Opus 65 Listening Guide - New Liebeslieder Waltzes for Vocal Quartet and Piano Duet

NEW LIEBESLIEDER WALTZES FOR VOCAL QUARTET AND PIANO DUET, OP. 65
Recording: Edith Mathis, soprano; Brigitte Fassbaender, alto; Peter Schreier, tenor; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, bass; Peter Engel and Wolfgang Sawallisch, piano [DG 449 641-2]
Published 1875.

The first set of Liebeslieder, or “love song” waltzes, Op. 52, had been a great financial success for Brahms and his publisher. By popular demand, he produced a new set, with emphasis on the “new,” in the hopes of further capitalizing on that success. Many aspects of the first set remained. The piano duet accompaniment is retained throughout. Again, the texts for the vocal quartet are from Georg Friedrich Daumer’s “Polydora,” his collection of free translations from world poetry. This time, however, Brahms adds an epilogue from the greatest German poet, Goethe. Counting the epilogue, there are fifteen waltz-songs. Of these, seven--nearly half--are for solo voice, as opposed to two in the Op. 52 set. Four of these are for soprano, and one each for the other three voices. The set is highly structured and should be regarded as a cycle, and the individual waltz-songs as inseparable from complete performance. The set begins with a pair of full quartet settings. Brahms follows these with four solos. In the middle, Nos. 7 and 8 are two more quartet settings. Three more solos follow. Rounding the structure are two more quartet settings, Nos. 12 and 14, interrupted by the only duet, No. 13. The first half of No. 14 is another soprano/alto duet. All are in the basic binary form with each part repeated. Nos. 2, 7, 8, and 14 use variations of this model, No. 14 almost approaching a through-composition. Often, new text is sung to repeated music. The Goethe epilogue expands the waltz meter to a broad 9/4 and uses a passacaglia form, or a repeated ground bass. The epilogue follows No. 14, by far the most elaborate Daumer Liebeslieder waltz in either set. Goethe seems to respond to the concise little international love poems with a more profound message--and also an indication that Brahms was finished composing any more of them. Some recurring musical ideas in the waltzes include lines in contrary motion, a long note followed by three short ones, a three-note upbeat, and musical ideas moving down and up through sequences. Musically, despite the abundance of solo settings, there is slightly more sophistication than in Op. 52. The version without voices for piano duet alone was published against Brahms’s wishes as Op. 65a, and is vastly inferior. In the guides below, the source nationality indicated by Daumer is given for each text. If a tempo indication is not given in the score, the indication for the first waltz, “Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell” is assumed and given in brackets. Primo is used for the top piano duet part, secondo for the lower, or bottom part.

Note: Links to English translations of the texts are from Emily Ezust's site at http://www.recmusic.org/lieder. For the most part, the translations are line-by-line, except where the difference between German and English syntax requires slight alterations to the contents of certain lines. The German texts (included here) are also visible in the translation links.

ONLINE SCORE FROM IMSLP (First Edition from Brahms-Institut Lübeck--also includes autograph score)
ONLINE SCORES FROM THE CHORAL PUBLIC DOMAIN LIBRARY (Choral Wiki):
No. 1: Verzicht, o Herz, auf Rettung
No. 2: Finstere Schatten der Nacht
No. 3: An jeder Hand der Finger (A major)
No. 3: An jeder Hand der Finger (F major)
No. 4: Ihr schwarzen Augen
No. 5: Wahre, wahre deinen Sohn
No. 6: Rosen steckt mir an die Mutter
No. 7: Vom Gebirge Well’ auf Well’
No. 8: Weiche Gräser im Revier
No. 9: Nagen am Herzen
No. 10: Ich kose süß mit der und der
No. 11: Alles, alles in den Wind
No. 12: Schwarzer Wald, dein Schatten ist so düster!
No. 13: Nein, Geliebter, setze dich
No. 14: Flammenauge, dunkles Haar
Zum Schluß: Nun, ihr Musen, genug!

1. “Verzicht, o Herz, auf Rettung” (“Relenquish, o heart, the hope of rescue”). Turkish source. Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell (Lively, but not fast). Binary form. A MINOR, 3/4 time. SATB

German Text:
Verzicht, o Herz, auf Rettung,
dich wagend in der Liebe Meer!
Denn tausend Nachen schwimmen
zertrümmert am Gestad umher!

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Introduction. The piano primo plays impetuous upward-moving thirds, and the secondo plays shorter notes moving down. Two sharp chords lead the voices into the cycle.
0:04 [m. 5]--Part 1. The voices enter passionately, and sing the first two lines in harmony, three bars for the first line and four for the second. The first phrase is extended to four bars by the piano. Note the alto and bass, who move in opposite directions at the beginning. There is a sharp accent on “Herz,” and the soprano sings a long-short-short-short rhythm that continues in the piano primo. The section ends with a full close.
0:12 [m. 5]--Part 1 repeated.
0:19 [m. 13]--Part 2. The third line is sung in unison. The two piano parts again move in opposite directions, primo down, secondo up. The voices break into harmony at “zertrümmert.” This word is repeated after another sharp piano accent. The two repetitions of the word create a four-bar phrase. The sharp accent follows again, and then the whole line is sung beginning with a “hemiola,” where three two-beat patterns are superimposed on two 3/4 bars. The section concludes with two more emphatic bars.
0:31 [m. 13]--Part 2 repeated.
0:45--END OF WALTZ-SONG [24 mm.]

