Program Notes

Johaness Brahms (1833-1897)

Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16 (1859)

Scored for three flutes and piccolo, pairs of oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, and strings without violins

At first, a comparison between Johaness Brahms and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart may seem a bit of a stretch. But a closer examination reveals a closer kinship than might be expected. The two men had an inexhaustible gift for melodic invention, both were formidable pianists, and Brahms, for all his harmonic innovation, wholeheartedly took up the formal and structural conventions that Mozart helped to establish. But there is one more similarity that seems, for Brahms at least, to be the most remarkable: a position as royal court musician.

Of course in Mozart’s time, a man who was responsible for the musical life of the court from birthday parties to state occasions was not unusual. A court composer was given the arduous task of providing whatever music was required for these events, and it was always expected to be something new. But in Brahms’ time, such a position was rare.

It is true, though, that Brahms’ job was considerably less arduous than Mozart’s. He spent three enjoyable winters at the court of Detmold as pianist and conductor and taught piano to the prince’s daughters. It was in this beautiful and relatively stress-free environment that Brahms made his first significant sojourn in writing for orchestra. Among the works that he presented were some of the serenades of Mozart, and he was so moved by them that he decided to add a couple of his own to the genre. Brahms wrote two serenades between 1857 and 1859.

The second of these premiered in Hamburg on February 10, 1860 conducted by the composer. Brahms wrote to Clara Schumann a few months after he had completed the score: “I conducted a rehearsal of my Second Serenade in Hanover. Joachim agreed with me that it sounded well. What a friend I have in him!” In November of the same year it was published along with an arrangement of the work for piano, four hands. The First Serenade was re-written by the composer for full orchestra and its proportions are massive. In the Second Serenade, the woodwinds take the lead, ably assisted by violas, cellos and basses. There is no violin to be found. The work, therefore, has more of the open-air occasional feel that inspired many previous works in the genre. Though Brahms is clearly master here, the spirit of Mozart can be discerned in the romantic opening Allegro Moderato and the lively Scherzo. The lovely, lilting Adagio at times hints at more serious matters. The fourth movement is a charming but traditional Minuet and Trio and the finale is an enthusiastic Rondo.