Johannes Brahms op. 112 was composed between 1888 and 1891. It includes six vocal quartets with piano, divided into two parts: two Lieder based on poems by Franz Kugler and four Lieder based on gipsy songs (Zigeunerlieder), which have no connection with the previous two.
All the Lieder, especially Sehnsucht, have a quite dense writing, typical of Brahms. That’s even more interesting, since in some of them, such as Nächtens (which also presents an unusual 5/4 time), the voices are often led homorhythmically (soprano - tenore/mezzosoprano (contralto) – basso).
Obsessed with the voices, sometimes it’s easy to not to pay enough attention to the piano part. It also has an intricate writing and contributes to reflect the meaning of the poems. Look, for examples, at the arpeggios in Nächtens: a continuous and turbulent agitation, characterized by emotional crescendo and diminuendo (confirmed by the tempo indication: unruhig bewegt [agitato]).

Soprano: Edith Mathis
Mezzosoprano: Brigitte Fassbaender
Tenor: Peter Schreier
Baritone: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Piano: Karl Engel

1. Sehnsucht 00:00
2. Nächtens 03:00
3. Himmel strahlt so helle 04:34
4. Rote Rosen 06:15
5. Brennessel steht an Wegesrand 07:19
6. Liebe Schwalbe 08:32

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