The Rhapsodies, Op. 79, for piano were written by Johannes Brahms in 1879 during his summer stay in Pörtschach, when he had reached the maturity of his career. The Rhapsody No 1 in B minor, Agitato, is the more extensive piece, with outer sections in sonata form enclosing a lyrical central section in B major and with a coda ending in that key. – Hélène Grimaud
