FOREWORD

This pamphlet about the most important compositionsin which Brahms employs the orchestra, like itspredecessor about Beethoven’s symphonies, makes noclaim to originality and no secret of indebtedness totreatises that are open to us all. It is addressed to theradio audience of The Philharmonic-Symphony Societyof New York, and its only object is to present in conciseform some information concerning an inexhaustiblesubject that radio listeners may find of service.

BRAHMS
and some of his works

By
PITTS SANBORN

In the then free city of Hamburg Johannes Brahmswas born on May 7, 1833. His parents were in humblecircumstances, and Johannes was born in a poor part ofthe city. But his father was a well-trained musician andan accomplished double-bass player, and his mother,seventeen years his father’s senior, was a woman of finespirit and unusual intelligence.

From an early age Johannes was clearly destined for amusical career, and at six he had already begun to learnthe rudiments of music from his father, who purposedmaking an orchestral player of him. When he was eighthe began to take piano lessons of Otto Cossel, his fatherfeeling he had nothing more to teach the child. Cosselpronounced him an excellent pupil, but complained thathe wasted time on his “everlasting composing.”

Two years later Cossel, convinced that he deservedmore advanced instruction, took him to his own teacher,Eduard Marxsen, the royal music director in the adjacentcity of Altona. Marxsen accepted the new pupil unwillingly,5but presently he was impressed with the keennessof the boy’s mind. Beginning with piano lessons, he laterstudied composition, and Marxsen, thorough about allinstruction, encouraged him to compose as well as toperfect himself as a pianist. Incidentally, Johannesbecame a great reader of books.

At the age of eleven Johannes appeared, together withhis father, as pianist at a private subscription concertorganized to raise money to continue his education.Then and there an impresario wanted to engage him fora concert tour that was to include America. But Cosselprotested effectively against his being exploited as aprodigy. Nevertheless, the Brahms family was so poorat this time that Johannes was obliged to add to theirincome by playing the piano in sailors’ resorts. Thiswork, which often lasted into the morning hours, affectedhis health adversely.

He continued to compose, however, and a turning pointcame when he had the chance to undertake a tour withthe young Hungarian violinist Eduard Remenyi. In thecourse of this association he not only got acquainted withHungarian national dances, which were to influence considerablyh

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