Abstract
As numerous scholars have observed, the young Johannes Brahms demonstrated a strong interest in creating connections between the pieces that make up a larger collection. Related to this interest is the ironic phrase, “the capricious play of coincidences,” which derives from a literary work that Brahms knew well – E. T. A. Hoffmann’s 1819 novel, The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr. This phrase suggests that the events in the cat’s life are not merely random or whimsical twists in the plot, but rather, that they are meaningful. As musicologist William Kinderman has argued, the phrase also applies to Brahms’s collection, in which musical events “on closer inspection, often reveal themselves to be anything but accidental.”
This study analyzes the third movement of Johannes Brahms’s Piano Quartet no. 1 in G minor, op. 25, focusing on how Brahms creates a web of thematic, harmonic, and formal connections both within the movement and across the entire quartet. Rather than being mere “capricious coincidences,” this study argues that Brahms’s compositional procedures are, in fact, intentional choices that contribute to the deep, underlying coherence of the entire work. Unusually positioned after the scherzo-type second movement, the third movement adopts an unconventional ternary form which resembles a trio-scherzo-trio structure, thus referencing the scherzo form. Through an examination of Brahms’s motivic development in the third movement, it is shown that the thematic material, particularly the opening theme, is intricately interwoven, revealing a deep motivic unity. Additionally, Brahms’s integration of harmonic gestures, tonal relationships, and subtle allusions to style hongrois connect the third movement to the rest of the quartet. This study concludes that the third movement’s unconventional compositional choices are not arbitrary, but intentional, hence fostering meaningful connections within and across movements and contributing to the organic unity of the quartet.

Keywords: Brahms, Piano Quartet op. 25, motivic connection, unity.

About the author
Pianist Sharon How has been praised for her innate musicality and imaginative artistry on recital stages. Sharon How has won top prizes in piano competitions, and has appeared in various concert halls, including Brussels, Turkey, as well as different regions across Asia and United States, solo and as part of a chamber ensemble.
During her undergraduate and graduate studies, she was awarded scholarships and awards, including teaching assistantships where she taught Class Piano, music theory and aural skills. Her teachers include Angela Cholakian, Larissa Dedova and Timothy Hester. She recently earned her Doctorate in Piano Performance at University of Houston. Besides performing, accompanying and teaching, Sharon also contributes scholarly articles; her abstract “Irony and the Subversion of Narrative in the Finale of Brahms's Piano Quintet, Op. 34” was recently accepted for an upcoming conference in British Columbia.

DOI: 10.47809/MP.2024.39.02.01

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