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Johannes Brahms - Famous Works

Manuscript page from Johannes Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53, showing the composer’s dense notation and complex musical texture.
A densely written manuscript by Brahms, from Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53, reflecting his intense contrapuntal thinking and meticulous compositional style.

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) was one of the most influential composers of the late Romantic era and a central figure in the German musical tradition. His music is marked by structural rigor, rich harmonic language, and a deep engagement with classical forms, reflecting both the legacy of Beethoven and the expressive ideals of Romanticism.

Brahms composed in nearly every major genre of instrumental and vocal music, including symphonic works, concertos, chamber music, piano compositions, choral works, and art songs. His catalogue forms one of the most substantial and cohesive bodies of work in the nineteenth-century repertoire. The following is a representative selection of his most significant compositions.

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Orchestral Works

  • Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
  • Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
  • Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90
  • Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
  • Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56a
  • Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80
  • Tragic Overture, Op. 81
  • Hungarian Dances (WoO 1)
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Concertos

  • Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
  • Piano Concerto No. 2 in B♭ major, Op. 83
  • Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77
  • Double Concerto in A minor for violin and cello, Op. 102
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Choral and Vocal Works

  • Ein deutsches Requiem ("A German Requiem"), Op. 45
  • Rinaldo, cantata, Op. 50
  • Rhapsody ("Alto Rhapsody"), Op. 53
  • Triumphlied (Triumphal Song), Op. 55
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Piano Music

  • Hungarian Dances (WoO 1)
  • Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major, Op. 1
  • Piano Sonata No. 2 in F♯ minor, Op. 2
  • Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5
  • 6 Pieces for Piano, Op. 118
  • Scherzo in E♭ minor, Op. 4
  • 4 Ballades, Op. 10
  • 7 Fantasies, Op. 116
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Chamber Music

  • String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 18
  • String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36
  • Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34
  • Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38
  • Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78
  • Clarinet Trio in A minor, Op. 114
  • Clarinet Sonatas No. 1 & No. 2, Op. 120
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Songs (Lieder)

Brahms composed more than 200 songs for voice and piano. Among the most widely known:

  • “Wiegenlied” (Lullaby), Op. 49 No. 4

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