Biography and Chief Works of 

Johannes Brahms

1833.

Born in Hamburg.  Father a double bass player.  Studied piano and theory, and played in taverns in order to earn money.

1853.

Went on a concert tour with a Hungarian violinist.  Through this met the famous violinist, Joachim, and Liszt.  Visited the Schumanns, who befriended him.  

Robert Schumann wrote an article in praise of his compositions, and helped him to publish his 3 piano sonatas and some songs.

1854-1856.

Stayed in Dusseldorf, helping Clara Schumann and her children while Robert was in the mental asylum.  Devoted to Clara throughout his life.  Schumann's death made Brahms think of writing a requiem.

1857.

Returned to Hamburg, but also held part-time post as music director at the court of Detmold for three years.  

Started to write a symphony, but turned first two movements of it into piano concerto in D minor, which was performed in Leipzig in 1859.  

Also wrote two orchestral serenades.  Conducted a ladies' choir in Hamburg, for which he wrote part songs.  

Wrote a manifesto with Joachim against the "Neo-German" school of Wagner and Liszt.  Preferred the traditional forms, and wrote much chamber music at this time.

1863.

Moved to Vienna, after a disappointment at not being given a conducting post in Hamburg the previous year.  

Stayed there for the rest of his life.  

Was conductor of the "Singakadamie" for a year.  Continued to write chamber music.

1865.

Mother's death gave him the impulse to complete the 'Requiem', which was given a successful performance in Bremen Cathedral, and soon regularly performed in Germany.  

Wrote 3 more choral works, including 'Alto Rhapsody'.

1872.

Appointed a musical director in Vienna, but resigned three years later, and thereafter held no public appointment.

1873.

'St Anthony Variations'.

1876.

Completed first symphony in C minor.  Joachim conducted it in England the following year.

1877.

Second symphony in D major.

1878.

Violin concerto.  Conducted second symphony in hometown of Hamburg.

1879.

Offered doctorate at Breslau University, and wrote 'Academic Festival Overture' for the occasion.  

Von Bülow left Wagner, befriended Brahms, and became a famous conductor of his works.

1881.

Second piano concerto in Bь major.

1883.

Third symphony in F major.

1885.

Fourth symphony in E minor.

1887.

Concerto for violin and 'cello.

1889.

Honorary freedom of Hamburg.

1891.

Clarinetist encouraged him to write clarinet trio and quintet, and, in 1894, 2 clarinet sonatas.  

Later piano cornpositions date from this period.

1896.

Clara Schumann died-a great blow.

1897.

Died in Vienna, Dvorak being a pallbearer at his funeral.

Lived a quiet uneventful life, and never married.  Warmhearted, and had many friends, in spite of awkward, rugged manners.

His music has a warm, romantic, lyrical quality, but he wrote absolute rather than programme music, and followed on the tradition of the classicists.  

Like Beethoven, he had great powers of thematic development, and was at his best in chamber and orchestral music.  

But he also followed the Viennese tradition created by Schubert in writing a magnificent collection of songs.

Orchestral works: 

4 symphonies; 2 serenades; 'Variations on a theme of Haydn' ('St Antony Variations'); 2 piano concertos; violin concerto; concerto for violin and 'cello; 'Academic Festival Overture'; 'Tragic Overture'; Hungarian Dances.

Large amount of chamber music, including 3 string quartets; 2 string quintets; 2 string sextets, 3 piano trios; 3 piano quartets; 1 piano quintet; 3 violin sonatas; 2 'cello sonatas; 2 clarinet sonatas; horn trio; clarinet trio; and clarinet quintet.

Many works for piano solo: 

3 sonatas; 4 ballades; several sets of variations, including those on a theme of Paganini -all early works.  Later works are shorter and have indeterminate titles, such as rhapsody, capriccio and intermezzo.

'Liebeslieder' waltzes and Hungarian dances for piano duet. (The waltzes also have optional parts for vocal quartet.)

Organ works, including 11 chorale preludes.

Choral works, including Requiem, 'Alto Rhapsody', part songs for female voices, unaccompanied part songs and motets.

About 200 songs, many of them very beautiful.  Also many arrangements of folk songs.