An analysis of the Composing Techniques of Brahms's Piano Quartet Op.25 and Op.26

Abstract

The two piano quartets Op. 25 and Op. 26 were created when Brahms's personal style was approaching his first maturity. Both works were written in 1861 and published in 1863. Although these two works were created in pairs at short intervals, Op. 26 was more exquisite and mature than Op. 25. The contrast between the two works are the focus of this paper.