Chamber art of Brahms. Johannes Brahms

They represented two opposite poles. The name Wagner was a symbol of radical innovation, while Brahms was perceived as the custodian of classical traditions. Many contemporaries believed that he was following the “beaten paths”, called him an academician and a conservative.

Around Wagner and Liszt, the so-called. Weimar school, who advocated a radical renewal of the musical language, new forms, programming, synthesis of music and drama. Brahms' position was different: striving for harmony of new and traditional, he did not believe that classical genres and forms had exhausted themselves and they must be replaced with something new. The circle of genres in which he worked is indicative: paying tribute to the new romantic genres (miniature, ballad, rhapsodies), the composer clearly gravitated towards the classical genres of the symphony, sonata, and concerto. Moreover: thanks to Brahms, some principles of even more ancient genres and forms - the Baroque era (this is the passacaglia, concerto grosso, organ choral prelude, polyphonic prelude-fugue cycle) are being revived. The most striking example of the use of baroque principles is the tragic finale of the 4th symphony.

The very fact that Brahms did not share the views of the Listo-Wagnerians was the reason for including him in the opposite - Leipzig schools e, especially since among its representatives were the closest friends of the composer (Robert and Clara Schumann, violinist Josef Joachim). Brahms himself considered himself the heir of R. Schumann, who shortly before his death "blessed" him in his last article.

The struggle of the Weimar and Leipzig schools in German music was fierce, long and implacable. The paradox was that Wagner carried out his reformist principles in the only genre that Brahms did not address - opera.

In this struggle, Brahms showed his inherent nobility: he never stooped to the level of newspaper polemics, and his answer to the sharp attacks of both Wagner himself and his supporters was silence.

So, in his work, Brahms acted as a guardian eternal values - classical traditions, and this makes him related to such romantics as Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin. The classical beginning is felt in Brahms both in the clarity of thematism, based on generalized intonations (musicologists often mention his predilection for intonations of thirds and sixths), and in the harmony, proportionality, and balance of forms. It is indicative, in particular, that by turning to the Liszt genre of rhapsody, Brahms gives it a more rigorous, classical outline.

An example would be 1st Rhapsody, B minor. Unlike Liszt's complete improvisational freedom of rhapsodies, it is written in a reprise 3-part form with sonata extreme sections. Her music is based on the contrast of two images - passionate, impetuously expressive (G.P.), and more calm, lyrically thoughtful (P.P. and the related major theme of the middle movement).

As a pianist and conductor, Brahms performed many works of the 17th and 18th centuries, he could play by heart at any time any from 48 fugues "HTK" Bach.

However, in new historical conditions- in the era of romanticism - objectively, the harmony of the worldview of the Viennese classics could not be achieved. In many of Brahms's works, drama and tragedy dominate, characteristic of romantic art in general. An example of this is the concept of the 4th symphony: the movement of thought goes in it, as it were, in the opposite direction compared to Beethoven's - "from light to darkness", to the tragic catastrophe of the finale.

In the music of Brahms there are other typical features of romanticism - emotional impetuousness, attention to the spiritual world of a person, the dominance of the lyrical principle.

Lyric characterizes the whole creative image of Brahms. Almost all of his themes are lyrical in nature. At the same time, Brahms' lyric poetry is remarkable for its amazing capacity; it often incorporates both genre and epic, narrative elements.

Like all other romantics, Brahms had a huge interest in folklore. Like none of his contemporary German composers, he deeply and thoughtfully studied folklore. From the age of 24 until the end of his life, Brahms processed German folk songs and promoted them as the leader of the choir chapel leader. The words of the composer are not accidental: "A folk song is my ideal." Having spent half of his life in Vienna, i.e. in the center of a multinational country, Brahms knew and loved the folklore of the most different peoples. He often composed for translations from Slavic (Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Moravian), Italian, Scottish, Hungarian folk poetry. Admiring Hungarian folk music, the composer created wonderful "Hungarian dances" for piano 4 hands (they exist in various arrangements).

With the exception of theater music, there is no such area of ​​composer creativity that Brahms would not address. All musical genres are represented in his music from symphony to music for home music playing in 4 hands.

The four symphonies of Brahms are among the highest achievements of post-Beethoven symphony, along with the symphonies of Schubert. His concertos are not inferior to symphonies in their significance - 2 piano, 1 violin and 1 double (for violin and cello).

Vocal creativity is exceptionally rich: songs (about 200), vocal ensembles, various choral compositions (with accompaniment and a capella), vocal and symphonic works, among which the German Requiem stands out.

The same breadth of interests is observed in the chamber-instrumental field: here are chamber ensembles of the most diverse composition, and piano music.

The composer's interest in the piano was constant, which is quite natural, because. he was a remarkable pianist, constantly performing in an ensemble with violinists (Eduard Remenyi, Joseph Joachim), singers, and Clara Schumann. Among Brahms' earliest piano compositions are 3 grand piano sonatas, called "hidden symphonies" by Schumann. Indeed, their music clearly breaks out of the traditional chamber framework.

In addition to these sonatas, Brahms dedicated 5 variation cycles to the piano (including variations on Handel's t., on Paganini's t., on Schumann's t.), 5 ballads, 3 rhapsodies, 2 collections of pianofortes. etudes, as well as capriccio (7) and intermezzo (18) - his original version of the fp. miniatures.

Became a major genre late. In his interpretation, the intermezzo acquires independence (whereas previously such a name was given to one of medium parts of a sonata-symphony or suite cycle). Here the whole world of Brahms' lyrics was generalized - from enlightened peace (Es dur intermezzo, op.117) to deep tragedy (es moll intermezzo, op.118).

Brahms' contemporaries, as well as later critics, considered the composer both an innovator and a traditionalist. His music, in its structure and compositional techniques, showed continuity with the works of Bach and Beethoven. Although contemporaries found the works of the German romanticist too academic, his skill and the contribution that he made to the development musical art, delighted many outstanding composers subsequent generations. Carefully thought out and impeccably structured, Brahms' work became the starting point and inspiration for a generation of composers. However, behind this external scrupulousness and uncompromising nature, the truly romantic nature of the great composer and musician was hidden.

Brief biography Johannes Brahms and many interesting facts read about the composer on our page.

