Biography of Brahms. Brahms Johannes - biography, facts from life, photos, background information Last years of life

The son of poor parents (his father was a double bass player in the city theater), he did not have the opportunity to get a brilliant music education and studied piano and composition theory with Ed. Markzen, in Altona. I owe further improvement to myself ... Read all

Johannes Brahms (German: Johannes Brahms) (May 7, 1833, Hamburg - April 3, 1897, Vienna) is one of the most important German composers.

The son of poor parents (his father was a double bass player in the city theater), he did not have the opportunity to get a brilliant musical education and studied the piano and composition theory from Ed. Markzen, in Altona. I owe further improvement to myself. In 1847, Brahms made his first public appearance as a pianist.

Later, in 1853, he met Robert Schumann, for whose high talent he had a special reverence. Schumann treated the talent of Brahms with great attention, which he spoke about very flatteringly in critical article in special musical organ: Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.

The first work of Brahms - piano pieces and songs, published in Leipzig in 1854. Constantly changing his location in Germany and Switzerland, Brahms wrote whole line works in the field of piano and chamber music. From 1862 he settled in Vienna, where he was a bandmaster at the Singakademie, and from 1872-1874 he conducted the well-known concerts of the Musikfreunde society. Later most Brahms devoted his activity to composition.

He wrote more than 80 works, such as: monophonic and polyphonic songs, a serenade for orchestra, variations on a Haydnian theme for orchestra, two sextets for string instruments, two piano concertos, several sonatas for one piano, for piano with violin, with cello, piano trios, quartets and quintets, variations and various pieces for piano, cantata "Rinaldo" for tenor solo, male choir and orchestra, rhapsody (to an excerpt from Goethe's "Harzreise im Winter") for solo viola, male choir and orchestra, "German Requiem" for solo, choir and orchestra, "Triumphlied" (on the occasion of Franco-Prussian War), for choir and orchestra; "Schicksalslied", for choir and orchestra; violin concerto, concerto for violin and cello, two overtures: tragic and academic.

But his symphonies brought Brahms special fame. Already in his early works, Brahms showed originality and independence. Through hard work, Brahms developed a style for himself. Of his works, by their general impression, one cannot say that Brahms was influenced by any of the composers who preceded him. But at the same time, it should be noted that, striving for independence and originality, Brahms often falls into artificiality and dryness. The most outstanding work in which creative power Brahms had an especially bright, original effect, is his "German Requiem".

Among the masses of the public the name of Brahms is very popular, but those who think that this popularity is a consequence of his own compositions. Brahms transcribed Hungarian melodies to the violin and piano, and these melodies, called “Hungarian dances,” entered the repertoire of a number of the most outstanding virtuoso violinists and served mainly to popularize the name of Brahms among the masses.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Johannes Brahms was born on May 7, 1833 in the Hamburg quarter of Schlütershof, in the family of the double bassist of the city theater - Jacob Brahms. The composer's family occupied a tiny apartment, consisting of a room with a kitchen and a tiny bedroom. Shortly after the birth of their son, the parents moved to Ultrichstrasse.

The first music lessons were given to Johannes by his father, who instilled in him the skills to play various stringed and wind instruments. After that, the boy studied piano and composition theory with Otto Kossel (German: Otto Friedrich Willibald Cossel).

At the age of ten, Brahms was already performing at prestigious concerts, where he played the piano part, which gave him the opportunity to tour America. Kossel managed to dissuade Johannes' parents from this idea and convince them that it would be better for the boy to continue his studies with the teacher and composer Eduard Marksen, in Altona. Marxen, whose pedagogy was based on the study of the works of Bach and Beethoven, quickly realized that he was dealing with an extraordinary talent. In 1847, when Mendelssohn died, Marxen told a friend: "One master has left, but another, larger one, is replacing him - this is Brahms."

At the age of fourteen, in 1847, Johannes graduated from a private real school and made his first public appearance as a pianist with a recital.

In April 1853, Brahms went on tour with the Hungarian violinist E. Remenyi.

In Hannover they met another famous violinist, Josef Joachim. He was struck by the power and fiery temperament of the music that Brahms showed him, and the two young musicians (Joachim was then 22 years old) became close friends.

