Johannes Brahms

5 Intermezzi

Foreword

Johannes Brahms’s Three Intermezzi Op. 117 for solo piano, composed in 1892, represent one of the high points of his late Romantic piano output. These "lullabies for my sorrows", as the composer himself described them, are characterised by intense melancholy, introspection and a highly refined piano style.

The first Intermezzo in particular, in E flat major, is famous for being preceded in the score by two verses from an old Scottish ballad, Lady Anne Bothwell’s Lament, translated into German by Johann Gottfried Herder:



Schlaf sanft mein Kind, schlaf sanft und schön!

Mich dauert's sehr, dich weinen sehn.

Sleep peacefully, my child, sleep peacefully and sweetly!

It pains me greatly to see you weeping.

The atmosphere of these pieces inspired me to explore their timbral potential beyond the piano keyboard. The work carried out on these transcriptions demonstrates how expressive power, the exploration of timbres combined with the numerous tonal possibilities, become the key qualities that distinguish these transcriptions on my instrument: the classical guitar. Musical transcription is an act of interpretation that aims to reveal new facets of the original work, offering a fresh perspective on its structure and emotional dynamics without betraying its essence.

This volume brings together my transcriptions of the Intermezzi Op. 117 Nos. 1, 2 and 3 for guitar. The main aim has been to preserve the original delicacy through the specific tonal characteristics of the plucked instrument, whilst remaining faithful to Brahms’s piano score. I have sought to balance the melody across the inner voices, as suggested by the original polyphonic structure. The technical and mechanical aspects of these transcriptions are fundamental to blending the harmonic density with the melancholic sweetness of the melody, as they require a technical freshness and manual flexibility capable of sustaining Brahms’s masterpieces.

This work not only showcases Brahms’s genius and his ability to create deeply personal musical "monologues", but also serves as an example of how the guitar possesses adaptability and a distinct character that other instruments lack.

Johannes Brahms’s Intermezzo Op. 76 No. 7 stands as one of the high points of his mature piano output. Composed in 1878, this piece is distinguished by an intimate lyricism and a harmonic richness that lends itself to an orchestral or chamber music-like quality.

In my transcription for classical guitar, the main aim has been to preserve the suspended atmosphere and the cantabile character of the original melody. The key of A minor and Brahms’s polyphonic writing find a new and unexpected resonance on the guitar’s fingerboard: the enveloping harmonies and subtle modulations are enhanced by the warm timbre and expressive possibilities of the plucked strings.

Although the transcription requires careful handling of the voices and a fluid legato technique, the guitar succeeds in conveying intact that sense of autumnal melancholy typical of late Brahms, offering the performer an interpretative challenge of rare beauty.

The Intermezzo Op. 116 No. 2 belongs to Johannes Brahms’s final creative period, a time when the composer moved away from monumental virtuosity to devote himself to "brief moments of anguish", as he himself liked to describe his last piano cycles.

Adapting it for classical guitar, however, means grappling with a musical language in which the instrumental technique becomes complex and intricate. It requires good fluidity and flexibility, capable of creating the right pauses, tonal nuances and a polyphony that becomes transparent within the piece. In this version, I have sought to preserve the original rhythm and the richness of the inner voices, making use of different positions on the fingerboard and a particular tuning to recreate those autumnal colors that make Brahms’s music an intimate dialogue between the performer and the instrument.

Aware of the envy surrounding these repertoires and, at the same time, the bitterness that many great composers did not choose the guitar as their instrument of choice, I hope that the performance and study of these transcriptions may offer musicians and listeners an enriching and stimulating experience, stirring the spirits in search of new repertoires whilst renewing gratitude for these timeless masterpieces.



Simone Cutuli