德國作曲家約翰尼斯．布拉姆斯(Johannes Brahms, 1833-1897)為浪漫樂派傑出作曲家之一。身處曲種多樣的十九世紀浪漫主義(Romanticism)，他仍致力於追尋巴洛克(Baroque)、古典(Classical)及早期浪漫主義音樂結構理念，堅守傳統的創作技法，同時結合當代浪漫主義素材，開創屬於布拉姆斯的獨特音樂風格。與同時期主張創新求變的新德國學派(New German School)，包含華格納(Wilhelm Richard Wagner, 1813-1883)等改革派音樂家們，形成壁壘分明的對比，為十九世紀末音樂界，增添多元豐富的音樂風格。布拉姆斯除了在鋼琴音樂史上占有重要地位，其傳統主義融合創新的獨特作曲手法，也為後世作曲家帶來深遠的影響。
本文以布拉姆斯《鋼琴小品 作品118》(Piano Pieces Op.118)為研究主題，內容共五個章節。第一章為研究動機與目的、研究方法與範圍；第二章為布拉姆斯音樂風格、作品特色介紹；第三章為《鋼琴小品 作品118》樂曲分析，根據曲式結構、和聲變化、調性、節奏等音樂素材做分析；第四章為《鋼琴小品 作品118》演奏詮釋，依照演奏經驗及影音資料，並探討演奏方式；第五章為結論，將前四章論點統整為個人論述並給予建議及結論。
German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was one of the distinguished composers in the Romantic period. Although living in the 19th century where Romanticism prevailed, he dedicated to pursue traditional composition skills by following music forms of Baroque, Classical and early Romantic period. On the other hand, Brahms created his unique music style with the use of Romanticism materials. Meanwhile, the idea of the New German School was born with an emphasis on innovation. Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was among the revolutionary composers in the New German School. In contrary, music of Brahms became a new and fresh contrast to that of the innovators. Thanks to these great composers, music styles in the late 19th century had become rich and divergent. Brahms not only played an important role in the history of piano music but also brought deep influences on the later composers through his unique composition skills joining tradition and innovation.
This study chose Brahms’ work the “Piano Pieces Op.118” as the research topic. The thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter One states research motivation and purpose as well as research methods and scope. Chapter Two describes styles and characteristics of Brahms’ music. Chapter Three is music analysis of the “Piano Pieces Op. 118”. An analysis is conducted utilizing elements of music, including structure, harmonic progression, tonality and rhythm. Chapter Four aims at performance interpretation. The discussions are based on the author’s performance experiences and video resources. Chapter Five summarizes arguments and findings from previous chapters. The author’s opinions are presented. Suggestions and conclusions are also provided in the final chapter.
