Academic Festival

Overture Op. 80
Johannes Brahms
Structure and
Form
Concert Overture

● In Baroque and Classical periods, overtures preceded large-scale performances such as operas,
serving as a introduction.
● Started to be separated from their original context in the early 1800´s
● By mid 19th century, some composers wrote overtures as stand-alone pieces
● The choice to compose an overture rather than a symphonic poem was conservative for the time.
 “Sonata Form”
● Concert overtures were often written in Sonata Form, but Academic Festival Overture does not follow
that exactly.
● Brahms described it as “a potpourri of student songs”
○ Used a medley of student drinking songs among other original melodies, fragmenting and re-
inventing ideas
● The work is clearly divided into two sections, we can outline as an abridged version of

Sonata Form:
○ Exposition (First subject in the tonic, second subject in the dominant/relative major if it is in minor
key)
○ Recapitulation (Of both subjects)
○ Coda (In the tonic)

● No Introduction (the way we will analyse it)

● No Development
Student Songs (Background)

● Incorporated to reflect the University setting of the performance and Brahms´

honorary degree
○ Not what would have been expected from the academics at the premiere!
● Four songs have been identified, but there may be references to others
○ Brahms did not attend university, but he may have heard them through his friend
Joseph Joachim, who studied in Gottingen
Song 1: Wir hatten gebauet ein stattliches
Haus

● “We have built a mansion” dates from 1819

● First heard from trumpets in bar 63
● A daring choice, as this melody had been used to promote the unification
of some areas of Germany, and was banned until 1871 (just 10 years
before the premiere)
Song 2: Der Landesvater

● “Father of our country” also known as Alles Schweige “All is Silent”

● Uses only the second half of the melody, in bar 128 by the second violins
● Had been used in the 1700´s at a student ceremony where caps were pierced
with a sword
Song 3: Was kommt dort von der Hoh?

● “What comes from afar?” - sometimes known as Fuchslied “Fox´s Song”

● Sung at first year initiation ceremonies
○ When the older students would make fun of the first years
○ First years were called “foxes” because of their nervousness
● Heard from bar 156 in the bassoons. Imitated and then in thirds
● The accents destabilise the rhythm, possibly suggesting that the students have
had too much beer.
Song 4: Gaudeamus Igitur

● “So let us give praise?” is the most famous of the songs, with Latin words
● Ends the overture triumphantly
● Originally a drinking song but then used at graduations
● Forms the basis of the Coda, starting from bar 379