Many musicians have attempted to carry forward the musical legacy of Beethoven, but their success has been varied. Johannes Brahms managed to emerge from Beethoven’s shadow and carve his own niche in music. However, he was not like his peers.
He never had much fascination for opera and stayed away from delving into the realm of religious music. While his German Requiem uses biblical texts, it cannot be classified as a liturgical work. Barring his songs, 200 of them, Brahms wrote musical compositions.
He wrote a handful of compositions used profusely in the concert repertoire. His celebrated works that have withstood the test of time include the St. Anthony Variations, Hungarian Dances, and Gaudeamus Igitur. His Wiegenlied or Cradle Song is another favorite.
Brahms spent his younger years in Hamburg. He obtained his initial music lessons from his father, who was a double bass player, and that helped him carve out a niche early in life. His teachers felt he could shine as a pianist, but he spent much time composing.
Brahms was only 12 when he received composition lessons from Eduard Marxsen, a noted pianist and composer. So he became acquainted with the styles of stalwarts like Haydn, Bach, Mozart, and Schubert. Brahms started as a pianist at 14. Violinist Joseph Joachim became his close associate, and their bonding lasted for many years. It was through Joachim that he met Robert Schumann later on.
Schumann motivated Brahms to publish his musical compositions
Schumann’s enthusiasm motivated Brahms to publish his musical compositions. These included his piano sonatas and a few songs. Before publishing these compositions under his name, he had been using pseudonyms.
Brahms looked after Schumann later when the former became mentally ill and was denied the custody of his spouse. He composed Four Ballades Op 10 and Variations on a Theme of Schumann later as a tribute to the couple who played critical roles in his musical career.
Brahms did not taste success with his first Piano Concerto, which took place in 1859. However, through the 1860s, he was very successful. He courted controversy once after criticizing the New German School of composers. However, his musical views changed later, after he relocated to Vienna. Nevertheless, he kept in touch with composers belonging to both schools.
Brahms started working on his First Symphony in 1854, and it premiered much later, in 1876. It was very successful, prompting him to produce many more works. There were several symphonies, and each was distinct. His musical innovations are not as revolutionary as those of his peers, such as Wagner. However, there is no denying his musical legacy and its impact on the musicians of the 20th century.
Musicians of the 20th century, such as Schoenberg and Elgar, expressed their admiration for the style of Brahms’s musical innovations. After his death, the popularity of his musical compositions soared.
The 1887 Double Concerto is regarded as the final orchestral work of Brahms. It was sort of a peace offering to his friend Joachim. He wanted to retire after his Second String Quintet’s successful premiere in 1890.
However, he changed his mind and made the Clarinet Quintet, two Clarinet Sonatas, Trio for Clarinet, Piano, and Cello. Then there are the Four Serious Songs, produced after the demise of Clara Schumann, who was a good friend. These works seem to be composed by a different composer — they sound so different.
Great conductors such as Wilhelm Furtwängler, Claudio Abbado, and Arturo Toscanini have extensively used Brahms symphonies in the last century. There are also versions closer to the original composition by John Eliot Gardiner.
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