The Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 by Johannes Brahms is the last of his symphonies. Brahms began working on the piece in Mürzzuschlag, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1884, just a year after completing his Symphony No. 3. Brahms conducted the Court Orchestra in Meiningen, Germany, for the work's premiere on 25 October 1885.
Instrumentation
The symphony is scored for two flutes (one doubling on piccolo in the third movement only), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon (third and fourth movements), four horns, two trumpets, three trombones (fourth movement only), timpani (two in first and second movements, three in third and fourth movements), triangle (third movement only), and strings.
Movements
The symphony is divided into four movements with the following tempo markings:
This is the only one of Brahms' four symphonies to end in a minor key. A typical performance lasts about 40 minutes.
Analysis
I. Allegro non troppo
This movement is in sonata form, although it features some unique approaches to development. For instance, there is no repeat of the exposition; according to Malcolm MacDonald, the music is so "powerfully organic and continuously unfolding" that such a repeat would hinder forward progress.
The opening theme is initially serene in character, although its composition in a chain of descending thirds adds a fateful air. Its left-versus-right fragmented melodic form (duh-DUM, da-DEE, duh-DUM, da-DEE) also introduces a feeling of conflict which Brahms uses as a fundamental motivation throughout the movement.
{ | class="wikitable" |- ! Bar ! Section ! Key ! Description |- | 1 | Primary theme | E minor | Starts with pick-up note. This relatively fragmented melody forms a descending sequence in the upper instruments in dialogue with the lower instruments. The notes (taken out of register) outline a row of descending thirds – B, G, E, C, A, F, D, B – a unifying motif for this work. |- | 19 | Transition modulation to second theme | Goes from E minor to the dominant B minor | Starts by fragmenting the primary theme |- | 53 | Transition motif | | Transition motif: a rhythmic pattern in the woodwinds |- | 57 | Secondary theme period 1 | B minor | Initially in the cellos, then passed up into the violins with intermittent play with transition motif. |- | 95 | Secondary theme period 2 | B major – parallel major of B minor | In the woodwinds. |- | 107 | Closing section | B major | Using transition motif to . |- | 137 | Transition modulation to development | Lead from B major into E minor | Using primary theme material |- | 145 | Development | Various | Starts with a statement of the primary theme before leading away into a development |- | 247 | Recapitulation | E minor -> E major | Slow version of primary theme in the upper instruments (initially in C major harmony) with intermittent use of transition motif followed by lengthy recapitulation of secondary theme block now transposed to the tonic key. |- | 394 | Coda | E minor | Final climactic statement of the primary theme in . |}
II. Andante moderato
Featuring a theme in E Phrygian, heard at the beginning unaccompanied and at the end with a lush orchestral accompaniment in the dominant scale, this movement has a modified sonata form with no development section.
{ | class="wikitable" |- ! Bar ! Section ! Key ! Description |- | 1 | Introduction | E Phrygian | Introduction to the principal theme by horns |- | 5 | Principal theme | E major | Several statements of the principal theme |- | 36 | Transition theme | B major | Dominated by the wind sections |- | 41 | Secondary theme | B major | Initially in the cellos, then passed up into the violins |- | 50 | Secondary theme cadence and transition theme | B major | Using transition motif to . |- | 64 | Recapitulation | E major | Recapitulation quite similar in structure to the exposition |- | 106 | Coda | E Phrygian dominant | Free play of themes with frequent use of arpeggios |}
III. Allegro giocoso
This movement is the only one with the character of a scherzo to be found in Brahms' symphonies. It is not in typical scherzo form, however, being in 2/4 time and in sonata form, without a trio. The sonata form itself is modified further, with a foreshortened recapitulation and with the secondary theme nearly absent in the development and coda.