Description

In 1879, shortly before Johannes Brahms composed his late, melancholic piano pieces, he wrote the two Rhapsodies op. 79 - two markedly passionate and extensive works. In a letter to the convalescent Clara Schumann, Brahms described these pieces in his typically understated manner, remarking that "with [them] you can really run riot and test whether the course of treatment has actually had any effect." While Brahms' friend Elisabeth von Herzogenberg acknowledged that the G minor Rhapsody was her favorite, she also praised the "intensely prickly beauty" of the B minor work. Both of these popular compositions have now been revised as part of the new Brahms Complete Edition.