English Commentary by Sergio Cánovas 

The second symphony of Brahms was composed during the summer of 1877 in the quiet town of Pörtschach am Wörthersee in Carinthia, ending it in Lichtental during the following autumn. It was premiered on December 30 of the same year in Vienna with the orchestra conducted by Hans Richter. It was published in 1878 after some corrections and making a version for two pianos, in the same way as before with the first symphony. Brahms had told Clara Schumann and various friends that it was a serious work in a minor tone, a tragic tone, but it turned out to be one of his most cheerful compositions. It reflects his love for nature with bucolic feelings, but without being able to clearly say that it is a Pastoral Symphony, as it has on occasion been called.

The first movement, written in sonata form, is of a great extension, occupying almost half of the work. Cellos and double-basses present a brief motif of three notes (D – C sharp – D) before presenting a first theme of bucolic character, completed by the woodwinds and the rest of the orchestra. The second theme is presented by cellos and violas, full of warmth, transparency and with a vague Nordic melancholy, which elevates in a climax. Then the warm second theme reappears surprisingly, ending gently. The development section is based on the first theme, which leads to a fugal section. Then the trombones interpret a rough stretta, until the lyrical theme that had previously served as a transition between the two main themes reappears, then reaching the climax of the development. It ends with an inverted, varied recapitulation of the main themes. The conclusive coda is extensive, with the winds dialoguing on a pizzicato from the strings, which lead the movement to the serenity of its beginning. Stresses listening to the three initial notes played in a playful way.

The second movement is written in ternary form. A brooding main theme is presented by the cellos, passing then to the violins. It is a broad lyrical theme of great expressive beauty, with a counter-melody in the bassoons as a second theme. The horn plays a secondary variant followed by the wood. In the central part appears a new melody presented by the wood on the pizzicato of the double basses, as a popular song. Then the atmosphere becomes more dramatic, until the main theme is recapitulated in a varied way. It ends with a chord of the orchestra conducted by the clarinet.

The third movement has an heterodox from, being referred as a scherzo, an intermezzo or even a minuet. It has the form A-B-A’-C-A». It can be interpreted as a theme with variations or as a scherzo with two trios or perhaps a rondo. It opens with the pizzicato of the cellos accompanying a lilting oboe melody. A contrasting section begins in the strings, and this theme is soon taken over by the full orchestra. The main theme is recapitulated with its gentle mood, but the idyll setting is again disrupted when the earlier contrasting section marking makes a re-entry, this timewith a metric variation that opposes winds with the strings. Brahms yet again diverts the movement back into its main theme and thereafter to its peaceful close.

The fourth movement is written in sonata form. It begins with the strings presenting smoothly the main theme of pastoral nature. The theme is repeated by the orchestra in a powerful tutti. As the excitement appears to fade away, solo wind interventions serve as a transition to the lyrical second theme, presented with great solemnity by the violins, which will take the movement to a dramatic point. A concluding episode of a softer character ends the exposition. The development section is based on the first theme, leading to a contrapuntal phase. A tranquillo section elaborates earlier material and slows down the movement to allow a buildup of energy into the recapitulation.

The first theme comes in again with the orchestral tutti. The second theme also reappears in the tonic key. Towards the end of the symphony, descending chords and a mazy run of notes by various instruments of the orchestra sound out the second theme again but this time drowned out in a blaze of brass instruments as the symphony ends in a triumphant mood. The final coda ends with descending chords and reminiscences of the second theme, but a stretta drags the entire orchestra towards a brilliant ending.

Picture: «Monastery ruin Eldena» (1825) by the German painter Caspar David Friedrich. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphon…) http://www.historiadelasinfonia.es/hi…