But for Women…Dr. Brahms, Johannes Brahms (Germany)
(57 min; 1997; English)
Director: Janos Darvas

This fascinating, music-packed documentary examines the life and work of the great romantic composer from the viewpoint of his relationships with women.

Brahms produced some of the greatest works of German romanticism - symphonies, songs, chamber works and concertos of profound emotion and accomplishment. How much this was because, and how much in spite, of his unsatisfactory love life is a moot point, a point explored in this absorbing documentary. The film also includes a remarkable recording - Brahms himself playing his Hungarian Dance No 1 in 1889, in one of the earliest sound recordings ever made. It may be full of hiss and wind, but it's extraordinary to be able to hear a composer who died over a century ago interpreting his own work. It is contrasted with a modern recording from 1995 - the difference is amazing, artistically as well as technically.