Johannes Brahms(1833~1837), who has often compared equally to Bach and Beethoven, has been an important figure in the field of piano music.
Born in the 'Romantic' nineteenth century, the age in which the colorful program art of Berlioz, Liszt and Wag...
Johannes Brahms(1833~1837), who has often compared equally to Bach and Beethoven, has been an important figure in the field of piano music.
Born in the 'Romantic' nineteenth century, the age in which the colorful program art of Berlioz, Liszt and Wagner flourished, Brahms indulged himself in the contrapuntal writings and techniques of the past.
He was a 'Romantic Classicist' who dedicated himself to the preservation of the purity of the classical form. Yet, he was a revolutionist in every way. He wrote piano music in a manner way that no other composers of his time could write. His conception of piano music as a grand orchestral piece was indeed a revolution in itself. The characteristics that constitute the Brahmnsian style are many and diversified: the frequent use of intervals of the third, sixth and tenth; doublings in choral structure; the use of melodies built on the notes of a triad; the complete independent melodies unfolding simultaneously; the extensive use of intricate polyrhythms, hemiola and syncopation; and the devices of romantic harmony.
When one looks at the piano works of Brahms, one could find these contradictory qualities intertwined in a supreme musical structure. Brahms was indeed a master of his art. He created new ways to express his ideas and emotions. Thus, the piano music of Brahms requires a supreme technical and musical mastery for its proper understanding and appreciation. His piano works are the ultimate challenge to every pianist.