MusiLLection

Johannes Brahms accompanies the singer Alice Barbi during a concert in Vienna, a city that shaped his mature style and became his lifelong artistic refuge. 1833 – Born on May 7 in Hamburg, then part of the German Confederation. 1848 – Makes his public debut in Hamburg. 1850 – Meets the Hungarian violinist Eduard Reményi and composes his first known work, Scherzo in E minor . 1853 – Embarks on his first concert tour; meets Joseph Joachim , is introduced to Franz Liszt , and visits Robert and Clara Schumann in Düsseldorf. 1854 – First public performance of a Brahms work with Clara Schumann at the piano. Robert Schumann attempts suicide and is institutionalized; Brahms remains close to Clara, offering emotional and practical support. 1857 – Appointed Music Director at the court of Detmold. 1858 – Becomes romantically involved with Agathe von Siebold while working on Piano Concerto No. 1 . 1859 – Founds a women’s choir in Hamburg. 1862 – Moves to Vienna, the city that...

The third of Brahms ’s Hungarian Dances stands out for its lightness and refined grace, qualities that emerge from the very first measures. Written in F major and marked Allegretto , the piece unfolds in a clear ternary structure , where balance prevails over overt dramatic contrast. The principal theme opens with natural elegance, often entrusted to the oboes in the orchestral version. Its melodic line moves with ease, shaped by symmetrical phrases that create a poised, dance-like flow. The tonal stability of F major provides a firm foundation upon which Brahms builds music that seeks not spectacle, but structural clarity . Soon, this luminous opening gives way to a more shaded episode. The texture subtly thickens, the harmonic movement becomes momentarily more active, and the atmosphere shifts without breaking the overall continuity. This contrasting middle section introduces gentle tension within a framework that remains controlled and proportioned. When the opening theme returns, ...

Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann, bound by an intense emotional and artistic relationship that remained largely unspoken throughout their lives. In the summer of 1853, the twenty-year-old Johannes Brahms found himself at a turning point. A quarrel with his closest companion, the Hungarian violinist Eduard Reményi, had ended his hopes of advancement through Franz Liszt , whose music Brahms had failed—perhaps unwillingly—to flatter. Disillusioned, yet determined, he turned instead to another trusted ally: the violinist Joseph Joachim. It was Joachim who urged Brahms to travel to Düsseldorf and introduce himself to Robert Schumann and his wife, Clara. On September 30, 1853, trembling with anticipation, Brahms played for Clara Schumann for the first time—a moment that would shape the rest of his life. Robert Schumann, already struggling with declining mental health, recognized in Brahms the brilliance of the young pianist he himself could no longer be. He praised him publicly and enth...

A densely written manuscript by Brahms, from Alto Rhapsody , Op. 53, reflecting his intense contrapuntal thinking and meticulous compositional style. Johannes Brahms occupies a central place in 19th-century music, balancing classical structural discipline with deep Romantic expressiveness. His works reveal an extraordinary command of form, counterpoint, and thematic development, combined with a profound emotional intensity. Below is a curated selection of Brahms’s most significant works , grouped by genre. Symphonies: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90 Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 Orchestral music: Variations on a Theme by Haydn ("Saint Anthony Variations"), Op. 56a Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80 Tragic Overture, Op. 81 Concertos : Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 Piano Concerto No. 2 in B♭ major, Op. 83 Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 Double Concerto in A minor for violin and cello, Op. 10...

Johannes Brahms   At a time when many artists were obsessed with the pursuit of novelty, Johannes Brahms dared to turn his gaze toward the past. He was more deeply interested in tradition than in innovation, convinced that true originality could emerge only through a profound understanding of earlier forms. Romantic lyricism is never absent from Brahms’s music. Yet every musical phrase is governed by classical discipline, resulting in a refined balance between emotional depth and structural clarity. In this sense, Brahms does not reject Romanticism; rather, he reshapes it, filtering passion through the logic and restraint of Classical form. Both aesthetically and formally, Brahms positioned himself in clear opposition to the monumental music dramas of his contemporary Richard Wagner . His deliberate avoidance of opera—arguably the most dominant and celebrated genre of the 19th century—can be seen as a conscious artistic statement. Nevertheless, Brahms possessed complete mastery ...

Hungarian folk music and the vibrant idiom of Gypsy dance played a decisive role in shaping Johannes Brahms ’s musical imagination. From an early age, he was fascinated by the rhythmic vitality, modal inflections, and expressive freedom of this tradition—elements that would later find their most popular and direct expression in the Hungarian Dances . Originally conceived for piano four hands and later orchestrated by various composers, these dances are not literal folk transcriptions but highly stylized reworkings of vernacular material. Through them, Brahms merges popular idioms with classical craftsmanship, achieving an irresistible blend of sophistication and spontaneity. Hungarian Dance No. 18   in D Major - Molto vivace Hungarian Dance No. 18 fully embodies Brahms’s energetic and rhythmically charged style. Marked Molto vivace , the dance unfolds with brightness and exuberance, driven by sharp accents and swift tempo. Its lively character is sustained throughout, creating a ...

Johannes Brahms  consistently grounded his music in traditional and Classical principles. Yet beneath the apparent discipline and formal restraint of his writing lies a deeply Romantic spirit, animated by intensity, contrast, and emotional vitality. This dual nature is vividly present in the Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor . Marked Allegro molto , the dance opens with a strongly rhythmic theme in the strings, tinged with a somber, almost brooding character. This initial idea alternates with a succession of more vivid and energetic episodes, where rhythmic drive and melodic sharpness come to the fore. The contrasts between darker introspection and exuberant release are essential to the work’s expressive power. As the dance unfolds, Brahms exploits abrupt changes of mood, tempo, and texture—hallmarks of the Hungarian style as he imagined it. These rapid shifts create a sense of spontaneity and dramatic tension, even within the concise form of the piece. The work concludes with a fo...