Johannes Brahms was a traditionalist living during the sweeping emotions of the Romantic period. Although he composed his music using the structures and techniques of the classical masters, he added a Romantic flair to them, resulting in bold new harmonies and melodies. His preference for “the old ways” got him into a musical argument with the likes of Lizst and Wagner. Brahms was a bit of a curmudgeon, so he was more that happy to lead the conservative side in the War of the Romantics!

He was meticulous in everything he composed… a perfectionist through and through. In his later years, he burned all of his compositions that he did not feel were good enough to be part of his legacy. He left many compositions unpublished as well.

Despite his reputation for being a grump, he could also be very lovable. He had several very close friends with whom he was very generous with his time and money. He loved nature, animals, and children (his friends’ children loved him dearly and referred to him affectionately as ‘Uncle’). He also loved to eat! He spent a good portion of his professional life in Vienna, and he would have lunch everyday at The Red Hedgehog with a group of friends. A story goes that he visited a doctor who told him that he needed to change his diet. Brahms exclaimed, “But tonight I am dining with Strauss and we are having chicken and paprika!” The doctor said that it was out of the question. Brahms simply replied, “Very well then, please, consider that I did not come to consult you until tomorrow.”

During our lesson time we will be talking a little bit about Brahms. Our homework will be to color the Brahms coloring page while enjoying some of his music (some suggestions and a link to a short biography are given below). After listening to his music fill in the three blank lines on the coloring page with answers to the prompt: “Brahms’ music makes me think of…”

SUGGESTED VIDEOS FOR LISTENING HOMEWORK:

Wiegenlied: Guten Abend, Gute Nacht Op. 49 No. 4 (“Cradle Song” or “Brahms’ Lullaby”) – One of the most famous pieces in the world, it has been sung by generations of parents to lull their little ones to sleep. Brahms dedicated the lullaby to his friend Bertha Faber to celebrate the birth of her second son. The first stanza of the lyrics were taken from a collection of German folk poems and the second stanza was written by Georg Scherer in 1849.   It was performed for the first time in Vienna in 1869 by Louise Dustmann (soprano) and Clara Schumann (piano).

Hungarian Dance No. 5 – Brahms’ Hungarian Dances are a set of 21 dances based on Hungarian themes. They were originally composed for piano four hands but were later arranged for other instruments and ensembles due to their immense popularity. The most famous is the 5th dance, which was based on a Hungarian folk dance by Bela Keler. The videos below show two versions of Hungarian Dance no. 5. The first video is the original piano duet and the second is an orchestral arrangement.

Piano Concerto no. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 – This is the first of Brahms’ orchestral pieces to be performed. He completed in 1858 when he was just 25 years old. The first two performances in Hanover and Leipzig were received coldly, but the third performance of the concerto in Hamburg was a great success. After hearing it rehearsed before its premiere, Clara Schumann wrote, “(…) almost all of it sounds beautiful, some parts far most beautiful even than Johannes himself imagined or expected.”

Ballades, Op. 10 No. 1 in D minor – Brahms composed the Opus 10 Ballades at the time he became friends with Robert and Clara Schumann, who were helping Brahms launch his career as a composer. This particular Ballade was inspired by Percy’s version of the Scottish poem “Edward”.

BIOGRAPHY of johannes brahms

For a biography of Johannes Brahms check out Encyclopedia Britannica’s entry Johannes Brahms.

To learn more about Brahms’ love of food, check out Eating with Brahms.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS:

• “Johannes Brahms” by Mike Venezia, ISBN-10: 0516264672
• “Brahms (Famous Children Series)” by Ann Rachlin, ISBN-10: 0812015428