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Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1833. He was the son of a poor musician and started playing the piano at a very early age.
His family needed some extra money so he had to play in cheap saloons still as a young child.
In 1853 he had a tour with the Hungarian violinist Reményi, there he met Joseph Joachim and Franz Liszt. Joachim encouraged him to meet Robert Schumann.
Brahms developed a good relationship with Robert Schumann and his wife, Clara Schumann, who was herself a piano virtuoso.
For some time Brahms worked in Detmold as a pianist and conductor of the chorus choir. In 1863 Brahms became director of the Vienna Singakademie and held that position for one year.
From time to time he held tours through out Europe and became well known.
From 1872 until 1875 Brahms directed the orchestra of the Society of the Friends of Music in Vienna, but after that he dedicated his life only to composition.
Brahms died on April 3rd, 1897.
Brahms composed piano music, orchestral music, concert and others forms of music, but he never composed ballets or operas.
Variations and a Fugue on a Theme by Handel (1861), is one of his masterpieces for piano.
Brahms had a very unique musical style. He used old forms, but made them in new ways. His music was very lyrical.
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