Johannes Brahms-Part 1

Among the artists whose merits have been passionately disputed, not only by the public at large, but also by other famous musicians, is certainly Johannes Brahms. With Brahms it is not as with Wagner a question of agreeing or disagreeing with his principles or his daring innovations, but simply a liking or disliking of his music. Someone named him "the last of the classics" or, like Bulow, made him a member of the "Three B's Trinity," Bach, Beethoven, Brahms. Others, like Tschaikowsky, find that he lacks the chief thing in music - beauty. After all it is entirely a matter of taste. There are many musicians who, even recognizing the seriousness of his aims, and the extent of his knowledge, do not like his music. Other, on the contrary, swear that every note form his pen is a gem.

I shall try to navigate impartially between these two antagonistic cliffs and to find out what in his works captivated the admiration of one part of the music world and what on the contrary aroused the opposition of the other.

I Brahm's early days all his surroundings were musical and everything tended to foster the inclination he inherited from his father who was a prominent member of the Hamburg orchestra. Also, his teacher, Marxsen, had the strongest influence on his subsequent work, fostering his comprehension and devotion to the older masters, especially Bach and Beethoven.