Brahms Piano Quartet in G Minor (+Schoenberg!)

Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast

Joshua Weilerstein

Clarinet, Timpani, Performing, Trombone, Cello, Trumpet, Bassoon, Classicalmusic, Performing Arts, Arts, Violin, Flute, Piano, Conductor, Music, Weilerstein

4.9 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 16 June 2022

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today I’m going to be talking about one piece, but in two different ways. I’m going to start today with an in-depth look at Brahms’ Piano Quartet in G Minor, an early piece of his that reveals an incredible sense of drama, drive, and creativity. This is very different music than I’ve talked about before with Brahms as this is decidedly the work of a young composer, without all the burnished maturity of Brahms’ later music. This is also a great opportunity to revisit the bedrock of the Classical and Early Romantic eras, Sonata Form, a form that makes so many pieces from those eras intelligible and clear.

But I’m also going to be talking about another piece. Well, it’s the same piece, but to some people, it sounds so completely different that it constitutes a completely new piece entirely. To some others, myself included, it almost constitutes an entirely new Brahms symphony. What I’m talking about is the composer Arnold Schoenberg’s arrangement of Brahms’s Piano Quartet for a massive orchestra, filling the stage with instruments that Brahms never would have even conceived of! You don’t often think of Schoenberg and Brahms in the same breath, but Schoenberg was a devotee of Brahms’ music, and often defended him against those who called him a crusty old conservative composer. But Schoenberg was still Schoenberg, and this arraangement of the quartet reflects that in a lot of ways. So along with an exploration of Sonata Form, I’ll save a look at the Schoenberg arrangement for the end of th show, since this is a great chance to look at orchestration and how a composer takes a piece written for 4 people and transforms it into a piece for 100. So today we’ll dive into this vast and complex piece, and along they way we’ll visit Schoenberg’s fascinating and sometimes downright wacky arrangement. Join us!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Sticky Notes, the Classical Music Podcast.
0:13.2	My name is Joshua Weylerstein, I'm a conductor, and I'm the Music Director of the Phoenix
0:16.9	Orchestra of Boston.
0:18.6	This podcast is for anyone who loves classical music, works in the field, or is just getting
0:23.1	ready to dive into this amazing world of incredible music.
0:26.9	Before we get started, I want to thank my new Patreon sponsors, Philip, Bella, Stan,
0:31.1	Ellie, Russell, and all of my other Patreon sponsors for making Season 8 possible.
0:37.0	If you'd like to support the show, please head over to patreon.com slash Sticky Notes
0:41.0	Podcast.
0:42.0	And if you are a fan of the show, please just take a moment to give us a rating or review
0:45.2	on Apple Podcasts.
0:47.1	Every rating or review helps more people find the show, and it is greatly appreciated.
0:51.5	So I'm really excited for today's episode on the Brahms G minor piano quartet because
0:54.8	this is actually the fourth episode I ever made when I started this show back in 2017.
1:01.2	I've rewritten practically the entire thing, so I think it's basically a new episode, but
1:05.1	it was really nice to go back and listen to how much this show has, I think, improved over
1:10.2	the last five years since I started it.
1:12.1	So if you've been with me since the beginning, this is basically a new show on the Brahms
1:16.3	G minor piano quartet.
1:18.2	Really hope you enjoy it.
1:25.4	Today I'm going to be talking about one piece, but in two different ways.
1:44.2	I'm going to start today with an in-depth look at Brahms' piano quartet in G minor, an
	...

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