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Johannes Brahms

Cello Sonata No. 2 (Brahms)

Johannes Brahms's Cello Sonata No. 2 in F major, Op. 99 (1886) followed his first by over twenty years and was published in 1887. It was written for, dedicated to, and premiered by Robert Hausmann,

Musical description#

There are four movements:

I. Allegro vivace#

The Allegro vivace is a sonata form opening with a fragmented cello theme over a tremolo piano part. Its bipartite exposition somewhat unusually traverses F major, C major, and A minor; Roger Graybill argued that the tonal plan may be read as ultimately returning to F major, given the intricate motivic structure of its voice leading.

II. Adagio affettuoso#

Adagio affettuoso, with the cello part opening in a pizzicato exposition of the main theme over piano chords. The central section is in F minor.

III. Allegro passionato#

Allegro passionato in F minor, with a more songlike trio section in F major.

IV. Allegro molto#

Allegro molto; a rondo.

    • Performance of Cello Sonata No. 2 by Wendy Warner (cello) and Irina Nuzova (piano) from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format
Composer
Johannes Brahms