Brahms' Death Announcement, a Ticket to his Funeral and Original Program from a Concert in his Memory

Three rare documents related to the composer's death, including a printed document announcing the death of Brahms on April 3, 1897, published by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna, together with an original ticket to Brahms' funeral and a program from the Berlin Philharmonic's performance in Vienna two days after Brahms' death, which was quickly transformed into a memorial occasion. 

Printed document dated Vienna, April 4, 1897, issued by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Wien. 1 page. Oblong quarto, 11.5 x 9 inches (29 x 23 cm). . Printed within wide black border by Otto Maass' Söhne in Vienna. The document also provides details on Brahms's funeral, to be held on Tuesday April 6th at 2:30 p.m., commencing at the funeral home and proceeding to the Evangelical Church; the body will then be taken to the Central (City) Cemetery for interment. Slightly worn; creased at folds. 

Black-bordered ticket for a reserved seat at the funeral. Toning and light creases; overall in fine condition. 5.5 x 3.5 inches (13.8 x 8.8 cm).

Original program from the first of series of concerts given by the Berliner Philharmoniker in Vienna, on April 5, 1897, two days after Brahms' death. The program included Brahms' Tragic Overture, op. 81, Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, arias by Gluck and Tchaikovsky, and orchestral excerpts from Wagner's Parsival and Meistersinger. A black-bordered portrait of Brahms with his facsimile signature has been pasted in over the title page, and an additional insert, printed again with a black border on blue paper, makes the addition to the program of two of the Vier Ernste Gesänge, op. 121, Brahms' last work and an appropriate tribute to his memory. It appears that the concert, which must have been already planned before the composer's death, was quickly adapted into a memorial occasion with the addition of the Tragic Overture and the sacred songs, with the program speedily updated: the 18 pages of detailed program notes do not mention these works. The concert was conducted by Felix Weingartner and the program bears his facsimile signature on the cover. 26 pp. Light toning to the cover, with the insert page slightly creased; overall in fine condition. 6 x 9.5 inches (16 x 24 cm).

"The successor to Beethoven and Schubert in the larger forms of chamber and orchestral music, to Schubert and Schumann in the miniature forms of piano pieces and songs, and to the Renaissance and Baroque polyphonists in choral music, Brahms creatively synthesized the practices of three centuries with folk and dance idioms and with the language of mid- and late 19th-century art music. His works of controlled passion, deemed reactionary and epigonal by some, progressive by others, became well accepted in his lifetime...""...Because Brahms did not leave a valid will, a lengthy legal dispute over his estate ensued. Private correspondents were allowed to reclaim their letters; the remaining letters to Brahms, most of his books and music, and all the important manuscripts were acquired by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna, as was his wish." (George S. Bozarth, Grove Online) (5883)

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Ephemera

Classical Music

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