Brahms Symphony No. 4

Ancient Chinese said: Those young who berhyme griefs do not know griefs. Those old enough who know about griefs sigh, and talk about the autumn coolness.

The weather has become cool these days in Taipei. The blowing night winds remind us that autumn has finally arrived.

This is the season for nostalgia. Those past memories, old beautiful times and sorrowful moments feel more moving now. Those secrets hidden deeply in our minds are now awakened. Those old wounds never comforted are now hurting again. Those griefs cannot be described in words have now become a sigh.

I always welcome autumn with Brahms Symphony No.4. This is the most beautiful season, the most intriguing and obsessing time. And Symphony No.4 is my favorite Brahms.

Everything starts from the most beautiful sigh of humanity, composed by Brahms. The first movement starts with the violins playing our sigh of griefs. The sighs tear the heart apart, and wake the depression and the memories from the bottom of our hearts. You say Brahms does not understand you, however, he knows by showing his own fragility will lead to your succumbence.

No matter how many secrets and how much melancholy you have, Brahms would comfort all of them in this symphony.

The Andante of the second movement is emotional and romantic. The melodies of the French horn are like the winds of autumn. They blow down the foliage, and bring out the sorrow. Now we whisper our secrets to the music, and let it bring out our deepest memories. Brahms turns the tenderness of autumn into melodies. The gentle melodies played by strings persuade you to let go of the past, and let all the regrets be accepted and soothed. There is no need to grasp the  past sadness because time passes by and every moment fulfills our lives. Just like autumn, only when the leaves have fallen can the season become a perfection.

When we are somehow comforted by Brahms, the bright and vigorous music opens the third movement. This is the encouragement of Brahms. The delightful C Major is full of celebration. Listen, there are sounds of triangles. This Symphony No.4 is beautiful and vintage. Except for Brahms, who else can play the triangles so lively?

Starting with tender appeasement, we go through emotional confiding and then pleasant encouragement. After the joyful celebration, the fourth movement begins with a tragic melody. Brahms understands that what you need the most is empathy now since the melancholy we have cannot be told in words. At this moment, we hear Brahms play the struggles in our minds. The flutes that were bright now perform our loneliness. The oboes and clarinets follow up with the sound of sadness. The music of Brahms is so graceful and oblique that makes griefs intriguing. Then the strings join the music. The solemn and stirring sorrow played are so magnificent that we wish they would never end.

And the music rises. Every note grabs the heart, and the melodies go high and low like our heartbeats. The music is grand and magnificent and in the stirring and stormy climax, Brahms ends the Fourth Symphony.

Now you feel relieved. Since no matter how much sadness and melancholy you have, Brahms can turn them into moments that move your heartstrings. From the first sigh Brahms composed for you, all your melancholy has become poetic.