Brief biography of Brahms

Outwardly, the biography of Johannes Brahms is unremarkable. The future genius of musical art was born on May 7, 1833 in one of the poorest quarters of Hamburg in the family of musician Johann Jakob Brahms and housekeeper Christian Nissen.

The father of the family at one time became a professional musician in the class of string and wind instruments against the will of his parents. Perhaps it was the experience of parental misunderstanding that made him pay close attention to musical ability own sons - Fritz and Johannes.

Indescribably rejoicing at the talent for music, which manifested itself early in his youngest son, the father introduced Johannes to his friend, pianist Otto Friedrich Kossel, when the boy was only 7 years old. Teaching Johannes the technique of playing the piano, Kossel instilled in him the desire to learn its essence in music.

After three years of study, Johannes will play in public for the first time in his life, performing a quintet Beethoven And Mozart piano concerto . Concerned about the health and talent of his student, Kossel opposes the tour of America offered to the boy. He represents young Johannes the best teacher music in Hamburg to Edward Marksen. Hearing the talented play of the future composer, Marksen offered to train him for free. This fully satisfied the pecuniary interest of Johannes's parents, justified in their plight, and prompted them to abandon the idea with America. The new teacher of Johannes studied with him in the piano class, paying special attention to the study of music Bach and Beethoven, and was the only one who immediately supported his inclinations for writing.

Forced, like his father, to earn a crust of bread by playing in the evening in the smoky premises of port bars and taverns, Brahms worked with Edward Marksen during the daytime. Such a load on the immature body of Johannes had a bad effect on his already poor health.

Creative dating

His demeanor set Brahms apart from his peers. He was not distinguished by the freedom of behavior inherent in many creative natures, on the contrary, the young man seemed detached from everything that was happening around him and completely absorbed in inner contemplation. Passion for philosophy and literature made him even more lonely in the circle of Hamburg acquaintances. Brahms decides to leave his native city.

In the years that followed, he met many prominent personalities in the music world of the time. Hungarian violinist Eduard Remenyi, 22-year-old violinist and personal accompanist of the King of Hanover Josef Joachim, Franz Liszt and, finally, Robert Schumann - these people, one after another, appeared in the life of young Johannes in just one year, and each of them played an important role in becoming a composer.

Joachim became a close friend of Brahms for the rest of his life. It was on his recommendation that in 1853 Johannes visited Düsseldorf, Schuman . Hearing the play of the latter, the enthusiastic Brahms, without waiting for an invitation, performed several of his compositions in front of him. Johannes became a welcome guest in the home of Robert and Clara Schumann, who were shocked by Brahms both as a musician and as a person. Two weeks of communication with the creative couple became turning point in the life of a young composer. Schumann did his best to support his friend, popularizing his work in the highest musical circles of that time.

A few months later, Johannes returned from Düsseldorf to Hamburg, helping his parents and expanding his circle of acquaintances in Joachim's house. Here he met Hans von Bülow, famous pianist and conductor of the time. On March 1, 1854, he publicly performed Brahms' work.

In July 1856 Schumann, for a long time suffering from a mental disorder, died. The experience of the loss of a deeply respected friend gave birth to a desire in Brahms's soul to express himself in music: he begins work on the famous German Requiem.

No prophet in his own country

Brahms dreamed of getting a good place in Hamburg to live and work in hometown but they didn't offer him anything. Then, in 1862, he decided to go to Vienna, hoping to impress the Hamburg public and win favor with his successes in the musical capital of the world. In Vienna, he quickly gained general recognition and was quite pleased with this. But he never forgot about his Hamburg dream.

Later, he realized that he was not made for a long routine work in an administrative position, which distracted him from creativity. Indeed, he did not stay anywhere for more than three years, whether it was the position of the head of the Choir Chapel or the head of the Society of Music Lovers.

In the declining years

In 1865, news of the death of his mother came to him in Vienna, Brahms was very upset by the loss. How true creative person he translated every emotional shock into the language of notes. The death of his mother prompted him to continue and complete the German Requiem, which later became a special phenomenon of European classics. On Easter 1868, he presented his creation for the first time in the main cathedral of Bremen, the success was overwhelming.

In 1871, Brahms rented an apartment in Vienna, which became his relatively permanent residence for the rest of his life. It must be admitted that, in view of his increasing egocentricity over the years, Johannes Brahms had a rare talent for repelling people. IN last years life, he spoiled relations with many new acquaintances, moved away from old ones. Even close friend Joachim broke off all relations with him. Brahms stood up for his wife, whom he suspected of treason, and this greatly offended the jealous spouse.

The composer liked to spend summer in resort towns, finding there not only healing air, but also inspiration for new works. In winter, he gave concerts in Vienna as a performer or as a conductor.

In recent years, Brahms went deeper into himself, became gloomy and gloomy. He no longer wrote large works, but, as it were, summed up his work. He last appeared in public performing his Fourth Symphony. In the spring of 1897, Brahms died, leaving the world immortal scores and the Society of Music Lovers. On the day of the funeral, the flags on all ships in the port of Hamburg were flown at half mast.

"... Swallowed by the boundless aspiration of fatal selfless love"

“I think only in music, and if it goes on like this,
I will turn into a chord and disappear into the sky.

From a letter from I. Brahms to Clara Schumann.

In the biography of Brahms there is the fact that in the summer of 1847, 14-year-old Johannes went to the southeast of Hamburg to improve his health. Here he teaches the piano to the daughter of Adolf Giezmann. It is with Lizhen that a series of romantic hobbies in the life of the composer will begin.

Clara Schumann occupied a special place in the life of Brahms. Having first met this amazing woman in 1853, he carried through his whole life bright feelings for her and deep reverence for her husband. The diaries of the Schumanns were full of references to Brahms.

Clara, the mother of six children, was 14 years older than Johannes, but this did not stop him from falling in love. Johannes admired her husband Robert and adored his children, so there could be no question of romance between them. Storm of feelings and fluctuation between passion for married woman and respect for her husband resulted in the music for the old Scottish ballad "Edward". After going through many trials, the love of Johannes and Clara remained platonic.

