Today, Johannes Brahms is considered a towering figure in 19th-century music, and his symphonies are a cornerstone of the classical repertoire. However, his music enjoyed a rather complex and evolving reception, especially in the Anglo-American world. In Britain and the

Johannes Brahms’s carefully crafted music can be difficult for some listeners to immediately connect with. Sometimes it takes the memories of the colleagues who knew him best to paint a more human portrait of the man. One incredible source of

Pianist Krystian Zimerman (b. 1956) expanded his repertoire from solo piano (after winning the IX International Chopin Piano Competition in 1975) to duo works, working with violinist Kaha Danczowska in 1977 and recording Franck’s Sonata and Szymanowski’s Mythes together. More

Growing up in Hong Kong, it’s fairly typical that I’ve been a pianist my whole life. I’ve hammered out everything from Bach to Rachmaninoff with a kind of stubborn focus. The piano is my territory; it is familiar, reliable, and

Johannes Brahms had trouble with women. He objectified most of them, thought of them as either Madonnas or whores, and heartily agreed with prevailing social attitudes that they should concentrate on Kinder, Küche, Kirche (Children, Kitchen, Church), to quote a

Max Bruch: Symphony No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 28 It has been said that Johannes Brahms and Max Bruch (1838-1920) enjoyed a long but superficially cordial relationship. Actually, Bruch considers Brahms “an arrogant and disagreeable man, liable to react

There are countless reasons why composers attached dedications to their scores. In a wonderful study, Emily H. Green has attempted to unravel the complex relationship between composers, publishers, and consumers of music. For one, works might be dedicated to patrons,

Johannes Brahms was seemingly nonchalant when it came to critical assessments of his work or the opinions of his fellow composers. Nevertheless, he proudly and secretly kept a handwritten list of works dedicated to him by other composers. In a