Piano Concerto no. 2 in B flat major, op. 83
Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83, completed in 1881, came twenty-two years after his First. Cast unusually in four movements rather than three, it adds a stormy scherzo and treats the piano less as a soloist against the orchestra than as one voice within it — a symphony with piano, as it is often described. He premiered it himself in Budapest in 1881.
Movements
- Allegro non troppo
- Allegro appassionato
- Andante
- Allegretto grazioso
Recommended recordings
- Emil Gilels · Berliner Philharmoniker · Eugen Jochum YouTubeSpotify (subscription)
- Sviatoslav Richter · Chicago Symphony Orchestra · Erich Leinsdorf YouTubeSpotify (subscription)
Most recent recordings
- Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83: II. Allegro appassionato — Johannes Brahms, Nelson Freire, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Horst Stein (2022) Spotify
- Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major, Op. 83: 4. Allegretto grazioso — Johannes Brahms, András Schiff, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (2021) Spotify
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