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Concerto in A Minor for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra, op. 102 (“Double”)
Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms was born on May 7, 1833 in Hamburg and died in Vienna on April 3, 1897. One of the dominant composers of the late nineteenth century, Brahms greatly enriched the repertory for piano, organ, chamber music, chorus, and orchestra. His “Double” Concerto was composed in 1887 and was first performed in Cologne on October 15 of that same year with Brahms leading the Gürzenich Orchestra and Joseph Joachim and Robert Hausmann as soloists. The work is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, and strings.


An entry in Clara Schumann’s diary for 21 September 1887 reveals that Brahms’s “Double” Concerto was, “in a way, a work of reconciliation--Joachim and Brahms have spoken to one another again after years of silence.” Joseph Joachim was the great violinist and friend of Brahms who had, in 1879, received the dedication to, and given the first performance of, the composer’s towering Violin Concerto. There were many reasons why Brahms and Joachim had drifted apart, but a real crisis in their relationship was precipitated when Joachim, in a fit of jealousy, accused his wife Amalie of infidelity. Brahms’s sense of justice forced him to take sides with Amalie, and he sent her a letter in which he made several thorny comments about her husband. When this letter surfaced during a court hearing, Joachim understandably felt betrayed, and he broke off all contact with his former friend. Brahms made several efforts, largely unsuccessful, to patch up their relationship. The composition of this concerto, and its subsequent performance on October 15, 1887, finally brought the two friends back together. Joachim and Robert Hausmann were the soloists on this occasion, and Brahms himself conducted. The “Double” Concerto, as fate would have it, proved to be the composer’s final work for orchestra.


Since no precedent existed for combining the violin and cello as co-soloists (unless one wishes to cite the Beethoven “Triple” Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano), this work may be regarded as a unique experiment. The work’s success may be attributed, of course, to Brahms’s genius, but the skill of the performers for whom he wrote it must also be considered. Brahms had shown his love for the cello through many of his previous chamber works, as well as in how he treated the instrument in orchestral settings, especially the extended solo passages for cello in the slow movement of his Piano Concerto no. 2. Brahms had precious few models for concertos for this instrument to study. It is particularly revealing, however, to read his remarks written in the last year of his life after having heard Hausmann play Dvorák’s Cello Concerto, lamenting, “Had I known that such a cello concerto as that could be written I would have tried to compose one myself.” Although cellists may lament that this revelation came too late for Brahms, at least they can take pleasure in the fact that Brahms permitted their instrument to share the limelight in this fiery and expansive work.


The work’s first movement, Allegro, is a stern affair with an unusual opening gesture. The orchestra’s muscular opening theme is interrupted by a statement the solo cello, marked “in modo d’un recitativo, ma sempre in tempo,” an indication that harkens back to the contrabass/cello instrumental recitative found in the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The orchestra responds with a new and gentler theme with is taken up at first by the solo violin, soon to be joined by the cello, all leading to a full-throated orchestral tutti. Once that is accomplished, the movement proceeds with the musical material just laid out. As with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, which also opens with broad statements by the soloist, there is no cadenza toward the end of the movement. The second movement is marked Andante and also opens with an arresting gesture. with pair of horns in octaves present a rising fourth (A – D), answered by the woodwinds with another rising fourth (E – A). This idea is immediately taken up and expanded by the soloists into a ravishing melody.


The finale, Vivace non troppo, is a Gypsy-like affair, perhaps offered by Brahms as a friendly gesture to his friend Joachim’s Hungarian roots.



Program Note by David B. Levy, © 2007/2026

Concerto in A Minor for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra, op. 102 (“Double”)
Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms was born on May 7, 1833 in Hamburg and died in Vienna on April 3, 1897. One of the dominant composers of the late nineteenth century, Brahms greatly enriched the repertory for piano, organ, chamber music, chorus, and orchestra. His “Double” Concerto was composed in 1887 and was first performed in Cologne on October 15 of that same year with Brahms leading the Gürzenich Orchestra and Joseph Joachim and Robert Hausmann as soloists. The work is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, and strings.


An entry in Clara Schumann’s diary for 21 September 1887 reveals that Brahms’s “Double” Concerto was, “in a way, a work of reconciliation--Joachim and Brahms have spoken to one another again after years of silence.” Joseph Joachim was the great violinist and friend of Brahms who had, in 1879, received the dedication to, and given the first performance of, the composer’s towering Violin Concerto. There were many reasons why Brahms and Joachim had drifted apart, but a real crisis in their relationship was precipitated when Joachim, in a fit of jealousy, accused his wife Amalie of infidelity. Brahms’s sense of justice forced him to take sides with Amalie, and he sent her a letter in which he made several thorny comments about her husband. When this letter surfaced during a court hearing, Joachim understandably felt betrayed, and he broke off all contact with his former friend. Brahms made several efforts, largely unsuccessful, to patch up their relationship. The composition of this concerto, and its subsequent performance on October 15, 1887, finally brought the two friends back together. Joachim and Robert Hausmann were the soloists on this occasion, and Brahms himself conducted. The “Double” Concerto, as fate would have it, proved to be the composer’s final work for orchestra.


Since no precedent existed for combining the violin and cello as co-soloists (unless one wishes to cite the Beethoven “Triple” Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano), this work may be regarded as a unique experiment. The work’s success may be attributed, of course, to Brahms’s genius, but the skill of the performers for whom he wrote it must also be considered. Brahms had shown his love for the cello through many of his previous chamber works, as well as in how he treated the instrument in orchestral settings, especially the extended solo passages for cello in the slow movement of his Piano Concerto no. 2. Brahms had precious few models for concertos for this instrument to study. It is particularly revealing, however, to read his remarks written in the last year of his life after having heard Hausmann play Dvorák’s Cello Concerto, lamenting, “Had I known that such a cello concerto as that could be written I would have tried to compose one myself.” Although cellists may lament that this revelation came too late for Brahms, at least they can take pleasure in the fact that Brahms permitted their instrument to share the limelight in this fiery and expansive work.


The work’s first movement, Allegro, is a stern affair with an unusual opening gesture. The orchestra’s muscular opening theme is interrupted by a statement the solo cello, marked “in modo d’un recitativo, ma sempre in tempo,” an indication that harkens back to the contrabass/cello instrumental recitative found in the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The orchestra responds with a new and gentler theme with is taken up at first by the solo violin, soon to be joined by the cello, all leading to a full-throated orchestral tutti. Once that is accomplished, the movement proceeds with the musical material just laid out. As with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, which also opens with broad statements by the soloist, there is no cadenza toward the end of the movement. The second movement is marked Andante and also opens with an arresting gesture. with pair of horns in octaves present a rising fourth (A – D), answered by the woodwinds with another rising fourth (E – A). This idea is immediately taken up and expanded by the soloists into a ravishing melody.


The finale, Vivace non troppo, is a Gypsy-like affair, perhaps offered by Brahms as a friendly gesture to his friend Joachim’s Hungarian roots.



Program Note by David B. Levy, © 2007/2026