Both Brahms and Wagner were regarded as the heirs apparent to Beethoven. How did this title fall upon them, and how did their music differ, yet bear similarities as well?

What will be an ideal response?

Wagner - proclaimed himself as heir, Brahms was proclaimed by influential critics

Brahms had a high regard for Wagner's music, but Wagner resented Brahms's being called the "next Beethoven."

Wagner composed only opera, Brahms never composed an opera

Wagner reworked form and wedded it to words, Brahms adapted well-established forms

Wagner's music is program music, Brahms was absolute music

similar - both high minded

both unified their compositions by creating complex thematic networks form memorable motives

both introduced considerable variety in the setting of the motives

both extend Beethoven's practice of unifying a piece of permeating it with material derived from a single melodic kernel

both were highly regarded German composers in the latter half of the nineteenth century