Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany 1833; he was a pianist and composer of the Romantic period and wrote more than 200 compositions over his lifetime. He was born into a musical family and was impressing other musicians from a very young age. Although the Academic Overture was a very German-focused piece, he was not a fan of German political culture. He even said, "the musical situation in the imperial city also did not please {him}" (Margaret 107). To others during this era, his pieces were extreme, and they even postponed the Viennese premiere of his overture by two weeks because of a fear that it would provoke and cause rebellion from the students. His composing style was considered "drunk" and not aesthetic at the time. Still, although that might fit Germans and college students, this was not an ideal characteristic of romantic music. Brahms lived in Vienna during the era of liberalism from 1867-97, where the beliefs of progress, individuality, scientific method, laissez-faire economics, and sociological constituency circulated. Brahms and Brukner had an ongoing musical quarrel, like the political heat rising from this era. In the 1880s, politics pressed themselves into the world of composers. It appeared to be an ongoing battle between composers and the outside world for many years. As aforementioned, this piece utilized many German folk songs.
Brahms Academic Overture is an extraordinary piece to me. This piece was one of my all-time favorites when I was a young conservatory student in my high school years. Whether driving in my car or walking to the store, this piece will always be in my musical queue. After studying Bartok and Kodaly, their emphasis on folk music was so strong, and I did some outside research to see what other pieces I knew had this same trait. Brahms is a classic example of this from his cello sonatas, trios, and symphonies, so I chose this piece on those thought processes. This piece includes four German songs that were played and were well known to German college students. I found this info by looking back at some program notes I researched in preparation for the performance of this piece.
The first occuring in measure 64, "Wir hatten gebauet ein staatliches Haus" or "We had built a stately house," transpires in C major by the trumpets. The second violin brings out the next song in measure 129, "Der Landesvater," or "The father of our country," while a broad accompaniment occurs from the other strings. The third in measure 157, "Was kommt dort von der Höh?" or "What comes from the heights," descants from the bassoons in thirds. Lastly, in measure 379 of the coda, Brahms includes the final song, a hymn, Gaudeamus Igitur, emphasizing the shortness of life. The melody originates from the winds and brass while also highlighting the percussion. In the coda, the meter changes to ¾, where it continues until the end in a glorious triumph. This last song was usually used for graduation purposes or as a lighthearted drinking song, but generally, it is an epilogue to rejoicing.
This piece and composer is a prime comparison to Bartok and Kodaly's use of songs from their home country. Albeit, these are not traditional songs of a town or village; instead, they are tunes from a more "modernist" college and innovative perspective. Brahms is a clever composer, and his uses of liberalism and aesthetics contribute to his outstanding work.
Watch the link to see me perform this piece!
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