Joachim gave Remenyi and Brahms a letter of introduction to Liszt, and they went to Weimar. The maestro played some of Brahms' compositions from the sheet, and they made such a strong impression on him that he immediately wanted to "rank" Brahms in the advanced direction - the New German School, which was headed by himself and R. Wagner. However, Brahms resisted the charm of Liszt's personality and the brilliance of his game.

On September 30, 1853, on the recommendation of Joachim, Brahms met Robert Schumann, for whose high talent he had a special reverence. Schumann and his wife, pianist Clara Schumann-Wick, had already heard about Brahms from Joachim and were warmly received young musician. They were delighted with his writings and became his most staunch adherents. Schumann spoke highly of Brahms in a critical article in his New Musical Gazette.

Brahms lived in Düsseldorf for several weeks and went to Leipzig, where Liszt and G. Berlioz attended his concert. By Christmas, Brahms arrived in Hamburg; he left native city an unknown student, and returned as an artist with a name about which the great Schumann's article said: "Here is a musician who is called upon to give the highest and ideal expression to the spirit of our time."

Brahms had a tender liking for Clara Schumann, who was 13 years older. During Robert's illness, he sent Love letters his wife, but did not dare to propose to her when she was widowed.

Brahms' first work is the fis-moll Sonata (op. 2) in 1852. Later, the sonata C-dur (op. 1) was written. Only 3 sonatas. There is also a scherzo for piano, piano pieces and songs published in Leipzig in 1854.

Constantly changing his place of residence in Germany and Switzerland, Brahms wrote a number of works in the field of piano and chamber music.

During the autumn months of 1857-1859, Brahms served as court musician at the small princely court in Detmold.

In 1858 he rented an apartment for himself in Hamburg, where his family still lived. From 1858 to 1862 he directed an amateur women's choir, although he dreams of a position as a conductor of the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

The summer seasons of 1858 and 1859 are spent in Göttingen. There he met a singer, the daughter of a university professor, Agatha von Siebold, whom he became seriously interested in. However, as soon as the conversation turned to marriage, he retreated. Subsequently, all Brahms' heartfelt passions were fleeting.

In 1862, the former head of the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra dies, but his place goes not to Brahms, but to J. Stockhausen. After that, the composer moved to Vienna, where he became a bandmaster at the Singakademie, and from 1872-1874 he conducted the well-known concerts of the Musikfreunde society. Later, Brahms devoted most of his activity to composition. The very first visit to Vienna in 1862 brought recognition to Brahms.

In 1868 in cathedral Bremen, the premiere of the German Requiem took place, which was a resounding success. This was followed by equally successful premieres of new major works of the First Symphony in C minor (in 1876), the Fourth Symphony in E minor (in 1885), the quintet for clarinet and strings (in 1891).

In January 1871, Johannes received news from his stepmother that his father was seriously ill. In early February 1872 he arrived in Hamburg, the next day his father died. The son was very upset by the death of his father.

In the autumn of 1872, Brahms began to work as artistic director of the "Society of Friends of Music" in Vienna. However, this work weighed on him and he survived only three seasons.

With the advent of success, Brahms could afford to travel a lot. He visits Switzerland, Italy, but the Austrian resort of Ischl becomes his favorite vacation spot.

Becoming famous composer, Brahms has repeatedly evaluated the works of young talents. When one author brought him a song to the words of Schiller, Brahms said: “Wonderful! I again became convinced that Schiller's poem is immortal.

Leaving the German resort where he was undergoing treatment, the doctor asked: “Are you satisfied with everything? Maybe something is missing?”, Brahms replied: “Thank you, I take all the diseases that I brought back.”

Being very short-sighted, he preferred not to use glasses, joking: "But a lot of bad things escape my field of vision."

By the end Brahms life became unsociable, and when the organizers of one secular reception decided to please him by offering to cross out those whom he would not like to see from the list of invitees, he crossed himself out.

In the last years of his life, Brahms was ill a lot, but did not stop working. During these years, he completes the cycle of German folk songs.

