Composer
Johannes Brahms
1833–1897
6,821 works in the index
Born in Hamburg on May 7, 1933 to Johanna Henrika Christiane Nissen and Johann Jakob Brahms, Johannes showed talent for music at an early age. Johann, a musician himself, allowed the fair-haired Johannes to play piano as a teen in local brothels to help support the family. Johannes met Robert Schumann in 1853 at the age of 20, and the two forged a close friendship with Schumann being instrumental in advancing Brahms career.
Brahms greatly favored the classical ideals portrayed by Beethoven and Mozart and developed compositions known for being intensely emotional while highly structured. His German Requiem composed from 1863 to 1867 is known as his most ambitious work; he also wrote concertos, chamber music and music for the piano.
Brahms never married despite his many love affairs. He died in Vienna on April 3, 1897 at the age of 63 from liver cancer. He was buried next to Beethoven.
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