Johannes Brahms
The stature of Johannes Brahms among classical composers is best illustrated by his inclusion among the "Three Bs" triumvirate of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. Of all the major composers of the late Romantic era, Brahms was the one most attached to the Classical ideal as manifested in the music of Haydn, Mozart, and especially Beethoven; indeed, Hans von Bülow once characterized Brahms' Symphony No. 1 (1855-1876) as "Beethoven's Tenth." As a youth, Brahms was championed by Robert Schumann as music's greatest hope for the future; as a mature composer, Brahms became the most potent symbol of musical tradition for conservative musical journalists, a stalwart against the "degeneration" represented by the music of Wagner and his school. Brahms' symphonies, choral and vocal works, chamber music, and piano pieces are imbued with strong emotional feeling, yet take shape according to a thoroughly considered structural plan.
The son of a double bassist in the Hamburg Philharmonic Society, Brahms demonstrated great promise at a young age. He began his musical career as a pianist, contributing to the family coffers as a teenager by playing in restaurants, taverns, and even brothels. By his early twenties he enjoyed associations with luminaries like violinists Eduard Reményi and Joseph Joachim, but the friend and mentor who was most instrumental in advancing his career was Schumann, who all but adopted him and became his most ardent admirer -- their esteem was mutual. Following Schumann's death in 1856, Brahms became the closest confidant and lifelong friend of the composer's widow, pianist and composer Clara Wieck Schumann. After a lifetime of spectacular musical triumphs and failed loves (the composer was involved in several romantic entanglements but never wed), Brahms died of liver cancer on April 3, 1897.
In every genre in which he composed, Brahms produced works that have become staples of the repertory. His most ambitious work, the German Requiem (1863-1867), is the composer's singular reinterpretation of an age-old form. The four symphonies -- lushly scored, grand in scope, and deeply expressive -- are cornerstones of the symphonic literature. Brahms' concertos are in a similarly monumental, quasi-symphonic vein: the two piano concertos (1856-1859 and 1881), and the Violin Concerto (1878) call for soloists with both considerable technical skill and stamina. His chamber music is among the most sophisticated and exquisitely crafted of the Romantic era; his works that incorporate clarinet (e.g., the Trio in A minor, Op. 114 and the two Sonatas, Op. 120), the latter an instrument largely overlooked by his contemporaries -- remain unsurpassed. Though the piano sonata never held the same appeal for Brahms as it did for Beethoven (Brahms wrote three to Beethoven's 32), he produced a voluminous body of music for the piano. He showed a particular affinity for variations -- notably, on themes of Schumann (1854), Handel (1861), and Paganini (1862-1863) -- and likewise produced a passel of national dances and character pieces such as ballades, intermezzi, and rhapsodies. Collectively, these constitute one of the essential bodies of work in the realm of 19th century keyboard music.
© Rovi Staff /TiVo
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Ouvres pour piano à 4 mains
Classical - Released by Claves Records on Jan 1, 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classical Sonosphere Vol. 1
Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt, Camille Saint-Saëns
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Jun 22, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Symphonies Nos 1 & 3
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Witold Rowicki
Classical - Released by Altara on Jan 1, 2005
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Brahms, Debussy & more - Masters of the Piano, Vol II
Pyotr Illitch Tchaïkovski, Claude Debussy, Johannes Brahms
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Jul 17, 2023
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Abbado conducts Brahms
Claudio Abbado, Johannes Brahms
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Jun 10, 2021
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Brahms: Souvenir de la Russie Nos. 2-5; 16 Waltzes, Op. 39 & Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 23
Victoria Postnikova, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Classical - Released by Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga Musica on Oct 10, 1991
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Brahms & Dvorák: Serenades
Boston Symphony Chamber Players
Chamber Music - Released by BSO Classics on Jun 14, 2016
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Nadia Reisenberg & Erick Friedman in Performance
Nadia Reisenberg, Erick Friedman
Chamber Music - Released by Roméo Records on Sep 1, 2013
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Brahms : Piano Quintet and Horn Trio
Classical - Released by CRD Records on Jan 1, 1993
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A Romantic Melody
Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Apr 10, 2024
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Violin Works
Classical - Released by Pipeline Music on Jun 7, 2006
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Peaceful Brahms & Schumann
Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Nov 19, 2020
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Grandi Pianisti Wilhelm Backhaus
Wilhelm Backhaus, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Jun 4, 2021
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Johannes Brahms: Symphony N. 3 - Tragische Ouvertüre
Classical - Released by Classic art on Sep 17, 2001
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Brahms: String Sextets
Cypress String Quartet, Barry Shiffman, Zuill Bailey
Chamber Music - Released by AVIE Records on Sep 30, 2014
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Brahms: String & Clarinet Quintet
Brandis Quartett, Karl Leister, Brett Dean
Chamber Music - Released by Nimbus Records on Aug 1, 1997
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Ungarischer Tanz Nr. 9
Classical - Released by soundnotation on Oct 31, 2022
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A Journey with Romantic Piano
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Mar 23, 2024
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Brahms: String Quintets Op. 88 & Op. 111
Chamber Music - Released by Claves Records on Feb 1, 2012
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Brahms: Lieder
Classical - Released by Challenge Classics on Jan 1, 1998
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Brahms - Great Recordings
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Oct 10, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo