--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The real Brahms is nothing more than a…" description: "\"The real Brahms is nothing more than a sentimental voluptuary. rather tiresomely addicted to dressing himself up as Handel or Beethoven and making a pr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/george-bernard-shaw-68_brahms_the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-s_2064896.jpg" --- # The real Brahms is nothing more than a sentimental… ![“The real Brahms is nothing more than a sentimental voluptuary. rather tiresomely addicted to dressing himself up as Handel or Beethoven and making a prolonged and intolerable noise.” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/george-bernard-shaw-68_brahms_the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-s_2064896.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/george-bernard-shaw-68_brahms_the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-s_2064896.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/george-bernard-shaw-68_brahms_the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-s_2064896.jpg) > “The real Brahms is nothing more than a sentimental voluptuary. rather tiresomely addicted to dressing himself up as Handel or Beethoven and making a prolonged and intolerable noise.” [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker mocks Brahms as overly sentimental and pretentious, lacking genuine substance. **In simple terms:** Brahms is seen as overly sentimental and pretentious. Key Takeaway Critically assess artistic authenticity. Themes art criticism elitism authenticity Mood skeptical analytical Type critical literary When to use this quote - concert reviews - academic analysis - personal taste debates Key Concepts sentimentality pretension musical criticism Questions to Reflect On - What defines genuine artistic value? - Is sentiment inherently negative? A Different Perspective Subjectivity may color judgments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brahms/) [Brahms Sentimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brahms-sentimental-3957261/) [Dressings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dressings/) [Handel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handel/) [Noise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noise/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-brahms-3957263/) [Sentimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentimental/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Tiresomely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tiresomely-314412/) [Voluptuary Tiresomely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voluptuary-tiresomely-3957262/) ## Related quotes > [The real Brahms is nothing more than a sentimental voluptuary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-sentimental-voluptuary/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The only work that can be compared to Chopin's Etudes, innovatively, where every note is essential and one becomes completely exposed, is the Brahms-Paganini…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-grante/the-only-work-that-can-be-compared-to-chopin-s-etudes-innovatively/) [Carlo Grante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-grante/) > [The Chains of conformity click in tiresomely monotonous unison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/the-chains-of-conformity-click-in-tiresomely-monotonous-unison/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [It was from Handel that I learned that style consists in force of assertion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/it-was-from-handel-that-i-learned-that-style-consists-in-force-of/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [There are some experiences in life which should not be demanded twice from any man, and one of them is listening to the Brahms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/there-are-some-experiences-in-life-which-should-not-be-demanded-twice/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Does not… the ear of Handel predict the witchcraft of harmonic sound?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/does-not-the-ear-of-handel-predict-the-witchcraft-of-harmonic-sound/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I listen to Handel's vocal music, almost exclusively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-leon/i-listen-to-handel-s-vocal-music-almost-exclusively/) [Donna Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-leon/) > [The King walks. He nods. His glance is like God's touch - under it all things spring to life. A wave of his hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/the-king-walks-he-nods-his-glance-is-like-god-s-touch-under-it-all/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [“Handel's yearning for independence from the traditional chains of patronage and his persistence in monitoring his productions resulted with unique developments concerning Baroque 'opera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/handel-s-yearning-for-independence-from-the-traditional-chains-of/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [I would still love to do more Handel. I think Handel was a fantastic composer. I did lots of Vivaldi, but it's also important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecilia-bartoli/i-would-still-love-to-do-more-handel-i-think-handel-was-a-fantastic/) [Cecilia Bartoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecilia-bartoli/) > [Handel, to him I bow the knee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-van-beethoven/handel-to-him-i-bow-the-knee/) [Ludwig van Beethoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-van-beethoven/) > [Every Englishman believes that Handel now occupies an important position in heaven. If so, le bon Dieu must feel toward him very much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-englishman-believes-that-handel-now-occupies-an-important/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Karen Handel has run a 100 percent negative campaign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-deal/karen-handel-has-run-a-100-percent-negative-campaign/) [Nathan Deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-deal/) > [Take a Nicodemus and put a Joseph Smith's spirit in him, and what do you have? Take a Da Vinci or a Michelangelo or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/take-a-nicodemus-and-put-a-joseph-smith-s-spirit-in-him-and-what-do/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [Raphael paints wisdom, Handel sings it, Phidias carves it, Shakespeare writes it, Wren builds it, Columbus sails it, Luther preaches it, Washington arms it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/raphael-paints-wisdom-handel-sings-it-phidias-carves-it-shakespeare/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by George Bernard Shaw > [I love little children too but I don't cut off their heads and stick them in vases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-love-little-children-too-but-i-don-t-cut-off-their-heads-and-stick/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Blasphemy and sedition (meaning the truth about Church and State).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/blasphemy-and-sedition-meaning-the-truth-about-church-and-state/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-life-man-invents-nothing-but-in-the-arts-of-death-he/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“My religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative evolution. I desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/my-religious-convictions-and-scientific-views-cannot-at-present-be/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [What a man believes may be ascertained, not from his creed, but from the assumptions on which he habitually acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/what-a-man-believes-may-be-ascertained-not-from-his-creed-but-from/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my million nameless joys, and my day's wage. