Chapter I: Preface

The biographical materials from which I have written the following Life of Brahms have, excepting in the few instances indicated in footnotes, been gathered by me, at first hand, chiefly in the course of several Continental journeys, the first of which was undertaken in the summer of 1902. Dates of concerts throughout the volumes have been authenticated by reference to original programmes or contemporary journals.

My aim in giving some account of Brahms' compositions has not been a technical one. So far as I have exceeded purely biographical limits my object has been to assist the general music-lover in his enjoyment of the noble achievements of a beautiful life.

I feel it impossible to ignore numerous requests made to me to include in my book some particulars of my own acquaintance with Brahms--begun when I was a young student of the pianoforte. I have not wished, however, to interrupt the main narrative of the Life by the introduction of slight personal details, and therefore place together in an introductory chapter some of my recollections and impressions, published a few years ago in the _Musical Magazine_. These were verified by reference to letters to my mother in which I recorded events as they occurred. Written before the commencement of the Biography, they are in no way essential to its completeness, which will not suffer should they remain unread.

* * * * *

I am indebted for valuable assistance and sympathy to:

H.R.H. Alexander Frederick, Landgraf of Hesse.
Herr Carl Bade.
Fräulein Berninger.
Mrs. Jellings Blow (b. Finke).
Fräulein Theodore Blume.
Frau Professor Böie.
Herr Professor Dr. Heinrich Bulthaupt.
Herr Professor Julius Buths.
The late Gerard F. Cobb, Esq.
Frederic R. Comec, Esq.
Herr Hugo Conrat.
Fräulein Ilse Conrat.
Fräulein Johanna Cossel.
Frau Elise Denninghoff-Giesemann.
Herr Geheimrath Dr. Hermann Deiters.
Herr Hofcapellmeister Albert Dietrich.
Herr k. k. Hofclavierfabrikant Friedrich Ehrbar.
Herr Geheimrath Dr. Engelmann.
Herr Professor Julius Epstein.
Fräulein Anna Ettlinger.
Frau Dr. Maria Fellinger.
Herr Professor Dr. Josef Gänsbacher.
Otto Goldschmidt, Esq., Hon. R.A.M., Member of Swedish A.M., etc.
Dr. Josef Ritter Griez von Ronse.
Herr Carl Graf.
Fräulein Marie Grimm.
Frau Grüber.
Herr Professor Robert Hausmann.
Fräulein Heyden.
Herr Professor Walter Hübbe.
Herr Dr. Gustav Jansen.
Frau Dr. Marie Janssen.
Herr Professor Dr. Joseph Joachim.
Frau Dr. Louise Langhans-Japha.
Mrs. Johann Kruse.
Herr Carl Lüstner.
J. A. Fuller Maitland, Esq., F.S.A.
Herr Dr. Eusebius Mandyczewski, Archivar to the Gesellschaft
der Musikfreunde.
Carl Freiherr von Meysenbug.
Hermann Freiherr von Meysenbug.
Herr Richard Mühlfeld, Hofkammermusiker.
Herr Professor Dr. Ernst Naumann.
Herr Professor Dr. Carl Neumann.
Herr Christian Otterer.
Fräulein Henriette Reinthaler.
Herr Capellmeister Dr. Rottenberg.
Herr Kammermusiker Julius Schmidt.
Herr Fritz Schnack.
Herr Professor Dr. Bernhard Scholz.
Herr Heinrich Schröder.
Fräulein Marie Schumann.
Frau Simons (b. Kyllmann).
Herr Professor Josef Sittard.
Herr Dr. Julius Spengel.
Mrs. Edward Speyer.
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, Mus. Doc.
Mrs. Edward Stone.
Frau Celestine Truxa.
Herr Superintendent Vogelsang.
Herr Dr. Josef Victor Widmann.

And others who prefer that their names should not be expressly mentioned.

F. M.

SOUTH KENSINGTON,
_September, 1905_.

CONTENTS OF VOL. I.

