The stature of Johannes Brahms among classical composers is well illustrated by his inclusion among the "Three Bs" triumvirate of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. Of all the major composers of the late Romantic era, Brahms was the one most attached to the Classical ideal as manifested in the music of Haydn, Mozart, and especially Beethoven; indeed, Hans von Bülow once characterized Brahms' Symphony No. 1 (1855-1876) as "Beethoven's Tenth." As a Read more youth, Brahms was championed by Robert Schumann as music's greatest hope for the future; as a mature composer, Brahms became for conservative musical journalists the most potent symbol of musical tradition, a stalwart against the "degeneration" represented by the music of Wagner and his school. Brahms' symphonies, choral and vocal works, chamber music, and piano pieces are imbued with strong emotional feeling, yet take shape according to a thoroughly considered structural plan.

The son of a double bassist in the Hamburg Philharmonic Society, Brahms demonstrated great promise from the beginning. He began his musical career as a pianist, contributing to the family coffers as a teenager by playing in restaurants, taverns, and even brothels. Though by his early twenties he enjoyed associations with luminaries like violinists Eduard Reményi and Joseph Joachim, the friend and mentor who was most instrumental in advancing his career was Schumann, who all but adopted him and became his most ardent partisan, and their esteem was mutual. Following Schumann's death in 1856, Brahms became the closest confidant and lifelong friend of the composer's widow, pianist and composer Clara Wieck Schumann. After a life of spectacular musical triumphs and failed loves (the composer was involved in several romantic entanglements but never wed), Brahms died of liver cancer on April 3, 1897.

In every genre in which he composed, Brahms produced works that have become staples of the repertory. His most ambitious work, the German Requiem (1863-1867), is the composer's singular reinterpretation of an age-old form. The four symphonies -- lushly scored, grand in scope, and deeply expressive -- are cornerstones of the symphonic literature. Brahms' concertos are, similarly, in a monumental, quasi-symphonic vein: the two piano concertos (1856-1859 and 1881) and the Violin Concerto (1878) call for soloists with both considerable technical skill and stamina. His chamber music is among the most sophisticated and exquisitely crafted of the Romantic era; for but a single example, his works that incorporate the clarinet (e.g., the Trio in A minor, Op. 114 and the two Sonatas, Op. 120), an instrument largely overlooked by his contemporaries, remain unsurpassed. Though the piano sonata never held for Brahms the same appeal it had for Beethoven (Brahms wrote three to Beethoven's 32), he produced a voluminous body of music for the piano. He showed a particular affinity for variations -- notably, on themes of Schumann (1854), Handel (1861), and Paganini (1862-1863) -- and likewise produced a passel of national dances and character pieces such as ballades, intermezzi, and rhapsodies. Collectively, these constitute one of the essential bodies of work in the realm of nineteenth century keyboard music. Read less

Featured Johannes Brahms CDs & DVDs:

Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem / Kegel, Leipzig Radio Symphony

Release Date: 02/03/2017 Label: Capriccio Records
Catalog: 8014 Number of Discs: 1

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Brahms: The Cello Sonatas

Release Date: 10/29/2013 Label: Capriccio Records
Catalog: 5173 Number of Discs: 1

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Brahms: Die Schone Magelone & Selected Lieder / Behle, Bjelland, Schatz

Release Date: 05/27/2014 Label: Capriccio Records
Catalog: 5203 Number of Discs: 2

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Brahms: Cello Sonatas & 4 Serious Songs / Baillie, Thwaites

Release Date: 08/26/2016 Label: Somm
Catalog: 158 Number of Discs: 1

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Brahms: Piano Quartets Nos. 1 & 3 / Barakhovsky, Zemtsov, Schmidt, Nebolsin

Release Date: 11/11/2016 Label: Naxos
Catalog: 8572798 Number of Discs: 1

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Work: Concerto for Piano no 2 in B flat major, Op. 83

