Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Introduction
Born in Hamburg, Germany, on May 7, 1833, Brahms was considered one of the leading composers of the romantic era. He became friends with Robert Schumann and was sort of mentored by him as a composer.

Works
The Trio in mi bemolle maggiore, op. 40: Andante, Scherzo, Adagio Mesto, Finale: Allegro con brio was perfomed by Quartet in the Chiesa di San Giuseppe at the Alba Music Festival in Alba, Italy on June 4, 2017.

Comparisons
His work seemed to be a little outdated for his time because his compositions were in the style of Robert Schumann, his friend and mentor who was from an earlier generation of music.

Observations
Brahms is considered one of the great masters of classical music with his baroque style. Using romance as one of his main inspirations, this trio has both joy and sadness locked in the piece. Violins are the main driving force in the piece while the viola is almost dubbed. The music was very smooth and delicate with sudden powerful strokes which Brahms is known for.