16. Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms, born in 1833 in Hamburg, Germany, was a noted composer of the Romantic period. He spent much of his working life in Vienna, Austria, a cultural center that was the home of many of the era’s noteworthy musicians. Brahms came from a musical family. His father, Johann, was a horn player in the Hamburg militia and double-bass player in the Hamburg Philharmonic Society. His father gave him his first music lessons as a child in both the violin and cello. Johannes’ brother Fritz was a pianist, but upon being overshadowed by his famous brother, he resigned himself to teaching music.
Brahms achieved great success later in life, with his first and second symphonies being very well received. He also had numerous friendships within the community, being particularly close with the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II. He also encouraged the young composer Antonín Dvořák, after serving on a jury for the Austrian State Prize for composition, which Dvořák won. Brahms helped to open doors for Dvořák throughout his career.
While Brahms looked appropriate for the styles of the times in his later years, he would have seemed rather stuffy and odd to our modern eye. He bore a full, long white beard that is quite rare nowadays. However, in his younger years, Brahms would have fit the image of a California surf model. His long, slicked-back blonde hair is quite modern looking.