Johannes Brahms died on the morning of April 3, 1897 in Vienna, where he was buried in the Central Cemetery (German: Zentralfriedhof).

Creation

Brahms did not write a single opera, but he worked in almost all other genres.

Brahms wrote more than 80 works, such as: single and polyphonic songs, a serenade for orchestra, variations on a Haydnian theme for orchestra, two sextets for string instruments, two piano concertos, several sonatas for one piano, for piano with violin, with cello , clarinet and viola, piano trios, quartets and quintets, variations and various pieces for piano, cantata "Rinaldo" for tenor solo, male choir and orchestra, rhapsody (on an excerpt from Goethe's "Harzreise im Winter") for solo viola, male choir and orchestra, "German Requiem" for solo, choir and orchestra, "Triumphlied" (on the occasion of the Franco-Prussian War), for choir and orchestra; "Schicksalslied", for choir and orchestra; violin concerto, concerto for violin and cello, two overtures: tragic and academic.

But his symphonies brought Brahms special fame. Already in his early works, Brahms showed originality and independence. Through hard work, Brahms developed own style. Of his works, according to their general impression, it cannot be said that Brahms was influenced by any of the composers who preceded him. The most outstanding music in which the creative power of Brahms was expressed especially brightly and in an original way is his "German Requiem".

Memory

A crater on Mercury is named after Brahms.

Reviews

• In the article “New Ways”, in October 1853, Robert Schumann wrote: “I knew ... and hoped that He was coming, the one who was called to become the ideal spokesman for the times, the one whose skill does not hatch from the ground with timid sprouts, but immediately blooms luxuriantly. color. And he appeared, a youth of light, at whose cradle the Graces and Heroes stood. His name is Johannes Brahms."
• Karl Dahlhaus: “Brahms was not an imitator of either Beethoven or Schumann. And his conservatism can be considered aesthetically legitimate, since speaking of Brahms, traditions are not accepted without destroying the other side, its essence.

List of compositions

Piano creativity

• Intermezzo in E flat major
• Capriccio in B minor, op. 76 No 2
• Three sonatas
• Intermezzo
• Rhapsody
• Variations on a Theme by R. Schumann
• Variations and fugue on a theme by G. F. Handel
• Variations on a theme by Paganini (1863)
• ballads
• capriccio
• fantasies
• Songs of love - waltzes, new songs of love - waltzes, four notebooks of Hungarian dances for piano four hands

Compositions for organ

• 11 Choral Preludes op.122
• Two preludes and fugues

Chamber compositions

• Three sonatas for violin and piano
• Two sonatas for cello and piano
• Two sonatas for clarinet (viola) and piano
• Three piano trios
• Trio for piano, violin and horn
• Trio for piano, clarinet (viola) and cello
• Three piano quartets
• Three string quartets
• Two string quintets
• piano quintet
• Quintet for clarinet and strings
• Two string sextets

Concerts

• Two Piano Concertos
• Violin Concerto
• Double concerto for violin and cello

for orchestra

• Four symphonies (No. 1 in c-moll op. 68; No. 2 in D-dur op. 73; No. 3 in F-dur op. 90; No. 4 in e-moll op. 98)
• two serenades
• Variations on a Theme by J. Haydn
• Academic and Tragic Overtures
• Three Hungarian Dances (author's orchestration of dances No. 1, 3 and 10; orchestration of other dances was carried out by other authors, including Antonin Dvorak, Hans Gal, Pavel Yuon, etc.)

Vocal and choral compositions

• German Requiem
• Song of Destiny, Song of Triumph
• Cantata Rinaldo, Rhapsody, Song of the Parks - to texts by J. W. Goethe
• Over a hundred arrangements of folk songs (including 49 German folk songs)
• about sixty mixed choirs, Seven Songs of Mary (1859), Seven Motets
• Vocal ensembles for voice and piano - 60 vocal quartets, 20 duets, about 200 romances and songs
• Four strict tunes
• Canons for a capella choir

