Symphony Listening Program - Brahms

What

Symphony Listening Program - Brahms

When

4/14/2025

Audio File

Daily scripts to use with students:

MONDAY: This week’s feature composer is Johannes Brahms (yo-HA-ness). The feature composition is the third movement of Quintet for Clarinet and Strings. Brahms wrote this music for clarinet and string quartet just over 200 years ago. The five instruments in Brahms’ quintet are clarinet, two violins, one viola, and one cello. Brahms used the dark, melancholy sound of the clarinet to create a thoughtful, introspective mood in his quintet.

TUESDAY: This week’s feature composer is Johannes Brahms. The feature composition is the third movement of Quintet for Clarinet and Strings. Brahms knew that the clarinet could have a dark, melancholy quality to its sound. He used this sound of the clarinet to create a thoughtful, introspective mood in his quintet. Brahms begins his quintet with a smooth, legato melody in the clarinet and soft, gentle accompaniment in the strings.

WEDNESDAY: This week’s feature composer is Johannes Brahms. The feature composition is the third movement of Quintet for Clarinet and Strings. Brahms creates two different moods in his quintet. The first mood is thoughtful and introspective. Brahms creates this mood by writing a smooth, legato melody for the clarinet with soft, gentle accompaniment in the strings. The second mood is uneasy and agitated. Brahms creates this mood by composing a melody for the clarinet with shorter notes and many leaps accompanied by the strings playing faster rhythms with many repeated notes. Brahms ends his quintet with the first legato melody. It is almost as if Brahms wanted us to imagine someone whose quiet thinking time is momentarily interrupted before the quiet thoughts return.

THURSDAY: This week’s feature composer is Johannes Brahms. The feature composition is the third movement of Quintet for Clarinet and Strings. Brahms creates a thoughtful, introspective mood by using the dark sound of the clarinet to play a smooth, legato melody with a soft, gentle accompaniment in the strings. As a contrasting idea, Brahms has the clarinet play a melody with shorter notes and many leaps. The strings accompany this melody with faster rhythms and many repeated notes. Brahms ends his quintet with the first legato melody.

FRIDAY: This week’s feature composition is the third movement of Quintet for Clarinet and Strings. Do you remember the name of the composer? (Short pause.) If you are thinking of Johannes Brahms you are correct. Brahms use the dark, melancholy sound of the clarinet to create a thoughtful, introspective mood in his quintet.