2. “Finstere Schatten der Nacht” (“Dark shades of night”). Persian source (Hafis). [Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell]. Modified binary form (AA’A”BB). A MINOR, 3/4 time. SATB

German Text:
Finstere Schatten der Nacht,
Wogen- und Wirbelgefahr!
Sind wohl, die da gelind
rasten auf sicherem Lande,
euch zu begreifen im Stande?
Das ist der nur allein,
welcher auf wilder See
stürmischer Öde treibt,
Meilen entfernt vom Strande.

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1 (A). The first two lines are sung by the bass in quiet, restless three-bar phrases. The second line begins with a syncopation over the bar and ends with a half-close. The two piano parts play quietly moving lines that anticipate the vocal contour of the second phrase. These piano lines are secretive and ominous.
0:08 [m. 7]--Varied repeat of Part 1 (A’). The two lines are sung again, but by all four singers. The first line is sung in unison, the second in harmony. The piano parts are the same, as is the melody. The soprano and alto sing the syncopation at the second line.
0:15 [m. 13]--Variation of Part 1 (A”). The third, fourth, and fifth lines are sung to an expanded variation of the same music. A third three-bar phrase, which turns to the related key of C major, is inserted between the two previous phrases. There is some rearrangement and inversion of the lines in the piano parts. The first phrase is essentially the same as before, except for the new text and that it is now sung in harmony. The third phrase is essentially unaltered from the previous second phrase, but it includes an extra cadence note. The inserted second phrase has a small swell in volume.
0:25 [m. 22]--Part 2 (B). The sixth line is sung in harmony by the tenor and bass, again to a three-bar phrase. The same phrase is then repeated by soprano and alto. The two piano parts are reversed for the repetition. The contrary motion in the two piano parts is reminiscent of the introduction to #1.
0:32 [m. 28]--The seventh line is sung to music similar to that of the first part, on E minor. The music is then repeated a step higher, on F major, for the eighth line, which dramatically rises in volume.
0:39 [m. 34]--The last line is set more elaborately. The sopranos and altos begin the descending phrase. The tenors and basses enter in imitation as the women reach the word “Strande.” The women repeat “entfent vom Strande” to catch up with the men. The two piano parts reverse roles as the men enter. The women’s phrase is three bars, as is the phrase when the men enter. The final statement of the word “Strande” is set to a new phrase. The first syllable is extended over three full bars in long notes before the second syllable is sung on a fourth. Already before the last word, the music steadily quiets down. The piano begins a long descent on this word moving all the way down the keyboard. This continues in a five-bar postlude that ends with short cross-rhythm figures in the primo, the cadence chord, and transition chords to the repeat.
0:56 [m. 22]--Part 2 (B) repeated. Restatement of line 6 from 0:25.
1:03 [m. 28]--Restatement of lines 7 and 8 from 0:32.
1:10 [m. 34]--Restatement of the elaborate final line from 0:39, ending with the quiet cadence chord.
1:28--END OF WALTZ-SONG [48 mm.]

3. “An jeder Hand die Finger” (“On each hand my fingers”). Latvian-Lithuanian source. [Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell]. Binary form. A MAJOR or F MAJOR, 3/4 time. Soprano solo.
The original key is A major, but Brahms was persuaded that this key created a vocal line that was too high. He produced an alternate version in F major, a key which also transitions well between A minor and D minor. In this recording, Mathis sings the song in F major.

German Text:
An jeder Hand die Finger
hatt' ich bedeckt mit Ringen,
die mir geschenkt mein Bruder
in seinem Liebessinn.
Und einen nach dem andern
gab ich dem schönen,
aber unwürdigen Jüngling hin.

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. Beginning with an upbeat, the singer presents the gently descending first line and the rising second line. The piano primo at first doubles the voice, but breaks somewhat free in the second line, stating the descending pattern at a higher level. The second line includes chromatic notes and reaches a half-close. The secondo provides steady bass and rhythmic support.
0:13 [m. 9]--Part 1 repeated. The singer now presents the third and fourth lines to the same music, leaving the upbeat to the piano and removing the syllable from the last note. The supporting piano secondo is unchanged. The primo, however, is highly varied, adding more harmony or octaves to its lines and adding new sequential echoes of the voice in its left hand.
0:23 [m. 17]--Part 2. The last three lines are set to music moving to the home minor key (A or F minor). The descending vocal line is heard in the piano secondo. The singer states the descending pattern twice in sequence on the fifth and sixth lines. At the climactic word “unwürdigen,” the piano primo follows the voice’s descending arpeggio, first with the left hand and then with the right in an example of very close imitation. The word “hin” overlaps with the next phrase in the piano.
0:35 [m. 25]--Overlapping the singer’s completion of the phrase, the piano players begin a new one, incorporating syncopation that was introduced on the imitation of “unwürdigen.” The two parts play in contrary motion. Still in the minor key, the words “dem schönen” are reiterated twice with sharp piano accents to create a full phrase. A final phrase is added for another statement of the last line. The singer turns back to major, moving up and down, while the piano primo states the opening descending melody, the right hand closely following the left in syncopation.
0:46 [m. 17]--Part 2 repeated. Restatement of the last three lines from 0:23.
0:58 [m. 25]--Restatement of overlapping phrase, reiterated “dem schönen,” and the last line from 0:35.
1:12--END OF WALTZ-SONG [32 mm.]

4. “Ihr schwarzen Augen” (“You black eyes”). Sicilian source. [Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell]. Binary form. D MINOR, 3/4 time. Bass solo.

