There is little to say of his general habits except that he was devotedly fond of out-door life and he interrupted his work only to take long jaunts in the open, usually in company with sympathetic friends, for he was friendly, and needed companionship. He did not give up all his time to composing, for he was director of the great _Singverein_ (Choral Society) and he gave some marvelous performances of the choral works of Bach, Beethoven, and of other oratorios and masses. Brahms died (1897) at sixty-four from a cold he caught while attending the funeral of his friend Clara Schumann. He now lies in the same cemetery as Beethoven and Schubert. HIS CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC Although Brahms did not create any new forms, there are so many different sides in his compositions, that it is hard to describe any one in particular. He came into the world at the time when music was turning toward the dramatic, because of Wagner’s influence. It seemed that Brahms, himself, was afraid to hear Wagner, whose work he admired. Brahms never wrote an opera and he never wrote pictorial works such as tone poems. His writings were “absolute music” that is, music in its purest form, neither imitating nor representing anything but music. Here was Brahms between the tone poems of Liszt, and the operas of Wagner, and he remained true to pure music! It is said that Hans von Bülow invited him to attend the first performance of _Parsifal_ but he refused saying that he had a dread of Wagnerians, (but not of Wagner)! Although Brahms wrote when the romantic school was at its height, he brought back classicism with a force that influenced the entire musical world. In addition to the classic and romantic forms, many works are called _classic_ to distinguish them from _popular_ music. Brahms was of the peasant type, and honesty was one of his strongest qualities. This honesty, sincerity and simplicity may be found in every line of his music, which never has light or frothy moments, and which shows everywhere that he loved Bach. He left a large number of very great works. Indeed, one might study Brahms for years and even then never know all he wrote. He was the center of a group of song writers to whom he must have been an inspiration and an example. His lyrical gift and form, which mean that his songs almost sing themselves, was so great that it is hard to understand how he could have written symphonies and sonatas which, to many people, sound complex, thick and confused. But many people, even good musicians feel this way about Brahms. May we not believe that some day their ears will be opened to its beauties and joys?