Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

[Sydney Grew]

Some of my favorite Brahms pictures:

What a fine photograph is that first one in your reply number 3 Mr. D Minor! We have not seen it before, and have saved it onto our hard disc so as to be able to view it at our leisure.

Here is one of our own favourites - we admire the intelligence in his eyes:

While still a youth we yearned for about a year to hear Brahms's First Piano Concerto. Recordings in those far-off days were not as readily available as they are now. Finally the opportunity came, at a concert given by Hephzibah Menuhin. We remember her slim white-clad figure as though it were yesterday. But what power and authority in that slight frame! Her performance was a life-changing experience which will remain with us always.

Nowadays when we turn to Brahms it is generally to one of those intricate String Quartets, or to the Second, Third, and always and ever the Fourth Symphony. He was despite the majesty of that Concerto rather a late developer was he not? Once he had got the First Symphony off his chest - he had manfully struggled with it for many years - he truly blossomed.

[ChamberNut]

Hey Sydney, that first picture is my Avatar.  I love that youthful picture of Brahms!

[ChamberNut]

A great CD I took out at the library the other week is:

On Avie label.  Brahms Violin Sonatas, Viola Sonatas and the F.A.E Sonata.  Shlomo Mintz on violin and viola, Itamar Golan on piano.

[ChamberNut]

I have a question.

Are there any recordings of the complete F.A.E. Sonata, including all 3 movements by Dietrich, Schumann and Brahms? 

[BachQ]

BRAHMS: The clarinet Quintet, the Clarinet Trio and the two clarinet sonatas by Reginald Kell.

To me, the absolute version. In the Quintet he plays with the Fine Arts Quartet. Everyone should listen to the Adagio of the Quintet: Kell is sublime.

In fact, this box with Kell's recordings in America, including Mozart, Brahms, Weber, Saint-Saens, Debussy, Bartok, is incredible beautiful.

To me, the greatest clarinetist of the century.

I believe Val is referring to this:

[carlos]

I have a question.

Are there any recordings of the complete F.A.E. Sonata, including all 3 movements by Dietrich, Schumann and Brahms? 

Yes,it is. A double Pavane with the 3 violin sonatas,
the 2 sonatas op.120 transcribed to violin, and the FAE
by Jerrold Rubinstein and Dalia Ouziel. Harry Collier
(who else but him?) let me copied it.

[val]

D Minor
I believe Val is referring to this:

YES.

[ChamberNut]

Yes,it is. A double Pavane with the 3 violin sonatas,
the 2 sonatas op.120 transcribed to violin, and the FAE
by Jerrold Rubinstein and Dalia Ouziel. Harry Collier
(who else but him?) let me copied it.

Thanks for the info, Carlos. 

[JoshLilly]

Pictures of Brahms are great. What about hearing Brahms? No, not just his music, I mean, hearing Brahms. I'm sure most everyone is already familiar with this, but for those who might not be:

http://ccrma-www.stanford.edu/~brg/brahms2.html

On a related note, there is also a recording that exists of Arthur Sullivan giving a brief speech, and a performance of his Lost Chord performed in his presence on the same day. These can also be found on the Internet.

[Harry]

Brahms has a rather high pitched voice....

[JoshLilly]

I read once that it was why he grew the beard, to try to offset his voice. I don't buy it. And it may not even be his voice. It could be someone saying "I have" - instead of "I am" - "Dr. Brahms, Johannes Brahms". As mentioned on that site, Brahms didn't refer to himself as Doctor often, if at all, anywhere else. Anyway, it is him playing, whether or not it's him speaking!

[71 dB]

Brahms has a rather high pitched voice....

Really? Did he have a lower voice when he was alive?

[Kullervo]

I could barely tell that was a piano playing, much less whether he was saying "I am Johannes Brahms".

[Harry]

I could barely tell that was a piano playing, much less whether he was saying "I am Johannes Brahms".

Well the Doctor Johannes Brahms I could well understand, the rest was noise.....

[Harry]

Really? Did he have a lower voice when he was alive?

[BachQ]

Releases Tues, 1/08/08:




Concerto for Piano no 1 in D minor, Op. 15 by Johannes Brahms

Performer:  Cédric Tiberghien (Piano)
Conductor:  Jiri Belohlávek
Orchestra/Ensemble:  BBC Symphony Orchestra

[BachQ]

JOHANNES BRAHMS
The Three Sonatas for Violin & Piano; Scherzo-Allegro WoO2
Nikolaj Znaider (violin); Yefim Bronfman (piano)




With these marvelous performances of the three Brahms violin sonatas, Nikolaj Znaider hits his artistic stride, abetted by Yefim Bronfman's impeccable piano partnership


--Jed Distler

[BachQ]

BRAHMS, Symphony No. 3
London Philharmonic Orchestra / Marin Alsop





In the entire history of [Brahms Third] on disc, there have been perhaps seven or eight truly great performances: Walter (Sony, stereo), Levine (RCA), Wand (his first one with NDR, on RCA), Klemperer (EMI), Jochum (EMI, with this orchestra), Dohnanyi (Warner/Teldec), and perhaps most surprisingly, Solti (Decca).  To this select list, add Alsop. This is not a judgment made lightly, but this is one hell of a fine performance of this most elusive symphony. *** I'm more than happy to recommend this superb new recording as strongly as possible.


--David Hurwitz

[PerfectWagnerite]

Why do you feel the need to keep posting DH's opinion? Once in a while it is good to post one of his rants because they are so funny but you don't need to keep doing it. Are you his agent in disguise?

[Josquin des Prez]

I thought it was already established that the voice in that recording is not Brahms.