The Brahms Library in the "Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde," Wien

Abstract

The collections of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Society of Friends of Music) in Vienna were in recent years completely reorganized as their physical plant was vastly enlarged. In the course of this new development the energetic and resourceful director of the collections, Frau Dr. Hedwig Mitringer, made the magnificent library of Johannes Brahms completely accessible to the public. Hundreds of books, previously stored in boxes, are now neatly displayed on shelves, while the most valuable items are kept in burglarand fire-proof safes. Throughout his residence in Vienna Brahms maintained very friendly relations with the Society. From 1872-75 he served with great distinction as its artistic director conducting in all eighteen choral concerts with orchestra. Even after he resigned, as he found the duties too time-consuming, close contacts were maintained with the Society. The Friends of Music appointed him to their board of directors and elected him in 1876 an honorary member (a distinction Brahms shared with Beethoven, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Robert and Clara Schumann, Verdi, Wagner, and Weber). Brahms, on the other hand, took a lively interest in the activities and plans of the Society.' In 1892 he presented the Musikfreunde with a gift of 6000 fl., claiming they were handed to him by a friend and stipulating that 1000 fl. of this gift should be used for the Society's archives and collections which had just been transferred from storage in a cellar to new quarters within the Society's building, the Musikverein. This stipulation is significant. Brahms followed with vivid interest the growth of the Society's library of music and books. He was on friendly terms with C. F. Pohl, the Society's learned librarian, and later established a warm personal relationship to Pohl's successor, young Eusebius Mandyczewski.2 Through his friendship with