A Biographical Sketch of Johannes Brahms - Essay Example

Music: A Biographical Sketch of Johannes Brahms John Brahms was born on May 7, 1833 in Hamburg. He was the son of a double-bass player, Johann Jakob Brahms (1806-1872) and Johanna Henrika Christiane (1789-1865). Brahms was sandwiched between two of his siblings. His musical career kicked off at an early age as he received training from his father. However, his first formal training was piano lessons that were conducted by Otto F.W. Cosell. It would not take long until Cosell’s teacher Eduard Marxen (1806-1887) took up the role of training him musically. The early training helped him to develop the classical masters that would influence his style of composition later in his prime. His education began in 1835 when he enrolled at Heinrich Friedrich, elementary school. In 1844, he joined a private secondary school managed by Johann Friedrich Hoffman where he conducted his studies until 1847. He loved Bach and Beethoven and his audience marveled as they watched him play the piano and even conquered that his playing of the Bach was masterful and came from the heart (Van Camp, Leonard, Ottley, Jerold 156). And by 1846, he was earning money for playing piano in some local entertainment joints. Brahms initially became renowned as a composer in the chamber of music, a fact that has made some of his critics to place him in the conservative German camp of Schumann. However, it was his inclination to write in a chamber music style while stressing on thematic-motive development, and logical forms that earned him fame as an accomplished composer of brain music. Chamber music was critical for Brahms compositional output at every level during his auspicious career (Steib 96). Brahms was self-conscious of his technical abilities and worked effortlessly to improve them (Littlewood 344). He started composing at an early age, but he was so self-critical and did not want to acknowledge his effort by putting his name on his compositions. In 1848, Brahms attended a performance by Joseph Joachim in Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra of Beethoven’s Violin Concert though he did not meet him until 1853. In the same year, Brahms held his first own concert, where he played music composed by; Theo Dohker, Jacob Rosenhain, Marxen, Bach, and Herz. Other artists who performed at the event included Franziske Cornet-Kiel and her daughter Adele. In 1849, Brahms began to write potpourris for music journalist August Cranz under the alias G.W. Marks. The same year he held his second own concert where he performed music by; Sonata, C. Mayer while Cornet-Kiel and her daughter participate yet again. He started being slightly recognized in the 1850s when he began writing some of his published works. Then a fortunate trip as an accompanist of Hungarian Violinist, Remenyi (1828-1888) came. Brahms performed so well, playing from his memory that Remenyi was so impressed by his abilities that he decided to introduce him to the already famous fellow Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim (1831-1907) in 1853. On 2 May 1853, Remenyi, Brahms and Joachim performed at a concert in Celle. Again they performed in Gottingen (Clive xii). Joachim was very impressed by the abilities of Brahms that he decided to introduce him to two of the most renowned composers in Germany Liszt and Schumann. It never worked out with Liszt. Though he admired Brahms work and even played them. Brahms slept as his work was being reviewed. However, it was different when he went to meet with Robert and Clara Schumann. History labeled it as very successful. Robert was so impressed that he called him a musical ‘Messiah’ a gesture that would cause him grief as well. He was supported by anti-Liszt faction. During the month of October 1853, Brahms stayed on in Dusseldorf where he would frequently visit Robert and Clara Schumann and compose music at their house. In 1854, he rejoined Joachim in Hanover, where he met Hans Von Bulow. He was instrumental as he played a rendition of Brahms composition in public at a concert in Hamburg. No one else apart from Brahms himself had played his music in public. However, his stay in Hanover was interrupted when he learned of Robert Schumann suicide attempt. He returned to Dusseldorf to offer his moral and practical support to Clara. Over the next several years, Brahms was at the helm of various posts, including being a conductor of a women’s’ choir in 1859. Due to his success and the numerous concerts he performed in, Brahms was now relatively wealthy. Though, initially in his early years he struggled financially, one could now see that he was moderately a rich person. He was at hand to help his friend Clara Schumann after the untimely death of her husband. He even assisted his parents and other relatives whenever they needed anything. Struggling musicians received assistances from the anonymous Brahms. His name would forever be a success when he performed his Requiem in 1868; it established his reputation all over Europe. In 1869, he wrote the Alto Rhapsody and the years following that he wrote Schicksalslied and Trimphlied that became famous all over the musical world. He was at hand to even write his first symphonic music. His musical exploits did not go unnoticed and in 1877, he and Joachim were awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music degree by Cambridge University for their contribution to music. Joachim did accept his award, but Brahms declined and again in 1892 he declined on a second attempt to award him. However, it is keen to note that he did accept a similar degree from the Breslau University where he wrote the light-hearted and the famous Academic Festival Overture as his dissertation. The bigger part of Brahms life was non-eventful. The devastating effects of Robert Schumann’s death took a toll on him. In 1887, he wrote his last orchestral piece (The Double Concerto for Violin and Cello) in a bid to patch up the frosty relationship with Joachim. (Van Camp, Leonard, Ottley, Jerold 157). In 1889, Brahms conducted his fourth symphony in Hamburg. In a letter addressed to him by the mayor of Hamburg, Carl Friedrich Petersen, he was awarded an honorary citizenship. Brahms showed his gratitude by sending a telegram that was later followed by a letter. Clara Schumann health was deteriorating, and after the second stroke she passed away on May of 1896. To Brahms, he had lost a close friend, a confidant, a second mother and to some of us we would believe to some extent his sweetheart. He attended Clara’s burial in Bonn. There he spent a few days as a guest of Walther and Emmy Weyerman at their villa at Bad Honeff. After the burial of Clara Schumann, Brahms visited some of his friends in Vienna and played some of his first chorale preludes for them. After a week, he played them again to a student in his Ischl residence on a piano (Owen 28). At this moment, Brahms became ill, suffering from liver cancer. He began losing weight and was examined by doctors in Ischl and later at the capital, Vienna. In March 1897, Brahms attended a concert in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, whereby Hans Richter performed his fourth symphony. It was the last time he attended a public concert. On March 1897, he was at the Theater an der Wien to attend the premiere of John Strauss’s operetta Die Gottin der Vernunft. However, he did not stay to the end as he felt ill. It marked his last public appearance. The illness was proving fatal. On 25 March 1897, he dined for the last time at the house of Viktor and Olga von Miller after which he did not leave his bed again for almost a week. And on 3rd April 1897 Johannes Brahms succumbed to liver cancer and passed away. His funeral was conducted on 6th April, and his remains interred in a temporary grave in Central Cemetery. Contrary to his simple lifestyle his funeral was accorded all the pageantry and pomp. Tens of thousands lined up the procession to give their last respects to a great musician. At the grave site, Pastor Zimmerman chose the benediction, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, said the spirit, for they shall rest from their labors and their works will follow after them.” His grave is between those of Schubert and Beethoven whom he admired. In 1933, around the centenary of Brahms birth, books devoted to celebrating his marks and heights appeared. Two of them are still in circulation while his works continue to be in magazines, journals and book reviews. Works Cited Clive, H P. Brahms, and His World: A Biographical Dictionary. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow, 2006. Internet resource. Pp. xii-4 Littlewood, Julian. The Variations of Johannes Brahms. London: Plumbago Books, 2004. Print. Pp.344 Owen, Barbara, The Organ Music of Johannes Brahms. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Internet resource. Pp. 28 Steib, M., Readers Guide to Music: History, Theory and Criticism, Routledge, 2013. Print Pp. 96 Van Camp, Leonard, Ottley, Jerold, A Practical Guide for Performing, Teaching, and Singing the Brahms Requiem, Warner Bros. Publication, 2002. Print Pp. 156-157 Read More