by Thomas Nickell
Johannes Brahms, Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor, Op. 102
Johannes Brahms composed his Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A Minor, Opus. 102, in 1887, firmly in the late part of his career. This concerto turned out to be his final work for orchestra though he still had about ten years of composing left in him. It was also a deeply personal work, as it was intended in part as an effort of reconciliation between himself and violinist/friend Joseph Joachim, with whom he lost touch after Joachim’s divorce.
The concerto makes use of the “F-A-E” motif, standing for Joachim’s personal motto “Frei aber einsam” (free but lonely), which could also apply to Brahms, who remained unmarried at this point of his life. This motif features prominently in several permutations (either A-E-F or F-E-A), the latter being the second part of the opening theme of the work, albeit transposed down a fourth. The concerto was premiered on October 18, 1887 in Cologne by Joachim and Robert Hausmann.
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36
Beethoven composed his second symphony between 1801 and 1802, during his famed retreat at Heilegenstadt where he revealed his growing deafness in an unsent letter to his brothers for the first time. This symphony is one of the last works of Beethoven’s early period, and is notable as the first of his symphonies to include a scherzo movement instead of the traditional minuet.
The first movement begins with a slow introduction pivots from D major to Bb major and back before settling into a fast paced allegro. The second movement, a slow Larghetto, is Beethoven’s longest symphonic slow movement, and includes clear influences of folk music which he explores further in his “Pastoral” Symphony No. 6. The final movement includes a unique hiccup-like opening motif that has been associated with Beethoven’s apparently legendary gastric problems, though this popular comparison has not been proven.