Before his death, Schumann suffered greatly from a mental disorder. The way Brahms took care of her in this difficult period for Clara and took care of her children like a father was the highest manifestation of Love, which only a person with a noble soul is capable of. He wrote to Clara:

“I always want to tell you only about love. Every word that I write to you that does not speak of love makes me repent. You taught me and continue to teach me every day to admire and learn what love, affection and devotion are. I always want to write to you as touchingly as possible about how sincerely I love you. I can only ask you to take my word for it…”

To console Clara, in 1854 he wrote Variations on a Theme by Schumann for her.

The death of Robert, contrary to the expectations of others, did not lead to a new stage in the relationship between Clara and Brahms. He corresponded with her for many years, helped her children and grandchildren in every possible way. Later, Clara's children would name Brahms as one of their number.

Johannes outlived Clara by exactly one year, as if to confirm that this woman was the source of life for him. The death of his beloved so shocked the composer that he composed the Fourth Symphony, one of his most significant works.

However, being the strongest, this heartfelt passion was not the last in the life of Brahms. Friends invited the maestro to spend the summer of 1858 in Göttingen. There he met the charming owner of a rare soprano Agatha von Siebold. Being passionately in love with this woman, Brahms wrote with pleasure for her. Everyone was sure of their imminent marriage, but the engagement was soon terminated. After that, he wrote to Agatha: “I love you! I must see you again, but I am unable to wear chains. Please write to me ... can I ... come again to take you in my arms, kiss you and tell you that I love you. They never saw each other again, and Brahms later confessed that Agatha was his "last love".

After 6 years, in 1864 in Vienna, Brahms will teach music to Baroness Elisabeth von Stockhausen. A beautiful and gifted girl will become another passion of the composer, and again this relationship will not germinate.

At the age of 50, Brahms met Hermine Spitz. She possessed the most beautiful soprano and later became the main performer of his songs, especially rhapsodies. Inspired by a new passion, Brahms created many works, but the affair with Hermine also did not last long.

Already in adulthood, Brahms recognizes that his heart has always belonged and will always belong to his only Lady - Music. Creativity was for him the organizing core around which his life revolved, and everything that distracted this person from creating musical works had to be torn out of his thoughts and heart: whether it was a respectable position or a beloved woman.

Interesting Facts

• Brahms outdid himself in his mastery of counterpoint. Its most complex forms became natural means of expressing the composer's emotions.
• His first symphony was a truly epic work. Starting to write it in 1854, he performed the work for the first time 22 years later, all the while doing rigorous editing.
• The so-called War of the Romantics was largely a musical dispute between the representatives of the radical movement in music, Wagner and Liszt, on the one hand, and the conservatives Brahms and Clara Schumann, on the other. As a result, contemporaries perceived Brahms as hopelessly outdated, but meanwhile, he is very popular today.
• Brahms did not write any other work for as long as the German Requiem. It also became the composer's longest work. For his text, Brahms himself personally selected quotations from the Lutheran Bible. It should be noted that the canonical requiem should be composed of fragments of the liturgical mass, but this is not the case. main feature textual component of the work of Brahms. None of the selected quotations contains the name of Jesus Christ, which was done on purpose: in response to objections, Brahms said that for greater universality and inclusiveness of the text, he might even rename it "The Human Requiem".

• Most of Brahms' works short essays applied nature. The influential American critic B. Heggin argued that Brahms was especially good in small genres, to which he would include Hungarian Dances, Waltz for piano duet and Waltzes of Love for vocal quartet and piano, as well as some of his many songs, especially "Wiegenlied".
• The main theme in the finale of the First Symphony is a reminiscence of the main theme of the finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. When one of the critics, noticing this, boasted to Brahms of his observation, he replied that every donkey could notice it.
• The biography of Brahms notes that at the age of 57 the composer announced the end of his creative career. However, after that, being simply unable to stop composing, he gave the world some truly incredible beautiful writings: Clarinet Sonata, Trio and Quintet.
• In 1889 an audio recording was made of Brahms performing one of his Hungarian dances. There is a lot of controversy about whose voice is heard on the record, but the thunderous performance belongs to Brahms himself, no doubt.

• In 1868 Brahms wrote the well-known, folk-text-based "Lullaby" ("Wiegenlied"). He composed it specifically for the birthday of his son Bertha Faber, his good friend.
• Brahms was the music teacher of the famous film composer Max Steiner in his early childhood.
• His home in the small town of Lichtental, Austria, where Brahms worked on chamber works middle period and many of his major works, including the "German Requiem", has been preserved to this day, being a museum.

Heavy character

Johannes Brahms became famous for his gloominess, disregard for all secular norms of behavior and conventions. He was quite harsh even with close friends, they say that once, leaving some kind of society, he apologized that he had not offended everyone.

When Brahms and his friend, the violinist Rémeigny, secured a letter of recommendation, arrived in Weimar to Franz Liszt, the king of the German musical world, Brahms remained indifferent to both Liszt and his work. The maestro was indignant.

Schumann sought to draw the attention of the musical community to Brahms. He sent the composer with a letter of recommendation to publishers in Leipzig, where he performed two sonatas. Brahms dedicated one of them to Clara Schumann, the other to Joachim. He did not write about his patron on the title pages ... not a word.

In 1869, Brahms, who arrived in Vienna at the suggestion of an envious Wagner met with a flurry of newspaper criticism. It is precisely the bad relationship with Wagner that researchers explain the absence of operas in Brahms' legacy: he did not want to invade his colleague's territory. According to many sources, Brahms himself deeply admired Wagner's music, showing ambivalence only towards Wagner's theory of dramatic principles.

Being extremely demanding of himself and his work, Brahms destroyed many of his early works, which included compositions performed at one time before Schumann. The zeal of the great perfectionist reached the point that after many years, in 1880, he addressed in a letter to Eliza Giezmann with a request to send manuscripts of his music for the choir so that he could burn them.

The composer Hermann Levi once expressed the opinion that Wagner's operas were better than Gluck's. Brahms lost his temper, declaring that it was impossible even to pronounce the two names together, and immediately left the meeting without even saying goodbye to the owners of the house.

Everything happens for the first time...