Recordings of works by Brahms

A complete set of Brahms symphonies was recorded by conductors Claudio Abbado, Herman Abendroth, Nikolaus Arnoncourt, Vladimir Ashkenazy, John Barbirolli, Daniel Barenboim, Eduard van Beinum, Carl Böhm, Leonard Bernstein, Adrian Boult, Semyon Bychkov, Bruno Walter, Gunther Wand, Felix Weingartner, John Eliot Gardiner, Jascha Gorenstein, Carlo Maria Giulini, Christoph von Donagni, Antal Dorati, Colin Davis, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Kurt Sanderling, Jap van Zweden, Otmar Zuytner, Eliahu Inbal, Eugen Jochum, Herbert von Karajan, Rudolf Kempe, Istvan Kertesz, Otto Klemperer, Kirill Kondrashin, Rafael Kubelik, Gustav Kuhn, Sergei Koussevitzky, James Levine, Erich Leinsdorf, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Charles Mackerras, Neville Marriner, Willem Mengelberg, Zubin Mehta, Evgeny Mravinsky, Ricardo Muti, Roger Norrington, Seiji Ozawa, Eugene Ormandy, Witold Rovitsky, Simon Rattle, Evgeny Svetlanov, Leif Segerstam, George Sell, Leopold Stokowski, Arturo Toscanini, Vladimir Fedoseev, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bernard Haitink, G Junter Herbig, Sergiu Celibidache, Ricardo Chailly, Gerald Schwarz, Hans Schmidt-Issershtedt, Georg Solti, Horst Stein, Christoph Eschenbach, Marek Janowski, Maris Jansons, Neeme Järvi and others.

Recordings of individual symphonies were also made by Karel Ancherl (No. 1-3), Yuri Bashmet (No. 3), Thomas Beecham (No. 2), Herbert Bloomstedt (No. 4), Hans Vonk (No. 2, 4), Guido Cantelli (No. 1, 3), Jansug Kakhidze (No. 1), Carlos Klaiber (No. 2, 4), Hans Knappertsbusch (No. 2-4), Rene Leibovitz (No. 4), Igor Markevich (No. 1, 4), Pierre Monteux (No. 3) , Charles Munsch (No. 1, 2, 4), Vaclav Neumann (No. 2), Jan Willem van Otterlo (No. 1), André Previn (No. 4), Fritz Reiner (No. 3, 4), Victor de Sabata (No. 4 ), Klaus Tennstedt (No. 1, 3), Willy Ferrero (No. 4), Ivan Fischer (No. 1), Ferenc Frichai (No. 2), Daniel Harding (No. 3, 4), Hermann Scherchen (No. 1, 3), Karl Schuricht (No. 1, 2, 4), Karl Eliasberg (No. 3) and others.

Recordings of the violin concerto were made by violinists Joshua Bell, Ida Handel, Gidon Kremer, Yehudi Menuhin, Anna-Sophie Mutter, David Oistrakh, Itzhak Perlman, Jozsef Szigeti, Vladimir Spivakov, Isaac Stern, Christian Ferrat, Jascha Heifetz, Henrik Schering.

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms, German composer and a pianist who wrote concertos and symphonies, composed chamber music and piano works, song's author. Great master sonata style of the second half of the 19th century can be considered as a follower classical tradition, and .

His work combines the warmth of the Romantic period with the rigor of Bach's classical influence.

Brahms House in Hamburg

On May 7, 1833, the son of Johannes was born in the family of musician Johann Jakob Brahms, who played the horn and double bass in the Hamburg Philharmonic, and Christina Nissen. The first lessons in composition and harmony, in young age, future composer received from his father, who also taught him to play the violin, piano and horn.

In order to record invented melodies, Johannes invented his own method of recording music at the age of 6. From the age of 7 he began to study piano with F. Kossel, who three years later passed Brahms to his teacher Eduard Marssen. Brahms gave his first public concert at the age of 10.

Johannes gave his first concert in public at the age of 10, performing an etude by Hertz. He took part in chamber concerts of works by Mozart and Beethoven, earning money for his studies. From the age of 14 he played the piano in taverns and dance halls, gave private music lessons in an effort to help a family that regularly experienced financial difficulties.

