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Johannes was born in Hamburg, Germany on this day. He was the son of a double bass player and a seamstress.
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Johannes created his own method of writing music, rather than using his fathers techniques. He created his own melodies on paper.
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This is when Johannes began to play piano more and more. He began studying under Otto Cossel.
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Johannes started playing private concerts to earn money for his future education. He also began taking piano lessons with Eduard Marxsen.
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Johannes started helping his family out by giving music lessons and playing piano for money. All the work started to affect his health, so he was send to Winsen-an-der-Luhe, in Germany, where he conducted a small mens choir. He wrote his first choral composition for this choir.
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He returned from Winsen back to Hamburg, and performed several concerts. He didn't gain any recognition, so he started playing at taverns and giving cheap music lessons.
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Johannes met Eduard Remenyi. Eduard introduced him to gypsy dance songs that could influence his later compositions.
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Brahms starting composing several piano pieces. Then, Remenyi and Brahms went on several concert tours that ended up being very successful.
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Brahms met his wife Clara. He also met Schumann, who wrote articles praising Barahms and also arranged to have Barahms first compositions published.
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Johannes wrote the Piano Trio #1, Variations on a Theme of Schumann, and Ballades. Variations- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2plXb6GqfpY
Piano Trio- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3i21beJgVM
Ballades- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11lT1AQft1s -
Brahms was called to Dusseldorf because Schumanns attempted suicide. For the next few years he stayed close to the Schumann family, even after Schumanns death in 1856.
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Brahms wrote the Piano Concerto in D Minor and it was performed in many cities in Germany. He was also named conductor of a ladies choir in Hamburg. He wrote the piece "Marinlieder" for this choir. Piano Concerto- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKVRQXLPdHk Marienlieder- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeiaqGci_y4
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Johannes heard that composers were using Liszts, a composer he met on a concert tour and didn't like, style of music. He moved to Hamburg and started composing like crazy and playing publically.
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Johannes gave a concert in Vienna, Austria. He also became the conductor of the Singakademie in Vienna.
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Brahms resigned. He stayed in Vienna for the rest of his life. He started doing what he always wanted, which was making composing his main source of income.
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Brahms mother died. Throughout the next year he worked on the German Requiem for her memory.
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He finished the German Requiem, but it wasn't published in its final form. He published Variations on a Theme of Paganni, and the String Sextet in G minor, which became very important. German Requiem- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZcxpl30NOw Variations on a theme of paganni- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Dn6AuIgHI String Sextet- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA8rC6kYfNo&feature=fvst
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Brahms father died this year.
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He resigned as conductor of Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, that same Summer, he worked on his Symphony No. 1 and started the Symphony 2. Symphony 1- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he41HHCjMWM
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The University of Breslau offered Brahms a doctors degree, in appreciation he wrote 2 orchestral concert pieces. He discovered Italy and ended up vacationing there alot. Vacations to him, meant composing, producing symphonies, and violin and piano concertos.
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Began aging rapidly. He thought he was at the end of his creativity. His last published works were Vier ernste Gesange (4 serious songs) were the high points in his career. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEjlWCeXU2g
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Brahms health began to take a toll on him after his wife died.
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Brahms death was this year. He died of liver cancer and was buried next to Beethoven and Fraz Schubert. He was honored by Vienna and the entire music world.
