J is for Johannes Brahms

 

              I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, and my theme this year is classical music. Check out the list of other participants by clicking here! J is for Johannes Brahms. He was a German composer who lived from 1833 to 1897. In today’s featured video we have two of Brahms’ waltzes in A Major, Op.39, No.15 & Op.52, No.6. with Andreas Ottensamer playing the clarinet.

 

Video link: https://youtu.be/8V2SHtBp6CA

  

 

   ·   Brahms was a perfectionist. He began composing at age 11, but later considered his early compositions embarrassing and he destroyed most of them. He also took 22 years to polish his first symphony; he put it through rigorous editing before he was pleased with it.

 

   ·   After meeting and working with the Hungarian violinist, Eduard Reményi, Brahms’ style was largely influenced by folk and gypsy music.

 

   ·   He preferred writing absolute music, which is music that does not refer to any specific scene or narrative. He did not write any operas or symphonic poems.

 

Robert and Clara Schumann

   ·   Brahms was friends with and mentored by composers Robert Schumann and his wife, Clara Schumann. Brahms grew very fond of Clara, and they even performed together a few times. In one of his letters to Clara, Brahms wrote, "I wish I could write to you as tenderly as I love you, and do as many good things for you, as you would like. You are so infinitely dear to me that I can hardly express it. I should like to call you darling and lots of other names, without ever getting enough of adoring you."

 

   ·   Brahms was also friends with Johann Strauss II, and he complimented Strauss’ Blue Danube waltz, by saying he would have given anything to have come up with it himself.

 

 

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms

http://www.classicfm.com/composers/brahms/guides/

 

            Yesterday’s Trivia: Does anyone know what happened during the premiere of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring in 1913? Answer: During the performance, rival factions began shouting and making noises at each other and the audience broke out into a riot. Some accounts of what actually happened may be exaggerated, but this was not the only time audience members were disruptive during a classical music concert. There’s a list here.

For this challenge, I’m keeping a playlist of the videos I’m using plus some extras for anyone who wants to hear more. I will update with the latest letter each day. The extra video I added today is Johannes Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 performed by the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra.

 

 

Are you a perfectionist about anything? Johannes Brahms was considered one of the "Three Bs," who were the other two?