German Text:
Ihr schwarzen Augen, ihr dürft nur winken;
Paläste fallen und Städte sinken.
Wie sollte steh'n in solchem Strauß
mein Herz, von Karten das schwache Haus?

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The piano primo begins with a three-note upbeat. It continues with a melancholy flowing line over supporting chords in the secondo as the singer enters. The first line is set to a straightforward minor-key line. The second line adds a more dramatic downbeat rest, a higher upward leap, and a descending octave on the appropriate word “fallen.” The three-note upbeat rhythm from the opening becomes more prominent. The first part ends with a half-close.
0:13 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
0:23 [m. 9]--Part 2. The three-note upbeat rhythm becomes even more pervasive in the piano primo left hand, set to up-down figures. The bass soloist continues with the last two lines, generally moving down, especially toward the cadence on “das schwache Haus.” The harmonies at “solchem Strauß” are quite dissonant.
0:33 [m.9]--Part 2 repeated. There is a small variation at the end of the third line, where the voice adds an upward leap and a sigh figure on “solchem Strauß.”
0:47--END OF WALTZ-SONG [16 mm.]

5. “Wahre, wahre deinen Sohn” (“Protect, protect your son”). Russian source. [Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell]. Binary form. D MINOR, 3/4 time. Alto solo.

German Text:
Wahre, wahre deinen Sohn,
Nachbarin, vor Wehe,
weil ich ihn mit schwarzem Aug'
zu bezaubern gehe.

O wie brennt das Auge mir,
das zu Zünden fordert!
Flammet ihm die Seele nicht --
deine Hütte lodert.

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. Lines 1 and 2 are set first. The piano leads in sotto voce on an upbeat with a three-note figure, one note slurring down to two detached repeated notes. The vocal line and the piano primo repeatedly use the three-note upbeat following a long note. This was heard in both the previous song (#4) as well as #1. The sharp accent and large upward leap on “Wehe” further emphasize the dissonant chord (a “diminished seventh”). Brahms provided an option for a smaller leap (a third lower) for altos concerned about range, but it is highly ineffective. The section moves to the “dominant” key of A major.
0:10 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated. The same music is used for the setting of lines 3 and 4.
0:19 [m. 9]--Part 2. For line 5, the vocal line arches upward, with the three-note upbeats soaring up and then falling precipitously in the primo. The piano and voice both come to a powerful arrival on the word “zünden” in line 6. The voice arrives at a strong downward leap and the piano parts return to the opening sotto voce three-note figure, which contrasts strikingly with the voice. The words “das zu zünden” are repeated, leading a motion to the key of C-sharp minor, where the word “fodert” reaches a cadence.
0:27 [m. 17]--The last two lines (7 and 8) begin as had the fifth and sixth lines, a step higher in pitch level (on B major), but at the end of line 7, on “Seele nicht,” the pianists break into cross rhythms and the volume increases dramatically. The words “die Seele nicht” are repeated using the descending three-note upbeat and another harshly accented diminished seventh chord. The voice suddenly breaks off, and a cascading piano arpeggio on the same chord leads back to D minor. The last line is similar to the sixth, but set a half-step higher, with repetition of “deine Hütte,” the sotto voce three-note figure, and the strong downward leap. The lead-in to the repeat is the three-note upbeat.
0:40 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Restatement of lines 5 and 6 from 0:19.
0:48 [m. 17]--Restatement of lines 7 and 8 from 0:27.
1:02--END OF WALTZ-SONG [28 mm.]

6. “Rosen steckt mir an die Mutter” (“Mother pins roses on me” or “Mother gave me roses”). Spanish source. [Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell]. Binary form. F MAJOR, 3/4 time. Soprano solo.

German Text:
Rosen steckt mir an die Mutter,
weil ich gar so trübe bin.
Sie hat recht, die Rose sinket,
so wie ich, entblättert hin.

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. Lines 1 and 2. The singer opens with a descending line similar to the one in #3. The vocal line is then broken apart with “sobbing” rests on the second beats of all but the first, fifth, and eighth bars, including a strange rest in the middle of the word “Mutter.” The piano accompaniment is quite simple in both parts. The key change at the cadence, to A major, is effective and unexpected.
0:14 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
0:24 [m. 9]--Part 2. The singer’s descending lines are more expressive and connected in the third line as the music moves back to F. The fourth line seems more in F minor than in F major. Two more “sobbing” rests are heard on the second beats of bars, including one that breaks up the last two syllables of “entblättert.” The final cadence is on a major chord, finally escaping the minor’s troubled cloud. The piano leads in to the repeat.
0:34 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated.
0:46--END OF WALTZ-SONG [16 mm.]

7. “Vom Gebirge Well’ auf Well’” (“From the mountains wave upon wave”). Russian-Polish dance song source. Lebhaft (Lively). Rounded binary form. C MAJOR, 3/4 time. SATB

German Text:
Vom Gebirge Well auf Well
kommen Regengüsse,
und ich gäbe dir so gern
hunderttausend Küsse.