• In 1847, Brahms first performed as a soloist, playing Sigismund Thalberg's Fantasia on the piano.
• His first complete solo concert in 1848 consisted of a performance of Bach's Fugue, as well as works by Marxen and his contemporary, the virtuoso Jakob Rosenstein. The concert that took place did not single out the 16-year-old boy among the local and foreign performers. This confirmed Johannes in the idea that the role of a performer was not his vocation, and prompted him to purposefully engage in composing musical works.
• Brahms' first work, the fis-moll Sonata (opus 2), was written in 1852.
• He first published his writings under own name in Leipzig in 1853.
• The similarity of the works of Brahms with the late Beethoven was noticed as early as 1853 by Albert Dietrich, which he mentioned in a letter to Ernst Naumann.
• The first high position in the life of Brahms: in 1857 he was invited to the Kingdom of Detmold to teach piano playing to Princess Frederika, direct the court choir and, as a pianist, give concerts.
• The premiere of the first piano concerto, held in Hamburg on January 22, 1859, was received very coldly. And at the second concert he was booed. Brahms wrote to Joachim that his game was brilliant and decisive ... a failure.
• In the autumn of 1862, Brahms first visited Vienna, which later became his second homeland.
• Brahms' first symphony was published in 1876, but he began writing it in the early 1860s. When this work was first presented in Vienna, it was immediately named Beethoven's Tenth Symphony.

sources of inspiration

Rémeigny introduced Brahms to Czardas gypsy folk music. Her motives later formed the basis of his most popular works, including " Hungarian dances».

Joint work with Joachim in Gottingen, where he recorded student songs, was displayed and became the basis for his "Academic Overture". During the same time period, he wrote his ambitious First Piano Sonata.

When Brahms became aware of nervous breakdown Schumann, he hurried to Düsseldorf to support his family. During this time he would write his early masterpieces, including the First Piano Trio.

Working at the court of Detmold, great composer rested his soul after the anxious years spent in Düsseldorf. It was this bright spiritual mood that was transmitted to the orchestral serenades in B-major and D-major written in Detmold.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and contains only the most famous movies, which sound excerpts from the specified works of the composer.

Musical work by I. Brahms	Movie	Year of issue
Concerto for violin and orchestra in D major; Quintet for clarinet; First Piano Concerto; First Symphony	Absolute power	2016
Fourth symphony	A hundred	2016
Hungarian Dance No. 5; Lullaby	Doll	2016
Third Symphony	Odyssey liquidation	2016 2007
Lullaby	Dog life I see, I see book thief Despicable Me 2 silver Linings Playbook Hostel mind hunters The Truman Show	2017 2014 2013 2013 2012 2005 2001 1998
Hungarian Dance No. 5	Today I will go home alone paper man	2014 2009 2006
First Symphony	especially dangerous Hamlet Batman	2012 2000 1992
Hungarian Dance No. 8	Bunker	2011
Requiem	The king speaks! When Nietzsche Wept	2010 2007
Rhapsody for viola	gray area	2001
Trio in C major	food of love	2002
Quartet for piano and string trio	Wrong	2000
Violin Concerto in D major	And there will be blood	2007

Films about Brahms and his work

Among the films that tell about the life and work of I. Brahms, the most significant are:

• Documentary film "Who is who. Famous Composers: Brahms (2014), USA. Written, produced and directed by M. Hossik. The film, lasting 25 minutes, will tell about the life and creative path of the great composer, introduce viewers to the places where he grew up, lived and worked.
• The author's series of programs by A. Vargaftik "The scores do not burn" (2002-2010), Russia. This is a story about the "bearded uncle", his works and little-known details of his personal life. The author of the programs vividly and interestingly talks about Brahms, bypassing academic clichés. The film features the composer's music and shows places related to his life.
• The unique musical-documentary film “Schumann. Clara. Brahms" (2006), Germany. The authors of the film paid more attention to the fate and career of Robert and Clara Schumann. Since for many years their life was closely connected with Brahms, the film tells about him. This is not just a story about an outstanding trio, here there are episodes of the magnificent performance of their music by Helen Grimaud, Albrecht Mayer, Truls Merck and Anna Sophie von Otter, in addition, the presented musicians share their experience of learning the Schumanns and Brahms, their vision of their difficult destinies.

Video: watch a film about Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)

As long as there are people capable of responding to music with all their hearts, and as long as Brahms' music will give rise to such a response in them, this music will live.

G. Gal

The work of Johannes Brahms combines the emotional impetuousness of romanticism and the harmony of classicism, enriched by the philosophical depth of the baroque and the ancient polyphony of strict writing - “the musical experience of half a millennium is generalized” (according toGeiringer -Viennese researcher of Brahms.

Johannes Brahms was born on May 7, 1833 into a musical family. His father went through a difficult path from a traveling artisan musician to a double bass player. Philharmonic Orchestra Hamburg. He gave his son the initial skills of playing various stringed and wind instruments, but Johannes was more attracted to the piano. Successes in studies with Kossel (later - with the famous teacher Marxen) allowed him to take part in a chamber ensemble at the age of 10, and at 15 - to give a solo concert. From an early age, Johannes helped his father support the family, playing the piano in the port taverns, making arrangements for the publisher Kranz, working as a pianist in opera house. Before leaving Hamburg (1853) on a tour with the Hungarian violinist Remenyi, he was already the author of numerous works in various genres, mostly destroyed.From the folk tunes performed in concerts, the famous “Hungarian Dances” for piano were subsequently born.

At the age of fourteen, Johannes graduated from a private real school. After leaving school, along with continuing his musical education, his father began to attract him to evening work. Johannes Brahms was fragile and often suffered from headaches. Long stay in stuffy, smoky rooms and constant lack of sleep due to work at nightaffectedon his health.

On the recommendation of the violinist Josef Joachima, Brahms had the opportunity to meetSeptember 30, 1853with Robert Schumann. Schumann persuadedJohannesBrahms to perform one of his compositions and after a few bars he jumped up with the words: “ Clara needs to hear this!"The very next day, among the entries in Schumann's account book, the phrase appears:" Brahms was a guest - a genius».

Clara Schumann noted the first meeting with Brahms in her diary: “This month brought us a wonderful phenomenon in the person of the twenty-year-old composer Brahms from Hamburg. This is a true messenger of God! It is truly touching to see this man at the piano, to watch his attractive young face that lights up while playing, to see his beautiful hand, coping with the most difficult passages with great ease, and at the same time to hear these extraordinary compositions ... "

JohannesBrahmswas adopted by the Schumann family not only as a student, but also as a son, and lived with them until the death of Robert Schumann in July 1856.Brahmswas constantly next to Clara Schumann and was captivated by the charm of an outstanding woman.He saw in Clara - withthe elasticity of the famous Schumannwhom he respected immensely, mother of six children, eminent pianist, besides a beautiful and sophisticated woman -somethingsublime, defiant.

