Analysis of Brahms Alto Rhapsody
Opus 53, 1869
Northern State University
Regina Gorter
“Father of love, one note his ear can hear then refresh his heart” excerpt from Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Harzreise im Winter” set to music by Johannes Brahms titled “Alto
Rhapsody, Op. 53, 1869”. Brahms’s “Alto Rhapsody” was written for contra-alto and men’s
choir and reflects Brahms’s lush composing for orchestra and voices with a nod toward a darker
more seriousness in this particular piece. Those who love to sing Brahms, the Alto Rhapsody
along with his Requiem which was written just a few years before the Rhapsody, provide a
fulfilling musical experience.
Let’s first look at the work as a whole. The Alto Rhapsody was written in 1869 with the
first public performance in 1870. Brahms wrote the piece as a wedding gift for Robert and Clara
Schumann’s daughter Julie. By this time, Robert Schumann had been dead for 9 years and
Brahms’ mother had passed away just a few years prior to this composition and he had been
deeply affected by both these deaths. My research also uncovered more than once that Brahms
was infatuated with the Shumann’s daughter, Julie for whom he had written the Rhapsody for…I
do wonder what Julie’s fiancé thought of this gesture.
A high level musical analysis of the piece as a whole shows 3 sections; orchestral
introduction including the entrance of the alto solo at m. 18, second section with a time signature
change to 6/4, and final section or “prayer” of the alto solo with men’s chorus. The piece begins
in C minor fitting of the more serious text that begins the piece. As the men’s chorus enters in
the 3rd section of the piece with a much more hopeful message the key changes to C major
adding to the hope expressed in the prayer.
Taking a look of the backdrop for Brahms’ life in the 1860s when this piece was being
created, Germany had just come out of the “new era” of the 1850s with a need to strengthen their
military and purge their politicians. Brahms, at this time, was working between Hamburg and
Detmold where he had musical obligations and was also playing the role of head of household
for his dear friend Clara Schumann. Other places in the world were experiencing extreme
turmoil such as the Civil War in the United States. For the most part, Brahms lived in a
politically and socially conflict free world. His contemporaries included Robert Schumann,
Franz Liszt, Peter Cornelius, and Johann Strauss II. Brahms was considered an expert at
counterpoint and had an appreciation for the alto voice. Just a couple of years prior to the “Alto
Rhapsody”, Brahms completed his “German Requiem” and while there are only solos for
soprano and baritone, the alto lines are exquisite. The similarities between the Rhapsody and his
Requiem are intriguing and worth examination. The sound of “The German Requiem” has
echoes in the “The Alto Rhapsody” especially in the choral arranging.
The text Johannes Brahms chose is from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Harzreise im
Winter” translated “A Heart in Winter”. He uses only a portion of the poem as in my opinion,
the abstract depth of the entire poem could have been a much larger work and way more
involved than the shorter end product he created. Full or only a portion the poem, either way the
choice of text for his dearest friends’ daughter’s wedding is interesting and curious. A full
translation of the entire poem is included at the end of this paper. The entire poem is somewhat
abstract, finding uncertainty in exactly what Goethe meant is some stanzas such as the
following:
You who give joys that are manifold,
To each his overflowing share,
Bless the companions that hunt
On the spoor of the beasts
With young exuberance
Of glad desire to kill,
Tardy avengers of outrage
For so long repelled in vain
By the cudgeling countryman..
These lines were not included in “The Alto Rhapsody”. The mid-section of Goethe’s poem
comprise the lyrics of the Rhapsody which describe a man so lost in the thick bushes and tall
grass of hatred for mankind with an ego that cannot be satisfied. The emptiness that this man
lives in swallows him asking who will heal this man, is there any balm that can help him?
Finally, when the men’s chorus joins the alto soloist in a prayer sung in a hopeful C Major, the
poem asks if God can hear one sound of this dreadful man, quicken his heart, revive it!
A couple sources used for this paper mention that Brahms had feelings for the Schumann
daughter who was about to be married. It is also thought that Brahms and Clara Schumann were
more than friends as well. However, I wonder if Goethe’s text may have been chosen for Robert
Schumann who had been a good friend of Brahms but had led a very troubled life and ultimately
had a breakdown, attempted suicide and then soon died. It seems odd to have chosen such
serious text to be used for a close friend’s wedding gift. It does however seem appropriate in the
context of the close friend’s state that Robert Schumann had been in before his death.
Any vocalist attempting the alto solo should complete an analysis of the work including
not only of the music but the music as it relates to text. One of the more interesting aspects of
analysis for a vocalist is figuring out exactly what we are singing about and making sense of the
musical happenings at various moments in the text. The reduced score accompanying this
analysis paper includes the word for word translation which is necessary for a singer’s
interpretation of the song. Both the literal and poetic translations are helpful however knowing
the exact literal translation of a word is during a key event musically is crucial to the overall
understanding and performance of a work. Also included with this paper is the poetic translation
(below) which is used for an overall understanding of the theme and intent of the work.
German original
English translation
Aber abseits wer ist's?
But who is that apart?
