Brahms Double Concerto

It’s entirely possible that we would not know the name of
Johannes Brahms very well if Brahms hadn’t met Joseph Joachim as
a very young man. Joachim, who was one of the greatest violinists
of all time, had already established himself as touring soloist
and recitalist, and he happened to know the musical power couple
of Robert and Clara Schumann quite well. Joachim encouraged
Brahms to go to Dusseldorf to meet the Schumann’s, and the rest
is history. I’ve talked about the Brahms-Schumann relationship
dozens of times on the show before, but to keep it very brief,
Robert Schumann’s rhapsodic article Neue Bahnen(new paths)
launched Brahms’ career, and until Schumann’s deterioration from
mental illness he acted as a valued friend and mentor for Brahms.
Clara Schumann, as a performer, was a powerful advocate for
Brahms’ music as well as a devoted and loving friend throughout
the rest of their lives. Almost constantly present in this
relationship was the sound of Joseph Joachim’s violin. Brahms did
not have a huge circle of friends, but for the often difficult to
get along with composer, Joachim was a musical and spiritual
companion. Brahms’ legendary violin concerto was written for him,
and the two collaborated closely for the entire course of their
musical lives, except for one significant break. Brahms and
Joachim were estranged for 7 years, until Brahms reached out with
a remarkable conciliatory gesture: a concerto for Violin and
Cello and that would be dedicated to Joachim. Brahms and
Joachim(as well as Brahms and Clara Schumann) had often resolved
disputes through music, and this was no exception. Clara Schumann
gleefully wrote in her diary after Joachim had read through the
piece with cellist Robert Hausmann: "This concerto is a work of
reconciliation - Joachim and Brahms have spoken to each other
again for the first time in years.” One would expect that a work
like this would be beloved, but the Double Concerto has had a
checkered history, which we’ll also get into later. Clara herself
wrote that it lacked "the warmth and freshness which are so often
found to be in his works,” It would turn out to be Brahms’ last
work for orchestra, and one of the few in his later style, which
makes It fascinating to look at from a compositional perspective.
Partly because of the cool reception it got in its first few
performances, and the practical challenges of finding two
spectacular soloists who can meet its challenges, the piece is
not performed all that often, though I have always adored this
piece and am very grateful to Avi who sponsored this week’s show
from my fundraiser last year before the US election. So let’s
dive into this gorgeous concerto, discussing the reasons for
Joachim and Brahms’ break, their reconciliation, the reception
this piece got, and then of course, the music itself! Join us!