Brahms - Behind the Beard
Tom Service considers whether Brahms had the most famous beard in classical music, asking what his abundant facial hair had to do with his music.
The most famous beard in classical music? Perhaps. And if so, what does Johannes Brahms's abundant facial hair have to do with his music? Tom Service looks at four contrasting compositions for clues: the First Piano Concerto, the Second Sextet, the choral piece 'Gesang der Parzen' (Song of the Fates) and the A-major Intermezzo.
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Music Played
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Johannes Brahms
Symphony no. 1 (Op.68) in C minor - 1st movt
Performer: Berliner Philharmoniker. Performer: Claudio Abbado.- DG.
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Johannes Brahms
Piano Concerto no 1 in D minor op 15 - 1st movt
Performer: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.- Decca.
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Johannes Brahms
String Sextet no 2 in G major op 36
Performer: Nash Ensemble.- Onyx.
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Johannes Brahms
Gesang der Parzen op 89
Performer: Monteverdi Choir. Performer: Orchestre RΓ©volutionnaire et Romantique. Performer: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.- SDG.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Matthauspassion (BWV.244), no.1; Kommt, ihr Tochter [chorus]
Performer: Monteverdi Choir. Performer: London Oratory Junior Choir. Performer: English Baroque Soloists. Performer: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.- Archiv.
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Johannes Brahms
6 piano pieces op 118 - No 2 Intermezzo in A major
Performer: Stephen Kovacevich.- Philips.
Broadcasts
- Sun 23 Apr 2017 17:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
- Sun 21 Aug 2022 17:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
- Fri 26 Aug 2022 16:30ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
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The Listening Service
An odyssey through the musical universe, presented by Tom Service