The three Intermezzi Op. 117 are probably the most well-known and best-loved of Brahmsâs late piano pieces.
The composer described these pieces, all three of which are marked Andante, âlullabies to my sorrowsâ.
The Intermezzi were inspired by a Scottish poem from Herder´s Volkslieder, Lady Anne Bothwellâs Lament, and bear this inscription:
Schlaf sanft mein Kind, schlaf sanft und Schön!/Mich dauert´s sehr, dich weinen sehn.
(Sleep softly my child, sleep softly and well!/It hurts my heart to see you weeping.)