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Birth
1833 Born May 7 in Hamburg, son of Johann Jakob Brahms, double bassist -
Music Tuition
1839Begins formal musical tuition under his father, the following year studying the piano with Otto Friedrich Willibald Cossel, the Hamburg pianist -
Starts Piano
1843Starts piano, and probably composition, lessons with Eduoard Marxsen (1806-1887) and plays at his first concert -
During summer Vacation
1848Conducts a male voice choir in a concert during his summer vacation. Returning home, he presents his first concert in his home city of Hamburg. -
Brahms Emerges
1853Brahms’ Opus 1 emerges – a piano sonata in C major. Meets Joachim for the first time while on a concert tour -
First Piano Concert
1858First Piano Concerto in D minor completed – premièred the year following in Hanover and Leipzig. -
Appointed Conductor
1863Appointed conductor of the Vienna Singacademie -
Complete Performance
1868First complete performance of Ein Deutsches Requiem -
Theme of Haydn
1873Variations on a theme of Haydn (the so-called St Antony Chorale) finished – versions for full orchestra and piano duo. -
Symphony No 2
1878Violin Concerto in D major and Symphony No 2 written. -
Symphony No 3
1883Symphony No 3 completed – as were so many of his compositions – during a relaxing summer holiday -
Tchaikovsky
1888Meets Tchaikovsky in January, and tours Italy in the Spring. Summer activity includes producing the D minor sonata for violin and piano. -
Piano Work Ops
1893Piano works Ops 118 and 119 composed at Ischl. -
4 Last Songs
1896The “Four Last Songs”. Brahms’ health deteriorates, and his condition is probably worsened by the death of his life-long friend Clara Schumann -
Death
1897Dies in Vienna from cancer, April 3.