Autograph Letter to Simrock during the preparation of the first Brahms Catalog

Autograph letter in German, signed “JB,” one page, 5.25 x 3, February 3, 1887. Addressed to his publisher, Fritz Simrock in Berlin, criticizing the section devoted to his Paganini Variations in the Brahms Catalog then in preparation. In part: “If my misgivings concerning the variations are clear to you, and if you agree [with them] even to some degree, then I urgently request that you not delay the alteration, [that you] not publish the catalog without them! With the Paganini Variations, for example, it must surely be laughable. Between ourselves, I believe Bulow is about to sign with Pollini and additionally to take over the concerts in Bremen, for one year in the first instance. Then nothing would come of Berlin. He is in excellent spirits, is doing marvelous work, and gave us a fine evening yesterday in the Tonkunstler-Verein.” In fine condition, with some brushing to ink. Matted and framed with a reproduction portrait.


"Brahms raised the question of Simrock's proposed Brahms catalog in a letter of 23 January 1887: 'In case you still have your whim about the Brahms Catalog, will you in any case let me see a sample before you send it to press or publish it? Only a sheet....' At this point Simrock apparently had already engraved much of the volume, leaving Brahms to wonder in his next letter just how much could still be changed to suit his tastes....Criticism of specific aspects of the project followed in four letters to Simrock written during February 1887." (George Bozarth, Wiltrud Martin, "The Brahms-Keller Correspondence," p. 96)


Brahms's "Variations on a Theme of Paganini" Op. 35, is a work for piano composed in 1863 and is based on the Caprice No. 24 in A minor by Niccolò Paganini. Intended to be more than simply a set of theme and variations, each variation also has the characteristic of a study. Described as "a legend in the piano literature," "fiendish," and "one of the most subtly difficult works in the literature" (David Dubal), none other than Clara Schumann called them the "Hexenvariationen" (Witch's Variations) because of their difficulty. (11577)

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Autograph Letter

Classical Music

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