Brahms Symphony No. 4

Pre-Concert Chat at 5:45 PM
Lawn Paver Bar

Johannes Brahms

Symphony No. 4 in E Minor

Fans of Beethoven may bristle at the suggestion, but there’s a sizable contingent that views Brahms’s Fourth Symphony as the very embodiment of the symphonic ideal. Precisely constructed, it displays Brahms’s absolutely mastery of the form. Filled with beautiful tunes and waves of romantic emotion, it also remains steadfastly earnest, even austere. Brahms recognized this quality, writing from his mountain retreat near Vienna that his symphony “tastes of the climate here. The cherries don’t ripen in these parts; you wouldn’t eat them!” Pay particular attention to the finale, a masterful homage to one of Bach’s chaconnes—a stately dance with 32 variations over a repeating bass line. It’s brilliant.