"Johannes Brahms has often been regarded as a conservative composer, his music dismissed as old-fashioned compared with the work of such contemporaries as Liszt and Wagner. In a major reevaluation of his life and artistry, Malcolm MacDonald incorporates twenty-five years of new research to demonstrate convincingly that Brahms combined his understanding of Classical principles with a profound appreciation of Romantic emotions and ideals. Through his study of early music and folk song, Brahms forged links with his predecessors while applying their craft in the service of a new expressiveness. Book jacket."--Jacket
