Brahms

Brahms was the great conservative of the Romantic era — not because his music lacked passion, but because he channelled that passion through Classical structures. His four symphonies, two piano concertos, violin concerto, and German Requiem combine emotional depth with rigorous craftsmanship. He waited until age 43 to publish his First Symphony, so intimidated was he by Beethoven's legacy. Brahms was famously associated with the musical establishment's resistance to Wagner and Liszt's progressive ideas. But this framing is misleading — Brahms's music is deeply original, and his late piano works (the Intermezzi and other character pieces) are among the most forward-looking music of the 19th century. His influence on Schoenberg and the Second Viennese School was direct and acknowledged.