everything i’ve encountered by Brahms has been of only the most ephemeral interest
And with that, Simon the Iconoclast is back! Oh, how I’ve missed thee!
thesecretorganistAugust 15, 2019 • 19:26 - 19:26
Ah yes, I remember that you were always a big Brahms fan. I have to say I’m with Simon wholeheartedly on this one. Brahms is one of those composers who leaves me almost entirely cold. Still, de gustibus non est disputandum and all that…
Christopher LeggAugust 16, 2019 • 12:26 - 12:26
Actually, for a long time (i.e. my teens and twenties) my Brahms diet consisted solely of the first symphony and piano concerto – the rest did nothing for me, and I even used to imagine that it was the opening of Symphony no. 2 that Tchaikovsky had particularly in mind when he used to describe Brahms as mediocre. Since then, I’ve gradually had my eyes opened, so there’s time for you yet, and there may even be time for Simon…
(…and from there, who knows? Maybe even Elgar…!)
thesecretorganistAugust 17, 2019 • 14:35 - 14:35
I admire your optimism! You’re right, of course – I believe that all our tastes naturally change over time. There are certainly a couple of pieces by Brahms that I do like – Geistliches Lied for one, and some of the late piano pieces. Maybe one of these years I’ll finally come to appreciate his symphonies.
Chris LAugust 22, 2019 • 07:58 - 07:58
A personal breakthrough came with no.3, with its hard-to-scan mix of simple and compound time during the opening – not to mention that bass lurch upwards into the minor, which I never quite expect no matter how many times I hear it – coupled with the (for the era) highly unorthodox quiet endings to all four movements.
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5 comments
And with that, Simon the Iconoclast is back! Oh, how I’ve missed thee!
Ah yes, I remember that you were always a big Brahms fan. I have to say I’m with Simon wholeheartedly on this one. Brahms is one of those composers who leaves me almost entirely cold. Still, de gustibus non est disputandum and all that…
Actually, for a long time (i.e. my teens and twenties) my Brahms diet consisted solely of the first symphony and piano concerto – the rest did nothing for me, and I even used to imagine that it was the opening of Symphony no. 2 that Tchaikovsky had particularly in mind when he used to describe Brahms as mediocre. Since then, I’ve gradually had my eyes opened, so there’s time for you yet, and there may even be time for Simon…
(…and from there, who knows? Maybe even Elgar…!)
I admire your optimism! You’re right, of course – I believe that all our tastes naturally change over time. There are certainly a couple of pieces by Brahms that I do like – Geistliches Lied for one, and some of the late piano pieces. Maybe one of these years I’ll finally come to appreciate his symphonies.
A personal breakthrough came with no.3, with its hard-to-scan mix of simple and compound time during the opening – not to mention that bass lurch upwards into the minor, which I never quite expect no matter how many times I hear it – coupled with the (for the era) highly unorthodox quiet endings to all four movements.
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