Brass Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.808707 Composed by Johannes Brahms. Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Romantic Period. Score and parts. 38 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #6302383. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808707).     It took Johannes Brahms some 21 years to finish his First Symphony, but it was certainly worth the wait. A consensus masterpiece, Brahms’ First is outstanding, considered one of the finest symphonies coming out of the Austro-German tradition. Many see the finale as the centerpiece of this work, especially its main theme, the wonderfully noble chorale. But of course, every movement of this symphony is comprised of compelling melodies. The work is full of them. Some of the most beautiful occur in the slow movement, the second, which is marked Andante sostenuto. In this arrangement, those melodies are transformed into a moving setting for brass quintet, a musical expression of release and calm.
