One of Brahms' first visits was to Julius Epstein. He did not send in
his name, and, as the professor was engaged with someone else at the
moment, was not admitted. A second call was successful. 'My name is
Johannes Brahms,' he said as he entered; and his simple manner at once
attracted Epstein, who was well acquainted with his published works. An
opportunity was arranged without delay for his introduction to some of
the leading musicians of the city.
'Brahms in 1862 played the Quartets in G minor and A major with the
members of the Hellmesberger Quartet (Hellmesberger, Dobyhal and
Röver) at my house in the Schulerstrasse, in the first place,'
writes Professor Epstein to the author. 'We were all delighted and
carried away. The works were shortly afterwards played in public by
Brahms with the same colleagues.'
The G minor Quartet was, in fact, included in the list of works
announced by Hellmesberger for the ensuing season, and the immediate
interest awakened in musical circles by the arrival of the composer is
even more strikingly testified by the fact that on October 14, only
five weeks after his departure from Hamburg, the name of the orchestral
Serenade in D major appeared in the forecast of the Gesellschaft season
published in the _Blätter für Theater, Künst und Musik_.
On Sunday evening, November 16, Brahms made his first appearance before
his new public at Hellmesberger's Quartet concert, which took place, as
usual, in the Vereinsaal (the concert-room of the Gesellschaft der
Musikfreunde) before an audience that crowded every part of the house in
anticipation of the début in Vienna of 'Schumann's young prophet.' The
first and last numbers of the programme of three works were severally
Mendelssohn's String Quartet in E flat and Beethoven's in C sharp minor,
Op. 131, Brahms' G minor Pianoforte Quartet occupying the place of
honour between them. If we were to judge of the result by the press
reviews of the day, which were either unfavourable or reserved, it would
be impossible to chronicle a success, and yet that the work was
essentially successful is established by the fact that the composer
received overtures after the concert from more than one Vienna
publisher, which, however, he declined. He had certainly made his mark
in his own characteristic way even before the 16th. A private circle of
admirers began to form round him, and he was sufficiently encouraged to
venture on a concert of his own, which took place in the Vereinsaal on
November 29.
On this occasion the Pianoforte Quartet in A major headed the programme,
the composer being assisted in its performance by the three members of
the Hellmesberger party with whom he had already appeared. The remaining
instrumental numbers were pianoforte solos, the concert-giver's Handel
Variations and Fugue, Bach's F major Toccata for organ, and Schumann's C
major Fantasia, Op. 17.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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