Johannes Brahms
GermanyBiography of Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, who was one of the main representatives of the Romantic period. He was born on May 7, 1833, in Hamburg, into the family of Jacob Brahms, a professional double bassist. His father gave him his first music lessons, and later he studied with O. Kossel, whom Brahms always remembered with gratitude. In 1843, Kossel passed his student on to E. Marxsen. Marxsen, whose pedagogy was based on the study of Bach and Beethoven's works, quickly realized that he had an extraordinary talent in his hands. In 1847, when Mendelssohn died, Marxsen said to a friend, "One master has left, but another, even greater, is taking his place - Brahms."
In 1853, Brahms completed his studies and in April of the same year, he went on a concert tour with his friend, E. Remenyi. Remenyi played the violin, while Brahms played the piano. In Hanover, they met another famous violinist, J. Joachim. He was impressed by the power and fiery temperament of the music that Brahms showed him, and the two young musicians (Joachim was 22 at the time) became close friends. Joachim gave Remenyi and Brahms a letter of recommendation to Liszt, and they set off for Weimar. The maestro played some of Brahms' compositions from sheet music and they made such a strong impression on him that he immediately wanted to "include" Brahms in the avant-garde movement - the New German School, which he and R. Wagner led. However, Brahms resisted the charm of Liszt's personality and the brilliance of his playing. Remenyi stayed in Weimar, while Brahms continued his travels and eventually ended up in Dusseldorf, at the home of R. Schumann. Schumann and his wife, pianist Clara Schumann-Weick, had already heard about Brahms from Joachim and warmly welcomed the young musician. They were thrilled with his compositions and became his most ardent supporters. Brahms lived in Dusseldorf for a few weeks and then headed to Leipzig, where his concert was attended by Liszt and H. Berlioz. By Christmas, Brahms arrived in Hamburg; he left his hometown as an unknown student, but returned as an artist with a name that was described in an article by the great Schumann as "Here is a musician who is destined to give the highest and most ideal expression to the spirit of our time."
In February 1854, Schumann attempted suicide during a nervous breakdown. He was sent to a sanatorium, where he languished until his death in July 1856. Brahms rushed to help the Schumann family and during the difficult times, he took care of his wife Clara and their seven children. Soon, he fell in love with Clara Schumann. Clara and Brahms never openly spoke of their love, but their deep mutual affection remained, and throughout his long life, Clara remained Brahms's closest friend. In the autumn months of 1857-1859, Brahms served as a court musician at a small princely court in Detmold, and he spent the summer seasons of 1858 and 1859 in Göttingen. There, he met Agatha von Siebold, a singer and the daughter of a university professor. Brahms was seriously infatuated with her, but when the topic of marriage came up, he quickly withdrew. All subsequent affairs of Brahms' heart were of a fleeting nature. He died as a bachelor.
Brahms' family still lived in Hamburg, and he constantly traveled there. In 1858, he rented a separate apartment for himself. From 1858 to 1862, he successfully conducted a women's amateur choir. He enjoyed this activity and composed several songs for the choir. However, Brahms dreamed of becoming the conductor of the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1862, the previous conductor of the orchestra died, but the position went to J. Stockhausen, not Brahms. After this, the composer decided to move to Vienna. By 1862, the luxurious and colorful style of Brahms' early piano sonatas gave way to a more calm, strict, classical style, which was evident in one of his best works - Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel. Brahms gradually distanced himself from the ideals of the New German School, and his rejection of Liszt reached its peak in 1860 when Brahms and Joachim published a rather sharp-toned manifesto, which, among other things, stated that the works of the followers of the New German School "contradict the spirit of music."
Brahms' first concerts in Vienna were met with not very friendly criticism, however, the Viennese eagerly listened to Brahms the pianist, and soon he won universal sympathy. The rest was a matter of time. He no longer challenged his colleagues, and his reputation was firmly established after the resounding success of the German Requiem, performed on April 10, 1868, in Bremen Cathedral. From then on, the most notable milestones in Brahms' biography were the premieres of his major compositions, such as the First Symphony in C minor (1876), the Fourth Symphony in E minor (1885), and the clarinet quintet and string quintet (1891). His material prosperity grew along with his fame, and he now indulged in his love for traveling. He visited Switzerland and other picturesque places, and traveled to Italy several times. Until the end of his life, Brahms preferred not to embark on difficult journeys, and therefore, his favorite vacation spot became the Austrian resort of Ischl. It was there on May 20, 1896, that he received the news of Clara Schumann's death. Suffering from illness, he died in Vienna on April 3, 1897.
