Before he became a composer, Johannes Brahms was a pianist and a choir director. He also traveled widely with violinist Joseph Joachim to perform the piano/violin repertoire throughout Europe. Later, when Brahms decided to compose his Violin concerto, his good friend was asked to comment on the technical aspects of the music that were unique to the violin as an instrument.
The second movement of this Brahms concerto opens with an astoundingly beautiful solo for the oboe. The violin waits until this wonderful music dies out, and only then does the violinist step in to quietly say “OK… now it’s my turn”
The music that had been introduced by the Oboe is now repeated for everyone to hear it once more.
Here is violinist Yehudi Menuhin to take you on this journey:
