Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)
Piano Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 26 (1861)
Analysis below ↓

MVT I
EXPOSITION
00:00 - Theme 1, A major
00:51 - Transition
01:09 - A loud dominant minor 9th chord of E major is played and a new motif is introduced by the strings, then imitated by the piano. Notice how the two oscillating 16th notes is derived from T1
01:39 - Theme 2, part 1, E major. Fragments of T1 played in the cello. This theme is closely related to T1 (both themes contain a rising second followed by a rising third)
01:47 - Theme 2, part 2. Modulation to B major
02:42 - T2, 1 is deconstructed and reduced to just two notes
02:58 - Closing theme
03:18 - T2, 2 returns. E major
03:50 - Repetition of the exposition
DEVELOPMENT
07:30 - Beginning of the development section. Modulation to C major
07:37 - The music quickly shifts to A minor and the violin and cello alternate played fragments of T2, 2
08:02 - The head of T1 is played by the piano, then echoed in the strings
08:09 - Cadence in C minor. A variant of T1 is played in the strings
08:41 - Climax, still in C minor
09:16 - Closing theme, A minor, played violently by the piano and then by the strings
09:31 - Cadence in A minor. T2, 2
09:40 - Retransition. Dominant pedal point on E, modulation from A minor to A major
RECAPITULATION
09:58 - T1, A major
10:52 - Transition
11:09 - Dominant minor 9th chord of A major. The strings then play the motif beginning with two oscillating 16th notes based on T1
11:38 - T2, 1, A major, introduced by the strings this time and with the piano playing fragments of T1 in the left hand
11:46 - T2, 2. Modulating to E major
12:58 - Closing theme
13:18 - T2, 2, A major
13:32 - Similar to the final section of the development, but in A major instead of A minor and much less violent. Imitation between piano and strings of T2, 2
13:44 - Dominant pedal point on E
14:02 - CODA

MVT II
A SECTION (E major)
15:18 - Part 1 of the A section
16:27 - Part 2 of the A section. Mysterious diminished 7th arpeggios in the piano
17:10 - Return of part 1
18:14 - Transition
B SECTION (B minor)
18:32 - Turbulent B section
19:34 - The heart of the movement. The strings play a passage in B major unaccompanied by the piano
20:49 - Retransition
A’ SECTION (E major)
21:22 - Part 1 of the A’ section. The roles are reversed this time, and it is the strings carrying the melody with the piano playing the two note slurs and providing the harmony
22:28 - Part 2
23:08 - Instead of having a return of part 1 of section A’, a B’ section in the distant key of F minor is inserted
24:20 - Final return of the A section with the violin playing a highly decorated version of the opening theme
25:23 - CODA

MVT III
SCHERZO
Exposition
26:48 - Theme 1, A major
27:22 - Theme 2, E major
27:45 - Repetition of the exposition
Development
28:43 - Beginning of the development section
29:03 - Transition motif in inversion played in octaves by the piano
29:10 - Cadence in A minor. Transition motif in the piano imitated by its inversion in the strings played against the head of T1
29:34 - Retransition. Pedal point on C#
Recapitulation
29:51 - T1, A major, over a dominant pedal point
30:12 - Transition
30:21 - T2, A major
30:45 - Coda
TRIO
Exposition
31:30 - Theme 1, D minor. A canon between piano and strings
31:53 - Theme 2, F major. Using the same rhythm as T1 from the scherzo
32:07 - Exposition repeated
Development
32:45 - Beginning of the development section. A variant of T2 in F minor played by the piano is then imitated by the strings
32:54 - Fragments of T2 passed between instruments
Recapitulation
33:21 - T1, D minor
33:49 - T2, D major
SCHERZO REPRISE
34:12 - Exposition
35:11 - Development
36:19 - Recapitulation
37:13 - Coda

MVT IV
EXPOSITION
38:07 - Theme 1, A major
39:15 - Transition passage ending on the dominant of E major
39:28 - A harmonically ambiguous passage introducing new material
39:51 - Theme 2, E major
39:59 - Cadence in E major. A new dotted motif is introduced by the viola and then imitated by the other instruments
40:29 - Closing section. A new theme is introduced
41:24 - Dominant of A major
DEVELOPMENT
41:34 - T1, A major
42:10 - T1 in the piano with an added countermelody in the strings. Starting in A minor then modulating to C major
42:18 - The roles are reversed and now the strings play T1 with the added countermelody in the piano. C minor
42:26 - T1, E-flat minor. Added countermelody in the strings
42:38 - Fragments of T1
43:11 - Retransition. Dominant pedal point on E
RECAPITULATION
43:19 - Transition
43:31 - Analogous to 39:28
43:54 - T2, A major
44:03 - Dotted motif
44:33 - Closing section
45:14 - Dominant pedal point on E
CODA
45:36 - Beginning of the coda
46:04 - Animato. Dominant pedal point on E in the piano with the violin and viola playing T1
46:23 - Final statement of T1, modulating from D to A major

Mikhail Kopelman, violin
Dmitri Shebalin, viola
Valentin Berlinsky, cello
Sviatoslav Richter, piano

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