positions,e.g., the Third Symphony, and in his superb mastery
of the Variation form which is the basis of some of his most
famous works for orchestra and for pianoforte. His texture is
of marked richness and variety; seldom do we find verbiage or
lifeless padding. He has been called the Browning of music—a
deep thinker in tones. Genuine appreciation of Brahms presup-
poses work on the part of the music-lover; and the recognition
should be more general that the imaginative stimulation gained
only through work is one of the blessings music has to bestow.
[Footnote 255: We cite Saint-Saëns, as one instance.]
It is often alleged, indeed, that to enjoy Brahms onehasto work.
Of course, but what repaying work! This may be said equally of
Shakespeare, of Dante, of Browning, of Bach and of every poet
with a serious message. The vitality of Brahms’s creative power,
like that of Beethoven, is seen in his rhythm. He had a highly
developed rhythmic sense, and in his fondness for syncopations,
for contrasted accents and for complicated metric groups he is
the logical successor of Schumann. One of his favorite devices is
the altered grouping of the notes in a measure, so that there is
a contrast between duple and triple rhythm,e.g., the following
passage in the Second Symphony, where an effect of great vigor
is produced.
[Music]
There are never in Brahms weak or conventional rhythms. He
is also one of the great modern song-composers, representing
with Strauss, Wolf and Mahler the culmination of the Ger-
man Lied. In his songs there is a warmth and depth of sen-
timent as yet unsurpassed, and the accompaniment is always
a highly wrought factor in the work. In estimating the value
of Brahms’s compositions as a whole, it is difficult to hold the
balance true. Those to whom he is sympathetic through an
affinity of temperament revere him as one of the great geniuses
for all time, while to others his message is not of such convinc-
ing power. The effect of inborn temperament in the personal
appeal made by any composer is vividly shown by the estimate
which Tchaikowsky and Brahms had for one another. Each felt
respect for the sincerity and artistic skill of his contemporary,
at the same time regretfully acknowledging that the essence of
the music meant little to him. To Tchaikowsky Brahms seemed
cold and lacking in melodic spontaneity; to Brahms, on the other