Johannes Brahms

Born May 7, 1833, in Hamburg; died Apr. 3,1897, in Vienna. German composer, pianist, and conductor.

Brahms’ father was a contrabassist. Brahms studied music with his father, then with E. Marxsen. Experiencing severe need, Brahms worked as a pianist at dances, gave private lessons, and did arrangements of salon music. At the same time, he composed a great deal, although later he destroyed the majority of his early works. At age 20, Brahms made a concert tour with the Hungarian violinist E. Reményi, during which he met Liszt, J. Joachim, and Schumann. In 1853, Schumann enthusiastically hailed the talent of the young Brahms in the New Musical Journal. Beginning in the late 1850’s, Brahms was a conductor of amateur choirs. In 1862 he moved to Vienna, where he performed successfully as a pianist and later, as choral conductor of the Singakademie and the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. In the mid-1870’s, Brahms devoted himself completely to his work, performed his own music as a conductor and pianist, and traveled a great deal. The last years of Brahms’ life were darkened by a tormenting illness.

Brahms did not support either side in the complicated struggle between supporters of Liszt and Wagner (the Weimar school) and the imitators of Mendelssohn and Schumann (the Leipzig school). He profoundly and consistently developed classical traditions, which he enriched with new romantic contents. Brahms’ music sings the freedom of the personality, moral fortitude, and courage. It is filled with anxiety about the fate of man and imbued with impetuosity, restlessness, and trembling lyricism. At times there is an epic power in the music. A freely improvised harmony is combined with sternly disciplined thought and logical development in Brahms’ music.

Brahms’ musical legacy is broad and encompasses many genres (with the exception of opera). Brahms’ four symphonies (1876, 1877, 1883, and 1885), the last of which is particularly outstanding, were among the greatest achievements in symphonic composition in the latter half of the 19th century. Like Beethoven and Schubert, Brahms understood the cyclic composition of the symphony as an instrumental drama whose parts are united by a defined poetic idea. The instrumental concertos, which are viewed as symphonies with solo instruments, are second to Brahms’ symphonies in their artistic significance. Brahms’ Violin Concerto (1878) is among the most popular works in this genre. The Concerto No. 2 for piano (1881) is also well-known. The most important of Brahms’ vocal orchestral works is A German Requiem (1968), with its epic scope and moving lyrics. Brahms’ varied vocal music (more than 200 solo songs) contains the most spontaneous feelings in his works. Songs in folk style are prominent among Brahms’ vocal works. His settings of folk songs (about 100) delicately emphasize the beauty of folk melodies.

The chamber music works belong primarily to the early period of Brahms’ creative quests (the Piano Trio No. 1, the Piano Quintet, and others) and to the last period of Brahms’ life, when he wrote his best chamber works. An intensification of heroic epic qualities and, at the same time, a subjective lyrical tendency are characteristic of the chamber works (the second and third piano trios, sonatas for violin and piano, sonatos for cello and piano, and others). Brahms’ piano works are distinguished by close contrapuntal development of the texture, delicate elaboration of motifs, and virtuoso effects that are subordinate in their expression to the content of the work.

In his later years Brahms, who had begun with sonata cycles, wrote mainly miniatures for the piano. The waltzes and Hungarian Dances, which show his admiration of Hungarian folklore, are particularly distinguished among these works. In his last period of creativity Brahms wrote piano chamber music (capriccios and intermezzos). He also composed two serenades, Variations on a Theme by Haydyn, overtures for orchestra, vocal ensembles, choruses, and other works.