Overview

Course No. 757

Explore how Brahms found unique ways of combining the formal complexity of older Classical genres with the melodic inventiveness, harmonic sophistication, and expressive richness of the Romantic Age. In both his life and his music, Johannes Brahms was a man of contrasts. These 8 lectures link the complexities of the man with the electrifying music of the composer through biographical information and musical commentary.

Video Lectures

• J.B., We Hardly Knew You!
  • Examination of Brahms’s attempts to shape his legacy and his early musical journey.
  • Duration: 48 min

2. The Brothels of Hamburg
   • Insight into Brahms’s childhood experiences and his early musical influences.
   • Duration: 45 min

• The Schumanns
  • Overview of Brahms’s relationship with Clara and Robert Schumann and its impact on his career.
  • Duration: 44 min

4. The Vagabond Years
   • Exploration of Brahms’s travels and early works, leading to his musical maturity.
   • Duration: 45 min

5. Maturity
   • Discussion of Brahms’s mature style and the personal significance of his A German Requiem.
   • Duration: 45 min

• Mastery
  • Examination of Brahms’s compositional successes and his esteemed position in the music world.
  • Duration: 46 min

• The Tramp of Giants
  • Analysis of Brahms’s contributions to the symphonic repertoire and his celebrated works.
  • Duration: 47 min

• Farewells
  • Reflections on Brahms’s later career, personal losses, and his final compositions.
  • Duration: 47 min