Even Brahms's rival, Richard Wagner, a proponent of musical progress, reluctantly admitted the compositional merit of the Handel Variations after hearing them in 1863.
Compositional Technique
For Brahms, the bass line was the most sacred element in variations, serving as the "firm ground" upon which he would invent new melodies and create his musical stories.
Performer Biography
Ragna Schirmer, the pianist on this recording, is the only pianist to have won the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig twice.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Brahms had a particular fondness for the variation form, believing that composers of his time could still exploit it profitably with their talent and energy.
Recording & Production
The album's concept combines Brahms's "colourful Handel Variations" with the popular Waltzes Op. 39 and the intense Rhapsodies Op. 79 to showcase the range of his piano music.
Composer Biography
Johannes Brahms, born in Hamburg, chose Vienna as the center of his life and work, enthusiastically stating he could "drink my wine where Beethoven drank his."
Composition History
Brahms's first Vienna concert in 1862, where he performed his Handel Variations, took place in the house where Mozart had lived and composed works like The Marriage of Figaro.
You might also enjoy...
Brahms: Waltzes, Op. 39 & Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24
Brahms: Hungarian Dances - Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Händel
