Liking Brahms

This weekend I played viola in two concerts of Brahms' German Requiem.  Knowing that even Classical music fans do not like Brahms in general (just google "don't like Brahms" and see what comes up), I discussed that with various orchestra members.  I think that most of us agree that we like and even love Brahms - symphonies, concerti, this requiem.

I have played all four symphonies, although I can't always remember which movement is from which symphony.  My first impression after listening to a recording of the requiem is that all the movements sounded similar to each other - ponderous.  After rehearsing it for nearly two months, I now have favorite movements, favorite parts of movements, and parts that work their way through my mind at a whim.

For many, Brahms requires a little work and many visits. I imagine that it's like reading Faulkner.  I've read The Sound and the Fury once and found it extremely difficult.  I think that if I read it in a class and worked through it with patience and some other insights, I would come to actually like it.

What I also learned over the weekend that I could not really comprehend during rehearsals is that although the notes are not particularly difficult (the passages are not crazy fast or demand high shifting), playing through the work from beginning to end requires quite a bit of focus for a straight hour.  I found that I missed notes in concert that I never missed in rehearsal, especially in later movements.

It's also tiring to play a controlled muted sound for an hour, since our large orchestra has to play underneath the choir (and soloists) for so much of the work.

I guess I come down firmly on the Brahms side of the Brahms/Wagner debate....