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Richard Atkinson discusses the monumental passacaglia finale of Brahms’s Fourth Symphony in E minor. This is a fair use educational commentary that uses small excerpts from the following performances/recordings:
Brahms: Symphony No. 4
Berlin Philharmonic, Simon Rattle Simon Rattle Simon Rattle Simon Rattle
Monteverdi: “Zefiro Torna” from Scherzi Musicali II (1632)
Les Arts Florissants, William Christie
Jean-Paul Fouchécourt and Mark Padmore, tenors
Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56a
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Bach: 'Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich' BWV 150
Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki
Beethoven, 32 Variations in C minor, WoO 80
Evgeny Kissin, Piano
Beethoven: Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado
Rameau: Sarabande from "Zoroastre"
European Union Baroque Orchestra, Lars Ulrik Mortensen
Bach: Chaconne from D minor partita for solo violin, BWV 1004
Hilary Hahn, Violin
Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 (Prelude No. 1 in C major)
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Piano
Bach: 'Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,' BWV 61
Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki
Brahms: Clarinet Trio, Op. 114
Paul Meyer, Clarinet
Gautier Capuçon, Cello
Nicholas Angelich, Piano
Brahms, Intermezzo, Op. 119 No. 1
Murray Perahia, Piano
Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 5
Evgeny Kissin, Piano
Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 1
Peter Rösel, Piano
“Contra” opening theme
Kazuki Muraoka, composer
Beethoven: Piano Sonata, Op. 106, “Hammerklavier”
3rd movement: Igor Levit, Piano
1st movement: Alfred Brendel, Piano
Bach: E minor Fugue from Book I of the Well-tempered Clavier
Sviatoslav Richter, Piano
Bach: D minor Toccata and Fugue, BWV 565
Hannes Kästner, Organ
Brahms: Tragic Overture
Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan
Mahler: Symphony No. 1
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Georg Solti
Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Handel
Murray Perahia, Piano
Bach: "Crucifixus" from Mass in B minor
Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki
Handel: “Lascia ch’io Pianga” from “Rinaldo”
Voices of Music, with soprano Kirsten Blaise
Rameau: Chaconne from “Naïs”
Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin
Chopin: “Winter Wind” Etude, Op. 25 No. 11
Maurizio Pollini, Piano
00:00 - Introduction (passacaglias and chaconnes)
05:08 - Finale of Brahms’s Haydn Variations
14:04 - Possible influences
19:18 - Theme
23:57 - Variation 1
25:02 - Variation 2
27:27 - Variation 3
28:36 - Variation 4
32:32 - Variation 5
33:16 - Variation 6
34:25 - Variation 7 (and tangent on falling thirds motif)
41:46 - Variations 8 and 9 (and multiple tangents)
52:27 - Variation 10
54:10 - Variation 11
55:13 - Variation 12 (flute variation)
57:42 - Variation 13 (first of three in E major)
1:00:13 - Variation 14 (trombone variation)
1:03:07 - Variation 15
1:04:56 - Variation 16 (recap of original theme)
1:06:22 - Variation 17
1:07:04 - Variation 18
1:07:47 - Variation 19
1:08:57 - Variation 20
1:10:24 - Variation 21 (upward scales)
1:14:18 - Variation 22
1:15:08 - Variation 23
1:16:20 - Variations 24 and 25 (recap of variations 1 and 2)
1:18:21 - Variation 26 (recap of variation 3)
1:19:46 - Variations 27 and 28
1:21:00 - Variation 29
1:22:03 - Variation 30 (strict canon)
1:24:46 - Coda