Johannes Brahms - 4 Quartets, Op. 92 (1877-84)

Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 - 3 April 1897) was a German composer and pianist of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria. His reputation and status as a composer are such that he is sometimes grouped with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the "Three Bs" of music, a comment originally made by the nineteenth-century conductor Hans von Bülow.
4 Quartets, Op. 92 {1877 ca. (No.1), 1884 ca. (Nos.2-4)}
1. O schöne Nacht! Andante con moto (E major)
Georg Friedrich Daumer (1800-1875)
2. Spätherbst. Andante (e minor)
Hermann Allmers (1821-1902) (3:27)
3. Abendlied. Andante (F major)
Friedrich Hebbel (1813-1863) (4:55)
4. Warum? Lebhaft (B♭ major)
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) (7:11)
Kansas-City Chorale conducted by Charles Bruffy
Cynthia Siebert, piano
Brahms’s return to the genre of mixed voices with piano accompaniment reflects the more mature style heralded by the masterpieces of the late 1870s and early 1880s. These quartets are quite different from the earlier dialogue-based quartets and duets (including the Liebeslieder and Neue Liebeslieder waltzes), and are more tightly argued than the first two of the Op. 64 quartets, with which they share aesthetic similarities. The pieces are unusually unified in mood, all having a very atmospheric or nocturnal quality. They also form a natural complement to the contemporary unaccompanied part songs, Op. 93a. Some of these also share the elegiac quality of Op. 92, and both sets end with a setting of a brief, aphoristic text by Goethe. The first quartet is the composer’s penultimate setting of Daumer, the poet whose words he used more often than any other. One of his most gorgeous creations, the quartet’s rapturous harmonies and gloriously illustrative piano writing set it apart, as does its exceedingly romantic mood. The second quartet is as melancholy as the first is rapt. Its distinctive, turning triplet melody exudes sadness and regret, although there is a hopeful major-key ending. The third quartet returns to the warmly nocturnal mood of the first, including the adventurous harmonies at the end of the second stanza and the magnificent ending, whose decreasing activity without decreasing speed is a trademark Brahmsian technique. The final Goethe setting uses unstable harmonies, restless rhythms, and intricate counterpoint to set its titular question. The response, which sets most of the poem in a new meter and tempo, transforms a melodic figure heard near the end of the “question” section and turns it into the main melody of the “answers.”

[@jb1980ist]

Brahms is so beautiful.

[@marichristian1072]

Straight to the heart. I can't thank you enough for posting Brahms sublime Quartets.

[@rin67630]

I just heard on french baroque music a performance of John Bedyngham "Mi verry joy" (1422-1460) and was impressed to find exactly the same chords and musical phrases than on Brahms's "O schöne Nacht". That can't be just a coincidence...

[@arthursoffiati4982]

A maturidade de Brahms se manifesta nestas quatro pequenas obras corais acompanhadas por piano. Enquanto a trama harmônica é contrapontística é muito elaborada, o piano apenas acompanha o coro, este sim, executando composições profundas.

[@turidemarcodeeustachijs3926]

Brahms! Non finirà mai di stupirmi. Come Rossini coi suoi Péchés de vieillesse....

[@vinista256]

I have never heard of Rossini’s Péchés de vieillesse-thanks for the recommendation!

[@KLAVIERSideQuests]

Please stop uploading these fantastic works! We are not worthy!!

[@SPscorevideos]

2. Spätherbst is in E minor, not G major. ;) Didn't you already uploaded this in the past? They took it down for copyright?

[@bartjebartmans]

I copied pasted from IMSLP, somebody has to correct it there. Thanks for the heads up. And, yes, it was on my old channel which got terminated. I lost most of those videos but am slowly re-doing them.

[@willyfernandez2013]

Quiere predicar en un idioma diferente y lo logra en algunas almas

[@user-ux6id4cr2c]

This Piano refrained Our Mentally Syndrome Lead us to healing.Mahler had Written 李白　and 孟浩然　Chinese Classic Poems as Treating His Mentally Sickness against Freud Offering for Mahler Recovered his Psychological Deep-seated Barrier,Brahms Fortunately , with his Mentally Health and His Warmth Natures Differs From Today Both Political Leaders.such as Allbody,Donald Trump Unfortunately was Far from His Farther Strictly Forcing Educational Missled made Trump Curse Anti His Rivals as Demons.Todays World lead Economy to Devastation .Which Weakness Handicapped made Being Anger,Today Russian Putin Forgetting Weakness Support against the Old and Mentally Sickness with Pensions. Difference from Catharine the Greatst Russian Emperor Who was Supporter against Vortaire and America Greatst Leaders ,such as Washington,Putin Only Think of His Powered as Invasion against Japan and Europe,Very Sadness！Chorus is alike for Stravinsky Latest Work Mass.and Ravel Dahnis et Chroe Chorus and Last Danse Generale Glockenspiel ,

[@fryingwiththeantidote2486]

always hated brahms, but after this piece i dont. thanks!

[@fredlepinskie3036]

How could anyone hate Brahms?

[@vinista256]

Just out of curiosity, which pieces did you hate?