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Johannes Brahms quotes
Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.
Johannes Brahms
Those who enjoy their own emotionally bad health and who habitually fill their own minds with the rank poisons of suspicion, jealousy and hatred, as a rule take umbrage at those who refuse to do likewise, and they find a perverted relief in trying to denigrate them.
Johannes Brahms
Straight-away the ideas flow in upon me, directly from God, and not only do I see distinct themes in my mind's eye, but they are clothed in the right forms, harmonies, and orchestration.
Johannes Brahms
Composers in the old days used to keep strictly to the base of the theme, as their real subject. Beethoven varies the melody, harmony and rhythms so beautifully.
Johannes Brahms
On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind.
Johannes Brahms
I wish I could write to you as tenderly as I love you and tell you all the good things that I wish you. You are so infinitely dear to me, dearer than I can say... If things go on much longer as they are at present I shall have sometime to put you under glass or to have you set in gold. If only I could live in the same town with you and my parents... Do write me a nice letter soon. Your letters are like kisses.
Johannes Brahms
It always saddens me to think that after all I am not yet a proper musician; but I have more aptitude for the calling than probably many of the younger generation have as a rule. It gets knocked out of you. Boys should be allowed to indulge themselves in jolly music; the serious kind comes of its own accord, although the lovesick does not. How lucky is the man who, like Mozart and others, goes to the tavern of an evening and writes some fresh music. For he lives while he is creating.
Johannes Brahms
High on the mountain, deep in the valley, I greet you a thousandfold.
Johannes Brahms
There is so much that is true in your letter - if not all- and I must confess that with remorse and regret; but with pleasure and satisfaction I realise how kind it is - only an angel like you could have written so kindly... Life is a wild polyphony, but often a good woman like you can bring about some exquisite resolution of its discords.
Johannes Brahms
The fact that most people do not understand and respect the very best things, such as Mozart's concertos, is what permits men like us to become famous.
Johannes Brahms
A symphony is no joke.
Johannes Brahms
We cling nervously to the melody, but we don't handle it freely, we don't really make anything new out of it, we merely overload it.
Johannes Brahms
I sometimes ponder on variation form and it seems to me it ought to be more restrained, purer.
Johannes Brahms
If there is any one here tonight whom I have not offended, I apologize!
Johannes Brahms