Constant stress has affected the young body. Brahms was invited to take a vacation in Winsen, where he led the men's choir and wrote a number of works for him. On his return to Hamburg, he gave several concerts, but, having received no recognition, he continued to play in taverns, giving and composing popular melodies.

The origins of gypsy motifs in the composer's music

In 1850, Brahms met the Hungarian cellist Eduard Remeny, who introduced Johannes to gypsy songs. The influence of these melodies can be seen in many of the composer's works. In the following years, Brahms wrote several works for piano and, together with Eduard, made several successful concert tours.

In 1853 they met the German violinist Josef Joachim, who introduced them to a house in Weimar.
Brahms' friend, violinist Josef Joachim

Liszt warmly welcomed them, was impressed by the work of Brahms and offered to join his group of composers. But Johannes refused, as he was not a fan of Liszt's music. Meanwhile, Joachim wrote a letter to Robert Schumann, in which he praised Brahms in every possible way. This letter has become best recommendation for Johannes. Brahms, in 1853, meets Robert and Clara Schumann

Brahms, in the same 1853, personally gets acquainted with the Schumann family, subsequently actually becoming a member of it. Brahms had a special reverence for the high talent of the composer. Schumann and his wife, pianist Clara Schumann-Wick, warmly welcomed the young musician. Schumann's enthusiasm for the young composer knew no bounds, he wrote an article praising Johannes and organized the first edition of his compositions. In 1854, Brahms wrote a number of works for pianoforte, including Variations on a Theme by Schumann.

In his articles on Brahms, Schumann wrote: "Here is a musician who is called upon to give the highest and ideal expression to the spirit of our time"

In 1859 Brahms gives a series of piano concertos

That same year, he was called to Düsseldorf when an older friend tried to commit suicide. He spent the next few years with the Schumann family, providing them financial assistance. He again gave private piano lessons and made several concert tours. Two concerts with the singer Julia Stockhausen helped establish Brahms as a songwriter.

In 1859, together with Joachim, he gives a Piano Concerto in D minor in several German cities, which was written a year earlier. Only in Hamburg was he received positively, and then Johannes was offered a job as a conductor of a women's choir, for which he writes Marienlieder. A year later, Brahms heard that most musicians welcomed the experimental theories of Liszt's "new German school". This made him furious. He criticized in the press many of Liszt's supporters, and, moving to Hamburg, he buried himself in composition, almost completely ceasing to perform in public.

Vienna becomes the home of Brahms

In 1863, Brahms came out of his voluntary retreat and gave a concert in Vienna, with the aim of bringing his songs to the Austrian public. There he met Richard Wagner. Although Brahms was critical of Wagner in the press, each composer was still able to enjoy the work of the other. Johannes received a position as conductor of the Choral Academy (Singakademie) in Vienna, which became the composer's home for the rest of his life. Work experience with women's choirs became the basis for writing a number of new choral works, the best for their time. In 1863 Brahms came out of his self-imposed retreat and gave a concert in Vienna.

Brahms' mother died in 1865. In memory of her, Johannes writes "German Requiem" (Ein Deutsches Requiem). This work, based on biblical texts, was first presented in Bremen on Good Friday, 1869. After that, it sounded throughout Germany, swept through Europe and reached Russia. It was the Requiem that became the work that put Brahms in the first row of composers of the 19th century.

Becoming, in the opinion of the public, Beethoven's successor, the composer had to correspond to high honor. In the 1870s, he focuses his efforts on works for string quartet and symphonies. In 1973 Brahms wrote Variations on a Theme of Haydn. After that, he felt that he was ready to proceed with the completion of the Symphony No. 1 (in C minor). The premiere of the symphony took place in 1876 and was very successful, but the composer revised it, changing one of the parts before publication.

Rest for the composer was an opportunity to write

After the first symphony, a number of major works followed, and the fame of Brahms' works spread far beyond the borders of Germany and Austria. Concert tours in Europe contributed significantly to this. Having sufficient funds to provide for his relatives, young musicians and scientists whose work he supported, Brahms leaves the post of conductor of the Society of Friends of Music and devotes himself almost entirely to composition. In concert tours, he performed exclusively his own works. And he spent the summer traveling in Austria, Italy and Switzerland. In concert tours, he performed exclusively his own works.

