Tune in Today: Did Brahms Steal His Most Popular Work?

With Hungarian composer Eduard Remenyi playing an early role in his musical rise, the German Brahms’s ‘Hungarian Dances’ is put under the spotlight.

Csardas, a Hungarian folk dance. Brahms claimed his famous "Hungarian Dances" were influenced by folk songs he encountered in his travels. Public Domain

Eduard Remenyi was looking for an accompanist.

The Hungarian violinist was staying at the Le Soleil hotel in Hamburg during January of 1853. He was due to perform for a Mr. Helmrich, one of the great merchant princes of the region, when his accompanist called in sick. On the hunt for a replacement, he had little idea just who he was about to engage as a substitute.