# Brahms the pianist



## JohannesBrahms

I read that Brahms was not only a composer, but also a piano virtuoso. Does anyone have any information about how he sounded? I've looked everywhere it seems, but I can't find any information about his playing. It kind of irritates me because there are so many places that talk about Liszt's playing, but nothing about Brahms.


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## JohannesBrahms

Also, if anybody knows how Beethoven and Hans von Bulow sounded, that would be great. They are two other pianists I can't find anything about.


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## Ukko

Brahms was a 'concert grade' pianist in his younger days, but didn't practice much in his 'mature' years. His playing was probably never compared to Liszt's.


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## Novelette

I recall reading somewhere that Brahms enjoyed playing Schubert's last piano sonatas, especially the B-Flat Major Sonata on his home piano. 

He also played his own Variations on a Theme by Handel for Wagner. It's a difficult work, believe me. He was obviously quite accomplished as a performer.


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## ahammel

Beethoven was...rather excitable. He was know for breaking strings and hammers.


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## JohannesBrahms

So did Beethoven sound like Anton Rubinstein?


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## Ukko

So far, the pianist/composers you've mentioned stopped performing before they could be recorded*, so nobody around today knows what they sounded like. You must be asking something else... ?

* (sound recordings, that is). Brahms was recorded; I've heard the recording, and gained from it _no_ understanding of 'how he sounded'.


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## JohannesBrahms

Hilltroll72 said:


> So far, the pianist/composers you've mentioned stopped performing before they could be recorded*, so nobody around today knows what they sounded like. You must be asking something else... ?
> 
> * (sound recordings, that is). Brahms was recorded; I've heard the recording, and gained from it _no_ understanding of 'how he sounded'.


What I meant was has anyone read anything about how they sounded based on their contemporaries. An example is the way they described Liszt playing;nobody has heard him, but many primary sources talk about his playing. Sorry if I wasn't too clear about the question.

By the way, I have also heard the recording of Brahms. It makes me sad that the quality is so bad you can hardly pick out the piano from the noise.


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## JohannesBrahms

Hilltroll72 said:


> So far, the pianist/composers you've mentioned stopped performing before they could be recorded*, so nobody around today knows what they sounded like. You must be asking something else... ?
> 
> * (sound recordings, that is). Brahms was recorded; I've heard the recording, and gained from it _no_ understanding of 'how he sounded'.


What I meant was has anyone read anything about how they sounded based on their contemporaries. An example is the way they described Liszt playing;nobody has heard him, but many primary sources talk about his playing. Sorry if I wasn't too clear about the question.

By the way, I have also heard the recording of Brahms. It makes me sad that the quality is so bad you can hardly pick out the piano from the noise.


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## Kazaman

He was apparently a wonderful sight transposer and accompanist.


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