Adagio from Op. 77

This arrangement of the second movement of Brahms' Concerto for Violin and Orchestra was inspired by the song Sapphische Ode Op. 94,4 by the same author. The world-famous song was written in 1884, six years after the Concerto and quotes its well-known oboe-solo at the beginning.

The present arrangement is based both on the orchestral score of the Concerto and on the piano score by Joseph Joachim, a friend of Brahms, who was the soloist in the world-premiere conducted by the composer on January 1st 1879 at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. Since not only the orchestral parts but also the violin solo-part had to be considered in the piano, a new piano part had to be written especially for this arrangement. It is based on the accompaniment of the Sapphische Ode which was taken over almost originally in the beginning. Instead of the extensive and dramatic middle section which could not be transcribed for the oboe directly, a short interlude in the style of Brahms was inserted leading over to the repetition of the theme.