The Tragic Overture, Op. 81, is a concert overture for orchestra written by Johannes Brahms in 1880 and premiered the same year. In essence a free-standing symphonic movement, it acts as a contrasting pair to the Academic Festival Overture. Despite its name, the Tragic Overture does not follow any specific dramatic program, as Brahms was not very interested in musical storytelling and was more concerned with conveying and eliciting emotional impressions.The work is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings. Most performances last between twelve and fifteen minutes.
