MUS 15 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Art Music
Document Summary
Lecture 6 unit 3 the cult of genius and the musical. "too complex to understand: distinct, while follow the tradition, historicism in music, a style characterized by the use of traditional forms and elements, knowledge of works of past masters important for composers. Schumann: "you must gradually learn to know all the most important works of all the important masters: the great symphony. Increased prestige of symphony as a genre: haydn - 106 symphonies, beethoven - 9 symphonies, every single composer after beethoven write less then 9. Johannes brahms and robert schumann - 4 symphonies each: length, after beethoven: longer, complexity, bigger, louder, more complex, symphonies as artistic statements. Johannes brahms: 1833 - 1897, german composer, studied music as a child, great knowledge of past composers, lauded as successor to a great musical tradition. Intimidated by beethoven"s legacy: didn"t write a symphony until he was in his 40s, use beethoven"s framework, annoyed to be compared with beethoven"s music.
