May 07
Both Brahms and Tchaikovsky were part of the Romantic period, during which much of Europe’s classical music was lyrical and passionate.
1833 and 1840:
A Couple of Romantics
Johannes Brahms is born in Hamburg, Germany;
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is born in Votkinsk, Russia
The famous lilting melody we call “Brahms’s Lullaby” is named for its composer Johannes Brahms. Among his other works were his German Requiem for orchestra and chorus, numerous pieces for string quartet, and several symphonies. Classical music scholars tell us that Brahms was a perfectionist, working and re-working a musical piece. Yet with all his stirring works, it’s Brahms’s delicate lullaby that many people associate with him.
As for Tchaikovsky, he was a kingpin among composers of the Romantic era, creating sentimental melodies and ballet music (such as that for The Nutcracker), the opera Eugene Onegin, and symphonies. He taught music and served as a critic as well as a composer, and he was very well-regarded among fellow musicians, fans, and even the Tsar of Russia, who arranged a special pension for him.
