Nardin Ballan

Second semester

29/6/2018

Analysis of : 2.Geistlich Wiegenlied by Brahms Op.91

Stephan Weinkler

General remarks:

The second song by Johannes Brahms op.91 Geistliches Wiedenied is based on two folk

songs melodies.

Brams did this song setting on the two melodies one melody is from old latin folk song

(josheph my dear Joseph) which is being played by the Viola, but without the words heard.

And the second one is by Lope de Vega, which is sacred lullaby song which is sung by the

Alto singer.

Breams is doing a very interesting dialogue between the vila and the singer, so he is biscally

changing the singer for the viola and making a interesting combination of piano singer and

viola that is actually playing a melody that is a folk song, instead of putting 2 alto singers and

piano.

The Lied is in F major, the Rhythm in 6/8 however in the middle is changed to 3/4 but again

to 6/8. The Tempo is Andante con Moto and the instrumentation is for Pianoforte, Viola and

Alto singer.

Formal Review:

The form of this Lead is ABA`

A - from bar 1-73.

Bar 1-12 a

Bar 13-39 b

Bar 39-73 c

B - the F minor section in 3/4. Bar 74-89.

A` - the recapitulation from bar 90 until the end.

Bar 90-116 b

Bar 116-134 c`

Bar 135-145 b`

Bar 145 - end a`

The song is starting with short introduction of the viola and the piano playing the famous

melody from the Latin old folk song Joseph, my dear Joseph in a very beautiful and humble

melody in F major which in my opinion is fitting the word of the carol. There is nothing

special in the harmonies f the introduction. Breams is dividing the poem into two phrases,

from bar 1-4 and from bar 5-9 with repetition on the word Maria on bar 10. Bar 11-12 is short

interlude that is being played by the piano and the viola in exact imitation, and this is is F

major broken chord which is the same motive the singer is starting to sing in her first bar -13.

The singer entrance on Bar 13 with the motive from the sort interlude and the new folk song

words and a quite different rhythmic melody from the viola and the piano before. He is using

dotted quarters for the singer. He is also describing the words in the music for example he is

using a diminish chord on bar 19 on the word Nacht and the F major chord on word

Wind. And again on bar 22 with up beat we have the Melody A (from the Latin old folk

song) played again by the viola while the singer is singing in a different than the viola,

however the piano is doubling and playing the same as the singer in the right hand and the

viola on the left hand in the rhythm.

Again he is using different colour on bar 27 using C minor for the word Stillet. Toward the

end of this inside section he is going to the low register and doing a natural diminuendo

starting from 27 until 33 where we have authentic cadenza. Again the repetition from Melody

A in the Viola.

Now section c starting from up beat to bar 40, here we have for the first time more dramatic

changes in the harmonies where beams is chasing to move from chord to chord without a

stability on certain key until bar

52 where he goes Back again to the Tonic the F major. In this section the singer is for the first

time singing the same rhythmical motive as the viola from Melody A, and here we have also

an imitation between the viola and the singer on bar 43-46.

Again Brahms is using the Material from melody A on bar 58 to describe the silence and the

sleeping child and he is doing the same natural dim that he did before. Again the repetition of

melody A in the viola on bar 68 until 73.

On bar 74 starts section B where we change the key to F minor in 3/4, so he is doing

minorization, with new material in the piano part and the viola. The piano here is doing for

the first time new rhythms like triolas in the right hand and the viola imitate the piano on bar

75. The harmonies and the atmosphere of the whole piece is changing mostly here, also with

the words of the poem in the 3rd stanza for the first 4 liens which is bar 74 until 89. To show

this in the music he is using the Napolitan and the diminished chord on bar 82 for example.

Also the tempo is going faster ,bit nervous.

And again he is going Back to F major in 6/8 on bar 90 which is the 5th line in the 3rd stanza

in the poem and here is is choosing to do the recapitulation from the beginning. Therefore this

will be part A` because Brahms here is again in F major using the same materials in the viola

piano and singer with a small changes like on bar 117 where he makes a Tempo mark poco

agitato and going back again to F major on bar 135 until the end of the piece.
In conclusion the song is divided to 3 big parts where A part has 3 small sections and B part is

one small section and A` part is decided to 3 small sections. With the repetition of the same

refrain almost every end of small section which I named melody A. Therefore I might

consider the general structure is sectional form of 3 complex form.