Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118 No. 2

The piece

Brahms wrote the six Piano Pieces Op. 118 in 1893 and dedicated them to Clara Schumann. The second, an Intermezzo in A major marked Andante teneramente, is one of his best-loved pieces. Its form is simple: a tender song, a slower central episode in F-sharp minor, then the song again. This version follows Simrock's first edition and plays the repeat of the central episode.

The challenge lies in sound more than in finger work: the melody often sits at the top of chords played by the same hand and has to sing above them. Practise the line alone first, then add the other notes much more softly. The left hand stretches into wide arpeggios; let your wrist turn instead of spreading your fingers. The markings più lento, rit. and in tempo call for flexibility: the tempo breathes with the phrases.