Thursdays – Johannes Brahms and Anton Bruckner

During November, Ira will lead an exploration of two contrasting masters of the late Romantic symphonic tradition – composers whose very different musical languages helped define the emotional and architectural possibilities for symphonies during this period. 

11/12 Ira will examine the life and work of Johannes Brahms.  He brough classical balance and structural clarity into the Romantic age.  The music of Brahms blends emotional depth with attention to the architecture of his works, creating symphonies and chamber works that feel both intimate and monumental.

11/19 Ira will focus on Anton Bruckner.  He wrote on a vast, spiritual scale.  The Bruckner symphonies, shaped by faith and cathedral-like sonorities, unfold in long arcs of grandeur and devotion, offering a powerful counterpoint to Brahms’s more classical approach.