In 1880, the University of Breslau (now the University of Wroclaw in Poland) awarded Brahms an honorary degree. As a sign of gratitude, the composer composed solemn overture based on student songs.

Every year the luggage of the composer's works grew. In 1891, as a result of meeting the outstanding clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, Brahms got the idea to write chamber music for the clarinet. With Mühlfeld in mind, he composes a Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, a large Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, and two sonatas for clarinet and piano. These works are ideally suited in structure to the possibilities wind instrument, and also gracefully adapted to it.

The last of the published works "Four Serious Songs" (Vier ernste Gesänge) becomes the point in his career, at the same time being its pinnacle. While working on this work, Brahms thought about Clara Schumann, for whom he had tender feelings (at that time her state of health was greatly shaken). She died in May 1896. Soon, Brahms was forced to seek medical help.

In March 1897, at a concert in Vienna, the audience last time was able to see the author, and on April 3 Johannes Brahms died. The composer is buried next to Beethoven and Franz Schubert.

Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)

As long as there are people capable of responding to music with all their hearts, and as long as Brahms' music will give rise to such a response in them, this music will live.

G. Gal

The work of Johannes Brahms combines the emotional impetuousness of romanticism and the harmony of classicism, enriched by the philosophical depth of the baroque and the ancient polyphony of strict writing - “the musical experience of half a millennium is generalized” (according toGeiringer -Viennese researcher of Brahms.

Johannes Brahms was born on May 7, 1833 in musical family. His father went through a difficult path from a traveling artisan musician to a double bass player. Philharmonic Orchestra Hamburg. He gave his son the initial skills of playing various stringed and wind instruments, but Johannes was more attracted to the piano. Successes in studies with Kossel (later - with the famous teacher Marxen) allowed him to take part in chamber ensemble, and at 15 - give solo concert. FROM early years Johannes helped his father support the family by playing the piano in the harbor taverns, arranging for the publisher Kranz, working as a pianist in opera house. Before leaving Hamburg (1853) on a tour with the Hungarian violinist Remenyi, he was already the author of numerous works in various genres, mostly destroyed.From the folk tunes performed in concerts, the famous “Hungarian Dances” for piano were subsequently born.

At the age of fourteen, Johannes graduated from a private real school. After leaving school, along with continuing his musical education, his father began to attract him to evening work. Johannes Brahms was fragile and often suffered from headaches. Long stay in stuffy, smoky rooms and constant lack of sleep due to work at nightaffectedon his health.

On the recommendation of the violinist Josef Joachima, Brahms had the opportunity to meetSeptember 30, 1853with Robert Schumann. Schumann persuadedJohannesBrahms to perform one of his compositions and after a few bars he jumped up with the words: “ Clara needs to hear this!"The very next day, among the entries in Schumann's account book, the phrase appears:" Brahms was a guest - a genius».

Clara Schumann noted the first meeting with Brahms in her diary: This month has brought us miraculous phenomenon represented by the twenty-year-old composer Brahms from Hamburg. This is a true messenger of God! It is truly touching to see this man at the piano, to watch his attractive young face that lights up while playing, to see his beautiful hand, with great ease coping with the most difficult passages, and at the same time to hear these extraordinary compositions ... "

JohannesBrahmswas adopted by the Schumann family not only as a student, but also as a son, and lived with them until the death of Robert Schumann in July 1856.Brahmswas constantly next to Clara Schumann and was captivated by the charm of an outstanding woman.He saw in Clara - withthe elasticity of the famous Schumannwhom he respected immensely, mother of six children, eminent pianist, besides a beautiful and sophisticated woman -somethingsublime, defiant.

After the death of Robert Shumon Brahms stopped meeting with Clara Schumann.From 1857 to 1859 he was a music teacher and choir conductor at the court of Detmold, in which he could find the desired peace aftermarked by anxiety and anxietyyearsin Düsseldorf. We owe this bright, carefree mood of Brahms' soul to the orchestral serenades in D major and B major.

