Content
- Preface
- Intermezzo in A minor op. 118/1
- Intermezzo in A major op. 118/2
- Ballade in G minor op. 118/3
- Intermezzo in F minor op. 118/4
- Romanze in F major op. 118/5
- Intermezzo in E-flat minor op. 118/6
- Critical Commentary
Bärenreiter Urtext
The piano pieces opp. 116-119 were written in 1892/93 and are the last collections of pieces which Brahms wrote for the instrument. Particularly noteworthy is his use of the small form accompanied by a heightened increase in musical expression compared to his earlier works. Clara Schumann, probably the secret dedicatee of the piano pieces, wrote in her diary in November 1892: a true source of enjoyment, everything, poetry, passion, fantasy, intimacy, full of the most marvellous sound effects [ ]. In these pieces I finally feel musical life drawn into my soul again and play once more with true devotion.
A renewed critical evaluation of all known sources has resulted in small deviations from previous readings.