Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) -- Recollections of Johannes Brahms

Dame Ethel Smyth's critical reminiscences of Johannes Brahms, recorded somewhere in the 1930s.
(It should be mentioned that the composer Ethel Smyth was a feminist who fancied women...)

[@webrarian]

Dame Ethel gave a fifteen minute talk called "My Reminiscences of Brahms" in the series "I Remember" on the BBC at 9:15 pm on 27 January 1927. She gave another one - quite possibly the same script - called "I Knew Johannes Brahms" on the National Programme at 10 pm on 27th December 1935. It was recorded and repeated at 3:50 in the afternoon on 2nd January 1936 in the series "For Unemployed Listener" with the title "I Knew A Man - Brahms". That BBC recording is the source of this item. From the Radio Times: "In 1877 Dame Ethel Smyth studied for a short time at the Leipzig Conservatorium and then privately with Heinrich von Herzogenburg, a friend of Brahms. The first time Dame Ethel met the great composer himself was in 1878 when Brahms came to Leipzig to conduct his new D major Symphony. Although a great admirer of Brahms the composer, Dame Ethel was not a blind worshipper of Brahms the man. Up to a certain point it was a clash of two strong personalities, particularly as regards their attitude towards women. On the one hand, there was Brahms who had little time for women except in their proper sphere (according to the nineteenth century idea), while on the other, there was Dame Ethel with her pronounced feminist views. Dame Ethel has already written much about her recollections of Brahms, and this talk should prove another valuable and lively contribution to our knowledge of the great composer's personality."

[@gpcrawford8353]

Apparently Tchaikovsky had reservations about Dame Ethel Smyth and women composers as well. Grieg accepted her as an equal immediately .

[@emnabedi327]

thank you! I needed this for my research :) Do you happen to know if she has any recordings about her stay in Egypt? thanks again :)

[@webrarian]

@@emnabedi327 As far as I know this is all we have. Though once you've heard her voice you can "hear" her in her books.

[@Tenortalker]

Dame Ethel writes and speaks here very much in the form and style of her era and yet the contrast with her totally bohemian lifestyle couldn't be more marked. She was unique , talented and seemingly unafraid of any form of establishment. I love the phrase ' these virtues should suffice ...' when referring to Brahms and woe betide us if we think differently to Dame Ethel! What an incredible person she was.

[@milton3204]

My god! Listening to her talk is such a joy! Unfortunately people don't speak like this anymore...

[@jenniferkingpiano]

This is amazing! Thank you for uploading this.

[@ivanbeshkov1718]

Great composer she.

[@scronx]

That is really, really, really special. Thank you for posting it. I emailed the link to a small army of musical colleagues -- no idea if any of them clicked to enjoy it.

[@paulprocopolis]

Really fascinating - thanks Erwin!

[@crazyorganist1609]

What a character. But also a top quality composer

[@jamespendleton4703]

Incredible and wonderful interview. Thank you! One criticism: the subtitles, obviously generated by computer were appallingly bad. As a dear friend of a hearing-impaired musician who I believe would normally enjoy this greatly, I would think from the existing captions she would find it barely comprehensible. As Dame Ethyl speaks quite clearly and distinctly and as her firsthand comments are invaluable, this caption problem is unconscionable.

[@pianopera]

You're welcome, and yes, agreed, these automatic subtitles are (still) quite useless!

[@gwang3103]

Not only is Ethel the first FEMALE composer I've ever known, she's also the first composer whose VOICE I've ever heard! Wonder what she would have thought of Vaughan Williams, or other musical traditions such as those of east Asia. Did she have any children?

[@JamesVaughan]

Dame Ethel was a character with a capital C.

[@talxlaohxra1238]

Absolutely wonderful!

[@Johannes_Brahms65]

I feel like defending Brahms. He must have been a great man with a difficult childhood.

[@topologyrob]

I wonder what the Dame thought of Brahm's habitual visits to the brothel to satisfy his urges.

[@gerardbedecarter]

Most interesting.

[@bobh5087]

Ethel Smyth - a thoroughly salty Dame you'd never want to tangle with. 😄

[@pizicatto]

What a strong woman !!

[@queenbrawd]

OMG, such zingers!

[@alancrabb]

Witty and perceptive, a piece of unfiltered history. Thank you. To hear the radio documentary "A Victorian Rebel" go to : archive.org/details/DAMEETHELSMYTH

[@HurricaneCandy]

I think being a feminist who fancied women allowed Dame Smyth to articulate what a creep this guy was. Interestingly, I always think of his viola sonatas as kind of desperate.

[@shilloshillos]

Ill take Liszt anytime. Brahms, forget it.

[@pianopera]

+shilloshillos As a human being -- yes. As a composer, overall I prefer Brahms...

[@Kris9kris]

+pianopera As a composer, Liszt was more groundbreaking and influential in form, harmony and orchestration, while Brahms' exquisitely refined mastery of craft in a classical way and solid germanic elegance and beauty makes me always comfortable, when I listen to his music. So either way, I can't decide on my part.

[@JamesVaughan]

+shilloshillos I like them both, for their different qualities. For me it's like comparing grapes with broccoli (I like them both)!

[@CamhiRichard]

@@JamesVaughan Or perhaps Sauerbraten with Goulash?

[@brahmsnliszt]

not much can beat brahms no 2 in b flat

[@mustafakandan2103]

There is too much of the oppressive British stuffiness of the period in her. It is good that British people don't sound like that anymore. I prefer recollections of Brahms by less pompous speakers.

[@iangeorgemanning2898]

Outspoken, yes, pompous no. How many other contemporaneous women, were able to befriend this great man, & give a valued but fair judgement of his character ?