d the critic Eduard Hanslick in his campaign against Liszt, Wagner and Bruckner.
             More fruitful for Brahms was his meeting with Robert Schumann, who hailed the young composer as the coming genius of German music and arranged for the publication of his first songs and piano sonatas. On a visit to Robert and Clara Schumann in Düsseldorf, he met with great enthusiasm for his piano music. Shortly afterwards, Schumann broke a ten- year critical silence to announce in the 'New Musical Journal' in 1853 that Germany's musical 'Messiah' had arrived: at the age of 20, Brahms became instantly famous. After Schumann's suicide attempt in 1854 and committal to an asylum, Brahms stayed with Clara Schumann. Although he was in love with her, they did not marry after Schumann's death two years later, but became lifelong friends.
             During the next few years Brahms often stayed with Joach
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