Fünf Gesänge, Op. 104 (Brahms) Explained

Fünf Gesänge
Type:	Five part songs by Johannes Brahms
Image Upright:	1.2
Opus:	104
Scoring:	mixed choir

Fünf Gesänge (Five songs), Op. 104, is a song cycle of five part songs for mixed choir a cappella by Johannes Brahms. Composed in 1888 when Brahms was a 55-year-old bachelor, the five songs reflect an intensely nostalgic and even tragic mood. Brahms has chosen texts which centre on lost youth, summer turning into fall and, ultimately, man's mortality. While the score and the parts themselves are not that difficult for the singers, the sombre nature of the texts coupled with intense soaring melodies and complex harmonies make it quite a demanding work for any choir.

Songs

The songs are set for a choir of four to six voices, SATB to SAATBB

Recordings

• NDR Chor, conducted by Günter Jena – Deutsche Grammophon, 1983
• Monteverdi Choir, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner – Philips, 1992
• Kammerchor Stuttgart, conducted by Frieder Bernius – Sony, 1995
• Chamber Choir of Europe, conducted by Nicol Matt – Brilliant, 2003
• Cappella Amsterdam, conducted by Daniel Reuss – Harmonia Mundi, 2014

External links

• Fünf Gesänge op.104 (Brahms): Free scores at the Brahms Institut.
  • Fünf Gesänge op.104 (Brahms): Free MP3s (op. 42, op. 93a, op. 104 and op. 52)
• Detailed Listening Guide using the recording by the NDR Chor