Brahmsian

That's true enough, and one of the things that makes Elgar's music so interesting is that he combined the influences of Brahms and Wagner at a time when those composers were thought to represent two opposing camps (some musicians were "Brahmsian" -- favouring traditional symphonic structure, absolute music, counterpoint, etc; others were "Wagnerian," favouring programmatic music, and privileging advanced harmony over rhythm or traditional structure).

Japes and Counterpoint Jaime J. Weinman 2004

And yes, the Schubert did sound "Brahmsian," but I don't think that's a particularly good thing.

Evaluating Judges Lisa Hirsch 2009

Etude X, for want of a better term, has always struck me as "Brahmsian" for its double octaves.

Audiophile Audition Headlines 2010

"It's a little Brahmsian gem that all pianists will surely want to play after they hear it in its belated premiere performance and broadcast next week, 159 years after it was composed."

Brahms piano piece to get its premiere 159 years after its creation 2012

In this instance, however, both the harmonic palette and underlying severity are less extreme than usual, and we are left with a big post-Romantic concerto that occasionally sounds too Brahmsian to be considered wholly original.

Reger: Violin Concerto; two Romances – review 2012

Both the symphony and the trio invite listeners to say, “That sounds like Schumann!” and “Mendelssohn!” and “How Brahmsian!”

On CD: A forgotten composer's 3rd symphony 2010

MTT definitely played it for drama, and succeeded in bringing a Brahmsian grandeur and intensity to the piece.

Dawn to Twlight I Lisa Hirsch 2009

MTT definitely played it for drama, and succeeded in bringing a Brahmsian grandeur and intensity to the piece.

Archive 2009-05-01 Lisa Hirsch 2009

Having begun as a romantic Brahmsian composer, he may not have expected controversy or sought it out as a young man, but public antipathy, Schoenberg came to realize, was not merely inevitable but essential to his lasting fame, even as it obscured the frequent expressionism and lyricism in his work.

The 'Mash of Myriad Sounds' Kimmelman, Michael 2008

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a symphonic poem, the third is a symphony, and I'm still not sure if the second one is a Brahms overture, symphony, or something by Schumann the rhythmic shift at the recap sounds Brahmsian to me.

Name That Tune! Lisa Hirsch 2007