After the death of Robert Shumon Brahms stopped meeting with Clara Schumann.From 1857 to 1859 he was a music teacher and choir conductor at the court of Detmold, where he could find the desired peace aftermarked by anxiety and anxietyyearsin Düsseldorf. We owe this bright, carefree mood of Brahms' soul to the orchestral serenades in D major and B major.

The "Hamburg period" of Brahms' life began with a triumphant performance of his Piano Concerto in D Minorin March 1859. The years spent in Hamburg gave a powerful impetus to the work of Brahms, largely due to the fact that it became possiblestarring female choir perform things composed in Detmold. Leaving later for Austria, he carried with him a large musical baggage: quartets, a trio in B major, three piano sonatas, as well as many violin pieces. In September 1862, Johannes Brahms first came to Vienna. His delight knew no bounds. He wrote: "... I live ten paces from the Prater and I can drink a glass of wine in a tavern where Beethoven often sat." First, he showed the then-famous pianist Julius Epsteinquartet in G minor. The admiration was so great that the violinist Josef Helmesberger, who was present at the first performance, immediately included this work of "Beethoven's heir" in his concert program and on November 16 performed it in the concert hall of the Society of Friends of Music. Brahms enthusiastically reported to his parents how warmly he was received in Vienna.

Autumn 1863Johannes Brahms got the position of choirmaster of the Vienna Vocal Academy, which he held for only one season, partly because of intrigue, partly because Brahms preferred not to bind himself with any obligations and be free to create.

In June 1864Brahmswent back to Hamburg.Soonhe had to endure her deathmother. In a trioE majorfor hornsJohannes Brahmstried to express the longing and bitterness of loss. At the same time, he begins the "German Requiem".The only thing known about the history of its creation is that"German Requiem"occupied the composer for more than ten years and that Brahms, shocked by the tragic fate of Schumann, soon after his death wanted to compose a funeral cantata. The death of the mother could be the last impetus for the continuation and completion of the requiem. Brahms completed the sixth part of the requiem in 1868 and wrote on title page: "In memory of the mother."

The first performance of the still unfinished work took place on April 10, 1868 in Bremen and shocked the audience. The New Evangelical Church Newspaper, after the performance of the work on February 18, 1869 in Leipzig, wrote: "And if we were expecting a genius... then after this requiem, Brahms really deserved this title".

One ofgreat luckJohannesBrahms was acquainted with the famous surgeon Theodor Billroth, invitedin 1867to the University of Vienna. Big music loverbillrothbecameBrahms as a friend, critic and patron.

In January 1871 JohannesBrahmsreceived news of a serious illnessfather. At the beginning of February 1872 he arrivedHeto Hamburg, and the next day his father died.

In the autumn of 1872 Brahms became artistic director of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna. Work in the "Society" was a burden, he survived only three seasons. Then Brahms again moved to the Bavarian mountains, both violin quartets in C minor appeared in Tutzing near Munich, which he dedicated to Billroth.

The financial position of Johannes Brahms was so strengthened that in 1875Hecould devote most of the time to creativity. He completed work on the quartet in C minor, begun in the Schumann house. In addition, twenty years of work onFirst symphony.

In the summer of 1877, in Pörtschach on Lake Wörther, Brahms wrote his Second Symphony. The symphony was followed in 1878 by a violin concerto in D major and a sonata for violin in G major, which was called the Rain Sonatas. In the same year, Brahms received an honorary doctorate from the University of Breslau, on the occasion of which he let go of a luxurious beard, which gave him solidity.

In 1880, Brahms went to Bad Ischl, thinking that there he would be less bothered by tourists and autograph hunters. The place was calm, which contributed to the strengtheninghishealth. At the same time, friendship with Johann Strauss began. Brahms was fascinated by the personality and music of Strauss.In summer next year Johannes moved to Pressbaum, where he completed the Second Piano Concerto, whose joyful character is reminiscent of the picturesque landscape of the Vienna Woods.

The summer of 1883 brought Johannes Brahms to the banks of the Rhine, to places associated with his youth. In Wiesbaden, he found coziness and a comfortable atmosphere that inspired him to create the Third Symphony.

LastBrahms composed his only Fourth Symphony in 1884-1885. Its first performance on October 25 in Meiningen caused unanimous admiration.

The four symphonies of Johannes Brahms reflect different aspects of his worldview.

In the First - the direct successor of Beethoven's symphonism - the sharpness of the flaring dramatic collisions is resolved in a joyful hymn finale.

The second symphony, truly Viennese (at its origins - Haydn and Schubert), could be called a "symphony of joy."

The third - the most romantic of the entire cycle - goes from an enthusiastic intoxication with life to gloomy anxiety and drama, suddenly receding before the "eternal beauty" of nature, a bright and clear morning.

Fourth symphony - crown major symphonist second half of XIX centuryJohannesBrahms - develops "from elegy to tragedy"(according to Sollertinsky). Greatness createdBrahmssymphonies does not exclude their deep lyricism.

Very demanding of himself, Brahms was afraid of the exhaustion of his creative imagination, he thought about stopping his composing activity. However, a meeting in the spring of 1891 with the clarinetist of the Meiningen Orchestra Mühlfeld prompted him to create a Trio, a Quintet (1891), and then two sonatas (1894) with the clarinet. Parallel Brahms writes 20 piano pieces(op. 116-119), which, together with clarinet ensembles, became the result of the composer's creative search. This is especially true of the Quintet and the piano intermezzo - "sorrowful remarks of the heart", combining the severity and confidence of a lyrical expression,fromsophistication and simplicity of writing, all-penetrating melodiousness of intonations.

