Brahms and some of his works

"Brahms and some of his works" by Pitts Sanborn is a musical guide written in the early 20th century. This book serves as a concise introduction to the life and significant compositions of Johannes Brahms, a key figure in classical music history. It is aimed particularly at a radio audience that seeks to deepen their understanding of Brahms's orchestral works, offering insights into both the composer’s biography and his music. The content of the book provides a detailed exploration of Brahms's journey as a composer from his humble beginnings in Hamburg to his establishment in Vienna. Sanborn discusses various compositions in depth, including the "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in D Minor" and the "Symphonies," along with their historical context and reception. He emphasizes Brahms's unique style, which combines traditional forms with emotive depth, illustrating how Brahms's works reflect his personal experiences and cultural influences. Overall, the book elucidates the complexity and richness of Brahms as a composer while making his music accessible to readers and listeners. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Pitts Sanborn, was born John Pitts Sanborn in Port Huron, Michigan. He dropped the "John" for most of his professional career. After graduating Harvard in 1900, he established himself as a music critic, writing for the New York Globe, New York Mail and finally New York World-Telegram. As a poet he was published in Trend, for which he served as an editorial staffer beginning in 1914. As a novelist, his 1929 novel Prima Donna was called by one New York Times critic “an amazing achievement; nothing quite like it has been done in this country before.” He went on to put Sanborn in the same league as Willa Cather, Edith Wharton and Thornton Wilder. Sanborn was remarked upon as one of the great originals of 1920s-1930s culture. Sanborn's wealth of connections in intellectual and cultural circles included Van Wyck Brooks, Rosa Ponselle, Mark Van Doren and Llewelyn Jones. His friendship with Wallace Stevens had a great influence on Stevens’ interest in music and thus his poetry. He was a good friend and sometimes lover of Carl Van Vechten, whom he convinced to assume the editorship of Trend. He was also a radio commentator for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Sanborn died at 61 of an apparent heart attack in his Greenwich Village apartment a few hours after he had attended a performance at the Metropolitan Opera House. He had just completed the first paragraph of his review.