The "Hamburg period" of Brahms' life began with a triumphant performance of his Piano Concerto in D Minorin March 1859. The years spent in Hamburg gave a powerful impetus to the work of Brahms, largely due to the fact that it became possiblefeaturing female choirperform things composed in Detmold. Leaving later for Austria, he carried with him a large musical baggage: quartets, a trio in B major, three piano sonatas, as well as many violin pieces. In September 1862, Johannes Brahms first came to Vienna. His delight knew no bounds. He wrote: "... I live ten paces from the Prater and I can drink a glass of wine in a tavern where Beethoven often sat." First, he showed the then-famous pianist Julius Epsteinquartet in G minor. The admiration was so great that the violinist Josef Helmesberger, who was present at the first performance, immediately included this work of "Beethoven's heir" in the program of his concerts and on November 16 performed it in concert hall"Society of Friends of Music". Brahms enthusiastically reported to his parents how warmly he was received in Vienna.

Autumn 1863Johannes Brahms got the position of choirmaster of the Vienna Vocal Academy, which he held for only one season, partly because of intrigue, partly because Brahms preferred not to bind himself with any obligations and be free to create.

In June 1864Brahmswent back to Hamburg.Soonhe had to endure her deathmother. In a trioE majorfor hornsJohannes Brahmstried to express the longing and bitterness of loss. At the same time, he begins the "German Requiem".The only thing known about the history of its creation is that"German Requiem"occupied the composer for more than ten years, and that Brahms, shocked tragic fate Schumann, soon after his death wanted to compose a funeral cantata. The death of the mother could be the last impetus for the continuation and completion of the requiem. Brahms completed the sixth part of the requiem in 1868 and wrote on title page: "In memory of the mother."

The first performance of the still unfinished work took place on April 10, 1868 in Bremen and shocked the audience. The New Evangelical Church Newspaper, after the performance of the work on February 18, 1869 in Leipzig, wrote: "And if we were expecting a genius... then after this requiem, Brahms really deserved this title".

One ofgreat luckJohannesBrahms was acquainted with the famous surgeon Theodor Billroth, invitedin 1867to the University of Vienna. Big music loverBillrothbecameBrahms as a friend, critic and patron.

In January 1871 JohannesBrahmsreceived news of a serious illnessfather. At the beginning of February 1872 he arrivedheto Hamburg, and the next day his father died.

In the autumn of 1872 Brahms became artistic director of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna. Work in the "Society" was a burden, he survived only three seasons. Then Brahms again moved to the Bavarian mountains, both violin quartets in C minor appeared in Tutzing near Munich, which he dedicated to Billroth.

The financial position of Johannes Brahms was so strengthened that in 1875hecould devote most of the time to creativity. He completed work on the quartet in C minor, begun in the Schumann house. In addition, twenty years of work onFirst symphony.

In the summer of 1877, in Pörtschach on Lake Wörther, Brahms wrote his Second Symphony. The symphony was followed in 1878 by a violin concerto in D major and a sonata for violin in G major, which was called the Rain Sonatas. In the same year, Brahms received an honorary doctorate from the University of Breslau, on the occasion of which he let go of a luxurious beard, which gave him solidity.

In 1880, Brahms went to Bad Ischl, thinking that there he would be less bothered by tourists and autograph hunters. The place was calm, which contributed to the strengtheninghishealth. At the same time, friendship with Johann Strauss began. Brahms was fascinated by the personality and music of Strauss.In the summer of the following year, Johannes moved to Pressbaum, where he completed the Second piano concert, whose joyful character is reminiscent of the picturesque landscape of the Vienna Woods.

The summer of 1883 brought Johannes Brahms to the banks of the Rhine, to places associated with his youth. In Wiesbaden, he found coziness and a comfortable atmosphere that inspired him to create the Third Symphony.

LastBrahms composed his only Fourth Symphony in 1884-1885. Its first performance on October 25 in Meiningen caused unanimous admiration.

Four symphonies by Johannes Brahms reflect different aspects his worldview.

In the First - the direct successor of Beethoven's symphonism - the sharpness of the flaring dramatic collisions is resolved in a joyful hymn finale.

The second symphony, truly Viennese (at its origins - Haydn and Schubert), could be called a "symphony of joy."

