Why do I love Brahms...

In talking to my colleagues this week, the music of Brahms has come up often. I've always unabashedly admitted to being a Brahms guy, and to proudly touting him as one of the finest composers who ever lived. Which got me thinking: WHY do I love Brahms? Why is he more than a musical monument, but almost a central part of my life - sort of like brushing your teeth or drinking coffee in the morning. To paraphrase Lucy Van Pelt of Peanuts fame, "What's so great about Brahms anyway? Does Brahms have a bubble gum card? Anybody who has done anything is on a bubble gum card." Ok, she was actually talking about Beethoven, but good grief - the point remains. So here goes, I am going to tell you why Brahms is so great, although I make no promises to procure a Brahms bubble gum card.

Here it is in bullet point form:
Took time to mature as a composer - was not a child prodigy like many composers, this allowed him an opportunity to study and perfect his craft

Student of past generations - Brahms was interested in studying what made Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven and others great and applying it to his own style.

Universal Composer - wrote effectively for voice, orchestral, and chamber mediums

Virtuosic Musicianship - Brahms was a world-class pianist and well regarded choral conductor - this gave him new insights into his compositional technique.

Unlike many contemporaries, Brahms wrote symphonies fairly late in life completing Symphony No. 1 around his 35th birthday. For the sake of comparison, Schubert, who has as many as 10 numbered symphonies (some of which were never finished) had already died by 35, a young Mozart wrote his first at age 16, similarly, Mendelssohn penned a symphony at age 15 - imagine writing a symphony at the same age teenagers today are taking driver's education. This is to say, that while Brahms achieved international fame and reputation, he did not do so at an early age like the aforementioned composers did. This is not to say that Brahms did not write orchestral music. One such work he completed prior a full-scale symphony, is the famous Ein deutsches Requiem.

In the opening movement of his Requiem, the very first interval heard is a 7th. For those of you keeping score at home, this is nearly an octave, but just short enough to sound "off." In this instance, it is the very same interval the Bernstein uses in the opening theme of "Tonight" - "There's a place for us" - in that bit. Here Brahms utilizes a bass pedal, or repeated note followed by this jarring interval. Had Brahms been in Music Theory 101, he probably would have failed, but he executes this maneuver, that would have been jarring in the context of other music with great elegance and in the context of a beautiful musical line. You can have a listen below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYMP7LYQ5uE

Another example of the brilliance of Brahms is found in the opening of the final movement of Symphony No. 4, his last symphony. In this case Brahms utilizes a passacaglia or repeated bass pattern as the basis for the movement. What is especially interesting is that this was primarily a baroque idea. To put things into context the Baroque period ended in 1750, and Brahms was born in 1834. Symphony No. 4 was written in 1884, nearly 150 years after the "end" of the baroque period. At this time many composers were interested in creating new forms, writing larger-scale free form works. Brahms, on the other hand, composed in a style that had been "dead" for over a century.
If you listen below, the "bass pattern" repeats at about the 20 second mark. While the actual notes are not heard, they serve as the harmonic basis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg9iXypvP_k

While books have been written about the mastercraftsemen that is Johannes Brahms, it pains me to poorly do so in just a few sentences. My hope is that this brief narrative might provide a small glimmer into the mind of a true genius.

Piece #50 Symphony No. 5, Mvt. 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6K_IuBsRM4

Ahh the lore that surrounds this piece. What of it is a myth? What of it is true? Scholars will continue to argue and romanticize over the opening of this piece.

Factoids;

• Began in 1804 and completed in 1808.
• Beethoven set aside this symphony to work on Symphony No. 4, his fourth piano concert, and initial editions of Fidelio, the only opera he wrote.
• There is evidence to indicate Beethoven had significant hearing loss in 1801, three years before he began this symphony, and seven before it was completed.

• This work is interesting in the opening motive (dah dah dah dum) serves as the basis for the entire movements.
• It reappears most obviously in the third movement, but occurs in accompanimental figures in movements two and four.

Have fun!

Piece #49 - Opening Sequence of 1776

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEOhL2pN1Q0

In honor of opening night of 1776 we have the  opening sequence from the show. I hope you enmjoy it, if you happen to be in Pawling, NY tonight or tomorrow check us out!

Happy Friday!

