Excerpts from Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 are among the most requested in orchestra auditions. In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know to practice them, and the most effective way to get the orchestral sound context you need.
Why Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 is so relevant
If you’re preparing for an orchestra competition or audition, Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 iis almost certainly on your list. Composed in 1877 in just four months, it is often described as Brahms’ “Pastoral.” But there is much more beneath the surface, including some of the most demanding orchestral excerpts (technically and musically) in the entire symphonic repertoire.
It is, in fact, a true challenge for wind and string players alike. This is why these excerpts appear regularly on audition lists for orchestras around the world.
Brahms’ Symphony No. 2: a starting point
Listening to the symphony in its entirety is not optional: it’s the starting point. Brahms builds a consistent architecture: every section carries the memory of what came before. If you study an excerpt without knowing the context, you might end up phrasing in a way that is formally correct but musically empty. And that is exactly the difference that is heard in an audition.
The symphony is built around four movements:
I. Allegro non troppo: : A broad, expansive opening in D major, built on an initial theme introduced by the horns and cellos. The symphony’s singing, noble character is immediately clear. The writing is dense, and you can already feel it: in this symphony, no section is ever truly in the background. Even the seemingly secondary lines carry key material and demand active listening.
II. Adagio non troppo: The most introspective movement of the four. After the theme introduced by the cellos, the woodwinds dialogue with one another in a meditative atmosphere. This movement is a cornerstone for developing phrasing and tone control, which is the reason why it’s so treacherous from an interpretive standpoint. With such a slow tempo, every note is exposed, every imprecision audible. Brahms writes restrained dynamics and long phrases that demand exceptional control of tone and breath.
III. Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andantino): Light and dance-like, this intermezzo highlights the delicacy of the winds, alternating between playfulness and grace without ever lingering too long on either. Frequent changes in mood demand flexibility and quick response. Players studying excerpts from this movement must find an agile sound, and never make the mistake of underestimating its structure.
IV. Allegro con spirito: The thrilling finale (with its brilliant writing and fast, intense passages) challenges even the most experienced orchestra players: precision and energy are equally essential. It’s also the movement that comes closest to the traditional idea of an “audition excerpt.” The main challenge here is not technical but ensemble-related: maintaining precision and section cohesion as the energy rises is what separates a strong performance from a merely frantic one.
Brahms’ Symphony No. 2: the most requested orchestral excerpts by instrument
HORNS
Brahms’ mastery of the horn allows him to make it one of the fundamental characters of the Second Symphony. The most significant excerpts are found in the first and second movements. In the symphony’s opening, the horn introduces the main theme with a full, noble sound, later demanding great stamina and continuity of phrasing, and a delicate intimate atmosphere in the second movement. The common challenge is playing as part of an ensemble, not as a soloist: the sound must be in dialogue with the strings and woodwinds, and the phrasing must always mirror the breathing of the full orchestra. The orchestral excerpts for horn from Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 are available here.
TROMBONES AND TUBAS
The trombones and tuba enter the Second Symphony with a strong sense of restraint. Brahms uses them sparingly, but when he brings them in, their contribution is decisive. The most frequently requested excerpts for trombones and tuba are in the finale : the most energetic section of the symphony, requiring a full, compact sound. Dynamic control is essential: Brahms often writes forte or fortissimo, but the sound must never become aggressive or overpower the other sections. Here are the trombone excerpts you can practice (and one for bass trombone, too), plus the tuba excerpts from Brahms’ Symphony 2.
TRUMPETS
Rhythmic precision is paramount for the trumpets in this symphony, where they come to the fore in the finale. A strong command of rhythm and a bright sound (one that integrates without overpowering) are key. In the first movement, the trumpet excerpts are less prominent, but they still demand focused attention: there is no room for imprecision.
BASSOONS
The bassoons play a leading role throughout the symphony. Brahms treats them with particular care, entrusting them with independent melodic lines and moments of dialogue with the other instruments.
Among the most studied bassoon excerpts are the moments in the second movement, where the bassoon emerges as a solo voice within the orchestral texture. Long phrasing, breath control, and intonation accuracy are the main challenges.
OBOES AND CLARINETS
In Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, the oboe takes center stage in one of the most delicate and demanding passages. The theme calls for a particular combination of tonal warmth and technical agility that must never betray any effort. Tìhis excerpt immediately reveals an oboist’s level.
The clarinets, on the other hand, have several moments of responsibility (here are 17 orchestral excerpts for clarinet from Brahms’ Symphony No. 2) engaging in dialogue with strings and winds in a polyphonic interplay that demands mutual listening and precise control of tone and color.
STRINGS
For string players, the Second Symphony is a complete workout: technique, tone, phrasing, and ensemble playing. The cellos have the privilege of opening the second movement with a theme that stands among the most iconic excerpts for the instrument. The violins, violas , and double basses find their challenges in the first and fourth movements, where the orchestral writing is dense, rhythmic, and demands section cohesion.
Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 : the most common challenges
An orchestral excerpt is not an island: it comes from a continuous dialogue between sections. The context you need is the acoustic perspective from your seat on stage, not the conductor’s perspective, and definitely not the audience’s one. The ideal solution is, of course, to practice as much as possible with an orchestra, surrounded by fellow musicians. But when that is not possible, and you find yourself practicing along to a recording or a video, that perspective is lost entirely. And with it, an essential part of your understanding of the excerpt.
- Matching your dynamics to the orchestra becomes guesswork
- Adapting to the recording’s tempo, with no chance to work gradually
- Losing the sense of orchestral tuning (440 Hz? 442 Hz? 444 Hz?)
- Isolating sections to understand exactly what is happening around you
- Finding good-quality scores and parts takes time and energy
Useful solutions: studiare la Seconda Sinfonia di Brahms con Maponos
- Immersive (binaural) audio : Every excerpt is recorded with custom-developed binaural audio technology. Use headphones to hear the orchestra from your seat on stage. This dramatically changes the quality of your practice, because it allows you to adapt your sound to what you would actually hear in the orchestra. Open-back headphones are recommended (even budget ones) because they let you hear your own instrument clearly as well. And if you prefer not to practice with headphones, you can switch to stereo audio and use speakers instead.
- Score and part, always available : You don’t need to search anymore. The full orchestral score and your instrument’s part are always available in the app, and the interactive part lets you follow the music in real time.
- Tempo control : You can slow down the most difficult bars without any loss in audio quality, work on technique at the speed you need, and return to the original tempo when you’re ready. Essential for excerpts like the finale of the fourth movement.
- Custom loop : Select the bars you want to repeat and loop them as many times as you need, without interruption. For the passages that are not quite there yet, it is the most useful tool available.
- Orchestra sections : You can mute or isolate any section of the orchestra. Want to hear the strings while you work on your wind excerpt? Want to understand what the horn is doing while you play the bassoon? With the Solo or Mute button, you can find out in seconds.
- Adjustable orchestral tuning : Set the A from 439 Hz to 444 Hz, depending on the tuning of the orchestra you are preparing for.
- Offline mode: : Download excerpts and practice without an internet connection, free from any distractions.
