Johannes Brahms was one of the leading composers of the Romantic Era and is grouped as one of the "Three Bs" of classical music along with Bach and Beethoven. Brahms musical style is characterized by a large amount of counterpoint often referenced to J.S. Bach along with a beautiful melodic sensibility. In addition to his mastery of composition, Brahms was also fascinated by music of the past, as can be seen by his considerable use of techniques of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods and his large collection of manuscripts. Brahms’s legacy does not stop with the Romantic Era, however. Twentieth century composer Arnold Schoenberg praises Brahms’s compositional techniques and several scholarly articles discuss Brahms’s influence on twentieth century music.
Brahms’s early education involved the study of several instruments including the piano, horn, double bass, and cello. He composed many works as a young man, but was unfortunately a perfectionist and destroyed most of his early manuscripts. On one of his early tours Brahms met the famous violinist Joseph Joachim, who then introduced Brahms to the composer and music critic Robert Schumann. Schumann and Brahms collaborated on a work for Joachim referred to as the F-A-E Sonata, and Schumann remained a close friend and musical mentor until his death in 1856. It is also through this close relationship that Brahms met Schumann’s wife Clara, who became a noted pianist and promoter of Brahms’s music. There has been much speculation on the musical and romantic details of Clara’s relationship with Brahms, but there is no doubt as to the musical importance of their friendship.
-- Kyle Blaha