Brahms resided at No. 4 Karlsgasse, upstairs, door number 8, 3 rooms. One entered through the bedroom, a frequent bad habit in Vienna; I have often dwelt in such a fashion, that I had to pass through my landlord’s bedchamber to arrive at my own: “If it doesn’t bother the master, it doesn’t bother us,” the saying went. Over his bed hung an engraving of Joh. Seb. Bach. Through some glass doors, one entered a simply furnished living room, in which were located a the piano and desk; over the latter hung a medallion-portrait of Robert and Clara Schumann, with a lovely dedication to Brahms from Schumann, in his own hand. To the side lay the library, in which there also stood a standing-desk. The windows in the living room and library, at the front of the dwelling, were always closed, while the rooms of the bedroom, that looked across the court of the “Technik,” were open day and night. During the lessons, Brahms was dressed always in slippers, trousers and a woolen shirt. He wore as well, for he was very nearsighted, a pair of glasses, which he exchanged for a pince-nez when he went out.

Because everyone knew, that Brahms was fairly certain to be found at home before mid-day, we were often disturbed by visitors. As soon as we could discern, from the piano, the approach of such a visitor through the draperies of the glass doors, Brahms fled with great bounds into the library, where I made clear to him, using pre-arranged sign language, whether or not he ought to put on a robe. This he did always, if a lady came. It were a mistake to think, I would say, that Brahms were polite with respect to all his visitors. On the contrary, I have experienced, namely during visits from unfamiliar artists, that didn’t interest him, very embarrassing scenes. If he felt, that one came only out of curiosity, or that someone wanted something from him that he was not disposed to grant, or was to make an unreasonable request of him, he knew how to usher out the visitor in a stunningly short time. Brahms has acquired, not without reason, the reputation for being a grump, even though few could also be as lovable as he. Recently an acclaimed artist told me, that he would only visit Brahms, if he were certain that he would not find him at home.“

”…Brahms’ mode of speech had something short and abrupt about it. It was not for him, to express himself broadly and comfortably upon a subject. In contrast to so-called eloquent people, who give an impression, in speaking, that they delight in their own words, one received the impression from him, that he spoke only reluctantly, and only that which was absolutely necessary. He framed his sentences precisely and acutely, hitting the nail always on the head; but he withheld far more, indeed often the main point, without which his words could not be properly understood. Anyone who has been close to Brahms knows, how disparagingly, almost contemptuously, he could speak of his own works; it was just in this area, that it was harder than otherwise, to understand him correctly. He was thoroughly conscious of the value of his works, but his modest, manly nature made it infinitely difficult for him to speak of himself. He often tried to rescue himself with a joke, which it was impossible to always correctly understand, and often an uneasy atmosphere developed out of this. Mostly, when he spoke of himself in earnest, he found himself in an embarrassing predicament, to which was added anger as well, whenever someone, to whom he did not concede the right to do so, pressed him. If, as was the rule, he did not have, from the very start, the full confidence that he would be understood, and when a general esteem for the person, with whom he spoke, did not hold him back, he was capable of perpetrating the most appalling things with a perfectly straight face. If he was convinced that someone had, in some fashion, a false opinion of him, it gave him the greatest pleasure to reinforce it. The saying, ‘Because truth is a pearl, cast it not before swine,’ as Theodor Storm has it, was holy to him; and there were but few, who were not occasionally reckoned among these 'swine.’ But he tolerated it, as I have often personally experienced, when someone rebelled and strove vigorously to fight his way out of this hardly agreeable state of affairs. If someone succeeded, in this manner, to gain his confidence, then he could be considered worthy of the truth.“