 Rufinatscha seems to have spent most of his life teaching rather than composing actively, which would explain why he composed relatively few pieces.He knew Johannes Brahms and composed a number of works (including several symphonies) during the period in which Brahms refused to publish any symphonic works.While predicted by contemporaries to become a major composer of his day, this did not turn out to be the case, and as such he is still relatively obscure.