Piano concerti- the two piano concerti that Brahms has composed are among the highly respected piano concerti in the repertoire. Those participating in international piano competitions that want to demonstrate their mastery of the keyboard and of music interpretation, play Brahms’ first piano concerto; this is a piece that a pianist cannot hide behind if he/she is not a master of the instrument.

Violin concerto- his violin concerto is among the most respected and loved ones in this category. If you have not heard it, you must!
Concerto for violin and viola- this is one of those special and out of the ordinary combination concerto that is masterfully composed and if you want to discover Brahms, then you must listen to this piece. Check out the performance by Isaac Stern and Yo-Yo Ma.
Hungarian Dances
- these are among the better known pieces of Brahms, number 5 being the most famous one. There are transcriptions for both piano and the orchestra.
Symphonies
- his first symphony is known as Beethoven’s 10
th (implying that it is a work of such grandeur that only Beethoven could have written at the height of his musical productivity), which took Brahms over a decade of revision and reworking. While all his four symphonies are beautiful, the 3rd movement of his 3rd symphony is a particularly melodious and melancholic movement.