I'd like to mention my favorite works by Brahms, which have not been noted yet in this discussion, the luminescent Third Symphony and the Haydn Variations.
I would agree with Peter that Wagner was more important. I have read one or two comments by Brahms in which he seems to consider Wagner greater than himself. Unfortunately I don't have them handy. He shared little or none of the partisan rancor with which his followers attacked Wagner. He even wrote to Wagner asking for a copy of the 'Tristan and Isolde' score, which Wagner was unable to send, sending 'Rheingold' instead. Brahms really wanted to go to the first 'Ring' at Bayreuth, but feared he would be jeered by the Wagner fans. For Wagner's funeral he sent a huge floral arrangement, which the widow Cosima scorned as hypocritical, leading Brahms to remark that honest feelings were not appreciated. Sorry to ramble on this topic again, Gurn...
It seems to me that R. Strauss has to be considered a late romantic, because he grew up and started writing music in that era. I wouldn't think you could be called 'neo-' unless you were reviving something at a later time, with another style intervening.
Although Struass wrote some expressionist music and pushed the bounds of tonality for a while in his later youth, apart from that his style throughout his life was late romantic, period.
I would agree with Peter that Wagner was more important. I have read one or two comments by Brahms in which he seems to consider Wagner greater than himself. Unfortunately I don't have them handy. He shared little or none of the partisan rancor with which his followers attacked Wagner. He even wrote to Wagner asking for a copy of the 'Tristan and Isolde' score, which Wagner was unable to send, sending 'Rheingold' instead. Brahms really wanted to go to the first 'Ring' at Bayreuth, but feared he would be jeered by the Wagner fans. For Wagner's funeral he sent a huge floral arrangement, which the widow Cosima scorned as hypocritical, leading Brahms to remark that honest feelings were not appreciated. Sorry to ramble on this topic again, Gurn...
It seems to me that R. Strauss has to be considered a late romantic, because he grew up and started writing music in that era. I wouldn't think you could be called 'neo-' unless you were reviving something at a later time, with another style intervening.
Although Struass wrote some expressionist music and pushed the bounds of tonality for a while in his later youth, apart from that his style throughout his life was late romantic, period.
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