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Brahms: Concertos, Symphonies / Haitink, Arrau, Szeryng, Starker [7-CD Collector's Edition]

Label: Decca Catalog: 001479902 Release Date: 10/19/2010 Number of Discs: 7
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Claudio Arrau, Henryk Szeryng, János Starker
Conductor: Bernard Haitink
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
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Icon - Edwin Fischer

Label: Warner Classics Catalog: 29499 Release Date: 09/14/2010 Number of Discs: 12
Composer: Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ...
Performer: Edwin Fischer, Ronald Smith, Denis Matthews, Raymond Clark ...
Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwängler, Edwin Fischer, Josef Krips, Lawrence Collingwood ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra ...
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Brahms: Piano Works / Wilhelm Backhaus

Label: Decca Catalog: 433895 Release Date: 08/12/2010 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Wilhelm Backhaus, Emanuel Brabec
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
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Brahms: Symphony No 4, Piano Concerto No 2 / Fischer-Dieskau, Lifschitz

Label: Orfeo Catalog: 810102 Release Date: 07/27/2010 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Konstantin Lifschitz
Conductor: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Concert House Orchestra
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80.

Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3

Label: Archipel Catalog: 443 Release Date: 05/25/2010 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Johannes Brahms, Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer: Claudio Arrau
Conductor: Paul Kletzki, Igor Markevitch, Carl Schuricht

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81.

Brahms: Piano Concerto No 2 / Achucarro, Davis

Label: Opus Arte Catalog: 1022 Release Date: 03/30/2010 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Isaac Albeniz, Frédéric Chopin, Alexander Scriabin, Johannes Brahms
Performer: Joaquín Achúcarro
Conductor: Sir Colin Davis
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
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82.

Brahms: Piano Concerto no 2 / Achucarro, Davis [Blu-ray]

Label: Opus Arte Catalog: 7054 Release Date: 03/30/2010 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Isaac Albeniz, Alexander Scriabin, Frédéric Chopin, Johannes Brahms
Performer: Joaquín Achúcarro
Conductor: Sir Colin Davis
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra
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83.

Vladimir Horowitz - Complete Original Jacket Collection

Label: Sony Catalog: 757500 Release Date: 12/01/2009 Number of Discs: 70
Composer: Modest Mussorgsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Kabalevsky, Ludwig van Beethoven ...
Performer: Vladimir Horowitz, Nathan Milstein
Conductor: Arturo Toscanini
Orchestra/Ensemble: NBC Symphony Orchestra
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84.

Brahms, Mozart: Piano Concertos / Backhaus, Bohm

Label: Orfeo Catalog: 796091 Release Date: 11/24/2009 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms
Performer: Wilhelm Backhaus
Conductor: Karl Böhm
Orchestra/Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

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85.

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2; Beethoven: Symphony No. 1

Label: Archipel Catalog: 460 Release Date: 10/27/2009 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johannes Brahms, Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer: Wilhelm Backhaus
Conductor: Carl Schuricht

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86.

Ultimate Brahms [5-CD Set]

Label: Decca Catalog: 001313402 Release Date: 08/25/2009 Number of Discs: 5
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Henryk Szeryng, János Starker, Claudio Arrau
Conductor: Bernard Haitink, Wolfgang Sawallisch
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vienna Symphony Orchestra

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87.

Artur Rubinstein Plays Brahms And Schumann

Label: Arts Music Catalog: 43081 Release Date: 06/09/2009 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann
Performer: Artur Rubinstein
Conductor: André Cluytens, Franco Caracciolo
Orchestra/Ensemble: Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra Turin, Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra Naples

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Wilhelm Backhaus Plays Brahms & Schumann

Label: Hänssler Classic Catalog: 94203 Release Date: 06/09/2009 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms
Performer: Wilhelm Backhaus
Conductor: Karl Böhm

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89.

