Johannes Brahms
Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 3 and 10

Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90

Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava
Daniel Raiskin – Chief Conductor of JPO

The lively rhythms and catchy melodies of the Hungarian Dances (1869 and 1880) brought Johannes Brahms worldwide fame. In these works, Brahms drew inspiration not only from Hungarian folk music but also from the music of itinerant Roma bands. The immense popularity of the dances led Brahms in 1873 to orchestrate three selected numbers from the first set.

In the musical world of the 19th century, Brahms was regarded as the antipode of the revolutionary and pioneer of music drama, Richard Wagner. Radical Wagnerians clashed fiercely with Brahms’s supporters. Thus, at the premiere of Brahms’s Third Symphony in Vienna in 1883, members of the Wagnerian audience expressed their displeasure by hissing loudly at the beginning of each movement. Nevertheless, the symphony was a success and soon made its way onto the concert stages of many European cities.