Piano Concerto No. 1 in d minor, Op. 15

Quick Facts

• Written between 1854-59 (!)
• The first performance took place in 1859 with the Hanover Court Orchestra and Brahms on the piano, conducted by the composer’s friend and colleague, Joseph Joachim.¹

About the Piece

• Despite putting so much time and energy into his first piano concerto, Brahms primarily received hostility from audiences and critics in response to the premiere. Years later, however, the emotional intensity would win over audiences.
• Today, the piece is considered to be one of the most personal and influential works that Brahms wrote.
• Fun facts:
  • The work originated as a sonata for double piano.
  • The turbulent first movement, “Maestoso,” has long been associated with Robert Schumann‘s attempted suicide by jumping into the Rhine, while Brahms himself described the second movement, “Adagio,” as a “gentle portrait” of Clara Schumann.²

1. “Piano Concerto No.1, Op.15 (Brahms, Johannes),” IMSLP, accessed March 23, 2023, https://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No.1%2C_Op.15_(Brahms%2C_Johannes).
2. George S. Bozarth and Walter Frisch, “Brahms, Johannes,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed March 23, 2023, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000051879.