Composed in 1858, Brahms’ first concerto was given its premiere in Hanover’s Royal Theater on January 22, 1859 with the 25-year-old composer as soloist and the orchestra was conducted by Joseph Joachim. The new work got a cold reception in Hanover and a similar reaction was the response to the Leipzg performance 5 days later with the far more professional Gewandhaus orchestra. Undaunted, the work was received with great applause at the third performance in March, given in Hamburg. The concerto has been a staple of the concert repertoire for piano and orchestra ever since.

The study score offered here is a corrected edition prepared by Clinton Nieweg and Robert Sutherland from the composer’s manuscript, the first editions and other authoritative sources. The large conductor’s score and orchestral parts are also available from Serenissima Music.