Im Gebüsch verliert sich sein Pfad;
His path disappears in the bushes;
hinter ihm schlagen die Sträuche zusammen,
behind him the branches spring together;
das Gras steht wieder auf,
the grass stands up again;
die Öde verschlingt ihn.
the wasteland engulfs him.
Ach, wer heilet die Schmerzen
Ah, who heals the pains
dess, dem Balsam zu Gift ward?
of him for whom balsam turned to poison?
Der sich Menschenhaß
Who drank hatred of man
aus der Fülle der Liebe trank!
from the abundance of love?
Erst verachtet, nun ein Verächter,
First scorned, now a scorner,
zehrt er heimlich auf
he secretly feeds on
seinen eigenen Wert
his own merit,
In ungenügender Selbstsucht.
in unsatisfying egotism.
Ist auf deinem Psalter,
If there is on your psaltery[3]
Vater der Liebe, ein Ton
Father of love, one note
seinem Ohre vernehmlich,
his ear can hear
so erquicke sein Herz!
then refresh his heart!
Öffne den umwölkten Blick
Open his clouded gaze
über die tausend Quellen
to the thousand springs
neben dem Durstenden
next to him who thirsts
in der Wüste!
in the wilderness!
Attempting to figure out what a composer was trying to say through a particular chord or
melody or dynamic marking completes the story. For example, the first note written in m. 1 is
the 7th in the key of C minor however it has been raised a half step. As we move to m. 2 we find
the 7th now lowered which led me to think the opening bass line is awfully close to a melodic
minor scale. The raising of the first note also takes the note from being sub tonic closer to more
of a leading tone kind of sound. Why would Brahms use an accidental on the very first note of
the piece? My analogy and the use of words such as “bushes”, “grass”, even “forest” makes me
think that the man that the poem is about, is being lead through a dark forest of despair in hopes
of finding redemption. If Brahms had not raised the first pitch to sound more like a leading tone,
I would not have thought of this lost soul being led.
Another example of discovering composer intent through the notes on the page is in the
first section which ends with a questioning, unfinished sounding half cadence in m. 16-18. This
sets up the entrance of the solo well, by using a half cadence we hear a question, “what is next?”
Likewise, the solo entrances’ opening melody is really a question asking “who is here?” The
unfinished sound of the cadence prepares for the curiousness of the opening statement. Another
good example of musical structure following text is in m. 41-47. The text states “the empty
swallows him”, even the appearance of the accompaniment becomes less thick, less moving
notes, more held tied notes with little harmonic changes giving the auditory affect emptiness.
Examining the alto solo tessitura, a somewhat robust range is required but more so the
ability to make dramatic jumps in pitch with accuracy would be more crucial. These dramatic
jumps such as found at m. 42-43 with text about an “emptiness swallowing him” aids in
emphasizing the seriousness of the lost soul’s wayward path. Another wonderful example of this
is m. 55, 60-61 on the repeated word “Menschenhass”. We hear a dive in melody reflecting the
gravity of the word “Menschenhass” (misanthropy or general hatred of human kind). Also, be
alert to the dissonances of the first two sections of the piece prior to the prayer section. I believe
this to be representative of the conflict of the lost soul. A good example of this can be found in
m. 49 of section II, the soloist must sing a d against a prominent c in the bass line.
Section II of the piece begins at the 6/4 meter change with rhythm alternating between a
duple and triple feel. The syncopation in the orchestra in measures 57-62 for example help give
an unsettling feeling which pairs well with the misanthropic message in the text.
Paging through the manuscript of the Alto Rhapsody, visually the orchestration looks
dense, thick, and heavy with many accidentals and moving notes. This can be representative of
the forest that the misanthropic soul is struggling through. The soloist begins with silent
accompaniment only for the orchestra to begin its same dark dirge that it began in m. 1. A new
thought comes with the time change at m. 48 from someone hiding in the bushes to someone
who cannot be healed. Even though the accompaniment becomes less dense, it does become
more intense. I also begin to see the word “Menschenhass” corresponding with diminished 7
chords at m. 60 & 61. A word that means the hatred of humankind paired with diminished
chords perhaps was not an accident. We get a repeat of this thought in 6/4 at m. 90 and this time
the measures that repeat “Menschenhass” become more intense primarily in the vocal solo line.
The notes are higher and longer for emphasis. The orchestra finishes out the soli section and
prepares to enter the solo with men’s choir section of the piece, or “the prayer” with the last three
measures of the first section (m. 113, 114, 115) bring us into the new key of C major. As we
begin the 2nd half of the piece with solo, men’s choir, and orchestra in C major, we also hear text
that is more hopeful, prayerful, pleading for his salvation. This is accompanied by major chords
and a much lighter and happier sound than the first two sections.
