Brahms’ Intermezzo Op.118 No.

Sechs Klavierstücke Op.118

Six Pieces for Piano Op.118
 Sechs Klavierstücke Op.118
• Written in 1893, 4 years before his death.
• Dedicated to Clara Schumann.
• The penultimate piano piece Brahms
published during his lifetime (being Op.119 his
last piano piece published during his lifetime).
• The penultimate piece he published during his
lifetime.
Intermezzo Op.118 No.6
• Expressive passage: A SECTION
• Dies Irae as the main theme: idea
of Death.
• Main theme imitates monodic
liturgical chant.
• Liturgical chant (short range, lack
of leaps) along with the monodic
aspect of the line emphasize the
idea of loneliness.
• One could see the A section, with
the attributes described above to
paint an image of an individual
taking a last confession before
death.
Intermezzo Op.118 No.6
• One of the innovative
aspects of this Intermezzo
lies on the fact that
Brahms is mixing two
distinct elements:
– Monodic liturgical chant
(classical choral writing)
– Arpeggiated textures
common of Romantic
Fantasies and in general
romantic piano writing.
 Intermezzo Op.118 No.6
Op.58 No.5 Op.121 No.1
 Intermezzo Op.118 No.6
Op.10 No.1 Op.117 No.3
 Intermezzo Op.118 No.6
Op.5 No.3 Op.58 No.6
 Intermezzo Op.118 No.6
Mendelssohn Fantasy in F sharp minor Debussy Prelude No.1 Book 2
Op. 28
Intermezzo Op.118 No.6
• For me this
Intermezzo’s main
Theme is Death: a
individual an
incredibly intimate
confession or prayer
before death.
Vier ernste Gesänge Op.121

Four Serious Songs Op.121

 Vier ernste Gesänge Op.121
• Vier ernste Gesänge Op.121 or “Four Serious
Songs,” is a song cycle for Soprano and Piano
composed by Brahms in 1896 set to texts from
the Luther Bible. It’s his last song cycle,
written 1 year before his death.
• The main themes in the songs are death, and
the transience of life, while the fourth has a
warmer shift to faith and hope.
Vier ernste Gesänge Op.121
O death

O death, how bitter is the remembrance of

thee to a man
that liveth at rest in his possessions,
unto the man that hath nothing to vex him,
and that hath prosperity in all things;
yea, unto him that is yet able to receive
meat!

O death, acceptable is thy sentence unto

the needy and unto him whose strength
faileth,
that is now in the last age,
and is vexed with all things,
and to him that despaireth,
and hath lost patience!
Intermezzo Op.118 No.6
Op.117 No.3