Apparently Brahms' references to Beethoven were intended to be "declarations of allegiance" (sorry I can't find the exact quote from his letters just now) and he intended them to be obvious. Another example is the reference to the "Hammerklavier" Op 106, in the opening of his first piano sonata.
I was listening to Strauss' "Alpine Symphony" yesterday and marvelling at the way he uses the theme from the slow movement of Bruch's Violin Concerto. I don't know what he thought of Bruch though - maybe he just pinched that melody because it was a good tune and had suitably mountainous contours!
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Date: Wednesday, 8 June 2005 11:01 pm (UTC)From:I was listening to Strauss' "Alpine Symphony" yesterday and marvelling at the way he uses the theme from the slow movement of Bruch's Violin Concerto. I don't know what he thought of Bruch though - maybe he just pinched that melody because it was a good tune and had suitably mountainous contours!