Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Heir to Bach and Beethoven, he gave Romanticism solid architecture and deep warmth, from the great symphonies to intimate intermezzos.
The son of a double-bass player, Brahms grew up in Hamburg and played the piano from an early age to earn a living. In 1853 he met Robert and Clara Schumann; Robert introduced him to the musical world as the long-awaited new genius. Clara remained a close friend and adviser all his life.
Settled in Vienna from the 1860s, he became one of the city’s leading musical figures. He wrote slowly and destroyed much: his First Symphony appeared only in 1876. Three more symphonies followed, two piano concertos, the Violin Concerto, A German Requiem, a wealth of chamber music and many songs.
At the piano, the sonatas and large variation sets of his youth (on themes by Handel and Paganini) gave way late in life to collections of short pieces (Opp. 116 to 119), intermezzos and ballades of great intimacy. His Waltzes Op. 39 and Hungarian Dances, originally for piano four hands, are among his most popular works.
Brahms died in Vienna in 1897. He asks pianists for a full, warm sound, balance within thick textures and command of cross-rhythms (two against three, hemiolas).
Piano sheet music (3)
- Waltz in G major Op. 39 No. 10 · level 5
- Waltz in A-flat major Op. 39 No. 15 · level 5
- Intermezzo in A major Op. 118 No. 2 · level 5