Brahms: Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118

Introduction

The Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118, are some of the most beloved compositions that Johannes Brahms created for solo piano. Completed in 1893, and dedicated to Clara Schumann, the collection was the penultimate composition to be published during Brahms' lifetime. It was also his penultimate work composed for piano solo. Consistent with Brahms's other late keyboard works, Op. 118 is more introspective than his earlier piano pieces, which tended to be more virtuosic in character. The six pieces are:

1. Intermezzo in A minor. Allegro non assai, ma molto appassionato
2. Intermezzo in A major. Andante teneramente
3. Ballade in G minor. Allegro energico
4. Intermezzo in F minor. Allegretto un poco agitato
5. Romanze in F major. Andante
6. Intermezzo in E♭ minor. Andante, largo e mesto - this piece employs a motif from the "Dies irae".