Publishedin 1894, the collection "49 German Folk Songs" (for voice and piano) was evidence of the constant attention of Johannes Brahms to the folk song - his ethicalto whom and the aesthetic ideal.Arrangements of German folk songs Brams studied throughout his life, he was also interested in Slavic (Czech, Slovak, Serbian) tunes, recreated their character in his songs on folk texts. "Four Strict Melodies" for voice and piano (a kind of solo cantata on texts from the Bible, 1895) and 11 chorale organ preludes (1896) supplemented the composer's "spiritual testament" with an appeal to the genres and artistic means of Bachovsk

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) - an outstanding German composer of the second half of the 19th century, a time when, in the person of Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner artistic direction Romanticism reached its highest heights.

Brahms' work covers all known genres, except for opera and ballet. He has 120 orus in total.

Brahms' symphonic works include: four symphonies (op. 68 in c-moll, op. 73 in D-dur, op. 90 in F-dur, op. "Tragic" (op. 81)), variations on a theme by Haydn (op. 56) and two early serenades (op. 11 D-dur and op. 16 A-dur).

In the vocal-choral genre, Brahms wrote about two hundred works, including romances, songs, ballads and choirs (male, female and mixed).

As you know, Brahms was a wonderful pianist. Naturally, he wrote a huge number of works for the piano: one scherzo (op. 4 es-moll), three sonatas (op. 1 C-dur, op. 2 fis-moll, op. 5 f-moll), Variations on a theme by Schumann (op. 9), Paganini (op. 35), Variations on a Hungarian Theme (op. 21), Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel (op. 24), 4 ballads (op. 10), 4 capriccios and 4 intermezzos (op. .76), 2 rhapsodies (op.79), fantasies (op.116), many plays.

Among solo piano works by Brahms, two rhapsodies, op.79, written in 1880, are very popular with performers and listeners. Brahms was not the first to use this genre in piano music. It is known that Czech composer V.Ya. Tomaszek already in 1815 there were works in this genre. But, despite this fact, the heyday of the rhapsody genre is rightfully associated with the name of the outstanding Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. World famous for his 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies, composed by the composer in the period from 1840 to 1847. It is known that in almost every of them authentic folk song and dance melodies are used. The two-part structure of Lisztian rhapsodies is also due to folk tradition contrasting juxtaposition of song and dance. Internal development Liszt's rhapsodies are quite free, improvisational, based on the alternation of individual large sections according to the principle of a through or contrast-composite form. But the most important feature of Liszt's rhapsodies lies in their deep Hungarian national flavor.

But completely different are Brahms' two rhapsodies op.79, which give a fairly complete picture of the figurative content of the composer's music, the main merits of his talent and style features.

In particular, Rhapsody op.79 No. 2 in g-moll is a lyrical-dramatic work written in full sonata form.

The Second Rhapsody is based on four brightly expressive, sharply characteristic themes, which in their alternation form an exposition of the sonata form. Each of these topics has its own "face". They are defined in terms of genre and especially in terms of structure, which is typical for Brahms as a German composer.

The first of the four themes (the main theme of the sonata form) is excitedly impulsive, romantically striving, with a characteristic German pathetic romance. The means of expression (melody, mode and tonality, harmony, rhythm, texture, form) in it are aimed at expressing the stormy excitement of human feelings. In terms of genre, the main theme is heterogeneous: the monophonic melody in the right hand is clearly a song; triplets in the middle voice are a characteristic feature of the romance accompaniment, and the iambic octave basses in the left hand give the theme the features of a march. As a result, a three-layer genre texture is created, expressing the rich, complex, intense figurative content of the main theme. The form of the main theme is a simple period of rebuilding, where each of the two sentences is a four-bar wave with rise and fall.

Interestingly, after the presentation of the main theme, there is no extended connecting part (which was, in principle, characteristic of the sonata forms of German classical composers), but there is a sudden, abrupt switch to a bright, independent, very laconic connecting theme. In a figurative sense, it is intra-contrasting: courageous-decisive exclamations are replaced by scherzo-flying elements. Chord-octave texture, loud (f) dynamics and pauses penetrating the whole theme give the music an excited-strong-willed, striving character. In form, the connecting theme represents a simple period of repeated, but not square, structure, like the main theme. And in terms of scale, it is even shorter, “unfinished”, truncated, requiring (due to the openness of the period) continuation.

A new, contrasting, most lyrical image of the exposition arises with the advent of a secondary theme. The melody is based on a sharply expressive, poignant triplet motif, singing the fifth of D minor with a diminished third, and with an accentuated stop at the fourth raised step, which in the same bar is “cancelled” by the fourth natural step. As a result of the non-stop, without a single pause, the chanting of the melody, in union with the widely spread figurations of the accompaniment, a feeling of anxiety, hidden mental pain, and painful sighs is created. Passionate impetuosity brings Brahms closer to Schumann. In Chopin's melody, it seems to soar above the rest of the texture of the theme.

The side theme leads into a proud, dramatic closing theme. At first it sounds very secretive, even gloomy. In the first sentence of the simple period, the same repeated note in the right hand creates a fantastic feeling of forcing, waiting for some kind of breakdown, a violent outburst of emotions. The octave basses in the left hand seem to depict sneaking steps, and the triplets in the middle voice, pulsing throughout the presentation of the theme, give the theme even more excitement and tension. In the second sentence, the music sounds more confident, persistent, even marching. It ends (by the way, for the first time in the exposition of the sonata form) on the extended purest tonic in D minor.

The psychological and artistic effect of this tonic is amazing: after all the turmoil, excitement and doubts of the soul, a certain certainty, a certainty of the emotional state of a person, has finally been achieved by an effort of will.

Following the tradition of the Viennese classics, Brahms repeats the exposition of the sonata form. Forcing you to relive the sudden mood swings that are characteristic of romantic heroes. At the same time, it is interesting that Brahms embodies the purely romantic content of all four themes of the exposition in classically clear, concise forms of a simple period, each with a different internal structure: the main theme is a simple period of a square structure (4 + 4), the connecting theme is a simple period of a non-square structure ( 3 + 2), the secondary theme is the period of a single structure, the final theme is a simple period of repeated structure with an expansion of the second sentence (4 + 8). Surprisingly, with all the figurative and genre contrast of themes, they have much in common: everywhere in the foreground is an expressive melody, a triplet rhythm that unites all themes, and a three-layer texture. On the whole, the musical images of the exposition develop rapidly, actively, and on an extremely compressed scale: there are only 32 measures in the exposition.

