From: velde2@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Velde Francois)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: Brahms (long)
Date: 12 Nov 92 16:28:59 GMT
Article-I.D.: jhunix.1992Nov12.162859.4451
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

So this is Brahms-bashing season, eh? People are coming out of the 
closet with "Brahms does nothing for me" buttons, eh? Yet another
murderous attack on one of our gods, eh?

sigh...

Well, I already claimed that there is no bad Brahms. That claim is 
uncontroversial.  There might be misunderstandings. Brahms was not
a romantic in the Liszt-Wagner sense (he had too much self-restraint):
he started off under the wing of Shumann and Clara Wieck, as a pianist
and writing for piano, but he found his own language soon: he reaches
back to Beethoven (symphonies, chamber music), Schubert (for the lieder) 
and Schumann for the piano.  So if you are looking for Liszt in his
piano music, or Wagner/Bruckner in his symphonies, you will be 
disappointed. Also, like others, he has suffered from over-exposure
on some works (Hungarian Dances, Academic Overture) and under-exposure
elsewhere. Forget the Hungarian Dances: nice as they are, they are too
well-known, and not his best. 

A listing of most of his works follows, by genre. Some highlights:

* to me, his chamber music is his best.  I particularly recommend
the works for clarinet (sonatas, trio, quintet): all composed in
1894-95, at the end of his life (1833-1897). He had decided by then 
that he had nothing left to say, after his last piano pieces. He
then met a wonderful clarinetist, who convinced him that there
still was  something to be written: hence the opera 114, 115 and 120.
The quintet stands like a beacon, relaying the light and beauty of
Mozart's quintet: a supremely serene and luminous work, the best showcase
for the sound of the clarinet.  Also, anyone who likes the cello
will love the two sonatas, and the violin sonatas are all three 
masterpieces.  For more peppy music, try the ever-popular piano
quintet op.34 (overall, hie earlier works are full of energy and
fire, whereas the later works are more reflective and lyrical).

* in piano music, my favorites are the last works (opera 116 to 119).
I already commented on them, claiming they were the most beautiful
piano music there is, and no one disputed me.

* symphonic works: this is what Brahms is best known for, it seems.
The overtures are favorites of radio stations. While nice, they are
nothing like the symphonies. Brahms waited a long time before he tried
to write a symphony, so intimidated as he was by Beethoven; and some
have said that Brahms' 1st is Beethoven's 10th. If you don't like
Beethoven, what can I say, you don't like symphony... My favorite is
the 4th, especially the gigantic fugato last movement, that has been
compared to a cathedral.

* concertos: who can listen to either piano concerto and not be roused?
The violin concerto is surely top of the repertoire, next to Beethoven.
The double concerto is an unusual format, and a magnificent piece as
well: two intimate friends singing, loving, suffering, in long and
soulful phrases...

* lieder: there are many selections. Sapphische Ode, Wie Melodien 
zieht es mir, the Zigeunerlieder (op.102, 103), O komm du holde Nacht,
etc. I put Brahms not far behind Schubert for his lieder. The 4 serious
songs (Ernste Gesa"nge) are unusual, very dark and meditative.

* voice and orchestra: the rhapsody for contralto and male choir, op.53.
Now that is a monument: on a poem by Goethe, about solitude and wasteful
self-destruction (ist auf deinem Psalter, Vater der Liebe, ein Ton seinem 
Ohr vernehmlich, so erquicke sein Herz...: I can't help singing along).
If you can, listen to Kathleen Ferrier.

* German Requiem: he did not use the Latin text, but instead chose
his own selection of quotes from the Bible and composed his own vision
of a requiem (especially with his mother and Schumann in mind). 
The qualifier "German" only refers to the text being in German.
It is magnificent: tender and comforting, stark and somber (Denn alles
Fleisches ist wie Grass...), humble and defenseless (Herr, lehre doch...),
joyful and triumphant (Tod, wo ist dein Sieg), resolute and faithful
(des Herrn Wort bleibt in Ewigkeit).


Well, I've tried.
-------------------------------------------------
Works by Johannes Brahms

Chamber Music:

sonatas for violin	no.1, G major, op.78
		 	no.2, A major, op.100
			no.3, D minor, op.108
sonatas for cello	no.1, E minor, op.38
			no.2, F major, op.99
sonatas for clarinet	no.1, F minor, op.120 no.1
			no.2, Eb major, op.120 no.2
trio for piano		no.1, B major, op.8
			no.2, C major, op.87
			no.3, C minor, op.101
trio for horn		E-fl major, op.40
trio for clarinet	A minor, op.114
piano quartets		no.1, G minor, op.25 
			no.2, A major, op.26
			no.3, C major, op.60
string quartets		no.1, C minor, op.51 no.1
			no.2, A minor, op.51 no.2
			no.3, Bb major, op.67
piano quintet		F minor, op.34
string quintets		no.1, F major, op.88
			no.2, G major, op.111
clarinet quintet	B minor, op.115
string sextets		no.1, Bb major, op.18
			no.2, G major, op.36

Piano Music

sonatas			no.1, C major, op.1
			no.2, F# minor, op.2
			no.3, F minor, op.5
other pieces		Scherzos, op.4
			Balladen op.10
			Klavierstu"cke op.76
			2 Rhapsodies op.79
			7 Fantasien op.116
			3 Intermezzi op.117
			6 Klavierstu"cke op.118
			4 Klavierstu"cke op.119

4-hand 			Waltzes op.39
Variations		on a theme by Schumann op.9
			on an original theme op.21 no.1
			on a hungarian song op.21 no.2
			on a theme by Haendel op.24
			on a theme by Paganini op.35
			on a theme by Haydn op.56b (orchestra: op.56a)
			
Concertos

for piano		no.1, D minor, op.15
			no.2, Bb major, op.83
for violin		D major op.77
for violin and cello	A minor, op.102

Symphonic 

symphonies		no.1, C minor, op.68
			no.2, D major, op.73
			no.3, F major, op.90
			no.4, E minor, op.98
other			academic overture op.80
			tragic overture op.81

Vocal 

Lieder			opp.14,41,47,48,49,62,84,85,86,94,95,96,97,105,106,107
Lieder & Gesa"nge	opp.32,57,58,59,63
Lieder & Romanzen	opp.14,42,44,93
Romanzen & Lieder 	op.84
Liebesliederwalzer	op.52
Neue Liebesliederwalzer	op.65
duets			op.20,28,61,66
			choral works op.122
			2 Gesa"nge with viola, piano op.91
			4 Ernste Gesa"nge op.121

Voice & Orchestra	Rinaldo, cantata op.50
			Rhapsodie for contralto and choir op.53
			Schicksalslied op.54
			
			Ein Deutsches Requiem
-- 

	Francois Velde
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical