Valley Symphony Orchestra Education Concert Booklet

Johannes
Brahms
(1833-1897)
HUNGARIAN DANCE NO. 6, D MAJOR
(1858-68)
geography
Brahms was a composer who was born in Hamburg, Germany
(yes, that’s where we get the name Hamburger), but he spent
most of his life living in Vienna, Austria. This was not uncommon
as Vienna was “The Place” for music, similar to how an actor
might originally be from Texas but move to Hollywood because
it’s the center of the entertainment industry.
history
Brahms wrote many Hungarian Dances (21!), but did not
travel to Hungary to compose them. Instead he wrote
them based on melodies he heard from traveling Roma
musicians (formerly known as Gypsies.)
Music
This piece is in Ternary Form. The first section is the
same as the third section. The second section has two
new melodies that are introduced. The melody is slower
and heavier with the violins playing the melody. Can you
hear the three sections? You know the third section has
started when it sounds like the piece has started back at
the beginning.
dance
Some of the Hungarian Dances Brahms wrote were based
on Csárdás, a folk dance from Hungary. It is characterized
by a variation in tempo (speed) and sometimes starts out
slowly and then gradually speeds up. Do you know a dance
that does this?
instruments
Originally written for four hands (two people
playing piano), you will hear this piece performed
by a symphony orchestra. When you take music
written for piano, or another instrument, and
rewrite it for orchestra, it is called orchestration.
Listen to what the four hands version sounds
like! How do they sound different?
via DSO Kids
Click here for more information about Brahms from DSO Kids!