Symphony no. 4 / Variations on a Theme by Haydn

Album by Johannes Brahms & Bernard Haitink & Boston Symphony Orchestra & Gerard Schwarz

Symphony No. 4 and the Variations on a Theme by Haydn are orchestral works by Johannes Brahms, completed in 1885 and 1873 respectively. The symphony concludes Brahms's symphonic output with a tightly argued four-movement structure that blends Romantic orchestral colour with classical forms and dense contrapuntal writing culminating in a passacaglia-like finale, while the Variations comprise a set of orchestral variations on an old chorale-like theme that demonstrate his command of variation technique and formal balance.

Symphony no. 4 / Variations on a Theme by Haydn by Johannes Brahms - album cover

First released: 1996

About

Disc 1

1.
Symphony no. 4 in E minor, op. 98: I. Allegro non troppo
13:34
2.
Symphony no. 4 in E minor, op. 98: II. Andante moderato
12:50
3.
Symphony no. 4 in E minor, op. 98: III. Allegro giocoso - Poco meno presto - Tempo I
6:16
4.
Symphony no. 4 in E minor, op. 98: IV. Allegro energico e passionato - Più allegro
10:35
5.
Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op. 56a
19:00

Disc 2

2.
Brahms's Early Career
8:18
3.
Guide to Variations on a Theme by Haydn: Background and Chorale (Theme)
3:12
4.
Guide to Variations on a Theme by Haydn: Theme Structure and Harmony
7:12
5.
Guide to Variations on a Theme by Haydn: Variations I-III
7:00
6.
Guide to Variations on a Theme by Haydn: Variations IV-VI
3:40
7.
Guide to Variations on a Theme by Haydn: Variations VII, VIII and Finale
7:18
8.
Champion of the Classical Tradition
3:24
9.
Guide to Symphony no. 4: Movements I & II
15:33
10.
Guide to Symphony no. 4: Movements III & IV
13:55
11.
Brahms's Complex Character
4:07