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 “Harzreiseim 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’sfiancéthought 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 “HarzreiseimWinter” 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’sstate 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 translationAberabseitswerist's?
ImGebüschverliertsichseinPfad;
hinter ihmschlagen die Sträuchezusammen,
das Gras stehtwieder auf,
dieÖdeverschlingtihn. / But who is that apart?
His path disappears in the bushes;
behind him the branches spring together;
the grass stands up again;
the wasteland engulfs him.
Ach, werheilet die Schmerzen
dess, dem Balsam zu Gift ward?
Der sichMenschenhaß
aus der Fülle der Liebetrank!
Erstverachtet, nuneinVerächter,
zehrterheimlich auf
seineneigenen Wert
In ungenügenderSelbstsucht. / Ah, who heals the pains
of him for whom balsam turned to poison?
Who drank hatred of man
from the abundance of love?
First scorned, now a scorner,
he secretly feeds on
his own merit,
in unsatisfying egotism.
IstaufdeinemPsalter,
Vater der Liebe, ein Ton
seinemOhrevernehmlich,
soerquickeseinHerz!
Öffne den umwölktenBlick
über die tausendQuellen
nebendemDurstenden
in der Wüste! / If there is on your psaltery[3]
Father of love, one note
his ear can hear
then refresh his heart!
Open his clouded gaze
to the thousand springs
next to him who thirsts
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 findthe 7thnow 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 toniccloser 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 “erquickeseinherz” 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 importantmoments of elongated emphasis to really bring home the point (m. 155-157 and 170-175). The final “seinherz” 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
Brahms Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53 (1869).
Brahms German Requiem, Op. 45 (1865-1868).
Brahms, Johannes (1833-1897).
von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang (1749-1832).
Germany in the 1860’s found at
triumphs-of-Bismarck
Hansen, Kelly Dean. 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.
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 "HarzreiseimWinter") Spotify
Larsson, Anna
Danish National Choir – Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53: Rhapsodie (Rhapsody), Op. 53 Spotify
Another Goethe translation
Winter Journey in the Harz (1777)
As the hawk aloftOn 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 whom each balm turned poison,
Who drank hatred of man
From the very fullness of love?
First held now holding in contempt,
/ 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;
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.)
"HarzreiseimWinter" (A Winter Journey in the Harz")
translated by Christopher Middleton,
Suhrkamp/Insel Publishers, Boston, 1983, pp. 66-71