Legendary Russian Pianists

Label: Brilliant Classics Catalog: 9014 Release Date: 06/02/2009 Number of Discs: 25
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Dmitri Kabalevsky, Franz Liszt ...
Performer: Rudolf Kerer, Konstantin Igumnov, Yakov Flier, Vladimir Horowitz ...
Conductor: Alexander Gauk, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, David Oistrakh, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Orchestra, USSR Radio/TV Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra ...

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90.

Brahms: Piano Concerto No 2, Pieces For Piano Op. 119 / Lechner, Marturet, Berlin So

Label: Brilliant Classics Catalog: 93248 Release Date: 05/05/2009 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Karin Lechner
Conductor: Eduardo Marturet
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Symphony Orchestra

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91.

Heritage Masters - Brahms: Piano Concertos / Curzon

Label: Decca Catalog: 001268202 Release Date: 03/31/2009 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Clifford Curzon
Conductor: George Szell, Hans Knappertsbusch
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

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92.

Geza Anda Plays Chopin, Rachmaninov, Schumann, Brahms / Bour, Rosbaud, Et Al

Label: Hänssler Classic Catalog: 94208 Release Date: 03/10/2009 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninov, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms
Performer: Géza Anda
Conductor: Ernest Bour, Hans Rosbaud
Orchestra/Ensemble: Baden-Baden Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra

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93.

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2; Beethoven: Piano Sonata Op. 57 "appassionata"

Label: Archipel Catalog: 387 Release Date: 01/27/2009 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johannes Brahms, Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer: Emil Gilels
Conductor: Fritz Reiner

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94.

Brahms: Piano Concertos No 1 & 2, Etc / Tirimo, Sanderling, Levi, Rattle, Et Al

Label: Emi Classics For Pleasure Catalog: 28363 Release Date: 10/28/2008 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Martino Tirimo
Conductor: Simon Rattle
Orchestra/Ensemble: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

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95.

Icon - Sviatoslav Richter - The Master Pianist

Label: Warner Classics Catalog: 17411 Release Date: 10/28/2008 Number of Discs: 14
Composer: Alban Berg, Sergei Prokofiev, Robert Schumann, Edvard Grieg ...
Performer: Sviatoslav Richter, Oleg Kagan, David Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich ...
Conductor: Yuri Nikolaevsky, Lorin Maazel, Lovro von Matacic, Carlos Kleiber ...
Orchestra/Ensemble: Moscow Conservatory Symphony Orchestra members, London Symphony Orchestra, Monte Carlo Opera Orchestra ...

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96.

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2

Label: Archipel Catalog: 407 Release Date: 09/30/2008 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy
Performer: Sviatoslav Richter
Conductor: Sir John Barbirolli

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97.

Solomon - The Master Pianist

Label: Emi Classics Catalog: 6102 Release Date: 09/02/2008 Number of Discs: 7
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sir Arthur Bliss ...
Performer: Solomon
Conductor: Walter Susskind, Sir Adrian Boult, Issay Dobrowen, Herbert Menges
Orchestra/Ensemble: Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

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98.

Brahms: Piano Concerto No 2 / Ashkenazy, Mehta

Label: London/Decca Jubilee Catalog: 417710 Release Date: 08/27/2008 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Nelson Cooke, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Conductor: Zubin Mehta
Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra

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99.

Brahms: Piano Concertos No 1 & 2, Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Solo Piano Pieces

Label: Telarc Catalog: 80734 Release Date: 08/12/2008 Number of Discs: 1
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Horacio Gutierrez
Conductor: André Previn
Orchestra/Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

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100.

Greatest Works - Brahms / Masur, Neumann, Herbig, Et Al

Label: Berlin Classics Catalog: 184272 Release Date: 08/12/2008 Number of Discs: 2
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Peter Rösel, Jürnjakob Timm, Cécile Ousset
Conductor: Kurt Masur, Günther Herbig, Václav Neumann
Orchestra/Ensemble: Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Berlin Symphony Orchestra

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