English Translation

Brahms plays exciting metric games within the basic eight-bar phrases throughout the song.
0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The first two lines are set twice. In the first statement, the voices sing in unison with boisterous octave leaps and then a descending line. The first line is four bars long and the second only three, but the introductory piano measure completes a full eight-bar phrase. The second statement also begins with the unison octave leaps, but at the end of the first line, the voices break into harmony, and they move to the key of E minor in the second. The accompaniment is “shifted” so that the voices now sing with the introductory measure. The lengthening of “Regengüsse” extends the second line to four full bars. Other than the key change and “displaced” voices, the joyous piano parts, alternating “straight” and dotted-rhythm (long-short-long) bars, are similar in both statements. Note the contrary motion in the piano parts at the beginning of each.
0:14 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
0:25 [m. 17]--Part 2. The third line is more hushed, and the bass is absent. The fourth is again exuberant and builds even more. The “hundert-” in “hunderttausend” is repeated, the bass entering the second time. The full eight-bar phrase again moves from C to E, but the arrival on E is now in major. The piano parts again move in opposite directions at the beginning of each line, but these are reversed from the first part.
0:31 [m. 25]--A piano phrase seems to have begun in the last bar of line 4. It continues as a one-bar interlude. The first two lines are sung again beginning with a long five-beat hold on “Vom.” They return to unison singing as the piano moves back to C major. The last word of line one and the first word of line 2 are compressed into one bar, creating a rushed effect, but also making the entire passage, including the “interlude” bar, an eight-bar phrase (possibly extended to nine with the last bar of the previous phrase).
0:36 [m. 33]--Lines 3 and 4 are sung again in an exuberant closing. “Hundert-” is not reiterated, but “Küsse” is extended at the cadence. The piano plays cross rhythms implying three 2/4 bars beginning with the last word of line 3.
0:42 [m. 17]--Repeat of Part 2. Restatement of lines 3 and 4 from 0:25.
0:48 [m. 25]--Restatement of lines 1 and 2 with the interlude bar, as at 0:31.
0:54 [m. 33]--Restatement of lines 3 and 4 with piano cross rhythms, as at 0:36.
1:02--END OF WALTZ-SONG [40 mm.]

8. “Weiche Gräser im Revier” (“Soft grasses in my favorite places”). Russian-Polish dance song source. Ruhig (Quietly). Varied binary form (AA’BB). E-FLAT MAJOR, 3/4 time. SATB

German Text:
Weiche Gräser im Revier,
schöne, stille Plätzchen!
O, wie linde ruht es hier
sich mit einem Schätzchen!

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1 (A). After an introductory bar of three rising thirds, the main melody of the section is given to the piano primo. It is a reiterated descending line. An accompaniment featuring a dotted (long-short) rhythm is heard in the primo left hand and the secondo. The voices merely sing punctuating chords against the piano’s melody and accompaniment, inserting rests in the middle of words. All is quiet and gentle. The second line follows the same pattern (with the introductory bar overlapping the conclusion of the first line), but it shifts up to G minor, contrasting with the major key of the first phrase. The voices are given a more flowing line at the end, and the piano moves back down to E-flat major in an added bar.
0:26 [m. 18]--Varied repeat of Part 1 (A’). The music is essentially the same as before, with the same text, but including some important variations. The introductory bar is omitted. The bass of the secondo is more active and detached. The piano melody is doubled an octave above. Most importantly, the vocal soprano is allowed to sing the melody in the first phrase. The tenor takes the soprano’s previous chord notes in the first phrase, and is itself allowed to sing the melody in the second, the soprano moving back to the chords.
0:48 [m. 34]--Part 2 (B). The voice and piano parts now take an equal role in the melodies and harmonies in a warm, rich, expressive texture. The piano primo octaves generally move up, while the vocal soprano moves down, continuing the idea of contrary motion so prominent in the cycle. The opening phrase is given three times in an ascending sequence as the third line is sung. The fourth line is compressed over a long descent, creating an expanded twelve-bar phrase for the entire part comprising the third and fourth lines.
1:06 [m. 34]--Part 2 (B) repeated, with a final chord replacing the previous lead-in to the repeat.
1:26--END OF WALTZ-SONG [45 mm.]

9. “Nagen am Herzen” (“Gnawing at my heart”). Polish source. [Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell]. Binary form. G MINOR, 3/4 time. Soprano solo.

German Text:
Nagen am Herzen fühl ich ein Gift mir.
Kann sich ein Mädchen,
ohne zu fröhnen zärtlichem Hang,
fassen ein ganzes wonneberaubtes Leben entlang?

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The first line is set in this part. A rocking two-bar introduction in the secondo precedes an upbeat in the primo. The singer’s line winds around a central note before a leap and a descent. The upbeat in the primo begins a descending figure resembling others in the cycle.
0:13 [m. 3]--Part 1 repeated without the two-bar introduction.
0:21 [m. 11]--Part 2. The piano part continues in a similar vein with upbeats. In the second line, the singer moves away from her winding line to a melody featuring two sequences beginning with a large descending leap. This creates a colorful key change to A-flat major in the third line, where the voice moves higher and the piano primo plays broken chords instead of scalar notes. A one-bar bridge leads back to G minor.
0:29 [m. 19]--The last line returns to the material of the first part, but the primo now includes the three-note upbeat heard earlier in the cycle, such as in #4 and #5. The primo becomes more elaborate generally, ad then the voice breaks away from its winding line. The leap now leads to a chromatic descent, skipping no notes before reaching her original pitch. The words “Leben entlang” are set to a cross rhythm (hemiola) stretching two 3/4 bars into one implied 3/2 bar. The left hand of the primo follows this closing line in a trailing imitation. The phrase is extended to 12 bars.
0:42 [m. 11]--Part 2 repeated. Restatement of lines 2 and 3 from 0:21.
0:50 [m. 19]--Restatement of the last line (line 4) from 0:29 and close.
1:05--END OF WALTZ-SONG [30 mm.]

