Answer to Question 1
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
Answer to Question 2
D