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]
Recording of Op. 65a
(without voices): Silke-Thora
Matthies & Christian Köhn, piano [Naxos 8.553139]
Published 1875.
Op. 65a published 1877.
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 largely 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.lieder.net.
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.
UPDATE (January 20, 2014): Timings for a recording of the
version without voices (Op. 65a) have been added at the end of
each segment. The few alterations in the piano parts are
also noted. The most significant of these are in the final
“Zum Schluß,” covering vocal lines in the long sections of the primo
that rest in the main vocal version, along with the original a
cappella measures.
IMSLP
WORK PAGE
ONLINE SCORES FROM IMSLP (First Edition from Brahms-Institut
Lübeck):
Main
Version with Voices (File also includes Brahms’s
manuscript score)
Version
without Voices, Op. 65a (Note that each primo
page follows its corresponding secondo page.
English text printed above secondo, German text printed
above primo.)
ONLINE SCORES FROM IMSLP (From Breitkopf & Härtel Sämtliche
Werke):
Main
Version with Voices
Version
without Voices, Op. 65a (Each primo page follows
its corresponding secondo page. German text
printed above secondo and primo.)
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:04]
0:12 [m. 5]--Part 1
repeated. [Op. 65a: 0:12]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:19. In the two bars of the
“hemiola,” the primo adds the two long-short, or dotted
rhythms that were sung to repeated notes. An extra third
long-short rhythm that was not sung is added to the highest note
on the last beat. Under the voices, the chords of the
“hemiola” were simply held.]
0:31 [m. 13]--Part 2
repeated. [Op. 65a: 0:31]
0:45--END OF WALTZ-SONG [24 mm.]
[Op. 65a: 0:45]
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. [Op.
65a: 0:00]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:06--m.
1. The repeat is the same in the piano parts, so it is
indicated with a repeat sign.]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:12--m. 7. The secondo is
significantly altered in the first six bars to include the melodic
lines from the vocal parts. Some long-short rhythms are
accordingly moved from the right hand to the bass line.]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:20--m. 16]
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. [Op. 65a:
0:26--m. 22. The primo has changes to incorporate
lines from the vocal parts, including the reversal of hands to
place the melody on the downbeat in two rapid harmonic
alternations between the hands.]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:32--m. 28]
0:56 [m. 22]--Part 2 (B) repeated. Restatement
of line 6 from 0:25. [Op. 65a: 0:48--m. 16]
1:03 [m. 28]--Restatement
of lines 7 and 8 from 0:32. [Op. 65a: 0:53--m. 22]
1:10 [m. 34]--Restatement
of the elaborate final line from 0:39, ending with the quiet
cadence chord. [Op. 65a: 0:59--m. 28]
1:28--END OF WALTZ-SONG [48 mm.] [Op. 65a: 1:17--42 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. In Op. 65a, the song was only printed
in A major, and is thus performed in this recording.
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00. The primo adds
harmony to the right hand on the downbeat of m. 5.]
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. [Op.
65a: 0:11. Both hands of the primo add more harmony
to the downbeat of the fifth measure, m. 13.]
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
anticipated 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. [Op. 65a: 0:22.
Both parts have significant alterations to compensate for the
missing vocal line. The melody is heard in both the left
hand of the primo and the right hand of the secondo.
The latter adds the line to its previous harmonies, maintaining
the anticipation. The primo loses the rising
off-beat octaves that were in the left hand, but somewhat
compensates for them in the right hand with broken octaves.
The extremely close imitation at the end is also lost, but is
again somewhat compensated by the broken octaves in the right
hand.]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:34. Both
parts quickly return to the original vocal accompaniment, the secondo
a bit earlier. In the last four bars, the left hand of the primo
is again subtly changed to follow the missing vocal line, again
upsetting the close imitation.]
0:46 [m. 17]--Part 2
repeated. Restatement of the last three lines from 0:23.
[Op. 65a: 0:47]
0:58 [m. 25]--Restatement
of overlapping phrase, reiterated “dem schönen,” and the last line
from 0:35. [Op. 65a: 1:01]
1:12--END OF WALTZ-SONG [32 mm.] [Op. 65a: 1:19]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00]
0:13 [m. 1]--Part 1
repeated. [Op. 65a: 0:11]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:22]
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.” [Op. 65a: 0:34]
0:47--END OF WALTZ-SONG [16 mm.] [Op. 65a: 0:51]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00]
0:10 [m. 1]--Part 1
repeated. The same music is used for the setting of lines 3
and 4. [Op. 65a: 0:09]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:18]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:27]
0:40 [m. 9]--Part 2
repeated. Restatement of lines 5 and 6 from 0:19. [Op. 65a:
0:41]
0:48 [m. 17]--Restatement
of lines 7 and 8 from 0:27. [Op. 65a: 0:49]
1:02--END OF WALTZ-SONG [28 mm.] [Op. 65a: 1:06]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00]
0:14 [m. 1]--Part 1
repeated. [Op. 65a: 0:13]
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
pianists lead in to the repeat. [Op. 65a: 0:26. In the
penultimate measure, the primo part is changed to place
the right hand where the vocal melody would be. With the
voices, the left hand played on the first and third beats and the
right hand on the second. Here, this is reversed for the
first two beats, and both hands play on the third beat.]
