Brahms

Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg on May 7, 1833. He was one of the major composers of the 19th century, whose works combined the best of the classical and romantic schools. He first studied violin and cello with his father, a double bass player for the Hamburg opera. Brahms became a talented pianist: he gave his first public recital at the age of fourteen and made his living by playing in dance halls and taverns.

In 1853, Brahms went on tour with Eduard Remenyl, a Hungarian violinist. During this tour, Johannes met Franz Liszt. Brahms, however, never became personally friendly with Liszt. On the same tour, Brahms met Joseph Joachim, who in turn introduced him to Robert Schumann. Schumann had a huge impact on Brahms’ musical career. Schumann called Brahms the “coming genius of German music.” He was so impressed by Brahms unfinished compositions that he wrote a raving magazine article about them. Schumann then arranged for the publication of Brahms first songs and piano sonatas. When Schumann suffered a nervous collapse and tried to commit suicide, Brahms rushed to Dusseldorf to be by Clara’s side (Shumann’s wife). His motives were those of a loyal friend, by he soon fell in love with her. She greatly valued Brahms support, b

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He is a legacy of musical craftsmanship. These are compositions that are accepted on their own terms with characteristics like sound and tone color rather than compositions that depict a story. He was very critical of his compositions and burned everything that he wrote before the age of 19. 2 in D Major (1877), which is more gentle in sound than the first; the Academic Festival Overture (1880); the somber Tragic Overture (1881); the poetic Symphony no. His best works contain simple passages. Although he earned a good income from publishers and from playing and conducting his works, Brahms always lived frugally. They are among the best expressions of musical literature. The listener has a tendency to perceive the beauty and strength of the music and later become aware of the difficulty and technicality of the composition.

There is little known about the methods with which Brahms worked. Brahms disliked the new harmonic effects and the new tones colors. Brahms remained a good friend with his wife Clara until she died in 1896. His songs created the perfect balance between the piano and the voice, although many thought he chose undeserving texts for the music.

Approximate Word count = 942
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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