He had a foreboding that the tradition was ending, and it was his job to uphold it.
Imagine the pride and humility it takes to say that. All this cultural-historical baggage is fascinating, and yet for Brahms-lovers I suspect it may seem beside the point. What they adore is the nostalgic, stoical sadness that underlies so many of his best pieces. The roots of that lie in his thwarted love-life, they say, not in the tensions between modernism and tradition.
The Essay can be heard at Hear both for a week after the broadcast date on the BBC iPlayer.
Listening to Brahms
The Finale shows a completely different and more rumbustious side to him. Stephen Kovacevich, London Philharmonic Orchestra cond. These delicious waltzes for four voices and piano duet shows he could give the Waltz King Johann Strauss a run for his money. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
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Aug 07, Lydia Presley rated it really liked it Shelves: I finished reading Listening to Brahms a few months ago now, and I feel that it's aged well enough for me to write a review that does it justice. I initially picked this book up due to its name.
Brahms is a prickly composer – but a powerful one
Being a classical pianist, and a huge fan of Brahms stormy, romantic music, I figured that Listening to Brahms would either be extremely good or I'd be putting it down by the third chapter or so as happens all too often with books containing a music theme. I was happy to find out that I not only wanted I finished reading Listening to Brahms a few months ago now, and I feel that it's aged well enough for me to write a review that does it justice.
I was happy to find out that I not only wanted to finish the book, but I was suitably impressed with the delicate and knowledgeable way that Rosemary Allen handled the classical theme. Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Nov. Sep 14, Beverley rated it liked it.
Brahms is a prickly composer – but a powerful one - Telegraph
A well-structured and well-written book, with characters gradually and suitably developed. The overall idea is that events experienced in adolescence can alter the course of your life; fine in principle, although I found the premise on which the book is built a little far-fetched.
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To me, the event in question was not of sufficient magnitude to cause a reaction that could continue for 25 years. A little twee for me overall, but a pleasant read. Areeb rated it it was amazing Nov 11, Helen Tate rated it liked it Feb 02, It's a breeze to listen to, with the first movement especially full of sweeping melodies to whistle along with.
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In a show of brilliant self-awareness, Brahms wrote to his publisher in upon delivery of the second symphony, describing the work with his tongue firmly in his cheek as, "so melancholy that you will not be able to bear it. He'd had major successes with his violin concerto, his piano concertos and his Academic Overture, but the third symphony was something else. It's a brave monster of a work, with rapidly changing character and some more of those huge, sweeping melodies. Give the third movement a go - it's often used on television and in film, and it has a rather peculiar sadness to it.
Have a listen to both of them below:. As the likes of Liszt and Wagner who by this time had passed away set about decrying the old guard of older composers, Brahms ignored most of the developments around him and shamelessly, confidently looked backwards for inspiration. That's why the fourth symphony ha such a strongly classical symphonic feel. There are adventures and experiments within it, but there's also a huge amount of Bach and, yes, more Beethoven.