Once again discussing my favorite composer, Johannes Brahms, I'm sharing this quick post about Brahms's Serenade No.1, Op.11, V. Scherzo II.
Brahms actually hesitated to write a symphony after becoming an overnight sensation due to a glowing testimonial by fellow composer and mentor Robert Schumann. Brahms felt that any symphony he wrote would be overshadowed by the legacy of Beethoven. However, in writing such works as his two Serenades (Opp.11 and 16), a piano concerto (Op.15), and others, he was able to get practice writing for larger ensembles without having to live up to his extraordinarily high standard for a symphony.
Brahms worked on his first symphony for a whopping fourteen years from 1862 to 1876. When it was finally performed in November 1876, it was a spectacular success and Brahms's first symphony was dubbed "Beethoven's Tenth" and he then reached the public eye as a true master of conservative Romantic composition.
The Serenades provide an interesting look into Brahms's developing voice as an orchestral composer. His harmonic language is far less diverse in the Op.11 than even in the chamber music and grandiose piano concerto that followed it. However, his compositional skill is exemplified in his gift for melody and his ability to handle any motif freely; these skills are apparent even in these early works.
I hope you enjoy the second Scherzo, as well as the rest of the Serenade! Share this post if you enjoyed it and leave your thoughts below!
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