JOHANNES BRAHMS ( ARR . HERMANN ) Liebeslieder Waltzes , Nos . 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 , and 11
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Born 1833 in Hamburg , Germany ; died 1897 in Vienna , Austria-Hungary ( now Austria )
• Brahms was born in Hamburg to a musical family — his father was a professional musician . Brahms began studying piano as a child and was also interested in writing music at a young age . One of his early piano teachers wrote in a letter to Brahms ’ father that Johannes “ could be such a good player , but he will not stop his never-ending composing .”
• Brahms ’ studies were firmly rooted in the tradition of Bach , Mozart , and Beethoven , which is evident in his music . When Brahms began performing his own works , his music was met favorably .
• The pressure of these expectations weighed heavily on Brahms . Although composing for quite some time , Brahms did not complete his first symphony until 1876 when he was 43 years old . The work was met with great success , and his symphonies are some of the most beloved works in the classical music repertoire .
• Brahms is one of the most famous composers of the Romantic era . He is often grouped with Bach and Beethoven as one of the “ three B ’ s ” and balanced tradition and innovation in his music .
FUN FACT
Brahms was adamant about destroying his earlier works , sometimes even going to great lengths to obtain copies of old scores from other musicians and ensembles .
THE WORLD AT A GLANCE
1869
MUSIC Franz Schubert ’ s Symphony No . 4 , “ The Tragic ”
SCIENCE Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table of elements to the Russian Chemical Society
ABOUT THE PIECE
• Brahms wrote his Liebeslieder Waltzes in 1869 . The works were meant to be performed at social gatherings , and their popularity contributed to Brahms ’ financial stability .
• The waltzes contain a collection of love songs and were written for voice and piano . There is speculation that the motivation for the work was Brahms ’ feelings for Clara Schumann .
SPORTS Cincinnati Red Stockings become the first professional baseball team
HISTORY Elizabeth Cady Stanton becomes first woman to testify before U . S . Congress
BSO SESSIONS | APRIL 2021
7