Brahms and Liszt

Synopsis

In Cockney rhyming slang, being “Brahms and Liszt” means being tipsy. But in the latter 19th century, “Brahms and Liszt” signified opposite schools of contemporary music. Oddly enough, it was the younger Brahms, who represented the more conservative, traditionally structured side of the spectrum, while the older Liszt, represented a freer, less structured style, dubbed “the music of the future.”

Brahms and Liszt first met on today’s date in 1853, when Liszt was 41 and Brahms 20. American composer and pianist William Mason was present at the meeting, which took place at Liszt’s home in Weimar, and recalled the encounter in his memoirs.

Liszt read at sight one of Brahms’ early piano pieces and praised the young composer’s work. When pressed for some of his own music, Liszt began playing his recently completed Sonata in B Minor. Midway through the piece it became embarrassingly apparent that Brahms had fallen asleep in his chair.

Maybe it was the summer heat, perhaps sleep deprivation — or maybe, as some must have thought at the time, Brahms was just bored. In any case, Liszt was understandably miffed, and after finishing his Sonata, rose from the piano and left the room without a word.

Music Played in Today's Program

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Ballade No. 3; Lars Vogt, piano; EMI 57125

Franz Liszt (1811-1886): Piano Sonata in B minor; Jeno Jando, piano; Naxos 8.550510

On This Day

Births

• 1885 - German-born American composer Werner Josten, in Elbereld

• 1897 - Polish-born French composer Alexandre Tansman, in Lodz

• 1914 - French composer Maurice Ohana, in Casablanca

• 1941 - American jazz pianist and composer, Chick (Armando Anthony) Corea in Chelsea, Massachusetts

• 1952 - Scottish composer and conductor Oliver Knussen, in Glasgow

Deaths

• 1917 - Venezuelan composer, pianist, conductor and singer, (Maria) Teresa Carreño, (Maria) Teresa, 63, in New York City

• 1962 - British composer John Ireland, 82, in Rock Mill, Washington (Sussex), England

Premieres

• 1913 - Florent Schmitt: ballet La Tragédie de Salomé (The Tragedy of Salome), at the Théâtre des Champes-Elysées by the Ballet Russe, Pierre Monteux conducting

• 1917 - Pfitzner: opera Palestrina, in Munich at the Prinzregententheater, with Bruno Walter conducting

• 1926 - Szymanowski: opera King Roger, in Warsaw at the Teatr Wielki

• 1928 - European premiere of Stravinsky: ballet Apollon Musagete, at the Sarah Bernhardt Theater in Paris, choreographed by Georges Balanchine. The world premiere performance of this work had occurred in Washington, D.C., on April 27, 1928, choreographed by Adolf Bohm.

• 1938 - Leonard Bernstein’s first public performance as composer-pianist in Brookline, Massachusetts, performing his Music for the Dance Nos. 1 and 2 and Music for Two Pianos with Mildred Spiegel

• 1946 - Prokofiev: opera War and Peace (first version), in Leningrad

• 1952 - Bernstein: chamber opera Trouble in Tahiti, at Brandeis University as part of the first Festival of the Creative Arts, with composer conducting

• 1961 - Martinu: opera The Greek Passion, in Zürich at the Stadttheater;

• 1962 - Mayzumi: symphonic poem Samsara, in Tokyo

• 1964 - Britten: church opera Curlew River, in Orford Church, near Aldeburgh;

• 1974 - Elie Siegmeister: String Quartet No. 3 (On Hebrew Themes), at Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, by the Vieuxtemps Quartet

• 1987 - Morton Feldman: For Samuel Beckett, for chamber ensemble, in Amsterdam;

• 2002 - Jennifer Higdon: Concerto for Orchestra, in Philadelphia at the American Symphony Orchestra League National Convention, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting

Others

• 1933 - The first "concert" performance of the Duke Ellington Orchestra takes place at the London Palladium during the ensemble's first visit to England; Previously the orchestra had only performed at night clubs, dance halls, hotels and other "informal" entertainment venues; It would be ten years before Ellington would present a concert performance at Carnegie Hall in New York (on January 23, 1943).