Two great musical composers, Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) and Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) were born on May 7.
Both composers deserve greater exposition of their lives and works than what can be supplied here, but a few items can be mentioned.
Brahms composed over 300 works—symphonies, concerti, chamber music, piano works, choral compositions, and more than 200 of those were songs.
According to one site, “He is widely regarded as the protagonist of the Classical tradition of Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven in a period when the standards of this tradition were being questioned or overturned by the Romantics.
“His breakthrough came in 1853, when he met the violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim, who instantly realized the talent of Brahms.
“In turn, Joachim recommended Brahms to the composer Robert Schumann, and an immediate friendship between the two composers resulted. Schumann wrote enthusiastically about Brahms in the periodical Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, praising his compositions.”
A few of his notable works include, Concerto for Violin in D major Op. 77, (1878); German Requiem for soloists, choir and orchestra Op. 45 (1878), and Double Concerto in A minor for violin, cello and orchestra, Op. 102 (1887).
Pyotr Tchaikovsky:
