The Zigeunerlieder (Gypsy songs),
Op. 103 and Op. 112 Nos. 3–6, are a
song cycle
A song cycle () is a group, or cycle (music), cycle, of individually complete Art song, songs designed to be performed in sequence, as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online''
The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rarely a combinat ...
for four singers (or
choir
A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
) and
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
by
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...
(Op. 103 Nos. 1–7 and 11 exist also in an arrangement for solo voice and piano made by Brahms himself). The texts
''Vier Zigeunerlieder op. 112:'' Texts and translations
at the LiederNet Archive are Hungarian folk song
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
s in German adaptation by Hugo Conrat (originally Hugo Cohn, 1845–1906), a member of Brahms’ circle in Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. The first translation of the texts was by the Hungarian nurse of the Conrat family.
History
The first eleven pieces of the cycle, which formed some well-connected story, were put to music by Brahms either in his Thun
Thun () is a List of towns in Switzerland, town and a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the administrative district of Thun (administrative district), Thun in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Canton of Bern, Bern in Switzerland. ...
summer of 1887 or in winter 1887/88 straight-away during a stay in Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
. Further four songs followed in 1891 and were published together with the song quartets ''Sehnsucht'' and ''Nächtens'' (text by Franz Theodor Kugler
Franz Theodor Kugler (19 January 1808, Stettin – 18 March 1858, Berlin) was an art historian and cultural administrator for the Prussia, Prussian state. He was the father of historian Bernhard von Kugler (1837–1898).
He studied literature, mu ...
), which had no connection with the ''Zigeunerlieder'', but nonetheless were put together to form Brahms's Op. 112.
In Brahms's total work the ''Zigeunerlieder'' can be seen – on the one hand – as a vocal counterpart of the Hungarian Dances
The ''Hungarian Dances'' () by Johannes Brahms ( WoO 1), are a set of 21 lively dance tunes based mostly on Hungarian themes, completed in 1879. They vary from about a minute to five minutes in length. They are among Brahms's most popular wo ...
and – on the other hand – as exotic counterpart to the more-referenced Liebesliederwalzer Opp. 52 and 65.
The first public performance of the songs Op. 103 was on 31 October 1888 in Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, with great success, although the presentation of the opus in a concert hall presented some bad feelings to the composer, since Brahms had conceived his opus genuinely for soloist quartets, and had thought of performances at home. Nonetheless, the songs are also suited for (small) choirs, particularly in connection with the voluminous sound of modern pianos. As a consequence, performances by choirs in concert are now the rule. CD-representations are, instead, frequently performed by soloists.
List of songs
''Zigeunerlieder'', Op. 103
# ''He, Zigeuner, greife in die Saiten''
# ''Hochgetürmte Rimaflut''
# ''Wißt ihr, wann mein Kindchen''
# ''Lieber Gott, du weißt''
# ''Brauner Bursche führt zum Tanze''
# ''Röslein dreie in der Reihe''
# ''Kommt dir manchmal in den Sinn''
# ''Horch, der Wind klagt in den Zweigen''
# ''Weit und breit schaut niemand mich an''
# ''Mond verhüllt sein Angesicht''
# ''Rote Abendwolken ziehn''
''Vier Zigeunerlieder'', Op. 112
# ''Himmel strahlt so helle''
# ''Rote Rosenknospen künden''
# ''Brennessel steht an Weges Rand''
# ''Liebe Schwalbe, kleine Schwalbe''
References
Literature
* Hans Gebhard, ed.: ''Harenberg Chormusikführer''. Harenberg, Dortmund 1999, .
External links
*
*
Zigeunerlieder:
MIDI/MP3-Format, with exercises for members of a choir
at the LiederNet Archive
at the LiederNet Archive
{{Authority control
Song cycles by Johannes Brahms
Classical song cycles in German