I’ll say one thing for Brahms: he loves to fill his compositions with lots of notes.
But not in a Mozartian way so that the compositions are still melodic and memorable.
They’re just busy.
Perhaps the word I’m looking for is jumbled.
In my opinion, Beethoven – my favorite Classical composer – used notes more judiciously, with lots of space for shading between the light and dark, the somber and joyful. More importantly, Beethoven had a tremendous knack for writing melodies that touched me deeply.
Brahms, on the other hand, seems to have a profound grasp of the instruments – sort of like how a potter works with clay – yet he lacks an awareness of how the instruments could be used to create an aural landscape so compelling one could not possibly turn away.
Art for art’s sake.
In other words, competence, perhaps even mastery, yet Continue reading
