio sostenuto” p
œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
C Œ Ó œœ œœ œœ œ œœ Œ œœ œœ œ # œœ Œ œ œœ œœ œ œœ Œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ Œ œ œœ œœ œ œ Œ œœ œœ œœ œ
of the piano sonata Op. 106 demon-
#
Viola B
div.
œ
strate. (As is shown in Chapter 7, we
œ œ
find evidence in Beethoven’s sketch- p
œœ œœ œœ œœ œ
books, that Beethoven in turn sought the
Violoncello ? # C Œ
œ œœ œ Œ
help of J.S. Bach, copying down key pas- œ œ Œ œ œ Œ œ œ Œ œ œ Œ œœ œ Œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ
p
sages from The Art of the Fugue (see Fig-
Contrabass ? # C Œ ˙ Ó ˙ Ó ˙ Ó ˙ Ó ˙ Ó Ó
ure 7.2). And as pointed out in Chapter
3, in Fugue IV of that work (see Figure ˙
3.11), a sequence of descending thirds p
become a crucial characteristic of the
musical development.) Brahms studied
these examples of his forerunners inten- FIGURE 8.7
sively.
Returning to Figure 8.8: In this pas-
Second motivic element in first movement of Brahms’ Fourth
# . > j œ >œ . # œ. œ.
C œ . œ # œ # œ. œ. œ # œ . # œ. œ
53
J # œ. œ
sage, Beethoven makes extremely dense a2
Oboe I & II &
3
110
surely the best, as he expresses the
FIGURE 8.8
increasing “density of inventions”
Passage from the ‘Adagio Sostenuto’ of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata (Joseph Joachim) and “enormous mani-
Op. 106 foldness” (Clara Schumann) of the
bœ
b œœ b œ œ œ œ nœ j j nœ
Finale both energetically and passion-
6 bœ #œ nnn
78
& b b 8 œœ J œ b œ œ #œ
œ J n œ
≈ # ‹ œœ # #n œœœ ‰ œ‰ J
ately. Especially his live recordings with
J R J
f S S the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,
S
œ œ b œ bœ bœ œ una corda # œ # œ œ some of which can luckily still be heard
? b b 68 œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ n œ œ ‹ œ # œ # œ n œ #œ ?
œ bœ b œ b œ & n œ # œ # œ# œ œ nnn
(among them, the one from Oct. 24,
b œ
#œ 1948), since they are available on record-
#œ #œ #œ œ #œ
ings and CD’s, are still (and especially!)
#œ #œ #œ #œ j œ #œ
œ #œ
81 today a measure of the fact, of how
& #œ J #œ J n œ # œ j J extraordinarily alive (“Energico e pas-
J nœ œ #œ #œ #œ
ftutte le corde S S sionato”) Classical works sound, if per-
#œ una corda J #œ
# œ n œ # œ ≈ # œj . ‹ œ # œ # œ œ # œ # œ œ
formed with “heart and mind,” as well
? #œ # œ # œ # œ
#œ #œ œ œ œ œ # œ
#œ œ #œ#œ œ nœ œ œ
as with “certainty and passion.”
#œ #œ __________
1. Karl Geiringer, Brahms, His Life and
Work (New York: Oxford University Press,
1982), p.83.
FIGURE 8.9
2. Letters of Clara Schumann and
Lydian intervals among the strings in opening of Brahms’ Fourth Johannes Brahms, 1853-1896, ed. by Berthold
˙ œ œ
#C œ ˙ Œ œ œ ˙ ˙
˙ Œœ
˙ Litzmann (London: 1927; reprint, Westport,
Œ Œ # œ Œ Œ
&
Conn.: Hyperion Press, 1979).
Violin I
p 3. Johannes Brahms im Briefwechsel mit
#C œ ˙ Œœ
Joseph Joachim, ed. by Andreas Moser
Violin II & œ ˙ Œ œ ˙ Œ œ ˙ Œ #œ ˙ Œ ˙ Œœ (Berlin: 1908).
p 4. Max Kalbeck, Johannes Brahms (Tutz-
œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
# Ó œœ œœ œœ œ œœ Œ œœ œœ œ # œœ Œ œ œœ œœ œ œœ Œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ Œ œ œœ œœ œ œ Œ œœ œœ œœ œ
ing: Hans Schneider, 1976; reprint of 1904-14
Viola B C Œ
div.
œ
edition), Vol. III, p. 455. Pages 445ff. contain
œ œ
p a detailed account of this “unfortunate” per-
formance.
5. That Joachim took the interpretation
of Bach’s Chaconne extraordinarily seriously,
is demonstrated by the fact, that during his
as well as in both the first and second motivic relationship of the first and years in Berlin, he performed this piece only
violins, playing in octaves, between their fourth movements with the second and on a Stradivarius violin, which he considered
a′-a′′ in measure 2, and their dˇ′-dˇ′′ in third ones, in this article, but they are so especially well suited for this kind of music
measure 3 (Figure 8.9). obvious, that the reader can easily deter- because of its exceptional tonal qualities. On
It is quite obvious, that Brahms mine them for himself. all appropriate occasions, he borrowed this
developed the second theme (motif) of In conclusion, it remains to be said, particular violin from a Berlin violinmaker
who owned it. This Stradivarius, which
this movement, which is presented by that such a dense and perfect (in the because of this fact was named the Cha-
the winds in unison (Figure 8.7), out of truest sense of the word) composition, conne, was played for many years by the first
the material of the opening motif; requires a corresponding level of perfor- violinist of the Amadeus Quartet, Norbert
repeatedly he uses (besides the already mance, by way of which the “sour cher- Brainin.
known pair of third/sixth intervals), the ries” can become edible. And, since we 6. Berthold Litzmann, op. cit.
Lydian interval to the (E minor) basic unfortunately have no recordings by 7. The chaconne was a originally a form
note, the Aˇ, which in turn plays such a Brahms himself, or by his friend of aria—not a dance—of the Seventeenth
prominent role in the motif of the final Joachim (who, as we know from his let- Century, which allowed the bel canto singer
movement. Thus, Brahms maintains the ters to Brahms, was very careful in per- to improvise freely. Its “support” was a bass
practice, which Norbert Brainin has forming such works), we have to listen line, which repeated a certain pattern: It
indicated in all his discussions of the to those conductors, who considered the started on the tonic, moved slightly down-
compositional method of motivic thor- performance of Classical music an wards, and then upwards again to the tonic.
While initially different concerning the char-
ough-composition, by writing “mono- endeavor coming truly from the heart. acteristics of their respective bass lines, the
thematically”; i.e., he always sticks to the And among them, Wilhelm Furtwän- terms “chaconne” and “passacaglia” became
theme. gler, in whose maternal family Johannes increasingly interchangeable during the
It is impossible to deal with the close Brahms was often received as a guest, is Eighteenth Century.
111