Johannes Brahms Essentials

Born six years after Beethoven's death, and hailed by Schumann as a genius, Brahms continued the Germanic symphonic tradition at a time when Wagner was inventing a new musical and esthetic language. His four symphonies and four concertos (two for piano plus a Violin Concerto and one for violin and cello) are cornerstones of the repertoire, and fuse classical form with deep expression. A passionate admirer of Bach's music, Brahms wrote a lot of choral music including his very human A German Requiem. His chamber and piano music, as well as a large body of songs, make him one of the undisputed greats.