Johannes Brahms Accomplishments
Johannes Brahms
I selected Johannes Brahms because I believe that he was an amazingly interesting musician and person. I love the way in which he thought out his compositions so academically, trying to express literature and the feelings that it conveys through his music. Also, I find interesting the way in which he expressed these feelings while always maintaining structure and form in his compositions. Moreover, I feel like I relate to him at some level, as it is said that he was very organized and pretty much a perfectionist. It is believed that when he did not like one of his works, he would get rid of it; destroy it, even after being complete. Also, probably the main reason why I chose him was because of the beauty of his musical works. He composed great pieces that are very popular still today. Some examples are the Hungarian Dances and the “Lullaby”! …show more content…
He was a master in counterpoint and development, techniques that consist on developing musical ideas throughout a composition.
He was said to be both a traditionalist and an innovator. He was perceived so by many musicians of his time because he tried to find new ways to approach harmony and melody by using techniques that had previously been mastered by composers like Beethoven, Mozart and Bach. Some of his most important musical contributions were: the Ein Deutsches Requiem, which Brahms composed for the death of his friend Robert Schumann and of his mother; the Hungarian Dances, which were among some of his most popular works; “Brahms’ Lullaby”, which he composed for the birth of a friend’s child; and Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, which has been highly admired by many world class
musicians.
He was scarred in his early years. His parents made him play in brothels throughout the city to make money. Consequently, in these places, he would be mistreated, and thus, was left with psychological traumas. This is probably one of the reasons why he sought peaceful and calmed environments throughout his adult years. His personality was very ambiguous: he would be very loving towards kids, while being hateful towards most adults. However, he was very loyal and caring for his close friends, which were very few. He demonstrated this by taking care of the Schumann’s household when Robert Schumann’s died. Despite his life being quite chaotic, he found a balance in his music. His early works would not convey his scarred self. However, after his friend Robert Schumann and his mother died, he poured out all of his feelings in his Ein Deutsches Requiem, making this piece very confessional to the public of his true self. He expressed grievance for the passing of his loved ones, but also loneliness, for his unfortunate love life. He was in love with his friend Robert’s wife, Clara Schumann, whom he never got to marry.
Here is one of Brahms’ best pieces, the one in which he showed to us his feelings and true self with openness: Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem - Full length
I selected Johannes Brahms because I believe that he was an amazingly interesting musician and person. I love the way in which he thought out his compositions so academically, trying to express literature and the feelings that it conveys through his music. Also, I find interesting the way in which he expressed these feelings while always maintaining structure and form in his compositions. Moreover, I feel like I relate to him at some level, as it is said that he was very organized and pretty much a perfectionist. It is believed that when he did not like one of his works, he would get rid of it; destroy it, even after being complete. Also, probably the main reason why I chose him was because of the beauty of his musical works. He composed great pieces that are very popular still today. Some examples are the Hungarian Dances and the “Lullaby”! …show more content…
He was a master in counterpoint and development, techniques that consist on developing musical ideas throughout a composition.
He was said to be both a traditionalist and an innovator. He was perceived so by many musicians of his time because he tried to find new ways to approach harmony and melody by using techniques that had previously been mastered by composers like Beethoven, Mozart and Bach. Some of his most important musical contributions were: the Ein Deutsches Requiem, which Brahms composed for the death of his friend Robert Schumann and of his mother; the Hungarian Dances, which were among some of his most popular works; “Brahms’ Lullaby”, which he composed for the birth of a friend’s child; and Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, which has been highly admired by many world class
musicians.
He was scarred in his early years. His parents made him play in brothels throughout the city to make money. Consequently, in these places, he would be mistreated, and thus, was left with psychological traumas. This is probably one of the reasons why he sought peaceful and calmed environments throughout his adult years. His personality was very ambiguous: he would be very loving towards kids, while being hateful towards most adults. However, he was very loyal and caring for his close friends, which were very few. He demonstrated this by taking care of the Schumann’s household when Robert Schumann’s died. Despite his life being quite chaotic, he found a balance in his music. His early works would not convey his scarred self. However, after his friend Robert Schumann and his mother died, he poured out all of his feelings in his Ein Deutsches Requiem, making this piece very confessional to the public of his true self. He expressed grievance for the passing of his loved ones, but also loneliness, for his unfortunate love life. He was in love with his friend Robert’s wife, Clara Schumann, whom he never got to marry.
Here is one of Brahms’ best pieces, the one in which he showed to us his feelings and true self with openness: Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem - Full length