How Did Johannes Brahms Influence The Development Of Liberalism

In 1860, liberalism cultivated Vienna with its emerging Ringstrasse. A new generation of modern artists and musicians arose, promoting new views and ideas. This rise of liberalism was not only confined to Vienna, but also became a cultural movement that spread across the world. Well-known architects were commissioned to build up the rounded boulevard with a wide diversity of architecture. The architectural style of the Ringstrasse is historicism, meaning that the buildings mirror the varied architectural styles of the past. Liberals wanted Vienna’s Ringstrasse to display their ideals and ethics. The changing, liberal environment inspired the creation of Vienna’s famous Ringstrasse, along with other areas of discipline, one of them being music. German composer Johannes Brahms was heavily influenced by the surrounding development of liberalism. Brahms played a vital role in liberalism, as seen in unique and unconventional breakthroughs in his music, through the means of merging past styles with modern symphonies. Liberalism is a social ideology that breaks away from ordinary conventions, in search for new forms

New developments came out of the realms of music, architecture, and literature. During the building of the Ringstrasse, architects borrowed styles whose historical implications were most appropriate to represent the purpose of the building. For example, the Parliament was designed after Greek architecture to evoke the foundations of democracy. The University was modeled after the Renaissance style to symbolize liberalism and the revival of knowledge (Schorske 31-41). Brahms’s music also emulates this historicist modernism. By employing historicist aesthetics and motifs, Brahms defined a new genre of symphonies. Despite the growing number of artists at the time, Brahms was able “enhance and strengthen in the wake of Beethoven” (Bonds