Born from the ashes of Germany's poor, Johannes Brahms is one of the most eminent musicians in history. His life was grandiose. He was one of the few great names in classical music who was widely recognized for his talent and prospered because of it. Brahms went against the norm and that is what made him great. Brahms was born in the slums of Hamburg, Germany, in 1833. From the womb, however, he was destined for greatness. His father, a double bass player in the civic orchestra, recognized his son's talent very early and taught him everything he knew. At the age of 10, he debuted as a pianist and soon after began playing at local dance halls, taverns and restaurants to supplement his father's meager salary. The dirty, crowded and dilapidated environment in which young Brahms played began to take a toll on his music and before it could totally destroy his bright future, his father sent him to a teacher where his piano skills began to bloom like a flower. under a new sun. Brahms' desire ultimately lay in composition, and he hoped to one day obtain enough fortune to realize his dream. His journey to stardom began in 1853 when he accepted an engagement as accompanist for the famous Hungarian violinist Remenyi and toured throughout Europe. During one of his performances, the piano was a semitone below the right pitch of Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata. Brahms not only skillfully transposed the piece from A to B flat, but also played the entire role from memory. The great violinist Joseph Joachim was present at the performance and, seeing the grace and skill with which Brahms played, he invited him in front of the extraordinary Robert Schumann himself. Brahms of course accepted the invitation. At the back... middle of paper ... the last of which is aptly titled: “O world, I must get away from you.” Brahms eventually died of cancer in 1897 and was buried near the graves of Mozart and two of the greatest influences on his music, Schubert and Beethoven, all four of whom were among the few composers whose greatness was recognized during their lifetimes. a true original that has yet to be equaled. His life is a true example of what hard work and belief in one's potential can do. Since then, few if any composers have equaled him. I will end with a quote from biographer Walter Niemann that describes Brahms better than all the words my mind can muster: “The fact that Brahms began his creative activity with German folk song and ended it with the Bible reveals better than anything something else, true religion. credo of this great man of the people.”