"My beloved Clara, I wish I could write you so tenderly, as I love you and do so much in love and goodness, as I wish for you. You are infinitely dear to me, that I cannot say it. Continuously I want to call you darling and whatever possible, without becoming satisfied to flatter you. When things continue like this, I will have to put you under glass or I have to save to put you in gold".
JOHANNES BRAHMS 1833-1897 born in Hamburg, was α conservative composer whose works are immortal milestones in the history of music. It seems that a big part of his life was spent in a fruitless romance between him and the wife of ROBERT SCHUMANN, CLARA. This platonic love affair gave birth to many milestones of music. Among them string quartets of utmost classical romantic quality.
Brahms wrote 4 symphonies in the classic format. It took him nearly 14 years to publish his first symhony, rumours said that critics reffered to the work as Beethoven's 10th Symphony. This made him very angry and forced him to revise the work many times.
His symponies are strictly classical style, the way BEETHOVEN, HAYDN, MOZART wrote. He did not like the symphonic poems or operas, instead he wrote a very famous Requiem which he called EIN-DEUTCHES REQUIEM. He left us also great symphonic dances "THE HUNGARIAN DANCES" and overtures.
He was a very sentimental man and through his music flows a feeling of melacholy, though he never reffered to his music with a program.
The biggest maestros have played his symphonies each one adding their personal touch on his work. My favorite approach to his symphonies is OTTO KLEMPERER. Also BRUNO WALTER was an excellent performer.
The Greek-Austrian conductor HERBERT VON KARAJAN has devoted a big part of his activity to BRAHMS symphonies. With DEUTCHE GRAMMOPHONE he has recorded the FOUR SYMPHONIES 3 or 4 times.
The next publication will contain a review of BRAHMS symphonie No 1 with HERBERT VON KARAJAN and the BERLINER PHILARMONIC playing in the BERLIN PHILARMONIC HALL.
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