Intermezzo in A Major

Brahms showed a particular talent for the composition of variations, and this is aptly demonstrated in the famous Variations on a Theme by Handel, Op 24, and the ‘Paganini’ Variations, Op 35, based on the theme of the great violinist’s Caprice No. 24. Other sets of variations show similar skill, if not the depth and variety of these major examples of the art. The Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118, are some of the most beloved items that the composer wrote for the solo instrument. Completed in 1893 and dedicated to Clara Schumann, the collection was the second to last composition to be published during Brahms' lifetime. It was also his second to last work composed for piano solo. Like Brahms' other late keyboard works, Op. 118 is overall more introspective than his earlier piano pieces, which tend to be more virtuosic in character.