PAGE

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS 1

CHAPTER I
1760-1845

The Brahms family--Johann Jakob Brahms; his youth and marriage--Birth
and childhood of Johannes--The Alster Pavilion--Otto
F. W. Cossel--Johannes gives a private subscription concert 45

CHAPTER II
1845-1848

Edward Marxsen--Johannes' first instruction in theory--Herr Adolph
Giesemann--Winsen-an-der-Luhe--Lischen--Choral Society of
school-teachers--'A.B.C.' Part-song by Johannes--The Amtsvogt
Blume--First public appearance--First visit to the opera 63

CHAPTER III
1848-1853

Johannes' first public concert--Years of struggle--Hamburg
Lokals--Louise Japha--Edward Reményi--Sonata in F sharp
minor--First concert-tour as Reményi's accompanist--Concerts in
Winsen, Celle, Lüneburg, and Hildesheim--Musical parties in
1853--Leipzig and Weimar--Robert Schumann--Joseph Joachim 83

CHAPTER IV
1853

Brahms and Reményi visit Joachim in Hanover--Concert at Court--Visit
to Liszt--Joachim and Brahms in Göttingen--Wasielewsky,
Reinecke, and Hiller--First meeting with Schumann--Albert
Dietrich 106

CHAPTER V
1853

Schumann's article 'New Paths'--Johannes in Hanover--Sonatas
in C major and F minor--Visit to Leipzig--First publications--Julius
Otto Grimm--Return to Hamburg viâ Hanover--Lost
Violin Sonata--Songs--Marxsen's influence as teacher 126

CHAPTER VI
1854-1855

Brahms at Hanover--Hans von Bülow--Robert and Clara Schumann
in Hanover--Schumann's illness--Brahms in Düsseldorf--Variations
on Schumann's theme in F sharp minor--B major Trio;
first public performance in New York--First attempt at symphony 153

CHAPTER VII
1855-1856

Lower Rhine Festival--Madame Jenny Lind-Goldschmidt--Edward
Hanslick--Brahms as a concert-player--Retirement and study--Frau
Schumann in Vienna and London--Julius Stockhausen--Schumann's
death 179

CHAPTER VIII
1856-1858

Brahms and Joachim in Düsseldorf--Grimm in Göttingen--Brahms'
visit to Detmold--Carl von Meysenbug--Court Concertmeister
Bargheer--Joachim and Liszt--Brahms returns to Detmold--Summer
at Göttingen--Pianoforte Concerto in D minor and
Orchestral Serenade in D major tried privately in Hanover 204

CHAPTER IX
1859

First public performances of the Pianoforte Concerto in Hanover,
Leipzig, and Hamburg--Brahms, Joachim, and Stockhausen
appear together in Hamburg--First public performance of the
Serenade in D major--Ladies' Choir--Fräulein Friedchen
Wagner--Compositions for women's chorus 225

CHAPTER X
1859-1861

Third season at Detmold--'Ave Maria' and 'Begräbnissgesang'; performed
in Hamburg and Göttingen--Second Serenade first publicly performed in
Hamburg--Lower Rhine Festival--Summer at Bonn--Music at Herr
Kyllmann's--Life in Hamburg--Variations on an original theme first
performed in Leipzig by Frau Schumann--'Marienlieder'--First public
performance of the Sextet in B flat by the Joachim Quartet in
Hanover 243

CHAPTER XI
1861-1862

Concert season in Hamburg--Frau Denninghoff-Giesemann--Brahms
in Hamm--Herr Völckers and his daughters--Dietrich's visit to
Brahms--Music at the Halliers' and Wagners'--First public performance
of the G minor Quartet--Brahms in Oldenburg--Second
Serenade performed in New York--First and second Pianoforte
Quartets--'Magelone Romances'--First public performances of
the Handel Variations and Fugue in Hamburg and Leipzig by
Frau Schumann--Brahms' departure for Vienna 262

APPENDIX No. I

MUSICAL FORM--ABSOLUTE MUSIC--PROGRAMME MUSIC--BERLIOZ
AND WAGNER 282

APPENDIX No. II

THE MAGELONE ROMANCES--PIERRE DE PROVENCE 290