Johannes Brahms
Master of symphonic and chamber music
Most quoted
"I have always been a great admirer of Bach, but I have never been able to understand why people make such a fuss about his fugues. They are very clever, but they are not beautiful."
— from Various anecdotes
"I am of the opinion that the public is usually wrong in its judgment of new works, but that after twenty or thirty years it finally corrects its own verdict."
— from Attributed
"I have never been able to understand why people make such a fuss about Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It is a very good work, but it is not a masterpiece."
— from Various anecdotes
All quotes by Johannes Brahms (379)
I have always tried to be honest in my music, to express what I truly feel.
The greatest joy for a composer is to hear his music played well.
Art is a serious game.
One must have chaos in oneself to give birth to a dancing star.
I am not interested in being original; I am interested in being good.
The human heart is a deep well.
To write a symphony is to take the world in your hands.
Death is the last sleep? No, it is the last awakening.
The true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.
Life is a journey, and music is the soundtrack.
There is no end to learning, only to life.
The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose.
I have always believed that music should elevate the soul.
The most profound truths are often the simplest.
To truly understand music, one must feel it in their bones.
Every note I write is a prayer.
The world is full of beauty, if only we take the time to see it.
I am a firm believer in the power of music to heal and to inspire.
The greatest challenge for an artist is to remain true to oneself.
Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.
Contemporaries of Johannes Brahms
Other Musics born within 50 years of Johannes Brahms (1833–1897).