Originally published in 1903 as a portion of the author’s larger “From Grieg to Brahms: Studies of Some Modern Composers and Their Art,” this Kindle edition, equivalent in length to a physical book of approximately 16 pages, describes the life and work of German composer Johannes Brahms.
Sample passage:
It is hard to say whether the unique greatness of Brahms depends more on this emotional wholesomeness and simplicity or on the intellectual breadth and synthetic power with which it is combined. Probably the truth is that true greatness requires the interaction of the two. At any rate, Brahms is equally remarkable, whether considered as a man or as a musician, for both. In his personal character frankness, modesty, simple and homely virtue were combined with the widest sympathy, the most far-ranging intelligence, extreme catholicity and tolerance. In music he prized equally the simplest elements, like the old German folksongs and the Hungarian dances, and the most complex artistic forms that are evolved from them by creative genius.
About the author:
Daniel Gregory Mason (1873-1953) was an American composer and music critic. Other works include “Beethoven and His Forerunners,” “The Orchestral Instruments,” and “A Child’s Guide to Music.”
Sample passage:
It is hard to say whether the unique greatness of Brahms depends more on this emotional wholesomeness and simplicity or on the intellectual breadth and synthetic power with which it is combined. Probably the truth is that true greatness requires the interaction of the two. At any rate, Brahms is equally remarkable, whether considered as a man or as a musician, for both. In his personal character frankness, modesty, simple and homely virtue were combined with the widest sympathy, the most far-ranging intelligence, extreme catholicity and tolerance. In music he prized equally the simplest elements, like the old German folksongs and the Hungarian dances, and the most complex artistic forms that are evolved from them by creative genius.
About the author:
Daniel Gregory Mason (1873-1953) was an American composer and music critic. Other works include “Beethoven and His Forerunners,” “The Orchestral Instruments,” and “A Child’s Guide to Music.”
