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Discover the Music Maestro: Top 6 Fun Facts About Johannes Brahms You Can't Miss!

illustration of johannes-brahms
Dive into the fascinating world of Johannes Brahms, the musical genius with a flair for the unexpected, as we unveil a symphony of lesser-known tidbits about this iconic composer.

1. Brahms' Beard-tastic

While rumor has it that Johannes Brahms' compositions were the cat's meow – quite literally, as some claimed he included the shrieks of feline slaughter in his tunes – the true fur-ocious standout in his life was lurking beneath his nose: One of Brahms' most distinguishing features was his magnificent, ever-growing beard that he meticulously tended to throughout his life.
Source => classicfm.com

2. Beethoven Remix Master

Feeling a tad Ludwiggy: Johannes Brahms, like a majestic remix artist, wove similarities in rhythm and theme to pay homage to Beethoven, ultimately creating masterpieces that stood the test of time and earned him recognition as an influential composer in his own right.
Source => cpr.org

3. Sausage Sonata Prank

When Brahms wasn't composing harmonious symphonies, he was orchestrating a sausage serenade: Johannes Brahms cleverly sketched a fake Beethoven manuscript to wrap around a sausage, and watched as his friend Gustav Nottebohm purchased it from a street vendor, only to unwittingly nibble at the treat with his fingers while cherishing the so-called musical masterpiece.
Source => blogs.wdav.org

4. Literature-Inspired Love Songs

Before Netflix and chill, it was Brahms and the beautiful Magelone: Johannes Brahms adored books and was inspired by them, and his passion for literature transformed into the creation of his early music masterpiece. He crafted the exquisite song cycle Die schöne Magelone, weaving together a French medieval love story and the intricate beauty of the German language in a composition that showcased his exceptional skill and artistic ingenuity as a composer.
Source => classical-scene.com

Cigar-Smoking Nature Explorer

5. Cigar-Smoking Nature Explorer

Before taking a puff from his Beethoven-inspired cigars, ol' Johannes Brahms would often shout, "Habanera cadenra, baby!" and watch birds dance to the rhythm of the smoke: Young Brahms, a lover of cigars and nature, began puffing his stogies before the legal age and frequently ventured on long walks through the countryside to clear his head and find inspiration for his melodic masterpieces.
Source => providencesingers.org

6. "Where's Waldo" Composer

It's not uncommon to find Ol' Johnny Brahms doing the musical equivalent of a "Where's Waldo" with his compositions, as he was the King of Variation and a Baroque-aficionado: One of his shining examples is the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, which features a staggering 25 variations and a grand finale fugue, all based on Handel's Harpsichord Suite No. 1 in B♭ major, using the bass as the pièce de résistance to control each variation's structure and unique flavor.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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