In the development, Brahms emphasizes the conflicting, dramatic essence of his rhapsody, developing exclusively the main and final themes, that is, the most excitedly impulsive and courageously proud of all the themes of the exposition. The elaboration is quite detailed (53 bars versus 64 bars of exposition) and consists of three sections: the main theme develops in the first and third sections, and the final theme develops in the middle. Due to this thematic content development is perceived as a large-scale three-part form with a contrasting middle and dynamic reprise. In the first section of the development (20 measures), Brahms exacerbates the emotional excitement, confusion of the sound of the main theme, extremely complicating its modal and tonal development, including the alternation of distant keys (F, f, gis, e, h), shown through their dominants, which, in principle, was laid down in the presentation of the main theme in the exposition. In the middle section, the final theme sounds either anxiously secretly (p mezzo voce), or furiously angry (ff), and also with sharp fret-tonal breaks from h-moll to G-dur, g-moll and d-moll. The third section is perceived as a huge tense prelude to the reprise of the sonata form, based on multiple ostinat "s, impetuous ascending invocative motifs isolated from the main theme, which also increase dynamic tension (from pp to ff). The whole development is united by a bubbling triplet rhythm in the middle voice of a three-layer After such a purposeful developmental intensification of drama, the Reprise of the sonata form is perceived as an "island of salvation" from experienced storms, although, of course, it is built on the same four contrasting themes as the exposition. - d-moll, and Brahms retained in the reprise both the structure and the scale of all themes, adding only a short (8 measures) coda with a triplet rhythm pulsating and fading at the end.

Rhapsody paints a portrait of Brahms - a passionate dreamer with a stormy temperament and rebellious feelings.

The form of the rhapsody is distinguished by harmony and refinement, the composer ingeniously combines the features of a sonata and a three-part composition. The second rhapsody is a magnificent example of Brahms' concert pianism.

Development, as usual with Brahms, is compressed and intense. Transforming the main themes, in the development he exposes the conflict content of the drama. Drama and figurative conflict are revealed with the utmost laconism.

Brahms is the last major representative of the German Romanticism XIX century. He managed to create his own original creative style. His musical language marked by individual traits: typical intonations of the German folk music(movements along the sounds of a triad with plagal turns in the melody and plagal in harmony); characteristic "flicker" of major-minor; characteristic unexpected deviations, modal variability, melodic and harmonic major.

To express the richness of the shades of content, rhythm is used: the introduction of triplets, dotted lines, syncopation. Topics are often open-ended, which opens the way to further development thoughts.

The use of structures that had been established since the time of the Viennese classics had a deeply individual character for Brahms: Brahms wanted to prove the ability of old forms to convey the modern structure of thoughts and feelings. On the other hand, classical forms helped him to “curb” the excited, anxious, rebellious feelings that overwhelmed him.

The plurality of images is a typical feature of Brahms' music. He combined freedom of expression in sonata form with the classical, rational logic of development.

Brahms wrote a complex and contradictory work, reflecting in it the style and speech of his time.

brahms composer romanticism rhapsody

Only Brahms knew how to create vocal melodies so national in spirit and warehouse. This is not surprising: none of his contemporary German and Austrian composers so closely and thoughtfully did not study the poetic and musical creativity of his people.

Brahms left several collections of arrangements of German folk songs (for voice and piano or choir, over a hundred songs in total). His spiritual testament was a collection forty-nine German folk songs (1894). Brahms never spoke so warmly about any of his own compositions. He wrote to friends: "Perhaps, for the first time, I am tenderly related to what came out from under my pen ...". “With such love, even love, I have never created anything.”

Brahms creatively approached folklore. He indignantly opposed those who interpreted the living heritage of folk art as archaic antiquity. Its in equally excited songs of different times - old and new. Brahms was not interested in the historical authenticity of the tune, but in the expressiveness and integrity of the musical and poetic image. With great sensitivity, he treated not only the melodies, but also the texts, carefully looking for their best options. After reviewing many folklore collections, he selected what seemed to him artistically perfect, which could contribute to the education of the aesthetic tastes of music lovers.

It was for home music-making that Brahms compiled his collection, calling it “German Folk Songs for Voice and Piano” (the collection consists of seven notebooks of seven songs each; in the last notebook, the songs are given in processing for the lead singer with the choir). For many years he cherished the dream of publishing such a collection. About half of the melodies included in it he had previously processed for the choir. Now Brahms set himself a different task: to emphasize and emphasize the beauty of the vocal part with subtle strokes in the simple part of the piano accompaniment (Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov did the same in their adaptations of the Russian folk song):

And he often took folk texts as the basis of his own vocal compositions, and was not limited to the field of German creativity: more than twenty works of Slavic poetry inspired Brahms to create songs - solo, ensemble, choral (Among them are such pearls of Brahms' vocal lyrics as "On Eternal Love" op. 43 No. 1, "The Way to the Beloved" op. 48 No. 1, "The Oath of the Beloved" op. 69 No. 4.). There are also songs in Hungarian, Italian, Scottish folk texts.

The circle of poets reflected in the vocal lyrics of Brahms is wide. The composer loved poetry and was its discerning connoisseur. But it is difficult to detect his sympathies for any one literary direction, although romantic poets predominate quantitatively. In the choice of texts, the main role was played not so much by the individual style of the author as by the content of the poem, for Brahms was worried about such texts and images that were close to folk. To poetic abstractions, symbolism, features of individualism in the work of a number contemporary poets he was strongly negative.

Brahms called his vocal compositions "songs" or "chants" for voice with piano accompaniment. (The only exception is "Romances from L. Tick's "Magelona"" op. 33 (the cycle contains fifteen pieces); these romances are close in character to an aria or a solo cantata.). With this name, he wanted to emphasize the leading role of the vocal part and the subordinate one of the instrumental part. IN this issue he acted as a direct successor to the song traditions of Schubert. Adherence to the Schubert traditions is also reflected in the fact that Brahms gives primacy to the song beginning over the declamatory and prefers the strophic (couplet) structure to the “through”. Another stream of German chamber- vocal music presented in the work of Schumann and further developed by the major masters of this genre - Robert Franz (The German composer Robert Franz (1815-1892) is the author of about two hundred and fifty songs.) in Germany and Hugo Wolff in Austria. The fundamental differences lie in the fact that Schubert and Brahms, relying on the peculiar manner of folk song, proceeded more from general the content and mood of the poem, delved less into its shades of both psychological and pictorial-pictorial order, while Schumann, and even more so Wolf, sought to embody in music the consistent development of poetic images, the expressive details of the text, and therefore used declamatory moments more widely. Accordingly, the proportion of instrumental accompaniment increased among them, and, for example, Wolf already called his vocal works not “songs”, but “poems” for voice and piano.

