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
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