NOTES ON THE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
1. The playlist includes
every exposition repeat (or other repeat) that Brahms
indicated. That was one of my most important criteria.
2. In spots that require gapless playing between
tracks (such as a few of the variation sets and the cantata Rinaldo),
Spotify does a very lovely job (unless it’s time
for an ad).
3. Both the original and revised versions of the Op. 8
Piano Trio are included (these are essentially two different
pieces).
4. The Ave Maria, Op. 12, is given in two versions,
one with orchestral and one with organ accompaniment.
5. The piano solo arrangement of the second movement
from the Sextet, Op. 18, is included after the entire Sextet
itself.
6. The Piano Quintet, Op. 34, is followed by its
arrangement as a Sonata for Two Pianos, Op. 34b (for now, not
the recording in my guide for the sonata).
7. There are four (somewhat confusing) versions of the
Waltzes, Op. 39. The first sixteen tracks are the
original version for one piano, four hands. These are
followed by two tracks, the standard, more “difficult” solo (two-hand)
version. There are then 16 tracks for the “easy” solo
version. Finally, there are five tracks for the waltzes
Brahms arranged for two pianos, four hands. These are
numbered 1-5 here, but they correspond to Nos. 1, 2, 11, 14,
and 15 of the other three versions (again, this two-piano
recording is not the one used in my guide).
8. The Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 52, are included in
the main version for piano duet with vocal quartet as well as
the version for piano duet without voices, Op. 52a.
9. The Haydn Variations for orchestra (Op. 56a) are on
a single track. The Haydn Variations for two pianos (Op.
56b) are on ten tracks.
10. The Neue Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 65, are
included in the main version for piano duet with vocal quartet
as well as the version for piano duet without voices, Op. 65a.
11. Unfortunately, and for no apparent reason, Spotify
does not include descriptors or even numbers for the
individual piano pieces of Op. 76, Op. 117, Op. 118, and Op.
119 in the Martin Jones recordings. These descriptors
and numbers do appear for other pieces in this box set, so
this is highly curious. I have done guides for all four
of these sets.
12. The Romances and Songs, Op. 84, are included in
two versions, one for solo voice and one for vocal duet.
These pieces are indicated as being “for one or two voices.” My guide
for this group needs to be revised, and it will include the
duet version as an alternate when I get to that.
13. The Six Songs and Romances, Op. 93a, are followed
by the Tafellied (the drinking glee), Op. 93b.
14. The 11 Zigeunerlieder (Gypsy Songs), Op. 103, are
included in the quartet version (sung by a small choir in an
excellent recording) as well as in Brahms’s
arrangement of Nos. 1-7 and 11 for solo voice and piano.
15. Each of the clarinet sonatas, Op. 120 Nos. 1 and
2, is followed by the version for viola. Despite the
descriptor as “clarinet
sonatas,” the
Zukerman/Barenboim recordings are the viola version.
16. Finally, none of the works without
opus number (which have been given “WoO”
numbers--German Werke ohne Opuszahl--Works without Opus
Number) are in the playlist. So no Hungarian Dances (the
most glaring omission), no F.A.E. Scherzo, no folksong
arrangements. I may make a separate playlist for the WoO
pieces at some point. I know that WoO 19 and 36-38 are
not available on Spotify (only one recording exists of these,
and it can only be obtained in a now out-of-print version of
the Brilliant Classics Complete Edition). I think
everything else is available.