Intermezzo in A Major (Op. 118 No. 2)

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Annotated Study Edition (3)

Bars 16 - 25

A new paragraph begins with an ambiguous harmonic shift. Phrase the upper melodic line carefully, stressing the middle note of the two short phrases as per Brahms’ hairpins (“I love you!”). Notice the rising chromatic line in the inner parts (C-C#-D) that spans the three phrases. The diminished 7th harmony creates a moment of intensity. The descending tritone (RH, bar 23) is reflected in the last two LH quavers of the bar (no special emphasis is needed in the LH here, it is for the enjoyment of the performer). A long pedal from the third...

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