A German composer of the Romantic era, Johannes Brahms’(1833-1897) music combined influences from the symphonies of Beethoven, the miniatures of Schubert and Schumann, and the intricate choral music of the baroque and renaissance, particularly the contrapuntal style of Bach. Brahms creatively fused centuries of Western musical tradition with folk elements and 19 th-century style to create music that has, in turn, influenced many of the great composers of the 20 th century.

In 1912, when assessing the state of contemporary piano music, critic Walter Niemann wrote, “Brahms is everywhere.” Indeed, Brahms’ music was well accepted in his lifetime, and continues to be a mainstay of both symphony hall and recital stages, and well-loved by performers and audiences.

In the 2007-2008 season at the Gardner, pianist Jonathan Biss and violinist Miriam Fried play Brahms’ violin and piano sonatas, in back-to-back performances on September 23 and 30. The Claremont Trio begins a series featuring Brahms’ complete piano trios, with performances on October 21, 2007 and January 13 & March 16, 2008.