Piece #48 - American Tune - Paul Simon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE3kKUEY5WU

Factoids:

• This tune is actually taken from Bach's St. Matthew Passion, and less notably in the Christmas Oratorio.
• You may recognize it as O sacred head , or "The Passion Chorale."
• A chorale is essentially a hymn that is a part of a larger work.
• Typically Bach's cantata's, passions, and oratorios (especially the Christmas Oratorio) are loaded with chorales.
• Scholarship suggests that they may have been sung by the congregation int he original performances.
• Have a listen to the Bach version of the same melody:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTLRp2zU3x0

Piece #47 - Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (his recording)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AWFf7EAc4

Stepping outside the box yet again...here is another one of my favorite pop tunes. I like this one for a different reason - from a musical standpoint, it is very well-crafted.

Factoids:
The text is really fantastic in this piece, but the way Mr. Cohen musically paints it, is even more interesting!
The line "It goes like this the fourth, the fifth" are harmonized with IV and V chords.
The text "the minor fall" - is written using a minor third, and harmonized with a minor vi chord.
The "major lift" is harmonized on a major IV chord.

Interesting music theory info about a great tune!

Have fun!

Piece #46 - Symphony No. 4, mvt 1 - Johannes Brahms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bdv0GaOcBg

Yesterday I spoke about a pop tune I classified as "comfort music," I'd give this movement by Brahms the same distinction. I know that if I have had a miserable day I can listen to this movement and smile.

Factoids:

• This is the last symphony completed by Brahms.
• His first major symphonic work was his famous German Requiem.

• As discussed in the previous excerpt from this piece, Brahms was classified as a more conservative composer for his era.
• He was constantly interested in those working before him, which is especially evident in the final movement of this symphony.
• Brahms was especially fond of the work of Beethoven.
• In his first symphony there is a chorale much like the one in Beethoven's 9th symphony.
• We all know that Beethoven's famous 5th symphony is based on a 4 note cell (bum bum bum bum)
• This movement is based on a 2-note cell (short-long)
• While it's inconclusive, Brahms could have been tipping his hat to Herr Beethoven.

Enjoy!

Piece #45 - Vienna- Billy Joel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0yvjk6mzKE

Time to step outside the box a bit. Here is one of my all-time favorite tunes- You see, I do listen to things other than Brahms...well not much, but here goes!

Opinionoids;
It's funny how songs are especially meaningful at different times in your life. We often associate a tune with a memory. This is a song that has always "spoken to me" although I've connected with different lines during different phases of my life.

I remember going through the struggles of graduate school. My first year in particular, I worked myself to the bone and was having virtually no fun. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, doubting myself, questioning my abilities, and in a general state of tremendous stress. On a Saturday night you could find me in my office working, which usually involved little work and lots of worry.

I can distinctly recall one of those Saturday evenings in 107 Music Building 1. I hadn't listened to anything written after 1900 in months and I played this song. I can still remember laughing as I realized the first verse had become my life. Here is the text:

Slow down you crazy child
You're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart tell me why
Are you still so afraid?
Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You better cool it off before you burn it out
You got so much to do and only
So many hours in a day

It was shortly after that Saturday evening where things really started to click. Up until that point my life was driven by worry. I was unkind to friends and my girlfriend (she really dealt with the brunt of this), when I wasn't running a rehearsal, I was stressing out about the next one. That pivotal moment made me understand that there were other things that were more important than trying to be the best, and perpetually searching for validity. Oddly enough things really started to click after this realization. I got accepted into some wonderful summer programs, I did well in competitions, and things began to make sense - personally and musically.

I came to this song again during a similar time last October. Without getting too personal, I experienced a tough break up. Fittingly, it happened during one of those "when it rains it pours"  weekends, as within a 24 -hour period I conducted a concert that totally bombed, some students questioned my teaching philosophy, and broken up, as silly as it sounds it seemed like my world was coming to an end.

At this point I sort of wanted to curl up into a hole and escape. Things were difficult with my job, and what I considered the only thing going smoothly - my relationship, ended abruptly after several years. It seemed as though I was at the edge some sort of cliff. How was I to respond?

I remember driving home from New Jersey feeling perplexed, sad, and confused. I wasn't sure what was to happen next. Some people have comfort food, I have comfort music. I turned to Brahms, and Mendelssohn, but I also turned to that Billy Joel tune named after an Austrian city.

As I listened to Vienna in my apartment, endearingly nicknamed, "The Barracks" a different line stuck with me.

You know that when the truth is told

You can get what you want or you can just get old

And it seemed so fitting. I've made it my motto ever since, and things are much better. While I would be lying if I said everything was alright, I am in love with my job, I have wonderful family and friends, and I have a lot to appreciate. It seems so true that life is all about perspective, we aim for what we want or we can "just get old." It's funny that it took a song I had heard 500 times for me to realize that.

Have a good one!