grappling with brahms - saint michael trio · brahms the classical protagonist grappling with an...

BRAHMS The Classical Protagonist

Grappling with

An informance by

The Saint Michael Trio and friends

IfindBrahms’musicisturgidandgraceless.IgorStravinsky

IplaythroughBrahms’musiceveryfewyearstoremindmyselfhowbaditis—andusuallyfinditwasworsethanIremembered.BenjaminBri3en

IplayedoverthemusicofthatscoundrelBrahms.Suchagi>less[rascal]!Itannoysmethatthisself-iniCatedmediocrityishailedasagenius.PyotrTchaikovsky

Brahmsisthecomposerparexcellencewho,freefromanyprovincialismornaConaldialect,writesforthewholeworldandforallCme.Heisagiant,lo>yandunapproachable.EdwardElgar

TheThreeB’s

THREEWAYSTOTHINKABOUTTHIS

1.There’snoaccounCngfortaste.

2.Brahmsasapessimist.

3.Brahmsasacomplexpersonwhohadalottosay(andexpress).

JohannesBrahms1833-1897

Hamburg

Hamburgshipyards

Hamburgdocks

JohannesBrahms1833-1897

Dusseldorf,1870

TheSchumannresidence,Dusseldorf

RobertSchumann ClaraWieckSchumann

JohannesBrahms1833-1897

BRAHMS’OUTPUT4symphonies4symphonicvariaCons4concertos1requiem3stringquartets2stringquintets2stringsextets3pianoquartets1pianoquintet4pianotrios3violinsonatas2cellosonatas2clarinetsonatas1clarinetquintet,1clarinettrio1horntrioPianosonatas,ballades,rhapsodies,intermezziChoralepreludesfororgan200songsforvoice(lieder)

ThelastphotoVienna,1897

Brahms,shortlyaHerhisdeathVienna,1897

Brahms’GraveVienna

JohannesBrahms1833-1897

ClaraWieckSchumann1819-1896

THEMUSICROOMSchumannresidenceDusseldorf

Yourle\ersarelikekisses.IwishIcouldwritetoyouastenderlyasIloveyou.YouareinfinitelydearertomethanIcansay.IfthingsgoonastheyareIshallhavesomeCmetosetyouunderglassorhaveyousetingold.

Brahms,toClaraSchumann1856

Thesonataform

FirstTheme

SecondTheme

Development

RecapitulaCon

Coda

THESONATAFORM

Withoutcra>smanship,inspiraConisamerereedshakeninthewind.JohannesBrahms1833-1897

MusicalarcheologyprojectatStanfordDe-noisingtheEdisoncylindersh\ps://ccrma.stanford.edu/~brg/brahms2.html

Itisnothardtocompose.Whatisfabulouslydifficultistoleavethesuperfluousnotesunderthetable.

JohannesBrahms1833-1897