Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. Brahms has been considered both a traditionalist and an innovator, by his contemporaries and by later writers. His music is rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Classical masters. Embedded within those structures are deeply romantic motifs. While some contemporaries found his music to be overly academic, his contribution and craftsmanship were admired by subsequent figures as diverse as Arnold Schoenberg and Edward Elgar. The diligent, highly constructed nature of Brahms's works was a starting point and an inspiration for a generation of composers (from Wikipedia).
As with all posts dedicated to one composer, I will select my 12 favourite works, listed in chronological order. All depicted CD's are from my own collection.
Piano Quartet No. 1 (1861)
The Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25, was not an instant favourite with the public by any means, but the work's reputation has continued to grow, especially the final Rondo, where Brahms channels both quirky and sentimental Hungarian themes in his inimitable way, one of his best creations. One does get the feeling overall that there is a symphony waiting to break out of this piano quartet - no wonder Schoenberg orchestrated it. The version shown above is by Domus on a Virgin Classics CD.
String Sextet No. 2 (19865)
The String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36, is a four movements work, and scored for two violins, two violas, and two celli. This sextet is a highly melodious work, at times hauntingly beautiful, at times beautifully haunting, and ending on a positive note. The version shown above is by the Raphael Ensemble on a Hyperion CD.
A German Requiem (1868)
A German Requiem (German: Ein Deutsches Requiem), Op. 45, is a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, a soprano and a baritone soloist, comprising seven movements. As the title states, is a Requiem in the German language rather than following the traditional Latin texts.The work had its emotional roots in the death of the composer's mother a few years earlier. The version shown above is by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Prague Philharmonic Chorus under Giuseppe Sinopoli, with Lucia Popp and Wolfgang Brendel, on a Deutsche Grammophon CD.
Piano Quartet No. 3 (1875)
The Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60, is sometimes called the Werther Quartet after Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther. It took Brahms over 20 years to finish this very personal work, in which his impossible love for Clara Schumann shines through. This a resigned masterpiece, one of the best chamber music works by one of the best chamber music composers. The version shown above is by Domus on a Virgin Classics CD.
Symphony No. 2 (1877)
The Symphony No. 2 in D major, op.73, is often seen as relatively the weakest in the outstanding Brahms cycle of four - but for me that would be his first, as good as it is. The second is a more pastoral symphony than the other three, and was an easy pick for me in this list of twelve (which the first symphony just barely failed to make). The version shown above is by the Berliner Philharmoniker under Herbert von Karajan on a Deutsche Grammophon CD (eighties' series).
Violin Concerto (1878)
The Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77, is dedicated to his friend and famous violinist Joseph Joachim. Initial reactions were mixed, with some very negative ones from violinists of that time (Wieniawski called the work "unplayable"). With time it has been accepted as one of the main violin concertos of all time. The version shown above is by Arthur Grumiaux with the New Philharmonia Orchestra under Colin Davis on a Philips CD.
Piano Concerto 2 (1881)
The Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major, op. 83, is a four movement work like its predecessor from 1854. Both Brahms piano concertos are generally seen as among the very best from the post-Beethoven era. I love them both, but the second just a bit more than the first, so I picked that one for this post. The version shown above is by Maurizio Pollini and the Wiener Philharmoniker under Claudio Abbado on a Deutsche Grammophon CD.
String Quintet No. 1 (1882)
The String Quintet No. 1 in F major, op. 88, is a three movements work, scored for string quartet with a second viola. Brahms described the quintet to his friend Clara Schumann as "one of [his] finest works" and told Simrock, "You have never before had such a beautiful work from me." Indeed, it is a gem. The version shown above is by Members of the Berlin Philharmonic Octet on a Philips Classics CD.
Symphony No. 3 (1884)
The Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90, is a four movements work. It has become one of his most played works, and made numerous appearances in popular culture - I'll never forget the classic scene in Fawlty Towers where Basil Fawlty, when accused by his wife of "listening to that racket", famously responds "Racket!? That's Brahms! Brahms' third racket!" - mind you, that was about ten years before I started exploring classical music! The version shown above is by the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan on a Deutsche Grammophon CD (Seventies series).
Symphony No. 4 (1885)
The Symphony No. 4 in F major, Op. 98, is generally regarded as his best symphony and one of the best in the genre - and I agree with both statements. The fourth and last movement is notable as a rare example of a symphonic passacaglia, The version shown above is by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Georg Solti on a Decca.London CD.
Clarinet Quintet (1891)
The Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115, is scored for a clarinet in A with a string quartet. When Clara Schumann first heard this quintet, she wrote: "It is a really marvelous work, the wailing clarinet takes hold of one; it is most moving. And what interesting music, deep and full of meaning!" This beautiful autumnal piece is widely seen as one of the highlights of the entire chamber music repertoire, and for me it is even a candidate for the #1 position in that genre. The version shown above is by Keith Puddy and the Delmé String quartet on a HMP Classics CD.
Clarinet Sonata No. 1 (1894)
The Clarinet Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 120.1, is another highlight from the last years of Brahms' life. Also available in the somewhat less appealing version for viola and piano, the original composition for clarinet and piano is a masterpiece, for me the best work ever for this combination - the main competition being Brahms' second clarinet sonata which was issued under the same opus number. The version shown above is by Gervaise de Peyer and Gwenneth Pryor on a Chandos CD.
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