The third - the most romantic of the entire cycle - goes from an enthusiastic ecstasy of life to gloomy anxiety and drama, suddenly receding before the "eternal beauty" of nature, bright and clear morning.

Fourth symphony - crown major symphonist second half of XIX centuryJohannesBrahms - develops "from elegy to tragedy"(according to Sollertinsky). The greatness of the createdBrahmssymphonies does not exclude their deep lyricism.

Very demanding of himself, Brahms, was afraid of exhaustion creative imagination thought about stopping composer activity. However, a meeting in the spring of 1891 with the clarinetist of the Meiningen Orchestra Mühlfeld prompted him to create a Trio, a Quintet (1891), and then two sonatas (1894) with the clarinet. Parallel Brahms writes 20 piano pieces(op. 116-119), which, together with clarinet ensembles, became the result of the composer's creative search. This is especially true of the Quintet and the piano intermezzo - "sorrowful remarks of the heart", combining the severity and confidence of a lyrical expression,fromsophistication and simplicity of writing, the all-penetrating melodiousness of intonations.

Publishedin 1894 the collection "49 German Folk Songs" (for voice and piano) was evidence constant attention Johannes Brahms to the folk song - his ethicsto whom and the aesthetic ideal.Arrangements of German folk songs Brams studied throughout his life, he was also interested in Slavic (Czech, Slovak, Serbian) tunes, recreated their character in his songs on folk texts. "Four Strict Melodies" for voice and piano (a type of solo cantata on texts from the Bible, 1895) and 11 chorale organ preludes (1896) supplemented the composer's "spiritual testament" with an appeal to genres and artistic means bakhovsk

Johannes Brahms (German: Johannes Brahms) (May 7, 1833, Hamburg - April 3, 1897, Vienna) is one of the most important German composers.

The son of poor parents (his father was a double bass player in the city theater), he did not have the opportunity to get a brilliant musical education and studied the piano and composition theory from Ed. Markzen, in Altona. I owe further improvement to myself. In 1847, Brahms made his first public appearance as a pianist.

Later, in 1853, he met Robert Schumann, for whose high talent he had a special reverence. Schumann treated the talent of Brahms with great attention, which he expressed very flatteringly in a critical article in a special musical organ: Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.

Brahms' first work, piano pieces and songs, was published in Leipzig in 1854. Constantly changing his residence in Germany and Switzerland, Brahms wrote a number of works in the field of piano and chamber music. From 1862 he settled in Vienna, where he was a bandmaster at the Singakademie, and from 1872-1874 he conducted the well-known concerts of the Musikfreunde society. Later, Brahms devoted most of his activity to composition.

He wrote more than 80 works, such as: monophonic and polyphonic songs, a serenade for orchestra, variations on a Haydnian theme for orchestra, two sextets for string instruments, two piano concertos, several sonatas for one piano, for piano with violin, with cello, piano trios, quartets and quintets, variations and miscellaneous pieces for pianoforte, cantata "Rinaldo" for tenor solo, male choir and orchestra, rhapsody (on an excerpt from Goethe's "Harzreise im Winter") for solo alto, male choir and orchestra , "German Requiem" for solo, choir and orchestra, "Triumphlied" (on the occasion of the Franco-Prussian War), for choir and orchestra; "Schicksalslied", for choir and orchestra; violin concerto, concerto for violin and cello, two overtures: tragic and academic.

But his symphonies brought Brahms special fame. Already in his early works, Brahms showed originality and independence. Through hard work, Brahms developed a style for himself. Of his works, by their general impression, one cannot say that Brahms was influenced by any of the composers who preceded him. But at the same time, it should be noted that, striving for independence and originality, Brahms often falls into artificiality and dryness. The most outstanding work in which the creative power of Brahms had an especially bright, original effect is his German Requiem.

Among the masses of the public the name of Brahms is very popular, but those who think that this popularity is a consequence of his own compositions will be mistaken. Brahms transcribed Hungarian melodies to the violin and piano, and these melodies, called “Hungarian dances,” entered the repertoire of a number of the most outstanding virtuoso violinists and served mainly to popularize the name of Brahms among the masses.

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