Born in 1833, the German composer and pianist was identified as a talented pianist by his father and enrolled in lessons at age 7. As a teenager, Brahms worked in inns and hotels as a lobby pianist to help raise money for his family. His compositional training, though somewhat informal, led to an unlikely friendship between Brahms and Schumann. Schumann was impressed by the young musician’s natural ability and gave several interviews praising him. From this point onward, Brahms was considered a force in the world of western music and his fame reached astronomical heights.

Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2, which he diminutively referred to as “some little piano pieces,” is in actuality, one of the largest piano concertos written to date in terms of both length and difficulty level. The third movement, Andante, opens with an 8-measure cello solo. This solo becomes the basis upon which the rest of the movement is built. The phrase is passed to the violins before being expanded upon in the solo piano part. Overall the movement is sorrowful and beautifully nocturnal. The melody was so haunting, that Brahms eventually returned to it in a later work, “Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer”.