On this day in 1877, Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 2 in D Major was premiered by the Vienna Philharmonic / Wiener Philharmoniker under the direction of Hans Richter. The symphony is one of of the most cheerful of Brahms' orchestral works, and is often called the "Pastoral," in obvious reference to Beethoven's Sixth Symphony. Its bucolic nature may be due to the fact that Brahms composed it in the summer months while staying in scenic towns in the Austrian Alps. The overwhelmingly positive recept