The three B’s of classical music, Bach, Beethoven and Brahms lived in the baroque, classical and romantic eras of music respectively. While Ludwig von Beethoven’s music saw success during his life, he couldn’t really enjoy said success since by the end of his career, he was completely deaf. Johann Sebastian Bach’s music was neglected for years after his death until Felix Mendelssohn brought it back to life. Johannes Brahms’s music wasn’t always accepted but towards the end of his life, he was a celebrity in Vienna and he knew it. He could walk down the street and be recognized by his fans.
Brahms’s Early Education
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) grew up in a simple family. His father, Johann Jakob Brahms, was a struggling musician and his mother was a seamstress. He was the oldest of three children.As a child when he was studying piano with his first teacher Otto Cossel, he already had the aspiration to compose. Cossel had no skill in teaching composition so he introduced Johannes to his own teacher at one time, Eduard Marxsen. Marxsen saw Brahms’s talent but wanted him to focus on the piano, composing would come in due time. But Brahms would not relent. He continued to prod Marxsen about it until he finally gave in.
