Following in the footsteps of Romanticism, of which he was one of the last
masters, Johannes Brahms is often considered Beethoven's heir, but if he follows
in the same footsteps, excluding opera, his work stands out for its singular
originality. Born in Hamburg on May 7, 1833, he was the son of Johann Jakob
Brahms, a musician who played French horn in a municipal orchestra and a sextet,
before joining the Philharmonic Orchestra as double bass, horn and flute player.
He took his first piano lessons at the age of seven with Otto Cossel, who
recommended him to his teacher Eduard Mar...