Although the second is without doubt the happiest and most serene of all Brahms' four symphonies, the composer amused himself by giving his friends the impression that it was, like his first symphony, a gloomy work. He told his publisher, Simrock, that it was "so melancholy that you will not be able to hear it" and added that "the musicians will play my new work with crepe round their arms because it sounds so mournful. It will be printed on black-edged paper."
 
In fact no greater contrast can be imagined than that between the profoundly tragic first movement of the first symphony and the graceful beauty of the first movement of the second. The most important thematic elements are immediately apparent in the first subject; the wavering D, C sharp, D of its initial bar, the romantic horn tune of its next four bars, and the gentle answering phrase on flutes, clarinets and bassoons. The tender violin theme which grows out of this (and forms the basis of the first big climax) is also an important feature. The second subject is treated at almost Schubertian length, and consists of several distinct motifs: a carefree waltz tune in thirds, an angular theme for strings, and a persistent, syncopated rhythm in the inner parts (clarinets, horns and violas) against which reminders of the third part of the first subject are heard. The development concentrates entirely on the different components of the first half of the exposition and is remarkable for a taut fugal passage based on the flute theme, and the profusion of counter-melodies with which Brahms enriches his original first ideas.

 
The structure of the deeply introspective adagio second movement is highly original. It is characteristic of Brahms that two important themes are presented simultaneously at the outset: a long winding tune on the cellos, and a counter subject on the bassoons. Another theme, characterised by rocking figures and syncopations, is initiated by horn and woodwinds. The second group begins in F sharp minor, after a change from the 4:4 time of the opening to 12:8. It starts gracefully with another wind theme, also notable for its syncopations, but continues with a fugato (now in B minor) that builds up to a climax. From this point onwards no fresh material is introduced, but the different motifs are combined and alternated with marvellous skill and variety.
 
In the G major allegretto the orchestra is reduced to strings, woodwinds and three horns. Much of the movement's charm lies in the variety of guises in which the main theme, first heard as a placid oboe tune above a cello accompaniment of plucked arpeggios, reappears. Even the 3:8 presto section is really nothing more than a variant in inversion.
 
The sonata-form finale, although scarcely less rich in themes than the first movement, is structurally a good deal more clear cut. The first and most important motif is that of the hushed unison opening, together with its harmonised continuation. Its first two bars in particular are put to a wide variety of uses during the course of the movement. The second subject, as well as being in the "correct" key (the dominant), affords the traditional amount of contrast with the first, being a broad, swinging tune, not unlike the famous one in the finale of the first symphony. A particularly attractive offshoot is the filigree of runs in thirds on the four pairs of woodwind instruments.
 
One of the most magical parts of the whole symphony is the tranquillo episode of the development section, in which the main theme is transformed into languorous triplet figuration and richly harmonised. Its brief reappearance towards the very end of the movement is no less striking.