10. “Ich kose süß mit der und der” (“I sweetly fondle [or caress] this girl and that”). Malayan source. [Lebhaft, doch nicht schnell]. Binary form. G MAJOR, 3/4 time. Tenor solo.

German Text:
Ich kose süß mit der und der
und werde still und kranke,
denn ewig, ewig kehrt zu dir,
o Nonna, mein Gedanke!

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The accented and dissonant “diminished seventh” chord at the beginning is characteristic of the song. The singer presents the first two lines as sequential phrases, the second beginning with another diminished seventh chord and overlapping with the end of the first. The descending long-short-short-short grouping is very prominent in the song, and is heard here against chords in the piano secondo that work against the main 3/4 meter. The short notes are not an upbeat, but work as a group with the preceding longer note. The second phrase, moving toward the key of D, has a minor-key tinge.
0:14 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated.
0:26 [m. 9]--Part 2. Again, the accented diminished seventh plays a large role, leading with the long-short-short-short figure on the piano alone into the next phrase. As the singer enters, yet another such accented chord is heard a step higher. The phrase becomes louder. Only the words “O Nonna” from the fourth line are included in the grouping with the third line because of the two piano-only bars. The climax occurs on a distant E-flat chord on “dir” with the long-short-short-short figure, but turns back toward G as the volume diminishes on “Nonna.”
0:36 [m. 17]--The preceding long-short-short-short rhythm in the piano is stated a step lower to lead into the final phrase and similarly diminishes in volume. “O Nonna” is repeated, making this statement of the fourth line complete. The phrase is shortened to six bars from the eight of the preceding one. On the word “mein” and the first syllable of “Gedanke,” the voice and piano primo work against the main meter, implying three 2/4 bars over two actual 3/4 bars. The three rising notes there are the same as those at the opening of the song, and the first harmony on “mein“ is a final diminished seventh chord. The main long-short-short-short rhythm brings the section to a gentle close. A rising three-note upbeat leads to the repeat.
0:46 [m. 9]--Part 2 repeated. Restatement of line 3 plus “O Nonna” from 0:26.
0:56 [m. 17]--Restatment of line 4 from 0:36.
1:09--END OF WALTZ-SONG [22 mm.]

11. “Alles, alles in den Wind” (“All, all is lost to the wind”). Polish source. Lebhaft (Lively). Binary form. G MAJOR, 3/4 time. Soprano solo.

German Text:
Alles, alles in den Wind
sagst du mir, du Schmeichler!
Alle samt verloren sind
deine Müh’n, du Heuchler!

Einem andern Fang' zu lieb
stelle deine Falle!
Denn du bist ein loser Dieb,
denn du buhlst um alle!

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1 (Stanza 1). The key is the same as the previous song (#10), and so are the harmonies. It also begins with an accented and dissonant “diminished seventh” sonority, but this time in the form of a broken chord. The soloist follows the piano on the cascading arpeggio. Both turn upward at the same time. The second line is set to a “hemiola” implying three 2/4 bars against two 3/4 bars (again similar to #10). The primo right hand doubles the voice in octaves and chords. Note the sharp, strong pair of chords at the end of the phrase.
0:07 [m. 5]--The third and fourth lines are set in a similar manner, but the arpeggio and dissonant chord are a step higher, and the voice turns upward right before the piano. The fourth line features a large leap on “Müh’n” and moves toward D minor (very similar to the end of #10, Part 1). Again, note the sharp, strong pair of chords at the end.
0:11 [m. 1]--Part 1 (Stanza 1) repeated. Restatement of lines 1-2 from the opening.
0:15 [m. 5]--Restatement of lines 3-4 from 0:07.
0:19 [m. 9]--Part 2 (Stanza 2). The sinuous first line is drawn out in long notes to twice the length of its counterpart in stanza 1. The accented diminished seventh again begins the phrase, and the piano continues with cascading arpeggios against the smoother vocal line. The second line is similar to the second and fourth lines in the first part, with the “hemiola” cross-rhythms , the doubling of the voice in the primo, and the pair of sharp, strong chords at the end. The phrase moves to E minor (related to G major).
0:25 [m. 15]--Lines 3 and 4 are set in a similar manner, with an accented diminished seventh. The sinuous longer notes in the third line move generally up instead of down, as they had in the first. The fourth line has the same hemiola cross-rhythms, primo doubling of the voice, and sharp, strong chords, finally marking a full cadence in the home key of G major (for the first time since line 2 of the first part).
0:31 [m. 9]--Part 2 (Stanza 2) repeated. Restatement of lines 1-2 from 0:19.
0:37 [m. 15]--Restatement of lines 3-4 from 0:25.
0:46--END OF WALTZ-SONG [20 mm.]

12. “Schwarzer Wald, dein Schatten ist so düster!” (“Dark forest, your shade is so gloomy!”). Serbian source. Lebhaft (Lively). Binary form. G MINOR, 3/4 time. SATB

German Text:
Schwarzer Wald, dein Schatten ist so düster!
Armes Herz, dein Leiden ist so drückend!
Was dir einzig wert, es steht vor Augen;
ewig untersagt ist Huldvereinung.

English Translation.