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-are-my-inspiration-and-my-folly-you-are-my-light-across-the-sea/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Men have to do some awfully mean things to keep up their respectability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/men-have-to-do-some-awfully-mean-things-to-keep-up-their/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/as-long-as-i-have-a-want-i-have-a-reason-for-living-satisfaction-is/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The camera can represent flesh so superbly that, if I dared, I would never photograph a figure without asking that figure to take its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-camera-can-represent-flesh-so-superbly-that-if-i-dared-i-would/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [A man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still communist at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-man-who-is-not-a-communist-at-the-age-of-twenty-is-a-fool-any-man/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [But to admire a strong person and to live under that strong person’s thumb are two different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/but-to-admire-a-strong-person-and-to-live-under-that-strong-person-s/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Socialism is the same as Communism, only better English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/socialism-is-the-same-as-communism-only-better-english/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-person-who-is-ignorant-enough-to-believe-that-his-nourishment/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of peace Man is a bungler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-peace-man-is-a-bungler/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) [Explore all 1,640 George Bernard Shaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More Brahms quotes > [“At breakfast, I might pass a Brahms symphony in my head. Then I am called to the phone, and half an hour later I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-rubinstein/at-breakfast-i-might-pass-a-brahms-symphony-in-my-head-then-i-am/) [Arthur Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-rubinstein/) > [I listen to music when I write. I need the musical background. Classical music. I'm behind the times. I'm still with Baroque music, Gregorian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-listen-to-music-when-i-write-i-need-the-musical-background/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Even if you're playing Brahms or a Beethoven concerto, you've got to have a different vantage point, slightly, each time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/even-if-you-re-playing-brahms-or-a-beethoven-concerto-you-ve-got-to/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [Brahms' Variations are better than mine, but mine were written before his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-liszt/brahms-variations-are-better-than-mine-but-mine-were-written-before/) [Franz Liszt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-liszt/) > [Reviewer: 'One of your themes was very similar to one of Beethoven's!' Brahms replied, 'Of course it is. Everyone steals - the important thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/reviewer-one-of-your-themes-was-very-similar-to-one-of-beethoven-s/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [Fortunately, I started very young, so I read music very well. And my favorite composers to play are Brahms and Mozart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/fortunately-i-started-very-young-so-i-read-music-very-well-and-my/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I play a lot chamber music.As for something that's hard for me to play, before I leave this Earth I'm hoping to play Brahms'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-play-a-lot-chamber-music-as-for-something-that-s-hard-for-me-to/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Brahms once remarked that the mark of an artist is how much he throws away. Nature, the great creator, is always throwing things away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-nachmanovitch/brahms-once-remarked-that-the-mark-of-an-artist-is-how-much-he-throws/) [Stephen Nachmanovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-nachmanovitch/) > [Brahms believed that there was no need to publish absolutely everything that Schubert ever wrote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/brahms-believed-that-there-was-no-need-to-publish-absolutely/) [Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-fischer-dieskau/) > [“Classical music is not really my thing, and I know absolutely nothing about it. If you told me you saw Brendel play Brahms last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rosenfelt/classical-music-is-not-really-my-thing-and-i-know-absolutely-nothing/) [David Rosenfelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rosenfelt/) > [You don't see the European classical musicians allowing the music of Bach, Brahms, or Beethoven to become extinct. That music has gone on for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahsaan-roland-kirk/you-don-t-see-the-european-classical-musicians-allowing-the-music-of/) [Rahsaan Roland Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahsaan-roland-kirk/) > [A landscape, torn by mists and clouds, in which I can see ruins of old churches, as well as of Greek temples - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-grieg/a-landscape-torn-by-mists-and-clouds-in-which-i-can-see-ruins-of-old/) [Edvard Grieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-grieg/) > [Brahms is life-changing every time. And though I love him, I can't say that about Mompou.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/brahms-is-life-changing-every-time-and-though-i-love-him-i-can-t-say/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [The only work that can be compared to Chopin's Etudes, innovatively, where every note is essential and one becomes completely exposed, is the Brahms-Paganini…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-grante/the-only-work-that-can-be-compared-to-chopin-s-etudes-innovatively/) [Carlo Grante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-grante/) > [The Detroit String Quartet played Brahms last night. Brahms lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-cerf/the-detroit-string-quartet-played-brahms-last-night-brahms-lost/) [Bennett Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-cerf/) [Browse all 42 Brahms quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brahms/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The real Brahms is nothing more than a sentimental voluptuary. rather tiresomely addicted to dressing himself up as Handel or Beethoven and making a prolonged and intolerable noise.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Bernard Shaw" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-sentimental-voluptuary-rather/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brahms" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-sentimental-voluptuary-rather/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/george-bernard-shaw-68_brahms_the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-s_2064896.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/george-bernard-shaw-68_brahms_the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-s_2064896.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/george-bernard-shaw-68_brahms_the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-s_2064896.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The real Brahms is nothing more than a sentimental voluptuary. rather tiresomely addicted to dressing…” — George Bernard Shaw", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Bernard Shaw", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The real Brahms is nothing more...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-sentimental-voluptuary-rather/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-real-brahms-is-nothing-more-than-a-sentimental-voluptuary-rather/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```