This is the first set of miniature masterpieces that were to comprise the remaining output of Brahms' solo piano music. It is not known precisely why Brahms quit producing large-scale piano works after the Paganini Studies, Op. 35, but the small size of the remaining works in no way lessens either their complexity or musical significance. They are all imbued with Brahms' now fully matured technique of "developing variation" in which the entire musical fabric is spun from germinal motives, often a single one for an entire piece. The intense and strict organizational principles, however, in no way detract from the emotional warmth and romantic color of these works. On the contrary, they serve to enhance and distill the emotional power in a way that gives these short works a gravity and sophistication that belies their small scale. The Capriccio in F sharp minor is restless and impassioned, alternating sweeping arpeggios with lyrical interludes. Playful is the best description of the Capriccio in B minor. In Brahms' best gypsy style, this piece subjects a wistful theme to a series of figurative transformations. The Intermezzo in A flat major consists merely of two ideas, played in succession twice. The first is legato syncopated chords against a gentle staccato accompaniment, and the second a lyrical rising melody. Darkly lyrical is the mood of the next Intermezzo in B flat major. The relaxed figuration and singing melody are in contrast to the chromatic and unsettled harmony. As the emotional center of the set, the Capriccio in C sharp minor is also the largest work. Full of complex rhythms and surging passages, this work is passionate and powerful. The Intermezzo in A major is an emotional respite from the previous Capriccio. It is comprised of two contrasting lyrical ideas, and is gentle and restive. The opening and closing refrains of the Intermezzo in A minor are somewhat reminiscent of the tone of the opening of the first of the Op. 10 Ballades. The reminder of the piece is a sadly wistful melody over a flowing accompaniment. The final Capriccio in C major is one of Brahms' most difficult short piano works. A whirling figuration leads to an exhilarating climax. The rhythm is highly complex and demands mature musicianship for an effective interpretation.

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Brahms' Op. 76 collection of eight pieces was his first effort for solo piano in 13 years, the last being the Waltzes (16) from 1865. In the intervening years, he wrote many sets of songs, the first two symphonies and chamber works. There is a deepening of his language here, a sense that even in these rather brief compositions—each lasting about three to four minutes—Brahms' palette of colors had grown richer and his expressive range wider. In the jaunty playfulness of its outer sections, this Capriccio in B minor contrasts well with the agitated and dark character of the opening F sharp minor work. The main theme is graceful and witty in the feline-like patter of its scampering notes and deftly inserted accents. The theme has a peasant-like manner in its festive joy and bubbly energy, especially in its heartier second subject. The brief middle section mixes the nostalgia of the right-hand theme with the left's lingering vigor. The main theme returns and a brilliant variant on the second subject is soon heard, after which the music peters out and the piece quietly ends. This is another highly imaginative, masterful work from the pen of Brahms.

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Brahms' intermezzos were almost always tranquil pieces in contrast to his usually stormy capriccios. Both often stood side by side, as in the Op. 76 set of eight pieces here and the Op. 116 collection of Fantasies (7), each set being roughly equal mixtures of both. But while the intermezzos may seem to have a mellow demeanor, they often feature a dark or unsettling side. This Intermezzo in A minor, for instance, may strike the casual listener as pleasant and beautiful, but beneath its lovely veneer lurks a subtle feeling of distress. The work begins with a somber, subdued theme whose glacial pace and introspective manner impart a sense of desolation. It soon yields to the main theme, a lovely melody of nocturnal aspect, and more than vaguely reminiscent of Chopin. It is related to the introductory material, but is livelier and less-thickly scored, graceful in its melancholy and subtle in its contrapuntal aspects. And does this melody allude, if only vaguely, to the main theme in Beethoven's Für Elise? The introductory music returns to quietly close out the piece. This intermezzo typically lasts three minutes in performance.

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