# Brahms's Nine Most Badass Passages



## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Stumbled upon this on YouTube...


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Only nine? .


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

I agree with all these and would add a few others like the coda of the 1st symphony where that massive trombone chorale enters.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Nice list, but yes I agree too short. For me the coda from Symphony 2 is a glaring omission.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

tdc said:


> Nice list, but yes I agree too short. For me the coda from Symphony 2 is a glaring omission.


Yes! I almost mentioned that one too.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Brahms had a lot of obsessions -- compulsively hiding the bar-line, love of hemiolas, writing fiendishly difficult piano parts that are neither particularly audible or visible as such . . . -- but the one that is unavoidable is his mastery of the bad-*** "moment" -- that point is almost every work where, by the introduction of a new theme, a tempo or rhythmic change, ot whatever, he absolutely blows you away.

The start of the codas to the finales of the d-minor piano concerto and the violin concerto, the first statement of the soaring second theme in the first movement of the g-minor piano quartet, the trio of the "scherzo" movement of the B-flat concerto, the numerous syncopations in the final minute of the finale of the second symphony . . .

Pure genius.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Olias said:


> I agree with all these and would add a few others like the coda of the 1st symphony where that massive trombone chorale enters.


Yup, and I was surprised to see him omit the concertos, which have some marvelous badass moments, e.g. that huge orchestral outburst before the violin first makes its appearance in the violin concerto, or the second movement of the second piano concerto.

And apart from badassery, one could make a list of Brahms' greatest mellow moments...


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