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A Last Hurrah

Donald Macleod introduces works from Brahms's final decade, including his four profound meditations on death.

The early 1890s saw the deaths of many of Brahms's close friends and family. Thoughts of his own mortality were clearly beginning to weigh on his mind and for some time he'd been talking about giving up composing altogether. But an encounter with the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld changed all that. Brahms was so impressed by the silken beauty of Mühlfeld's playing he was inspired to begin composing again. Donald Macleod introduces works from the final decade of Brahms's life including an extract from his clarinet quintet, a group of his finest part-songs for unaccompanied chorus and his four profound meditations on death.

1 hour

Last on

Fri 21 Dec 2012 18:30

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Music Played

  • Johannes Brahms

    Zigeunerlieder op.103 No.5 Brauner Bursche füht zum Tanze

    Performers: Margaret Price (soprano) Graham Johnson (piano)

    • RCA: 09026 60901-2.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Zigeunerlieder op.103 - Wisst ihr, wann mein Kindchen am allerschonsten ist

    Performers: Margaret Price (soprano) Graham Johnson (piano)

    • RCA: 09026 60901-2.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Zigeunerlieder op.103 - Lieber Gott, du weisst, wie oft bereut ich hab

    Performers: Margaret Price (soprano) Graham Johnson (piano)

    • RCA: 09026 60901-2.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Five Gesange op.104

    Performers: Consortium Conductor, Andrew-John Smith

    • Hyperion: CDA67775.
    • 10.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115 - first mvt

    Performers: Members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Berliner Solisten): Karl Leister (clarinet) Bernd Gellerman, Bernhard Hartog (violins) Wolfram Christ (viola) Jörg Baumann (cello)

    • Teldec 2292 46429-2.
    • 5.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Zigeunerlieder op.103 No.5 Brauner Bursche füht zum Tanze

    Performers: Margaret Price (soprano) Graham Johnson (piano)

    • RCA: 09026 60901-2.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Zigeunerlieder op.103 - Wisst ihr, wann mein Kindchen am allerschonsten ist

    Performers: Margaret Price (soprano) Graham Johnson (piano)

    • RCA: 09026 60901-2.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Zigeunerlieder op.103 - Lieber Gott, du weisst, wie oft bereut ich hab

    Performers: Margaret Price (soprano) Graham Johnson (piano)

    • RCA: 09026 60901-2.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Five Gesange op.104

    Performers: Consortium Conductor, Andrew-John Smith

    • Hyperion: CDA67775.
    • 10.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115 - first mvt

    Performers: Members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Berliner Solisten): Karl Leister (clarinet) Bernd Gellerman, Bernhard Hartog (violins) Wolfram Christ (viola) Jörg Baumann (cello)

    • Teldec 2292 46429-2.
    • 5.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 21 Dec 2012 12:00
  • Fri 21 Dec 2012 18:30

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