0:34 [m. 9]--Part 2
repeated. [Op. 65a: 0:39]
0:46--END OF WALTZ-SONG [16 mm.] [Op. 65a: 0:55]
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.
[Op. 65a: 0:00]
0:14 [m. 1]--Part 1
repeated. [Op. 65a: 0:11]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:22]
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). [Op. 65a: 0:27]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:32]
0:42 [m. 17]--Repeat of
Part 2. Restatement of lines 3 and 4 from 0:25. [Op. 65a:
0:38]
0:48 [m. 25]--Restatement
of lines 1 and 2 with the interlude bar, as at 0:31. [Op. 65a:
0:43]
0:54 [m. 33]--Restatement
of lines 3 and 4 with piano cross rhythms, as at 0:36. [Op. 65a:
0:48]
1:02--END OF WALTZ-SONG [40 mm.] [Op. 65a: 0:57]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:32]
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. [Op. 65a: 1:02]
1:06 [m. 34]--Part 2 (B) repeated, with a final
chord replacing the previous lead-in to the repeat. [Op. 65a:
1:25]
1:26--END OF WALTZ-SONG [45 mm.] [Op. 65a: 1:54]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00]
0:13 [m. 3]--Part 1
repeated without the two-bar introduction. [Op. 65a: 0:12]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:21. In the
fourth measure, an upbeat bass note is added to the last beat in
the secondo.]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:31]
0:42 [m. 11]--Part 2
repeated. Restatement of lines 2 and 3 from 0:21. [Op.
65a: 0:44]
0:50 [m. 19]--Restatement
of the last line (line 4) from 0:29 and close. [Op. 65a: 0:54]
1:05--END OF WALTZ-SONG [30 mm.] [Op. 65a: 1:11]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00]
0:14 [m. 1]--Part 1
repeated. [Op. 65a: 0:11]
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.” [Op. 65a: 0:21]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:31]
0:46 [m. 9]--Part 2
repeated. Restatement of line 3 plus “O Nonna” from 0:26.
[Op. 65a: 0:40]
0:56 [m. 17]--Restatment
of line 4 from 0:36. [Op. 65a: 0:51]
1:09--END OF WALTZ-SONG [22 mm.] [Op. 65a: 1:05]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:04]
0:11 [m. 1]--Part 1
(Stanza 1) repeated. Restatement of lines 1-2 from the
opening. [Op. 65a: 0:08]
0:15 [m. 5]--Restatement
of lines 3-4 from 0:07. [Op. 65a: 0:11]
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).
[Op. 65a: 0:15]
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). [Op. 65a: 0:21]
0:31 [m. 9]--Part 2
(Stanza 2) repeated. Restatement of lines 1-2 from 0:19.
[Op. 65a: 0:26]
0:37 [m. 15]--Restatement
of lines 3-4 from 0:25. [Op. 65a: 0:32]
0:46--END OF WALTZ-SONG [20 mm.] [Op. 65a: 0:38]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00]
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.” [Op. 65a: 0:08. The piano parts in the
first ending are retained from the vocal version with the bass
anticipation.]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:23]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:28]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:44. The primo is changed in the
first four bars to allow the left hand to take the melody, which
would otherwise be absent. The arpeggios in the right hand
are also subtly adjusted. The last four bars with the cross
rhythm are unchanged.]
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. [Op. 65a:
0:53. As with the previous phrase, the first four bars of
the primo are adjusted to allow the left hand to play the
melody. The remainder, with the cross rhythm and bridge back
to the repeat, is as in the vocal version.]
1:09 [m. 25]--Part 2
repeated. Restatement of line 3 from 0:51. [Op. 65a: 1:01]
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. [Op.
65a: 1:10]
1:33--END OF WALTZ-SONG [42 mm.] [Op. 65a: 1:28]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:00]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:12]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:21]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:34]
0:52 [m. 11]--Part 2
(Stanza 2) repeated. Restatement of lines 1 and 2 from
0:27. [Op. 65a: 0:43]
1:05 [m. 21]--Restatement
of lines 3 and 4 from 0:41, with a slowing before the close.
[Op. 65a: 0:55]
1:21--END OF WALTZ-SONG [28 mm.] [Op. 65a: 1:09]
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. [Op.
65a: 0:00]
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. [Op.
65a: 0:08]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:18]
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. [Op.
