Brahms the Romantic
Donald Macleod focuses on Brahms's vocal music written when he was a young man, when he fell under the spell of Romanticism.
German 19th century composer Johannes Brahms is perhaps best known for his orchestral and chamber music, but he was also a prolific writer of vocal works. This week, Donald Macleod focuses his attention on music for the voice in all its guises, including some of Brahms's unjustly neglected folksongs, lieder, vocal quartets and choral works.
As a young man, Brahms, like many of his contemporaries, fell under the spell of Romanticism and all the heady literature that erupted in that era. In those formative years, he had the opportunity to work with two choirs which enabled him not only to hone his conducting skills, but to develop his craft as a composer. During this time he produced a stream of choral works including three a cappella part-songs full of romantic images; a group of colourful choral songs for the unusual combination of women's voices, two horns and a harp and, at the other emotional extreme, an intense funeral song with dark-hued accompaniment from wind and timpani.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
You are at the first episode
Music Played
-
![]()
Johannes Brahms
Detsche Volkslieder WoO33 - Sagt mir, o sch枚nste Schaf, rin mei
Performers: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Gerald Moore (piano)
- EMi 5855022.
- 1.
-
![]()
Johannes Brahms
Deutsche Volkslieder WoO33 - Feinsliebchen, du sollst mir nicht barfuss
Performers: Elizabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Gerald Moore (piano)
- EMI: 585 502 2.
- 6.
-
![]()
Johannes Brahms
Deutsche Volkslieder WoO33 - In stiller nacht
Performers: Elizabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Gerald Moore (piano)
- EMI: 585 502 2.
- 6.
-
![]()
Johannes Brahms
Weltliche Gesange op.42
Monteverdi Choir Conductor, John Eliot Gardiner
-
![]()
Johannes Brahms
Begrabnisgesang
Performers: Sch眉tz Choir of London London Classical Players Director, Roger Norrington
- EMI: 5757222.
- 2.
-
![]()
Johannes Brahms
Gang zur Liebsten op.14 no.6
Performers: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Daniel Barenboim (piano)
- Deutsche Grammophon: DG447501-2.
- 22.
-
![]()
Johannes Brahms
Der Kuss Op.19 no.1
Performers: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Daniel Barenboim (piano)
- Deutsche Grammophon: DG447501-2.
- 25.
-
![]()
Johannes Brahms
An eine Aolsharfe Op.19 no.5
Performers: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Daniel Barenboim (piano)
- Deutsche Grammophon: DG447501-2.
- 28.
-
![]()
Johannes Brahms
Vier Gesange op.17
Performers: Danish National Radio Choir Caitriona Yeats (harp) Per McClelland Jakobsen, Leif Lind (horns) Conductor, Stefan Parkman
- Chandos: CHAN 9806.
Broadcasts
- Mon 17 Dec 2012 12:00大象传媒 Radio 3
- Mon 17 Dec 2012 18:00大象传媒 Radio 3
Vaughan Williams Today
Programmes, concerts and features celebrating Vaughan Williams's 150th anniversary.
Beethoven Unleashed 鈥� the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod鈥檚 best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time 鈥� why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.