Interpreting Brahms' Intermezzo Op 119 No. 1 for Piano - Piano Interpretation

We explore this late piano Intermezzo composed by Brahms in 1893. This lesson explains the opening structure and examines clues for interpretation provided by Brahms in a letter he wrote about this work to Clara Schumann. We then explore the melodic, rhythmic and harmonic content of the opening section, considering the internal structural detail. All these threads are pulled together and explore the essential elements that lead us to deciding how to interpret the piece. Particularly of interest to pianists, to students of Brahms, and to those exploring late Romantic music.

⬇️Download the files

🕘 Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction to interpreting Brahms' Intermezzo Op 119 No. 1 for piano
0:31 - A letter from Brahms to Clara Schumann
5:43 - Structure
7:43 - Phrasing
10:54 - Melodic texture
14:36 - Left hand
17:28 - Harmony
28:29 - Conclusion

🎓 Learn Music Online with Music Matters
Learn music theory, aural tests, composition, sight reading, orchestration and more! Prepare and practice for music exams and diplomas with Music Matters Courses. Whether you're just getting started with learning music, or you're an experienced musician looking to expand your abilities - we have something for you in our course library. With hours of step-by-step training, our courses will truly help you elevate your musicianship skills to the next level.

👥 Social Media

🔗 Affiliate Links

#PianoInterpretation #MusicAnalysis #TheAllRoundMusician

[MusicMattersGB]

Learn Music Online - Check out our courses here!

[jayducharme]

That was a great lesson, and a surprisingly revealing letter by Brahms. Lovely performance at the end.

[DaveOwenEdinburgh]

Thank you! I've been learning this for an exam and although my teacher has helped me find the compositional intent, and hear the melodies individually, and I've intuited that I should linger on just about every note, your context and analysis here has shone even more light on it. I'll now return to the piece with a more confident and informed sense of what to convey when I play it.

[thelmonavesmoura]

Thank you again Mr Gareth. I do love your videos and there´s no doubt, for me this is one of the bests. Good keep blessing your job

[mabdub]

Thank you, very informative and inspiring.

[cobalthorizon]

Fascinating discussion. I especially appreciate the harmonic analysis; is there much difference between what you did here and Schenkerian analysis?

[KeenBulldozer]

Hi Gareth, I love your videos! I would absolutely love an analysis on Mozart's Sonata in A k331, first movement (theme and 6 variations). There are no good ones on Youtube and I think it would make for a very interesting analysis.

[deryakibar]

I wonder if I could download the session on Brahms analysis to my ph storage...I have a level 3 subscription 😢

[SSS-sfxy]

You should do some ravel, Mahler Scriabin, Prokofiev