Gesänge, op. 43
Songs
Vier ernste Gesänge (Four Serious Songs), Op. 121, is a cycle of four songs for bass and piano by Johannes Brahms. As in his Ein deutsches Requiem, the texts are compiled from the Luther Bible. Three songs deal with death and the transience of life, while the fourth has an outlook of faith, hope and charity. Brahms composed the work in Vienna in 1896 and dedicated it to Max Klinger. The songs were premiered there in the presence of the composer by baritone Anton Sistermans and pianist Coenraad V. Bos. They have been recorded often by both female and male singers.
Movements
- Von ewiger Liebe
- Die Mainacht
- Ich schell' mein Horn
- Das Lied vom Herrn von Falkenstein
Most recent recordings
- Brahms: Vier Gesänge, Op. 43: I. Von ewiger Liebe — Johannes Brahms, Dame Sarah Connolly, Malcolm Martineau (2024) Spotify
New releases via Spotify — surfaced automatically, not editorial picks.