Joel Lester is Professor Emeritus at the CUNY Graduate Center and The City College of New York. A scholar, violinist, and administrator, he was also Dean of Mannes College of Music from 1996 until 2011. He is the author of Bach's Solo Works for Solo Violin (OUP, 1999), Compositional Theory in the Eighteenth Century, and Analytic Approaches to 20th-Century Music.

I recommend this book warmly and without reservation to all who wish to experience a deep encounter with these works, and particularly to violinists and pianists, who can derive truly thoughtful interpretations following Joel Lester's guidance.

• Acknowledgements Preface: Brahms, Musical Scores, Musical Meaning, Musical Expression Part I: Brahms's NotesChapter 1: It Sounds like BrahmsChapter 2: Shaping Brahmsian Themes Part II: Brahms's Musical NarrativesChapter 3: First-movement Sonata FormsChapter 4: The Middle MovementsChapter 5: The FinalesChapter 6: Brahms and the Violin: The Early Violin Sonatas List of Works CitedIndex

Joel Lester is Professor Emeritus at the CUNY Graduate Center and The City College of New York. A scholar, violinist, and administrator, he was also Dean of Mannes College of Music from 1996 until 2011. He is the author of Bach's Solo Works for Solo Violin (OUP, 1999), Compositional Theory in the Eighteenth Century, and Analytic Approaches to 20th-Century Music.

I recommend this book warmly and without reservation to all who wish to experience a deep encounter with these works, and particularly to violinists and pianists, who can derive truly thoughtful interpretations following Joel Lester's guidance.

• Acknowledgements Preface: Brahms, Musical Scores, Musical Meaning, Musical Expression Part I: Brahms's NotesChapter 1: It Sounds like BrahmsChapter 2: Shaping Brahmsian Themes Part II: Brahms's Musical NarrativesChapter 3: First-movement Sonata FormsChapter 4: The Middle MovementsChapter 5: The FinalesChapter 6: Brahms and the Violin: The Early Violin Sonatas List of Works CitedIndex