Evening star., 1939-05-10

kindly thoughtfulness toward his
father, his troublesome sister and
his brother, who suffered all his life
by being known as "the wrong
Brahms" To his grief at the death
OF his humble but loving mother,
the world owes one Of his greatest
works, the Requiem" written in her
memory.
Two characteristics of the child
Johannes continued on into the
famous man-his love of nature and
desire for culture. When he was
financially able, he became a COL
lector Of rare books and was q con-
slant visitor at antique book shops.
Strange as 1t may seem, his chief
liking in the way of literature was
anything that had to do with his
tory. particularly the history of his
beloved Germany. OF this he was
a great student. Yet his boyish love
of Robinson Crusoe" persisted to
the end Of his life and he read 1t
time and again.
His artistic taste was extended to
etchings and engravings, which he
delighted to have about him, and
to the theater, which he visited on
every opening night Of a good play.
New places always interested him
and he delighted in travel and in
seeing the sights that could add to
his education and culture. These
short voyages gave him the oppor-
tunity to admire nature in her vary
ing forms and to arrive at that COM
radeship with her that is reflected
in his music.
A sensitive, dreamy-eyed youth, he
was yet full Of fun, enjoying his
vacations in most exuberant FASH
ion, and this trait remained with
him always. In fact, his love of
practical jokes would furnish ma
terial for a book All Of his friends
suffered some time or other from
his pranks. Some Of the familiar
ones tell of the time he had the
Schumann family making birthday
presents for friend for day that
was not his birthday, and of how,
when an interviewer once came to
see him, he sent him up the difficult
mountainside in search of my
brother, the composer" or the time
he sneaked into friends house
and began to murder a piano study
so that his hostess would think it
was her young son who was playing
so badly.
Possessed Sharp Tongue.
In later years his fun-loving nature
took q more caustic bend and he
was quick with a sarcastic answer,
as when an amateur musician said
to him: 'It is extraordinary how the
theme in the last movement Of your
Fourth Symphony" reminds me
of the main theme in the finale of
Beethovens Ninth Symphony" to
which Brahms replied: "Yes, and
it is even more extraordinary how
every musical ass makes the sama
remark" AS years went on all of
his closest friends suffered from his
apparent bad humors which spared
none. In society he was guilty of
direct rudeness as when at a dinner
in his honor lady turned to him
and said, rather gushingly, "Oh.
doctor, how is it that you write such
deeply felt, emotional music?" and
Brahms gruff answer, The pub
fishers order it that way"
But underneath was still alive
the gentle boyish nature that loved
children and animals. who guided
his life by the precepts of the Bible,
of which he was great reader, who
often sent financial help secretly
to people he did not know and who
with kindly jest could set at easC
some aspiring young composer who
came to him for assistance.
In studying the character of grea'
men, there is always some point be-
yond which one can never penetratl
except by supposition. In Brahms
this point is reached when one con-
siders his deep and passionate
friendship for Clara Schumann. the
most remarkable record of unselfish
devotion to be found among any OF
the worlds master musicians. What
he thought and what he felt and
what effect that had upon his char
acter development can only be sur
missed for only a few letters remain
to give clue as to what this at
tachment meant to him.
From the moment that Robert
Schumann's article, "Neue Bahnen,"
called attention in glowing terms to
his talent, Brahms was bound to
the family. A daily visitor, he taught
the Schumann children, discussed
his and Schumann's music with
Robert and Clara and became COM
pletely a part of the household.
When Schumann's illness became
serious. he shared all the sorrow
with Clara whom he loved devoted
ly. In her struggle to rear her chill
dren and provide for them after her
husbands death, it was Brahms
who stood by her side, even helping
to defray some of the expense. Why
they never married, no one knows
1t was the excitement of hurrying
to Clara Schumann's funeral that
brought to a climax the liver COM
plant from which he had suffered
for some time. Less than a year
later, on April 3, 1897, he died. AE.