Musical Fun - Anecdotes

The Unsocial Herr Brahms

A society lady pestered Brahms for a long time. She wanted him to attend one of her elitist Sunday lunches. Being very unconcerned with social functions, he resisted and resisted. One day, the valet of the aristocratic lady knocks on the door of Brahms' apartment and says "Her ladyship feels that the reason you are refusing her is that you may be bothered by some of the guests coming to the lunch next week. Therefore, she has sent you the guest list and wishes you to cross out anyone you would not wish to be there!". Brahms reviewed the list with deep thought, took out a pen and crossed out his own name and returned it to the dumbstruck Valet.

Chopin's Preludes

On completing a performance of the 24 preludes of Chopin, this statement was overheard "If the other 23 are as long as this prelude, I am leaving!"

Brahms and Bruch

Brahms lived to a ripe old age of 64 writing Classical music when others had started and finished with Romanticism. Although the romantic composer Max Bruch was not much younger than Brahms, he was still very eager to show Brahms the Violin Concerto that he had just composed. He went to his house and presented the score. Brahms silently leafed through it and when he got to the last page, looked at the eagerly awaiting Bruch and said: "My dear Max, where do you get that lovely music paper?"

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