When I was reading Jan Swafford’s introduction to classical music, Language of the Spirit, I kept thinking about how some of the stories about Johannes Brahms would make perfect Kate Beaton comics (a la “Chopin and Liszt” or anything in Hark! A Vagrant or Step Aside, Pops). I doodled a few in my sketchbook:

I’m currently learning his Waltz in A Flat, which is just beautiful:

A fun fact: Brahms was Charles Schulz’s favorite composer, but he thought Beethoven was funnier for Schroeder’s obsession:

Next up: reading Swafford’s biography of Brahms…