The piece has a sound of seriousness, darkness, and minor tonality prevalent through the
first half. The orchestration sounds dense and slow and elongated, sounding how the dark and
mysterious forest that the text mentions might look. I hear melancholy and a desperation as we
enter the 6/4 section. Not sounding as dark and evil as the beginning, the piece begins to take a
different turn into questioning if there is redemption or restitution for this man who hates and
turns his back on the light. At the end of the of the solo section the music becomes more intense
and desperate as the dynamics become more dramatic and the vocal line has dramatic leaps of
way more than an octave and MANY accidentals. And then the ear gets some relief at measure
116 when we enter into C major and include the men’s chorus. The solo voice above the lush
men’s choir could be representative of the lost soul finding his way from the darkness. The
sound of the orchestra changes from thick slow chords to arpeggiated triplet triads so even
though the tempo has not increased dramatically the broken chords help move along the sound as
compared to the previous sections. The pleading in the repetition of “erquicke sein herz” or
“revive his heart” and the changes harmonically in the orchestra during this section help to bring
out the urgency his salvation m. 152-171 with the exception of 2 short but important moments of
elongated emphasis to really bring home the point (m. 155-157 and 170-175). The final “sein
herz” delivers an “Aaaa-men” of the 3rd section prayer of the Rhapsody.
Personally, having sung the “Alto Rhapsody” and the “German Requiem”, it’s easy to
endorse Brahms’s ability to write for not only chorus but for the alto voice. A male writing for a
female voice can be a challenge but he was able to find the sweet spot for a mezzo-soprano
voice. Coupling this with thought provoking text is exactly what I sing for.
Bibliography
Brahms, Johannes (1833-1897). Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53, 1869. Reduced score found at
www.cpdl.org
Brahms Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53 (1869). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alto_Rhapsody
Brahms German Requiem, Op. 45 (1865-1868).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_German_Requiem_%28Brahms%29
Brahms, Johannes (1833-1897). http://en.wikipedia.`org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms
von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang (1749-1832).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Wolfgang_von_Goethe
Germany in the 1860’s found at
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/231186/Germany/58187/The-1860s-thetriumphs-of-Bismarck
Hansen, Kelly Dean. http://www.kellydeanhansen.com/index.html Listening Guide.
file:///F:/Music%20Theory%20Analysis/Opus%2053%20Listening%20Guide%20%20Rhapsody%20for%20Alto,%20Male%20Chorus,%20and%20Orchestra.htm
Recordings
Norman, Jessye (1990). Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Z7ANYsttk
Ferrier, Kathleen. Kathleen Ferrier – Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53: Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53 Spotify
Ludwig, Christa (1999). Philharmonia Orchestra – Alto Rhapsody, Op.53 - 1999 - Remaster
Miller, Mildred. Bruno Walter – Alto Rhapsodie for Contralto, Male Chorus and Orchestra,
Op.53 (From Goethe's "Harzreise im Winter") Spotify
Larsson, Anna
Danish National Choir – Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53: Rhapsodie (Rhapsody), Op. 53 Spotify
Another Goethe translation http://www.wisdomportal.com/PoetryAnthology/Goethe-Harz.html
Winter Journey in the Harz (1777)
As the hawk aloft
On heavy daybreak cloud
Searching for prey,
May my song hover.
For a god has
duly to each
His path prefixed,
And the fortunate man
Runs fast and joyfully
To his journey's end;
But he whose heart
Misfortune constricted
Struggles in vain
To break from the bonds
Of the brazen thread
Which the shears, so bitter still,
Cut once alone.
Into grisly thickets
The rough beasts run,
And with the sparrows
The rich long since have
Sunk in their swamps.
Easy it is to follow that car
Which Fortune steers,
Like the leisurely troop that rides
The find highroads
Behind the array of the Prince.
But who is it stands aloof?
His path is lost in the brake,
Behind him the shrubs
Close and he's gone,
Grass grows straight again,
The emptiness swallows him.
O who shall heal his agony then
In secret he consumes
His own particular good
In selfhood unsated.
If in your book of songs
Father of love, there sounds
One note his ear can hear,
Refresh with it then his heart!
Open his clouded gaze
To the thousand fountainheads
About him as he thirsts
In the desert!
You who give joys that are manifold,
To each his overflowing share,
Bless the companions that hunt
On the spoor of the beasts
With young exuberance
Of glad desire to kill,
Tardy averngers of outrage
For so long repelled in vain
By the cudgeling countryman.
But hide the solitary man
In your sheer gold cloud!
Till roses flower again
Surround with winter-green
The moistened hair,
O love, of your poet!
With your lantern glowing
You light his way
Over the fords by night,
On impassable tracks
Through the void countryside;
With daybreak thousand-hued
Into his heart you laugh;
With the mordant storm
You bear him aloft;
In whom each balm turned poison,
Who drank hatred of man
From the very fullness of love?
First held now holding in contempt,
Winter streams plunge from the crag
Into his songs,
And his altar of sweetest thanks
Is the snow-hung brow
Of the terrible peak
People in their imaginings crowned
With spirit dances.
You stand with heart unplumbed
Mysteriously revealed
Above the marveling world
And you look from clouds
On the kingdoms and magnificence
Which from your brothers' veins beside you
With streams you water.
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
Selected Poems, Christopher Middleton (Ed.)
"Harzreise im Winter" (A Winter Journey in the Harz")
translated by Christopher Middleton,
Suhrkamp/Insel Publishers, Boston, 1983, pp. 66-71