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{{short description|Symphony by Johannes Brahms}}{{use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}









! Bar! Section! Key! Description| 1| Primary theme| E minor| 19| Transition modulation to second theme| Goes from E minor to the dominant B minor| Starts by fragmenting the primary theme| 53| Transition motif|| Transition motif: a rhythmic pattern in the woodwinds| 57| Secondary theme period 1| B minor| Initially in the cellos, then passed up into the violins with intermittent play with transition motif.| 95| Secondary theme period 2| B major – parallel major of B minor| In the woodwinds.| 107| Closing section| B major| 137| Transition modulation to development| Lead from B major into E minor| Using primary theme material| 145| Development| Various| Starts with a statement of the primary theme before leading away into a development| 247| Recapitulation| E minor -> E major| Slow version of primary theme in the upper instruments (initially in C major harmony) with intermittent use of transition motif followed by lengthy recapitulation of secondary theme block now transposed to the tonic key.| 394| Coda| E minor

factoids
name	Symphony No. 4|composer=Johannes Brahms|image=Johannes Brahms by Luckhardt c1885.png|caption=Brahms in 1885|key=E minor| opus = 98 Orchestra|premiere_date=25 October 1885|premiere_location=Meiningen, Germany|premiere_conductor=Johannes Brahms|premiere_performers=Meiningen Court Orchestra|misc={{Audio sample type song | header = Audio samples | file = Brahms, Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98 - I. Allegro Non Troppo.ogg | description = I. Allegro non troppo (12:41) {{Audio sample | type = song | header = no | file = Brahms, Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98 - II. Andante Moderato.ogg | description = II. Andante moderato (11:14) }}{{Audio sample | type = song | header = no | file = Brahms, Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98 - III. Allegro Giocoso.ogg | description = III. Allegro giocoso (6:19) }}{{Audio sample | type = song | header = no | file = Brahms, Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98 - IV. Allegro Energico e Passionato.ogg | description = IV. Allegro energico e passionato (11:08) }}}}The Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 by Johannes Brahms is the last of his symphonies. Brahms began working on the piece in Mürzzuschlag, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1884, just a year after completing his Symphony No. 3. Brahms conducted the Court Orchestra in Meiningen, Germany, for the work's premiere on 25 October 1885. Instrumentation The symphony is scored for two flutes (one doubling on piccolo in the third movement only), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon (third and fourth movements), four horns, two trumpets, three trombones (fourth movement only), timpani (two in first and second movements, three in third and fourth movements), triangle (third movement only), and strings. Movements The symphony is divided into four movements with the following tempo markings:{{ordered list|list_style_type=upper-roman|Allegro non troppo (E minor)|Andante moderato (E major)|Allegro giocoso (C major)|Allegro energico e passionato (E minor)}}This is the only one of Brahms' four symphonies to end in a minor key. A typical performance lasts about 40 minutes. Analysis I. Allegro non troppo relative c''' { tempo "Allegro non troppo" set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t tempo 4 = 120 key e minor time 2/2 clef treble set Staff.midiInstrument = "string ensemble 1" bar "" partial 4 b4p( g2) r4 e( c'2) r4 a( fis2) r4 dis( b'2) r4 e( e,2) r4 g( b2) r4 d( d,2) r4 f( a2) r4 c( c,2)~ c8( b c a) }This movement is in sonata form, although it features some unique approaches to development. For instance, there is no repeat of the exposition; according to Malcolm MacDonald, the music is so "powerfully organic and continuously unfolding" that such a repeat would hinder forward progress.BOOK, MacDonald, Malcolm, Malcolm MacDonald (music critic), Brahms, 1990, Schirmer Books, New York, 0-02-871393-1, 314, 1st US, The opening theme is initially serene in character, although its composition in a chain of descending thirds adds a fateful air. Its left-versus-right fragmented melodic form (duh-DUM, da-DEE, duh-DUM, da-DEE) also introduces a feeling of conflict which Brahms uses as a fundamental motivation throughout the movement. {| class="wikitable"
Anacrusis>pick-up note. This relatively fragmented melody forms a descending sequence in the upper instruments in dialogue with the lower instruments. The notes (taken out of register) outline a row of descending thirds – B, G, E, C, A, F{{music	#}}, B – a unifying motif for this work.
Dynamics (music)>{{serif	pp}} to {{serif>ff}}.
ff}}.

II. Andante moderato

relative c' { } Featuring a theme in E Phrygian, heard at the beginning unaccompanied and at the end with a lush orchestral accompaniment in the dominant scale, this movement has a modified sonata form with no development section, though there is a development-like section in the recapitulation. ! Bar! Section! Key! Description| 1| IntroductionPhrygian mode>E Phrygian| Introduction to the principal theme by horns| 5| Principal theme| E major| Several statements of the principal theme| 36| Transition theme| B major| Dominated by the wind sections| 41| Secondary theme| B major| Initially in the cellos, then passed up into the violins| 50| Secondary theme cadence and transition theme| B majorpp}} to {{serif|ff}}.| 64| Recapitulation| E major| Recapitulation quite similar in structure to the exposition| 106| CodaPhrygian dominant scale>E Phrygian dominant| Free play of themes with frequent use of arpeggios

III. Allegro giocoso

relative c''' { }This movement is the only one with the character of a scherzo to be found in Brahms' symphonies. It is not in typical scherzo form, however, being in 2/4 time and in sonata form, without a trio. The sonata form itself is modified further, with a foreshortened recapitulation and with the secondary theme nearly absent in the development and coda. ! Bar! Section! Key! Description| 1| Primary themeb}} major| Primary theme consisting of three different periods (ordered 1–2–3–1)| 46| Transition to secondary theme| Transition to G major| Based on the first period of the primary theme| 52| Secondary theme| G major| Secondary theme followed by elements of a transition to the development| 89| Development| Various keysternary form>trio-like section based on the second period of the first theme.| 181| Transition to recapitulationModulation (music)>Modulation from D{{music|b}} major to C major|| 199| Recapitulation| C and G key areas| Restatement of primary theme starting with the second period (2–3–1) followed by restatement the secondary theme and then transition theme leading to coda| 282| Coda| C and G key areas| Final statement of the period 1 and 2 of the primary theme block (in the order 1–2–1)

IV. Allegro energico e passionato

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