Born in Hamburg, Germany, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), went on to worldwide acclaim as a pianist, teacher, conductor and composer. Even though he lived during the days of the romantic composers, his works were always in the classical mould.
Historical Context
1833: Slavery abolished in the British Empire. Brahms is born. 1836: Charles Dickens publishes Pickwick Papers. 1837: Victoria becomes Queen of England. 1846: Sewing machine patented by Elias Howe. 1861: U.S. Civil War begins. 1866: Dynamite is invented. 1879: Thomas A. Edison invents electric light. 1885: World’s first skyscraper built in Chicago. 1888: Jack the Ripper murders in London. 1895: Motion pictures premiered in Paris.
After an initial period of writing that lasted from 1861 to 1868, and partial performances in Vienna and Bremen, the first complete performance of the work that Brahms entitle...