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The piano primo opens with an upbeat rising arpeggio. The voices sing the first line in block harmony with occasional inner motion. The music is passionate and agitated. While the voices and the secondo are true to the waltz rhythm, the primo plays in constant cross rhythms, implying 2/4 meter throughout rather than 3/4. The long descending, suddenly hushed “sigh” figures in the voices are characteristic.
0:09 [m. 9]--The passion returns again for another rising arpeggio on a long upbeat. The second line is set similarly to the first, but it moves to the key of D minor, then D major. Unexpectedly, the entire line is repeated on the continuing “sigh” figures, including a third repetition of the words “ist so drückend.” The last word begins an unusually long transition to the repeat, with the bass voice anticipating the others on a preliminary statement of “Schwarzer Wald.”
0:29 [m. 3]--Part 1 repeated. At the word “Wald,” the voices have found their way home and continue their reprise of the first line as it was heard before.
0:34 [m. 9]--Restatement of line 2 from 0:09. The dramatic transition to the repetition is replaced by gentle descending arpeggios in the primo (still playing in cross rhythm) that serve as a transition to Part 2.
0:51 [m. 25]--Part 2. The voices begin in major in a more expressive, flowing phrase for the third line. The primo temporarily abandons its cross rhythms for straight descending arpeggios. Although the volume does swell on a crescendo, the sharp accent and foreign chromatic harmony on “Augen” is surprising. The primo resumes its cross rhythms, the music turns back to minor, and there is a two-bar bridge.
1:00 [m. 33]--The last line is set similarly to the third, but the minor key remains in force from the outset. The corresponding sharp accent is on the first syllable of “Huldvereinung,” and the harmony, a diminished seventh chord, is even more dissonant. Unexpectedly, the cadence on the last syllable is on a major chord. The words are more stretched out than in the third line, so the voices extend into the bridge passage, which this time leads to the repeat of the second part.
1:09 [m. 25]--Part 2 repeated. Restatement of line 3 from 0:51.
1:18 [m. 33]--Restatement of line 4 from 1:00. The major chord at the cadence is retained, as is the original bridge passage that led to the repeat. At the end, it is extended two bars with quiet major chords, ending this dark, passionate song on a note of hope.
1:33--END OF WALTZ-SONG [42 mm.]

13. “Nein, Geliebter, setze dich” (“No, my love, do not sit”). Russian source. Lebhaft (Lively). Binary form. E MAJOR, 3/4 time. SA duet.

German Text:
Nein, Geliebter, setze dich
mir so nahe nicht!
Starre nicht so brünstiglich
mir ins Angesicht!

Wie es auch im Busen brennt,
dämpfe deinen Trieb,
daß es nicht die Welt erkennt,
wie wir uns so lieb.

English Translation

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1 (Stanza 1). A two-bar introduction establishes the throbbing low pedal note in the secondo. The two female voices enter in warm harmony, singing the first two lines. The arrival of the new key of E major sounds almost otherworldly after four straight songs in G minor or major. The two piano parts are clearly distinguished, the primo with its high bell-like sounds and the secondo with its persistent low pedal in the left hand and flowing melody in the right. The primo left hand crosses over below the secondo right hand, symbolic of the closeness of the lovers in the text. The section ends on a half-close, with a transition to the repeat. Brahms marks everything pianissimo (very soft) and mezza voce.
0:16 [m. 3]--Part 1 (Stanza 1) repeated. The introduction is not included. The voices sing the third and fourth lines to the same music. The transition is altered after the half-close to move to Part 2.
0:27 [m. 11]--Part 2 (Stanza 2). The primo left hand crosses back above the secondo right hand. The first line of the section is set to very active and colorful harmonies, beginning in C-sharp major and venturing even further to D-sharp major. The words “im Busen brennt” are repeated under a crescendo that intrudes on the secretive nature of the music. The climax occurs at the beginning of the second line, the first word of which is repeated, and it immediately then recedes as the music returns to E major.
0:41 [m. 21]--The last two lines are set to a reprise of the opening music, with the return of the low bass pedal and the primo left hand crossing back below the secondo right hand. The ending differs from the first part, reaching a gentle close in E major. The last line includes words for each of the first four notes (“wie wir uns so”). These had been connected on only two one-syllable words in both statements of the first part (“mir so” and “mir ins”). This is compensated here by a repetition of the words “so lieb” at the final cadence. The secondo continues in a transition to the repeat.
0:52 [m. 11]--Part 2 (Stanza 2) repeated. Restatement of lines 1 and 2 from 0:27.
1:05 [m. 21]--Restatement of lines 3 and 4 from 0:41, with a slowing before the close.
1:21--END OF WALTZ-SONG [28 mm.]

14. “Flammenauge, dunkles Haar” (“Flaming eyes, dark hair”). Russian source. Lebhaft (Lively). Two-part through-composed form. A MINOR/MAJOR, 3/4 time. SATB

German Text:
Flammenauge, dunkles Haar,
Knabe wonnig und verwogen,
Kummer ist durch dich hinein
in mein armes Herz gezogen!

Kann in Eis der Sonne Brand,
sich in Nacht der Tag verkehren?
Kann die heisse Menschenbrust
atmen ohne Glutbegehren?

Ist die Flur so voller Licht,
daß die Blum' im Dunkel stehe?
Ist die Welt so voller Lust,
daß das Herz in Qual vergehe?