65a: 0:25]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:42. The secondo adds
the melody to the top of its right hand. It rings out in
the tenor range. The left hand and the underlying
harmonies are the same, and the primo is not
changed. The secondo briefly returns to the
original part under the two transitional sequences of the rising
melody in the primo.]
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.” [Op. 65a: 1:03. Again, the melody is added to the
top of the secondo right hand.]
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. [Op. 65a: 1:14. The secondo completes the
melody in its right hand. Where the voices had sustained
“vergehe” (from m. 80), both parts are changed. First, the
primo sustains chords in its right hand, removing the
trailing “staggered line.” The secondo helps
compensate for this by playing an oscillating motion in its
right hand instead of simply repeating block chords. Where
the word was sustained a second time, the primo sustains
chords in both hands, and the secondo supplies both
parts of the staggered rising line by playing broken
octaves. In the two-bar closing, the right hand of the secondo
is slightly more active, and the primo joins on the last
chord.]
1:43--END OF WALTZ-SONG [88 mm.] [Op. 65a: 1:45]
(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. [Op. 65a:
0:00. The primo thins out the introduction
considerably, removing much of the harmony and shifting the
right hand down an octave. This is done to create a
contrast with the following (previously vocal) statement.]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:06.
The primo, which rested in the vocal version, now plays
the melody and harmony from the vocal parts, ringing them out at
a high level (more closely matching the original introduction
than the voice parts themselves). The secondo,
maintaining the ground bass and the constant right hand line, is
unchanged.]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:12. The primo
continues to supply the melody, harmony, and counterpoint of the
vocal lines, although both hands remain in the high register and
largely doubled in octaves. The important lines are
present, but some, especially those in the lower vocal parts,
are largely paraphrased or even implied in the existing secondo
part.]
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. [Op.
65a: 0:24. The primo includes all of the
soprano/alto notes. The top line is doubled in a higher
octave at first, then both parts are doubled in octaves between
the hands.]
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. [Op. 65a:
0:37. The important lines, including the tenor at the
beginning, are all played by the primo, but again, the
higher octave is emphasized, and the lines are not followed
exactly after all have entered. The bass part in
particular must be subsumed or even ignored in the texture of
the primo. All harmony is generally accounted
for.]
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. [Op. 65a: 0:49. The introduction is reduced to the
left hand of the primo, again to provide a contrast to
the “vocal” lines in the higher register. The secondo
remains unchanged underneath it.]
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. [Op. 65a:
0:57. The bass of the secondo is all that remains
unchanged. The right hand of the secondo becomes
very active, incorporating its own arpeggios as well as those
from the primo (at a lower octave). The primo
again supplies the vocal lines. These include some of its
original notes at the end. The notes of the bass vocal
part are mostly in the existing secondo bass. Much
of the leading tenor line is played by the primo.
Again, the higher octave is present and the hands are doubled in
octaves when possible, especially at the end of the phrase.]
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. [Op. 65a: 1:09. The tenor,
soprano, and alto are all incorporated by the primo.
The right hand of the secondo again plays all of the
arpeggios, reorienting them as needed.]
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. [Op. 65a: 1:21. These two
measures almost completely rearrange the two parts, except for
the constant bass of the secondo. Both parts had
supported and doubled the voice parts before, but now the primo
plays the lines more clearly, still incorporating much doubling
between hands as well as the high octave. The right hand
of the secondo takes over and adjusts all the undulating
harmonies from both parts, even adding one at the beginning of
m. 15.]
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. [Op. 65a: 1:34. With no
“original” piano parts to cover, both parts are able to
completely cover, even double and enhance the voice parts in
these originally a cappella measures. The secondo
directly covers the tenor and bass for the first and only time.]
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. [Op. 65a: 1:49. The secondo returns to
its original lines, which it had played throughout Part 1.
The previously resting primo, as before, plays the vocal
lines and harmonies with the hands doubled in octaves, leaving
much of the lower harmony to the existing secondo.]
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. [Op. 65a:
2:03. The established patterns continue. The right
hand of the secondo is slightly adjusted to avoid a
collision with the lower doubling in the left hand of the primo.
The primo itself is more richly harmonized in these
measures.]
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.” [Op. 65a: 2:17. The secondo
plays its original pedal point and ground bass. The primo
plays the original tenor part an octave higher in the left hand,
coming in with the soprano part in octaves at the end of the
second measure. The short suggestions of the opening
gesture from the original primo part are omitted.]
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. [Op. 65a: 2:31. The primo completes the
original tenor and soprano lines, but omits the alto one, which
is covered by the ground bass. In the penultimate measure,
the primo is able to play its original right hand part
before the final chord, and the left hand covers the rich
harmonies that were in the voices, omitting its final
arpeggio. The arpeggios are left to the secondo.]
2:36--END OF WALTZ-SONG [26 (78) mm.] [Op. 65a: 3:10]
END OF CYCLE
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