However, one should not consider these two traditions as mutually exclusive: there are declamatory moments in Brahms (or Schubert), as well as song moments in Schumann. We are talking about the predominant value of one or another principle. Nevertheless, Grieg is right, noting that Schumann in his songs is more poet, while Brahms - musician.

The first published Romance by Brahms "Loyalty in Love" op. 3 No. 1 (1853). Here, much is characteristic of the composer's work, and above all, the very theme of the philosophical warehouse (the image of a broken, but true and steadfast love). The general mood is aptly captured and captured in the "tired" triplets of accompaniment to the measured sighs of the melody. A similar comparison in the simultaneity of various rhythms (duoli or quartoli with triplets, etc.), along with syncopation, are Brahms' favorite tricks:

Brahms said that by the arrangement of pauses one can distinguish a real master of vocal music from an amateur. Brahms himself was such a master: his manner of "pronouncing" the melody is distinct. Usually, already in the initial rhythm intonation, as in the embryo, the theme of the song is imprinted. Characteristic in this regard is the short motive that in the analyzed romance first passes in the bass, penetrating the part of the voice. In general, the subtle and sensitive conduct of the bass is typical of Brahms (“the bass gives character to the melody, clarifies and completes it,” the composer taught). This also reflects his tendency to contrapuntal transformations of the theme.

Thanks to such techniques, a remarkable unity of expression of the vocal melody and piano accompaniment is achieved. This is also facilitated by the motivic connection, carried out through repetitions and roll calls, free thematic development or duplication of the melody in the piano part. As an example, we will name: "The Secret" op. 71 No. 3, "Death is a bright night" op. 96 No. 1, "How Melodies Draw Me" op. 105 No. 1, "Deeper is all my slumber" op. 105 no. 2.

These works belong to the quantitatively most significant, although unequal, group of Brahms's romances. For the most part, these are sad, but bright in color reflections - not so much excited monologues (he rarely succeeds in them), but heartfelt conversations on exciting life themes. Images of sad withering and death sometimes occupy too much space in such reflections, and then the music acquires a monotonous gloomy color, loses its immediacy of expression. However, when referring to this topic, Brahms creates wonderful works. These are the Four Strict Melodies, op. 121 is his last chamber-vocal composition (1896). It is a kind of solo cantata for bass and piano, which glorifies courage and fortitude in the face of death, an all-encompassing feeling of love. The composer addresses the “poor and suffering”. To convey exciting, deeply human content, he organically intersperses the techniques of recitative, arioso, songs. The lyrical enlightened pages of the second and third plays are especially impressive.

Another sphere of images and, accordingly, other artistic means typical for the songs of Brahms, sustained in the folk spirit. There are a lot of them too. There are two types of songs in this group. For first characteristic is the appeal to images of joy, courageous strength, fun, humor. When transferring these images, features clearly appear German folk song. In particular, the movement of the melody along the tones of the triad is used; the accompaniment has a chord warehouse. Examples are "Blacksmith" op. 19 No. 4, "Drummer's Song" op. 69 No. 5, The Hunter op. 95 No. 4, “A house stands in green lindens” op. 97 No. 4 and others.

Songs like this often hit even size; their movement is organized by the rhythm of a brisk step, sometimes a march. Similar images of fun and joy, but with a more personal, intimate coloring, appear in smooth three-quarter songs whose music is imbued with intonations and rhythms Austrian folk dances - landler, waltz ( "Oh dear cheeks" op. 47 No. 4, "The Oath of the Beloved" op. 69 No. 4, "Love Song" op. 71 No. 5). Brahms often gives these dance-genre images in an artlessly simple refraction - either with a hint of slyness, or hidden sadness. The warmest, heartiest tones of Brahms' music are captured here. Its melody acquires flexible plasticity and that natural development that is characteristic of folk melodies. These songs include (as a rule, they are written in folk texts, in particular Czech): "Sunday" op. 47 No. 3, "The Way to the Beloved" op. 48 No. 1, "Lullaby" op. 49 No. 4.

In vocal duets and quartets, various sides of the content are displayed. But even here one can find features characteristic of Brahms both in philosophical lyrics and in lyrics. household plan. The best examples of the latter are in op. 31 and in two notebooks "Songs of Love" op. 52 and 65(the composer called them "Waltzes for four voices and for piano four hands"; a total of thirty-three pieces). In these charming miniatures, which form a kind of parallel to the famous "Hungarian Dances" by Brahms, the elements of song and dance are fused together. Each play has its own laconic plot, telling about the joys and sorrows of love. Curious development style vocal ensemble: the voices are either connected contrapunally or contrasted in the form of a dialogue. By the way, the dialogic form was also used by Brahms in his solo songs.

Similar images are found in choral music : Along with vocal works with instrumental accompaniment, Brahms left many pieces for female or mixed choir a cappella. (For the male composition of the whole five choirs op. 41, conceived in the spirit of soldiers' songs of patriotic content). The most perfect in terms of depth of content and development are five songs for mixed choir op. 104. The collection opens with two nocturnes, united by the common title "Night Watch"; their music is marked by fine sound writing. Wonderful sound effects in the juxtaposition of upper and lower voices are applied in the song " Last happiness»; a special modal flavor is inherent in the play " Lost youth»; with its dark, gloomy colors stands out last number - « autumn».

Brahms also wrote a number of works for choir (some of them with the participation of a soloist) and orchestra. Their names are symptomatic, again reminiscent of the song stream in the work of Brahms: "Song of Destiny" op. 54(text by F. Hölderlin), "Song of Triumph" op. 55, "Sorrowful Song" op. 82(text by F. Schiller), "Song of the Parks" op. 89(text by W. Goethe).

"German Requiem" op. 55 is the most significant work in this series.