English Translation

PART 1 (Stanza 1)--A MINOR
0:00 [m. 1]--Only the soprano and alto sing in the first section. After an introductory measure of three chords shooting up in the primo and octaves shooting down in the secondo, the voices enter. The singers and the primo part are mostly in hemiola cross-rhythms (implied 2/4 measures) against the clear 3/4 of the accompaniment in the secondo. The character is reminiscent of the “gypsy” idiom found more overtly in many of Brahms’s works. The first two lines are set in this manner.
0:11 [m. 10]--As the third line begins, the voices begin a canon at the same pitch level, the alto following the soprano at a distance of two bars. At the same time, the two piano parts begin a canon that turns the opening descending figure upside down. They imitate at the distance of only one bar. This creates overlapping cross rhythms and extreme agitation. The music moves toward F minor. After the soprano begins the fourth line a second time, the alto breaks the canon, merely repeating “gezogen,” rejoining the soprano in straight harmony. The two piano parts bring their canon closer together, reversing roles as the voices join and then imitating at the distance of only one beat in a transition to the following reprise.
0:22 [m. 22]--Reprise of the first stanza beginning with the same material in the voices and the primo as at the beginning for the first two lines. The secondo adds echoes of the four-note descending pattern heard in the primo.
0:30 [m. 30]--The third and fourth lines replace their previous canonic passage with a new, highly agitated transition to the second part. The voices sing repeated notes while the piano parts play a pattern of alternation between the hands, with heavy accents and swelling volume on each of the first two phrases. The word “Herz” is stretched out, leaving “gezogen” for a third short phrase. The entire fourth line is repeated as the music somewhat settles down and moves to major for the second part. The hemiolas and cross rhythms are abandoned in this passage, but dissonant harmonies are prominent. Quiet pulsating repeated piano chords complete the transition.
PART 2 (Stanzas 2 and 3)--A MAJOR
0:48 [m. 47]--Stanza 2. The tenor and bass join for the second part. There is a complete contrast with this music, in a refreshing major key and block harmonies. The secondo provides a straightforward accompaniment of a bass note and two chords for each bar, but the primo plays a running line passed between the hands that recalls the opening four-note descending pattern from Part 1. The hands come together on line 3. Elements of the cross rhythm are retained in the groups of four in this voice, but they are neither prominent nor overt. The third line swells slightly in volume, the fourth more so. The word “begehren” is stretched out, and the piano primo plays the rising melody of the fourth line, staggered between the hands, in two descending sequences. The voices reach a nearly complete close on A major.
1:09 [m. 65]--Stanza 3. The tenor begins as the piano completes the final sequence from the previous stanza. The piano parts are almost identical to stanza 2, except the order of the hands in the primo is reversed. The vocal parts present the first three lines in counterpoint. The alto imitates the tenor in an inversion (the line turned upside down). Before she enters, the bass comes in on a free counterpoint. The soprano follows the alto, also in free counterpoint. Only the soprano sings the second line. The bass repeats the words “so voller Licht.” The tenor and alto repeat the corresponding words of line 3 (“so voller Lust”) as the bass and soprano catch up. The tenor, who began earlier, adds the preceding “die Welt.”
1:22 [m. 77]--After the voices finally come together on the word “Lust,” they present the last line as they had in stanza 2. The word “vergehe” is extended as “begehren” had been. The primo’s first sequential echo is also as in stanza 3, staggered between the hands. In place of the second one, however, a descending series of chords, still staggered, leads to a quiet, gentle repetition of “vergehe” from the voices that reaches a full close in A major. The piano parts are both staggered under this line, the primo still playing the rising line at a lower level. The bass of the secondo plays a low pedal on “A,” which continues in the brief two-bar closing, which is left to secondo alone.
1:43--END OF WALTZ-SONG [88 mm.]

(15). Zum Schluß: “Nun, ihr Musen genug!” (Conclusion: “Now, you Muses, enough!”). Text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, from the elegy Alexis und Dora. Ruhig (Quietly). Ternary form, the outer sections using a ground bass (passacaglia). F MAJOR, 9/4 (3/4) time. SATB

German Text:
Nun, ihr Musen, genug!
    Vergebens strebt ihr zu schildern,
wie sich Jammer und Glück
    wechseln in liebender Brust.
Heilen könnet die Wunden
    ihr nicht, die Amor geschlagen,
aber Linderung kommt
    einzig, ihr Guten, von euch.

