Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1

In 1857, Brahms wrote to his friend Joseph Joachim about his first Piano Concerto, saying, " "I have no judgment about this piece anymore, nor any control over it." Brahms first began sketching his first piano concerto in 1853, but it would be five full years before Brahms finished the piece, and another year until its first performance. During that time, the piece became a Sonata, then a symphony, then a sonata for two pianos, and then finally a concerto for Piano and orchestra, or as the joke goes, a concerto for piano VERSUS orchestra. The piece, and Brahms' struggles with it, are completely understandable considering Brahms' youth, and the extraordinarily tumultuous circumstances of his private life during the years of 1853-1858. During this time period, he was anointed by no less than the kingmaker of classical music at the time, Robert Schumann, as the Chosen One that represented the future of music. He became friendly with both Robert and Clara Schumann, began achieving huge successes, then witnessed the slow mental breakdown of Robert, culminating in a suicide attempt and institutionalization, all while falling deeper and deeper in love with Clara Schumann, and she with him. The turbulence and emotional weight of all of this is reflected in one of Brahms' most impassioned works, the first piano concerto. We'll talk about the historical background for the piece, Brahms' working out process, and of course, the structure and insides of this massive, daunting piece.

Avsnitt(284)

Copland Clarinet Concerto

Copland Clarinet Concerto

The commission for a new Clarinet Concerto from the great American composer Aaron Copland came from a rather unlikely source: Benny Goodman, the man known as the King of Swing. Goodman was one of the ...

1 Maj 202548min

Steve Reich: Different Trains

Steve Reich: Different Trains

Steve Reich, the great American contemporary composer, provided this program note about his work Different Trains: "The idea for the piece came from my childhood. When I was one year old my parents se...

17 Apr 202552min

Best of Frenemies: Debussy and Ravel

Best of Frenemies: Debussy and Ravel

Debussy and Ravel are often described as the prototypical musical impressionists. It is often said that the two composers are the closest equivalents to the artistic world of Monet, Renoir, Pisarro, D...

3 Apr 202552min

Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1

Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1

It's hard to overstate the depth of the connection between Dmitri Shostakovich and the legendary cellist Mstistlav Rostropovich. Shostakovich and Rostropovich were extremely close friends, and Shostak...

20 Mars 202550min

Ravel, Ravel, Ravel, w/Boris Giltburg and G. Henle Verlag!

Ravel, Ravel, Ravel, w/Boris Giltburg and G. Henle Verlag!

Magician, Swiss Watchmaker, Aloof, Elegant, Precise, Soulful, Childlike, Naive, Warm: these are all words that have been used to describe Maurice Ravel, a man of elegant contradictions. But perhaps th...

6 Mars 202559min

Amy Beach, "Gaelic" Symphony

Amy Beach, "Gaelic" Symphony

Amy Beach is a name that might not be familiar to you. She was born in 1867 and died in 1944, and her life was one of the most fascinating and varied in musical history. She was a child prodigy, becam...

6 Mars 20251h

Sticky Notes en Français! Shostakovich Symphonie No. 13 (Bonus Episode)

Sticky Notes en Français! Shostakovich Symphonie No. 13 (Bonus Episode)

Voici un épisode bonus spécial de Sticky Notes en français, en avant-première de mes concerts avec l'Orchestre National de Lille, présentant la 13e symphonie de Shostakovich. Si vous souhaitez écouter...

27 Feb 20251h 10min

Smetana: Ma Vlast

Smetana: Ma Vlast

Nationalism, patriotism, cultural identity, a sense of home; these are concepts and ideas whose popularity have ebbed and flowed throughout history. Nationalism has been seen as a natural expression o...

6 Feb 20251h 5min

Populärt inom Nöje

mellan-himmel-och-jord-med-jlc
filip-fredrik-svarar
mardromsgasten
dialogiskt
badfluence
chilla-med-de-vet-du
mannen-utan-spar
rss-p3-musikdokumentar
schulman-show
fem-i-topp
gott-snack-med-fredrik-soderholm
skandal
rss-rockpodden
hemma-hos-strage
vardagsmysterier
karatefylla
sexet
podme-bio-4
rss-bl-metal-podcast
nordmark-pod