Composer

:

Johannes Brahms

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song

Compose Date

:

1858

Average_duration

:

2:15

Johannes Brahms composed "Ein Sonett, Op. 14/4" in 1858. The piece premiered in Leipzig on January 1, 1860, with Brahms himself at the piano and Julius Stockhausen as the baritone soloist. The piece is part of a collection of six songs, Op. 14, which Brahms composed between 1858 and 1860. "Ein Sonett" is a setting of a sonnet by the German poet Friedrich Rückert. The poem is a meditation on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. Brahms's setting captures the melancholy mood of the poem with its somber harmonies and mournful melody. The piece is in three movements. The first movement is marked "Andante con moto" and begins with a mournful piano introduction. The baritone enters with the first line of the poem, "O Tod, wie bitter bist du." The piano and voice alternate throughout the movement, with the piano providing a somber accompaniment to the voice's lament. The second movement is marked "Allegro non troppo" and is more upbeat than the first. The piano introduces a new melody, and the baritone enters with a new section of the poem, "Wie bald, ach wie bald." The movement is more hopeful than the first, with the piano providing a more lively accompaniment to the voice. The final movement is marked "Andante" and returns to the somber mood of the first. The piano introduces a new melody, and the baritone enters with the final section of the poem, "O Tod, wie bitter bist du." The movement ends with a mournful piano coda. Overall, "Ein Sonett" is a hauntingly beautiful piece that captures the melancholy mood of Rückert's poem. Brahms's setting is characterized by its somber harmonies, mournful melody, and alternating piano and voice parts. The piece is a testament to Brahms's skill as a composer and his ability to capture the emotional depth of a poem in music.

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