English Translation

--The two-bar ground bass is six long notes, three for each 9/4 bar. The notes are the melody from the final section of the “Alto Rhapsody,” Op. 53, which also uses a text by Goethe.
--The 9/4 meter applies mainly to the piano parts. The vocal parts use the parenthetical 3/4 to divide each longer bar into three parts. The longer bars also reflect the paired three-foot lines of the poem.
PART 1--Four statements of ground bass
0:00 [m. 1]--Statement 1 of ground bass. The first three notes of the ground are heard in the bass of the secondo. The right hand of the secondo plays short notes in groups of three, two groups for each note of the ground bass. Because there are two groups of three instead of three groups of two, this undermines the smaller 3/4 units on each long ground bass note. The primo plays an introduction against this background. The first three rising chords (whose top notes themselves form a broken chord) will become important. The third chord is held across a strong beat, further undermining the implied shorter 3/4 bars.
0:07 [m. 2]--As the primo finishes its introductory phrase, the secondo completes the last three notes of the ground bass. The primo drops out completely as the voices enter in block harmonies. They echo the introduction without the first two rising chords. They sing the first line invoking the muses.
0:14 [m. 3]--Statement 2 of ground bass. By now, the broadly flowing, peaceful motion of the song has been established. As the voices complete their opening statement, the secondo begins the ground again. The primo remains silent for the rest of the first part. The voices sing the second line, completing the first long line pair, to a mild counterpoint. The two female voices enter first, followed by the tenor, then the bass. The alto drops out after completing the line, but the soprano repeats “zu schildern” as the men finish.
0:23 [m. 5]--Statement 3 of ground bass. The soprano and alto sing the third and fourth lines (the second line pair). The alto follows the soprano, but they come together when the latter stretches out “Jammer.” The harmonies turn to minor keys on that word, but the voices quickly turn back to major at the cadence.
0:33 [m. 7]--Statement 4 of ground bass. All four voices sing the second line pair in counterpoint, entering in the order: tenor, bass, soprano, alto. The bass stretches out “Jammer” and omits “wie sich.” The tenor also stretches out “Jammer.” The alto also omits “wie sich.” The word “Jammer” (“misery”) again uses chromatic, dissonant harmonies. The voices come together on “Glück” and reach a similar cadence to the one just heard from the soprano and alto in statement 3.
PART 2--Middle section without ground bass
0:43 [m. 9]--The primo finally re-enters, playing its introduction with the three rising chords. The first half of the ground bass moves to the middle of the secondo, but then breaks off.
0:49 [m. 10]--The primo completes its introduction as the harmony and key very suddenly shift from F major to the warm, rich D-flat major. The voices enter in imitation on the third line pair, quieter than before. The soprano, followed by the tenor, presents the wide-ranging, leaping fifth line. The bass, then the alto enter against this on a descending scale for the sixth line. The soprano joins the alto’s entry on this line, but the tenor simply lengthens the word “nicht” and does not sing the line. The voices end together. The two piano parts pass a rising arpeggio and a slower descending scale to each other.
0:59 [m. 12]--The counterpoint begins again on line 5. The tenor begins, then the soprano three beats later. The alto, now singing both lines, enters six beats after the soprano as the tenor finishes. There is a brief turn to E-flat minor. The tenor begins again after another six beats. The piano parts continue to pass arpeggios between them. The bass of the secondo begins to be doubled an octave lower.
1:08 [m. 14]--The bass finally enters three beats after the tenor. The voices begin the sixth line with its descending scale. The alto does this first, immediately after finishing the fifth line as the tenor and bass complete their statement of the fifth line. The soprano, who has rested for nine beats, then enters on the sixth line. The music begins to swell greatly in volume here. The tenor, then the bass, quickly begin the sixth line after finishing the fifth. There is a sharp, accented dissonance as the soprano sings “geschlagen.” The alto repeats the words “die Amor” twice more. As the tenors and basses sing “geschlagen” there is a mildly dissonant G-minor chord, the harmony and key now moving back to F major from D-flat.
1:19 [m. 16]--The piano parts unexpectedly drop out at the climax. The voices complete their counterpoint on the sixth line. As the alto stretches out her previous second repetition of “die Amor,” the soprano again begins the line, reaching a high note. She also sings “die Amor” twice before finishing the line. The alto requires a third repetition of the words before completing the line with “geschlagen.” The tenor and bass follow together with no repetition. The voices reach “geschlagen” together. The alto and tenor slide sinuously against long notes in the soprano and bass as the voices finally quiet and settle to a cadence in F.
PART 3--Four statements of ground bass
1:31 [m. 18]--Statement 1 of ground bass. The ground is heard again in the secondo left hand. The primo is again silent, and remains so through the first two statements of the ground.   The secondo left hand resumes its groups of three shorter notes that go against the secondary 3/4 metric groupings. The voices sing the fourth and last line pair to music very similar to that at 0:23 [m. 5]. The soprano begins. The bass and alto enter together. The tenor follows up. The alto and tenor omit the word “aber.” The bass for now only sings the seventh line, its longer notes not quite making it to the eighth.
1:43 [m. 20]--Statement 2 of ground bass. It begins as the voices reach their previous cadence. The voices again sing the last line pair. Soprano and tenor begin together, followed by the bass, and finally the alto. The alto again drops the word “aber.” The bass breaks into longer notes, but gets one word into the last line (“einzig”). The music swells greatly and becomes more harmonically active, reaching a high point on the word “einzig” (“only”) as the soprano reaches her highest note of the song and repeats the word. This is a brief motion to the related D minor, but the home key of F quickly returns as the music settles down again.
1:54 [m. 22]--Statement 3 of ground bass. This is effectively the coda. The secondo left hand begins a long sustained low bass pedal on the keynote F. The ground bass moves to the right hand, which also continues the three-note groupings. The primo surreptitiously enters again with three suggestions of the opening broken chord. The bass finally completes the last line, carrying over in long notes from the previous statement, and adding an extra repetition of the word “einzig.” Its melody is none other than the ground bass itself. The tenor again sings the last line pair completely in a very melodious version. Toward the end of the statement, the soprano makes a quiet entrance on the last line with the word “einzig.”
2:05 [m. 24]--Statement 4 of ground bass. The secondo right hand now abandons the three-note groups, smoothly playing upward arpeggios beginning off the beat. The ground bass is concealed within these arpeggios. The primo extends its previous broken chord two more steps up the scale. The tenor and soprano lines that began with “einzig” in the previous statement are revealed to be the ground bass melody (like the previous statement in the bass), and are completed. The tenor sings “ihr Guten” a second time. The alto finally enters off the beat with its statement of the ground bass melody, also beginning with “einzig.” The soprano and tenor continue after their “ground bass” statements with one more statement of “von euch.” The bass, singing on the low F, adds two more. The last of these in those three voices come together with the alto’s completion of its “ground bass” statement. This last gorgeous cadence includes one more rising arpeggio in the primo left hand following a high echo of the rising steps in the right.
2:36--END OF WALTZ-SONG [26 (78) mm.]
END OF CYCLE

BRAHMS LISTENING GUIDES HOME