Intermezzo in A major Op. 118 No. 2 MIDI & Sheet Music
Johannes Brahms · 1893
Brahms wrote the six pieces of his Op. 118 in the summer of 1893, in Bad Ischl, and dedicated them to Clara Schumann. The Intermezzo in A major, marked Andante teneramente ("tenderly"), is the best loved. People have heard a lullaby in it, or a secret love letter to Clara.
⏱5:36 with repeats♪1697 notes🎚Advanced🎼A major♩92 per quarter🎹E1 → C#6🦶pedal marks
The file has 1761 notes over 5:36, repeats included, in 3/4. Nothing flashy: everything lies in a gentle touch, a melody that sings and inner voices you need to hear without underlining them. It's a piece for the ear before the fingers, in the line of Liszt’s Consolation No. 3.
Rubato: breathing without breaking the 3-beat pulse
The tricky passages
Bar 4 : a leap of 22 semitones in the left hand, in under half a second
Bar 46 : the left hand shifts position by 19 semitones compared with the previous bar
Bar 68 : the left hand stretches over 35 semitones (chord to roll)
Bar 80 : the busiest bar, with 24 notes across both hands
Playing the Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 on piano with Pianovera
This is a piece where you listen more than you play. In Pianovera, do it first in Wait mode at 60%, one hand and then the other, letting each melody note die away before the next.
Free, with no time limit and no ads: 10 pieces in full plus the piece of the week, 30-second excerpts of the others, the first 7 lessons and the 3D hands with no limit. Premium opens all 651 pieces.
About this piece
How long is the Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2?
The MIDI file lasts 5:36, with every repeat played in full: 117 bars in 3/4 (125 played with the repeats), 1697 notes, at 92 bpm (quarter notes). Slowed to 60%, it lasts 9:20.
What level do you need to play the Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2?
We rate it advanced in A major, with sustain pedal marks. The left hand stretches up to 35 semitones (chord to roll) and the right hand up to 33 semitones (chord to roll), across 57 semitones of keyboard (E1 to C#6), at 5 notes per second on average. The first thing to work on: a sung melody, joined up across the whole phrase.
What is the hardest passage in the Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2?
It is bar 4: a leap of 22 semitones in the left hand, in under half a second.
What tempo should a beginner practice the Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 at?
Aim for 55 bpm (quarter notes), which is 60% of the file's tempo (92).
Is there sheet music for the Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 with fingering?
Yes: 1491 fingerings, 117 bars, shown in full above and as a free printable PDF.
