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Portrait of Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms

Romantic · 1833–1897

Johannes Brahms grew up poor in Hamburg, the son of a working musician, and was earning money at the piano in his teens. A concert tour at twenty brought him to Robert and Clara Schumann's door, and Robert announced him in print as the future of German music. The compliment weighed on him for decades: he worked on his first symphony, off and on, for about twenty years.

He settled in Vienna, never married, and lived simply while producing music of rare craftsmanship in nearly every form except opera. The German Requiem, written in the years after his mother's death, sets consoling German texts he chose himself instead of the traditional Latin service, and it established his reputation across Europe.

Ein deutsches Requiem is a fine first encounter. For late Brahms in one sitting, try the Clarinet Quintet in B minor, written after he had officially retired from composing.

160 works in the catalog, across 4 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.

Chamber

  • Clarinet Quintet in B minor, op. 115
  • Clarinet Sonata no. 1 in F minor, op. 120 no. 1
  • Piano Quartet no. 1 in G minor, op. 25
  • Piano Quartet no. 3 in C minor, op. 60
  • Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34
  • String Quartet no. 3 in B flat major, op. 67
  • String Quintet no. 2 in G major, op. 111
  • String Sextet no. 1 in B flat major, op. 18
  • Violin Sonata no. 1 in G major, op. 78
  • Cello Sonata no. 1 in E minor, op. 38
  • Cello Sonata no. 2 in F major, op. 99
  • Clarinet Sonata no. 2 in E flat major, op. 120 no. 2
  • Clarinet Trio in A minor, op. 114
  • Horn Trio in E flat major, op. 40
  • Piano Quartet no. 2 in A major, op. 26
  • Piano Trio no. 1 in B major, op. 8
  • Piano Trio no. 2 in C major, op. 87
  • Piano Trio no. 3 in C minor, op. 101
  • Scherzo in C minor, WoO 2, "F-A-E" For violin and piano
  • String Quartet no. 1 in C minor, op. 51 no. 1
  • String Quartet no. 2 in A minor, op. 51 no. 2
  • String Quintet no. 1 in F major, op. 88
  • String Sextet no. 2 in G major, op. 36
  • Violin Sonata no. 2 in A major, op. 100
  • Violin Sonata no. 3 in D minor, op. 108

Keyboard

  • Ballades, op. 10
  • Intermezzos, op. 117
  • Piano Sonata no. 3 in F minor, op. 5
  • Rhapsodies, op. 79
  • Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, op. 24
  • Choral Prelude and Fugue in A minor, WoO 7
  • Choral Preludes, op. 122 For organ
  • Exercises, WoO 6
  • Fantasias, op. 116
  • Fugue in A flat minor, WoO 8
  • Gigues, WoO 4
  • Hungarian Dances, WoO 1
  • Klavierstücke, op. 76
  • Klavierstücke, op. 118
  • Klavierstücke, op. 119
  • Piano Sonata no. 1 in C major, op. 1
  • Piano Sonata no. 2 in F sharp minor, op. 2
  • Prelude and Fugue in A minor, WoO 9
  • Prelude and Fugue in G minor, WoO 10
  • Sarabandes, WoO 5
  • Scherzo in E flat minor, op. 4
  • Sonata for 2 Pianos in F minor, op. 34b
  • Variations on a Hungarian Melody, op. 21 no. 2
  • Variations on an Original Theme, op. 21 no. 1
  • Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op. 56b Version for 2 pianos
  • Variations on a Theme by Paganini, op. 35
  • Variations on a Theme by Schumann, op. 9
  • Variations on a Theme by Schumann, op. 23 For piano 4 hands
  • Waltzes, op. 39

Orchestral

  • Double Concerto in A minor, op. 102 For violin, cello and orchestra
  • Piano Concerto no. 2 in B flat major, op. 83
  • Symphony no. 3 in F major, op. 90
  • Symphony no. 4 in E minor, op. 98
  • Violin Concerto in D major, op. 77
  • Academic Festival Overture, op. 80
  • Piano Concerto no. 1 in D minor, op. 15
  • Serenade no. 1 in D major, op. 11
  • Serenade no. 2 in A major, op. 16
  • Symphony no. 1 in C minor, op. 68
  • Symphony no. 2 in D major, op. 73
  • Tragic Overture, op. 81
  • Variations on a Theme of Haydn, op. 56a

