Brahms – Symphony No 4 (2025 Jacob Leshnower)

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), German composer of the Romantic period, composed his fourth and final symphony in 1884. Somber and serious, yet rich and complex, Symphony No. 4 in E minor features four movements rich with melodic motifs, and drawing inspiration from sonata form, as well as the works of Beethoven, Bach, and other influences.

The first movement, Allegro non troppo, begins in E minor. The violins present the opening theme — a series of falling thirds when taken out of register. After some experimentation on the main melodic theme and additional motivic ideas, the woodwinds present a more rigid, yet forward-looking transition motif featuring quarter-note triplets. This leads into the secondary theme featuring longer notes, first played by the cellos. What follows is an interplay between and variation on the material presented in the exposition, climaxing at a forte dynamic, then receding back down to piano before the development. Eventually, a slower and more reflective version of the primary melody returns in the recapitulation. The secondary and triplet-based themes are also presented again, and the overall dynamic grows, culminating in a final, defiant statement in E minor, in a strong opening for the symphony.

The second movement, Andante moderato, begins more pensively, in a slower six-eight meter. The movement is oriented around the E Phrygian mode, displayed immediately by the opening horn statement with a flattened supertonic. This idea is then passed to the woodwinds, supported by pizzicato strings. Soon, staccato triplets lead into a lush secondary theme in B major presented by the cellos. The strings swell around this tonal center, until the violins announce the recapitulation with the primary theme once again. The energy increases, and the staccato triplets are reintroduced, followed by the secondary theme, this time in E major. The coda returns to the Phrygian ideas of the beginning, this time with a more lyrical and arpeggiated arrangement ending with a satisfying pianissimo E major chord.

The third movement, Allegro giocoso, is a short, six-minute duple dance in C major, serving a similar role as a Beethoven scherzo. It begins triumphant and playful with the full orchestra, in stark contrast to the previous movements, and features the addition of the piccolo and triangle for a more light-hearted feel.

The fourth movement, Allegro energico e passionato, has arguably the most unique form of the four movements. The first eight measures present an important melody: a rising run up the minor scale featuring a raised fourth scale degree and a return to the tonic. This eight-measure motivic idea is repeated for a total of thirty variations, each also eight measures, culminating in a finale.

The genre of the fourth movement is that of a Bach chaconne, and the recurring eight-measure theme draws from Bach’s Cantata No. 150. The final measures of the movement are tragic, relentless, intense, offering no sense of hope, ending with a loud, bold, searing E minor chord — a resolute and fitting final statement to round out Brahms’ final symphony.

— Jacob Leshnower

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