User:Blehfu/Brahms2

The Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 is the second of four symphonies by Johannes Brahms, and was composed a year after his first symphony in 1877.

A typical performance lasts between 40 and 50 minutes.

History
The Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 was composed by Johannes Brahms in the summer of 1877 during a visit to Pörtschach am Wörthersee, a town in the Austrian province of Carinthia. Its composition was brief in comparison with the fifteen years in which Brahms took to complete his First Symphony.

The cheerfulness of the symphony is akin to the pastoral mood of Beethoven's Sixth, in contrast to Brahms's First Symphony with its sombre C minor tonality. In jest, the composer wrote to his publisher on November 22, 1877 that the symphony's tone is melancholy, and that the score must sound like mourning. While the work is neither tragic nor especially dramatic, the dynamics of the first two movements is largely piano and reaches forte in minor scales. The last two movements are lighter in dynamics and briefer. The subtle interplay of contrasting melodies overlapping and being passed around throughout the instruments of the orchestra allow the conductor to dictate the mood by emphasizing different parts.

Premiere
The premiere was given on December 30, 1877 in Vienna under the direction of Hans Richter.

Instrumentation
The symphony is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings.

Form
Throughout, the movements in this symphony resemble Beethoven in their expansive, lyrical expositions, which in the second movement constitute half of the entire movement. In the Second Symphony, Brahms preserved the traditional structure of the Classical symphony, in which two lively outer movements frame a slow second movement followed by a short scherzo:


 * 1) Allegro non troppo in D major
 * 2) Adagio non troppo in B major
 * 3) Allegretto grazioso (quasi andantino) in G major
 * 4) Allegro con spirito in D major

First movement

 * Allegro non troppo

The cellos and double-basses start off the symphony on a tranquil note by introducing the first phrase of the principal theme, continued by the horns. The woodwinds develop the section and other instruments join in gradually progressing into a full-bodied forte. The cellos and violas then introduce a new theme in F-sharp minor, also known as Brahms's Lullaby or Wiegenlied, which is continually brought back, reshaped and changed both rhythmically and harmonically in the movement. Towards the conclusion of the first movement, Brahms marked in tempo, sempre tranquillo, and it is this mood which pervades the remainder of the movement as it closes in the home key of D major.

Second movement

 * Adagio non troppo

After alluding to the first movement with a brooding subject introduced by the cellos, bassoons and double basses in the opening, Brahms marked the tempo L'istesso tempo, ma grazioso which continues its dark and sombre mood until the end of the movement. As in Beethoven’s works, the development is shortened to allow for a weighty finale, consisting of driving rhythm and melody in the strings. It finishes by returning to a coda-like section in which the main theme is reintroduced in the end.

Third movement

 * Allegretto grazioso (quasi andantino)

Pizzicato cello provides the backdrop at the beginning but the oboe carries the main melody. A contrasting second subject marked Presto ma non assai begins with the string instruments and the full orchestra develops the theme. Bar 107 returns to the main tempo and gentle mood but the idyll setting is again disrupted in bar 126 when the earlier Presto marking makes a re-entry. Brahms yet again diverts the piece back into its principal tempo (bar 194) and thereafter to its peaceful close.

In the third movement, Allegro grazioso, we hear a very light articulated sections, this could be due to the influence of Mozart or Schubert. This lighter element provides a contrast to the previous two movements. This movement is the shortest in the symphony and his briefest symphonic movement. In this movement, we see a use of thematic variation. A shown in example 3.1, we see a rhythmic change of the main theme. The rhythmic change is due to the changing of the meter. This changing meter may have been done to imitate a baroque style dance suite. The introduction is introduced as a waltz, this is evident by the 3/4 meter. The waltz is then rhythmically transformed into what sound like a gigue, the meter is changed to 2/4 time and is rhythmically driven by the strings, which have now also taken over the theme. He also uses 3/8 time to help incorporate the use of this dance like rhythms.

In this movement, we see many retrospective characteristics come into play. This movement is written in the style of a dance suite. We see elements of the waltz and the gigue that are portrayed by the key signatures. An interesting quality in this movement is how Brahms chose his instrumentation. In this movement, it more closely resembles a classical or pre-classical ensemble. We see a diminished use of the brass instruments and see a increased dominance of the string ensemble with emphasis on the flutes, oboes, and fagottes. A classical and pre-classical adoption of instrumentation sees the cello providing harmony to the woodwinds.

In this movement, it breaks the tradition of using sonata form. Although there is a return to something that may act like a development, it is returning to a variation of the main theme. My only conclusion is that this movement was written in a rondo form. The use of the rondo form can be tied to the use of retrospective elements in Brahms music, seeing as the rondo form was commonly used in Baroque music. We see several return to the main theme, although they may be somewhat varied. As show bellow in example 3.3, Theme A at measure 1 represents the main theme. It then transitions into theme B at measure 33. There is then a variation of the main theme at measure 107, creating theme a. This quickly transitions into what could be considered the development section at measure 126, when theme C is introduced. Theme A is then brought back, acting like a recapitulation, at measure 194. A coda containing elements of the main theme is used to end the movement at measure 219.

Fourth movement

 * Allegro con spirito

Busy-sounding (but quiet) strings begin the final movement. A loud section breaks in unexpectedly in bar 23 with the full orchestra. As the excitement appears to fade away, violins introduce a new subject in A major marked largamente (to be played broadly). The wind instruments would repeat this and develops into the other instruments as well. Bar 155 of the movement repeats the symphony's first subject again but instead of the joyful outburst heard earlier, Brahms introduced the movement's development section. A mid-movement tranquillo section (bar 206) elaborates earlier material. The first theme comes in again (bar 244) and the familiar orchestral forte is played. This time, instead of the A major theme in the largamente marking, Brahms allows the theme to be reprised in the symphony's home key of D major. Towards the end of the symphony, descending chords and a mazy run of notes by various instruments of the orchestra (bars 395 to 412) sound out the familiar A major theme again but this time drowned out in a blaze of brass instruments as the symphony ends on a triumphant note by the full orchestra complete with a timpani roll.

Movement four, Allegro con spirito, follows the Beethovenian tradition of having a weighty finale to end the symphony. In this case, Brahms succeed in creating a finale that was worthy enough to step out of the shadows represent the second age of symphony. What is interesting in this movement is how it contrasts the first movement. Not only is this movement faster and in a brighter key, the melodic lines of this entire movement will constantly move in ascending lines, which is exactly opposite of the melody of what the first movement in which it would progress in descending melodic lines.

This movement is in a very broad sonata form containing a very large coda from measures 353 to the end. Brahms yet again follows the Beethovenian tradition of the expanded form. The exposition has been expanded to the largest section of the sonata form. As true as we have seen in the previous three movements, to sate the theme or idea, he repeats them in different voices in order for the listener to apprehend this idea. In this movement, there are two very important ideas that come into play; the main theme and a second theme. This main theme is used to sate the beginning of the exposition, the development, and exposition. The second theme is used to introduce the coda and also to provide some amount of tension and will then be used to help energize the coda.

Another effect that Brahms uses in this movement is constant momentum. At measure 221, the movement slows down at the tranquillo. Brahms specifically slows down the movement to help create a build up of energy into the recapitulation. It is here that we see a new theme that is introduced that will appear briefly in the coda. This new theme closely resembles the main and secondary theme as this theme contains both the neighbour note passage and the upward leap of the third. To increase the thematic unity of the piece, Brahms then overlaps these two themes at measure 375.