Hungarian Dance No. 5

J. BrahmsWoO 1 No. 5

Key

F#m

Time

2/4

Tempo

♩=92

AO focus

AO3

Form

Originally for piano four-hands; better-known in the orchestral version. Brahms based the melodies on Hungarian folk-style tunes (some authentic, some invented). Vivace — agitato — vivace ABA structure with tempo changes.

Teaching points

• Folk-style melody — Brahms thought he was using genuine Hungarian folk tunes; later research showed many were Romani composers' published works
• Tempo flexibility — the dance accelerates and slackens. Coach this elastic pulse
• AO3: nationalism vs appropriation — discuss the Brahms / Hungarian-music question and its 19th-century context