Music Of The Great Composers --

Johannes Brahms-Part 9 Thereupon Brahms opened his cigarette case again and said with a smile of satisfaction: Then give me back the good cigarette; for your purpose a common one of the Austrian Tabackregie will do just as well! Brahms never married. Although frequently on terms of intimacy with ladies, he does not appear to have got further than occasionally remarking to a friend; Such a girl would make me happy. What he missed in this way, ho..

Music Of The Great Composers --

Johannes Brahms-Part 8 Rude But Amiable In spite of his reputation as a rude fellow, I found Brahms comparatively amiable. He soon honored me with his autograph, the first measures of his famous song Oh versenk. Brahms was an inveterate smoker. He loved a good weed, but did not turn up his nose at a bad one. Erich Wolff, the composer, used to tell a story about Brahms' cigarettes. He had only just emerged from the Academy of Music at Vienna when he ventured to submit..

Music Of The Great Composers --

Johannes Brahms-Part 7 In early life Brahms was slim and slight of build. As the years passed he took on weight rapidly. He was rather short, had sandy colored hair, and was clean shaven. By the time he was fifty he looked stout, shaggy and unkempt. Moreover, a thick beard hid much of his face. Though neat and tidy in his youth, he would later wear alpaca rather than broadcloth. An old shawl was the garment he preferred. His aversion to visiting England seems partly to..

Music Of The Great Composers --

Johannes Brahms-Part 6 Great Master Works His German Requiem was given in 1868 in the Cathedral at Bremen, and was attended by many representative musicians. The event of the year 1876 was the production of his Symphony Op. 68 in C Minor at Carlsruhe. The critics of the day were very divergent in their views; some could make neither head nor tail of it, while others lauded it to the skies. A second symphony, Op. 73, in D, followed after a short time. Another great wo..

Music Of The Great Composers --

Johannes Brahms-Part 5 In 1859 Brahms played his new pianoforte concerto at Hanover, Joachim being the conductor, and later at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig; but he soon realized that his life work lay more in the direction of creation than of execution. Great publishing firms accepted his works for publication. Clara Schumann continued her propaganda of Brahm's works and performed in Hamburg his Variations on a Theme of Handel. The charm of Vienna attracted him at first o..

Music Of The Great Composers --

Johannes Brahms-Part 4 Schumann's Death The year 1854 brought much sadness. Schumann was overtaken by the mental malady which clouded his few remaining years. He attempted to throw himself into the Rhine, but was rescued and taken to an asylum, where he lingered on until 1856. This tragedy affected Brahms very deeply. He rushed off to Dusseldorf to offer his sympathies to the poor wife and in common with other friends set himself to do all that he could to h..

Music Of The Great Composers --

Johannes Brahms-Part 3 The most important outcome of this tour was a meeting with the great violinist Joachim, and from that date began their lifelong friendship. Joachim was impressed with the young man and wrote to several friends prophesying a great future for him. Moreover, he gave him an introduction to Schumann, who was then at Dusseldorf. Schumann heard Brahms play his Sonata in C Major and many of his other pieces, and both he and his wife expressed t..

Music Of The Great Composers --

Johannes Brahms-Part 2 First Appearance as a Pianist He made his first public appearance as a pianist when he was fourteen at a concert of which the program included his own variations upon a Volkslied. Brahms seems to have had a decided preference for the variation. Six of his works - his Opus 9, Variations on a Theme by Schumann; Op. 21 No. 1, Variations on an Original Theme; Op. 21, No. 2, Variations on a Hungarian Theme; Op. 23, Variations on a Theme by S..

Music Of The Great Composers --

Johannes Brahms-Part 1 Among the artists whose merits have been passionately disputed, not only by the public at large, but also by other famous musicians, is certainly Johannes Brahms. With Brahms it is not as with Wagner a question of agreeing or disagreeing with his principles or his daring innovations, but simply a liking or disliking of his music. Someone named him the last of the classics or, like Bulow, made him a member of the Three B's Tri..

Music Of The Great Composers --

Georges Bizet-Part 12 Beautiful thoughts, fitly expressed! Resuming we find in Bizet's life a fervent love of art manifesting itself from earliest childhood. Severe studies completed under the leadership of great masters like Marmontel, Zimmermann, Halevy and Gounod. His teachings could be summarized as follows: Strive to become a great pianist and learn the true expression, the right phrasing. Hum and sing passages and melodies with deep feeling. Try to suggest on th..