Johannes Brahms
Germany, 1853–1897
German composer (1833-1897) working in Classical forms at the height of Romanticism. His dense motivic development and harmonic language were later cited by Schoenberg as a model of structural economy.
MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced Johannes Brahms and 3 artists Johannes Brahms influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.
Who influenced Johannes Brahms?
- Ludwig van Beethoven — Brahms delayed his First Symphony for two decades under Beethoven's shadow — 'you have no idea how it feels to hear behind you the tramp of a giant like Beethoven'.
- Robert Schumann — Schumann discovered the 20-year-old Brahms, proclaimed him music's future in his article 'Neue Bahnen' and personally launched his career.
- Johann Sebastian Bach — Brahms was a scholar-editor of Bach and built his late works on Baroque counterpoint — the finale of the Fourth Symphony is a chaconne on a Bach theme.
Which artists did Johannes Brahms influence?
- Max Reger — Brahms was Reger's other pole - he eulogised him as one of the milestones of German music, and took from him the dense chromatic harmony he wrapped Bach's counterpoint in.
- Arnold Schoenberg — Schoenberg wrote 'Brahms the Progressive' — Brahms's dense counterpoint was a key structural influence on his atonality.
- Antonín Dvořák — Brahms discovered Dvořák through the Austrian State Prize jury, recommended him to his publisher Simrock and personally corrected his proofs — a documented mentorship.