I. Allegro non troppo
II. Andante moderato
III. Allegro giocoso
IV. Allegro energico e passionato
Much of the Fourth symphony is melancholy and lamentful, but it is
relieved by the consolatory beatitude of the _andante_ and the elevating
stateliness of the conclusion.... The austerity with which the composer
has been reproached—in many instances unjustly—is here pronounced. The
solidity of the structure may be admired, but the structure itself is
granitic and unrelieved. The symphony has not the epic grandeur of the
first, the geniality of the second, the wealth of varied beauty that
distinguishes the third.
* * *
This symphony was first performed at Meiningen, October 25, 1885, under
the direction of the composer.
It was composed in the summers of 1884 and 1885 at Mürzzuschlag in
Styria: Miss Florence May in her Life of Brahms says that the manuscript
was nearly destroyed in 1885: “Returning one afternoon from a walk, he
[Brahms] found that the house in which he lodged had caught fire, and
that his friends were busily engaged in bringing his papers, and amongst
them the nearly finished manuscript of the new symphony, into the
garden.”
In a letter, Brahms described this symphony as “a couple of entr’actes,”
also as “a choral work without text.” He was doubtful about its worth.
He consulted his friends, and he and Ignaz Brüll played a pianoforte
arrangement in the presence of several of them. He judged from their
attitude that they did not like it and he was much depressed. There was
a preliminary orchestral rehearsal at Meiningen in October, 1885,
conducted by Hans von Bülow. Brahms arrived in time for the first
performance. The symphony was most warmly applauded, and the audience
endeavored, but in vain, to obtain a repetition of the third movement.
The symphony was performed at a Philharmonic concert in Vienna on March
7, 1897, the last Philharmonic concert heard by Brahms. We quote from
Miss May’s biography: “The Fourth symphony had never become a favorite
work in Vienna. Received with reserve on its first performance, it had
not since gained much more from the general public of the city than the
respect sure to be accorded there to an important work by Brahms. Today
[_sic_], however, a storm of applause broke out at the end of the first
movement, not to be quieted until the composer, coming to the front of
the artist’s box in which he was seated, showed himself to the audience.
The demonstration was renewed after the second and the third movements,
and an extraordinary scene followed the conclusion of the work. The
applauding, shouting house, its gaze riveted on the figure standing in
the balcony, so familiar and yet in present aspect so strange, seemed
unable to let him go. Tears ran down his cheeks as he stood there,
shrunken in form, with lined countenance, strained expression, white
hair hanging lank; and through the audience there was a feeling as of a
stifled sob, for each knew that they were saying farewell. Another
outburst of applause and yet another; one more acknowledgment from the
master; and Brahms and his Vienna had parted forever.”
Heinrich Reimann gives a short description of the symphony: “It begins
as in ballad fashion. Blaring fanfares of horns and cries of pain
interrupt the narration, which passes into an earnest and ardent melody
(B major, violoncellos). The themes, especially those in fanfare
fashion, change form and color. ‘The formal appearance, now powerful,
prayerful, now caressing, tender, mocking, homely, now far away, now
near, now hurried, now quietly expanding, ever surprises us, is ever
welcome: it brings joy and gives dramatic impetus to the movement.’ A
theme of the second movement constantly returns in varied form, from
which the chief theme, the staccato figure given to the wind, and the
melodious song of the violoncellos are derived. The third movement,
_allegro giocoso_, sports with old-fashioned harmonies, which should not
be taken too seriously. This is not the case with the _finale_, an
artfully contrived _ciacona_ of antique form, but of modern contents.
The first eight measures give the ‘title-page’ of the _ciacona_. The
measures that follow are variations of the leading theme; wind
instruments prevail in the first three, then the strings enter; the
movement grows livelier, clarinets and oboes lead to E major; and now
comes the solemn climax of this movement, the trombone passage. The old
theme enters again after the _fermata_, and rises to full force, which
finds expression in a _più allegro_ for the close.”[20]