Vocal

  • Alto Rhapsody, op. 53 For alto, male chorus and orchestra
  • Ein deutsches Requiem, op. 45 For soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra
  • Liebeslieder Walzes, op. 52 Songs
  • Songs, op. 17 For female chorus, two horns and harp
  • Ave Maria, op. 12 For female chorus and orchestra
  • Balladen und Romanzen, op. 75 Songs
  • Begräbnisgesang, op. 13 Song
  • Canons, op. 113
  • Dem dunkeln Schoß der heil'gen Erde, WoO 20
  • Der Gang zum Liebchen Song
  • Deutsche Volksliede, WoO38 Songs
  • Deutsche Volkslieder, WoO 33 Songs
  • Deutsche Volkslieder, WoO 34 Songs
  • Deutsche Volkslieder, WoO 37 Songs
  • Duets, op. 20 Songs
  • Duets, op. 28 Songs
  • Duets, op. 61 Songs
  • Duets, op. 66 Songs
  • Fest- und Gedenksprüche, op. 109 Motets
  • Four Serious Songs, op. 121
  • Gedichte, op. 19 Songs
  • Geistliches Lied, op. 30 Song
  • German Folk Songs, WoO32
  • German Folk Songs, WoO 35
  • Gesang der Parzen, op. 89 For mixed chorus and orchestra
  • Gesänge, op. 3 Songs
  • Gesänge, op. 6 Songs
  • Gesänge, op. 7 Songs
  • Gesänge, op. 43 Songs
  • Gesänge, op. 69 Songs
  • Gesänge, op. 70 Songs
  • Gesänge, op. 71 Songs
  • Gesänge, op. 91 Songs
  • Gesänge, op. 104 Songs
  • Grausam erweiset sich Amor, WoO 24 Song
  • In dieser Welt des Trugs und Scheins, WoO 27 Song
  • Kleine Hochzeitskantate, WoO 16 Cantata
  • Kyrie in G minor, WoO 17
  • Lieder, op. 46 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 47 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 48 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 49 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 62 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 72 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 85 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 86 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 94 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 95 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 96 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 97 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 105 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 106 Songs
  • Lieder, op. 107 Songs
  • Lieder und Gesänge, op. 32 Songs
  • Lieder und Gesänge, op. 57 Songs
  • Lieder und Gesänge, op. 58 Songs
  • Lieder und Gesänge, op. 59 Songs
  • Lieder und Gesänge, op. 63 Songs
  • Lieder und Romanzen, op. 14 Songs
  • Marienlieder, op. 22 Songs
  • Mir lächelt kein Frühling, WoO 25 Canon
  • Missa Canonica, WoO 18
  • Mondnacht, WoO 21 Song
  • Motets, op. 29
  • Motets, op. 74
  • Motets, op. 110
  • Neue Liebeslieder Waltzes, op. 65 Songs
  • Nänie, op. 82 For mixed chorus and orchestra
  • Ophelia Lieder, WoO 22 Song cycle
  • O wie sanft!, WoO 26 Canon
  • Psalm 13, op. 27 For female chorus, organ and strings
  • Quartets, op. 31 Songs
  • Quartets, op. 64 Songs
  • Quartets, op. 92 Songs
  • Quartets, op. 112 Songs
  • Regenlied, WoO 23 Song
  • Rinaldo, op. 50 Cantata
  • Romances, op. 33, "Magelone Lieder" Song cycle
  • Romanzen und Lieder, op. 84 Songs
  • Sacred choruses, op. 37
  • Schicksalslied, op. 54 For chorus and orchestra
  • Songs, op. 41
  • Songs, op. 42
  • Songs, op. 104
  • Songs and Romances, op. 44
  • Songs and romances, op. 93a
  • Tafellied, op. 93b Song
  • Triumphlied, op. 55 Cantata for baritone, chorus, and orchestra
  • Töne, lindernder Klang!, WoO 28 Canon
  • Volks-Kinderlieder, WoO 31 Songs
  • Wann?, WoO 29 Canon
  • Zigeunerlieder, op. 103 Songs
  • Zu Rauch mus werden, WoO 30 Canon

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