Serenade in A major Op. 16/2

picc.2.2.2.2. – 2.0.0.0. – str(without vl)

During his time as conductor of the Detmold court orchestra, the young Brahms was inspired by the local wind ensemble to compose two serenades. Serenade No. 2, scored for five pairs of winds, violas, cellos, and string basses (leaving out the violins) is strongly reminiscent in sound of Mozart’s wind serenades.

The expressive Adagio is the heart of the five-movement work. Quite untypical of Brahms, he acquired a liking for the work from the outset, still undertaking a revision scarcely 15 years after the premiere of 1860; this has now been made available in a new practical edition based on the Johannes Brahms Complete Edition (JBG).