Composer

:

Johannes Brahms

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Sextet

Compose Date

:

1888

Average_duration

:

4:32

"Im Herbst, Op. 104/5" is a song composed by Johannes Brahms in 1888. It is the fifth and final song in his Opus 104, which is a collection of five songs for voice and piano. The song was premiered on November 20, 1888, in Vienna, with the composer himself at the piano. The song is set to a poem by Hermann Allmers, a German poet and friend of Brahms. The poem describes the beauty of autumn and the melancholy that comes with the changing of the seasons. Brahms captures the mood of the poem perfectly with his music, which is both lyrical and introspective. The song is in the key of E minor and is marked "Andante con moto" (moderately slow). It is divided into three sections, each with its own distinct character. The first section is gentle and flowing, with the piano providing a delicate accompaniment to the voice. The second section is more intense, with the voice rising to a passionate climax before subsiding back into the gentle flow of the first section. The final section is a reprise of the first, but with a slightly different melody and a more subdued mood. One of the most striking characteristics of "Im Herbst" is the way Brahms uses harmony to convey the mood of the poem. The song is full of unexpected chord changes and modulations, which create a sense of restlessness and uncertainty. This is particularly evident in the second section, where the music becomes more dissonant and chromatic, reflecting the darker emotions of the poem. Overall, "Im Herbst, Op. 104/5" is a beautiful and poignant song that captures the essence of autumn and the bittersweet emotions that come with the changing of the seasons. It is a testament to Brahms' skill as a composer and his ability to convey complex emotions through music.

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