Brahms Plays His Hungarian Dance No.1 (Excerpt), 1889

One of the most appraised historical recording of all time; Johannes Brahms plays an excerpt from one of his most famous piece, Hungarian Dance No.1. Recorded on December 2nd, 1889, on a Edison wax cylinder.

(Update : 11/05/03)

There is a very well written article about the history of this cylinder by German collector Stephan Puille, now available on Norman Bruderhofer's The Cylinder Archive (www.cylinder.de) website. Check it out!

• Category

  Music

[ears61]

"I am not Santa Claus, I am Dr. Brahms, Johannes Brahms"

[smileykermit]

Sounds like Brahms playing on a John Cage prepared piano...

[Tom Isherwood]

It's Brahms

[CelineElla123]

does anyone know who is talking in the beginning?

[Eduard Hanslick]

He has a highly developed technique which lacks only the ultimate brilliant polish, the final muscular self-confidence required of the virtuoso. He treats the purely technical aspect of playing with a kind of negligence. He has a way, for instance, of shaking octave passages from a relaxed wrist in such a way that the keys are brushed sideways rather then struck squarely from above.

[Eduard Hanslick]

Brahms’s piano playing is all of a piece with his artistic individuality in general. He is motivated solely by the desire to serve the composition, and he avoids, almost to the point of shyness, any semblance of suggestion of independent importance.

[MrFpam]

It doesn't sound at all like "bei mir". I hear clearly "I am Doctor Brahms, Johannes Brahms" Very appropriate for Edison!

[MrFpam]

Sie hören was sie hören wollen. "Bei mir" ist nicht zu hören. Es klingt deutlich wie "I am".

[Cesariono]

I think people expect a deeper voice because of his beard.

[bob smith]

Boy the quality sucked back then.

[Rebekah Tiberend]

This is great! Thanks for posting!

[Farah Beal]

Brahms, voice never changed and he was very self conscious about his high ptiched voice.

people who doubt that it is his voice may do so because they expect a deeper voice from a man who wrote music of such sombre tenderness or such sepairing passion.