Brahms and the Principle of Developing Variation

In this analytical study of eighteen important works by Brahms, Walter Frisch makes skillful use of Schoenberg's provocative concept of "developing variation." Frisch traces a genuine evolution through Brahms's compositions; he considers their relationship not only to each other, but also to significant works by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, and Schoenberg.

Walter Frisch is Associate Professor of Music at Columbia University and is Consulting Editor for 19th-Century Music.

List of Longer Musical Examples
Preface

1 Prologue: Brahms and the Schoenberg Critical Tradition
2 Transformation and Development in Early Brahms, 1852-1854
3 Developing Variation in Brahms's First Maturity, 1861-1862
4 Song and Chamber Music, 1864-1879
5 Symphony, 1877-1885
6 The Late Style, 1886-1896
7 Epilogue: Developing Variation in Early Schoenberg, 1892-1905

Appendix of Longer Musical Examples
Bibliography of Works Cited
Index of Brahms's Works
General Index