In the Shadow of Others

Beethoven’s genius and fame were (unintentionally) very toxic for his contemporaries like Schubert and for composers who lived long after his death (Brahms and many others). Schubert grew up in Vienna, a few blocks away from Ludwig Van Beethoven, and died less than a year after Beethoven. There are conflicting theories about whether Schubert ever met Beethoven. We know that he was a huge fan of Beethoven’s music. He was Beethoven’s pallbearer.

He asked to be (and ultimately was) buried next to Beethoven.

Imagine living in Vienna in the early 1800s and trying to compose your own music when you have heard the ingenious 7th symphony composed by a fellow who lives a few blocks down the road. Any sound that comes to your head will seem to pale in comparison, and anything you put on paper will somehow appear insignificant.

Schubert was able to, at least partially, overcome the toxicity of living in Beethoven’s shadow, as he was one of the most prolific composers of all time, composing till his last breath. But living in Beethoven’s shadow prevented Schubert from publishing a lot of his work, as he felt unworthy of publication.

Tragically, Schubert lived all his life in dire poverty and only became famous after his death. Schubert would have been utterly shocked that, 200 years later, his name would be mentioned in the same breath as Beethoven’s. He would also be surprised that today he is known as one of the great symphonists. Schubert did not hear most of his symphonies performed, as they went unpublished.

Schubert’s ninth symphony was rediscovered by Robert Schumann. Today Robert Schumann is known as a great composer (and as the husband of Clara Schumann – another great composer). However, in his time he was a very well-respected and popular music critic.

Schumann visited Schubert’s brother in 1838, ten years after Schubert’s death, and discovered the unpublished manuscript of a symphony. Schumann was shocked at how wonderful the symphony was and brought it to Felix Mendelssohn. Today, Mendelssohn too is known as a great composer, but at that time he was also a very famous conductor. Mendelssohn conducted the first performance of Schubert’s symphony, which today we know as the 9th.

Today we talk about Schubert’s and Beethoven’s symphonies in the same breath. We don’t dare to compare their geniuses. The music of these Western European superstars elicits equal amounts of joy and tears from the music-listening public around the world.

Johannes Brahms in Beethoven’s shadow

You cannot talk about life in Beethoven’s shadow and not talk about Johannes Brahms (1833–1897). Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1833, six years after Beethoven’s death. Unlike Schubert, as a composer he was never directly eclipsed by Beethoven’s shadow. Still, the greatness of Beethoven’s music haunted Brahms well into his 40s.

Brahms was a musical prodigy, a gifted pianist from a very early age. In his late teens he was already composing chamber music, for piano and choir. In 1853, when he was 20, he met Robert and Clara Schumann, the stars of the classical music scene at the time. The Schumanns were smitten by young Brahms, and Robert, in his excitement, wrote an article for one of the most important music periodicals of the time, proclaiming Brahms to be the next – wait for it – Beethoven.

The music historian Robert Greenberg called Schumann’s well-meaning article an ultimate “curse” for Brahms. Suddenly, Brahms’ future symphonic music would be held to a very different standard. Brahms exclaimed, “You have no idea how it is for the likes of us to feel the tread of a giant like him behind us!”

It took Brahms over 21 years to finish his first symphony.

Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 premiered in 1876. It was a great success and critics accorded it the highest possible honor it could receive in the eyes of Brahms: They called it “Beethoven’s tenth.” This success unfettered Brahms’ creativity – he gained the confidence he had obviously lacked before. He composed a major orchestral piece almost every year after that, including three more symphonies, a violin concerto, and a piano concerto.

What is also amazing about Beethoven’s shadow is that it’s true impact is unknown. Just as we’ll never know how many more wonderful symphonies Brahms would have written if Robert Schumann had not written that fateful article announcing him as the next Beethoven, we’ll never know how many composers stopped composing altogether or did not publish their works because they felt they could never measure up to Beethoven.

The greatness of others can be intimidating, and it could injure our own creativity if we let it. We should allow it to inspire us, and not allow it to put us down.

Whatever our field, there is always someone more talented and famous who came before us. Such people have big shadows. Don’t step in them; create your own shadow.