Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53 (1/2)* Brahms * JANET BAKER

Part 1 of 2. Legendary British mezzo-soprano Dame Janet Baker sings Johannes Brahms's 'Alto Rhapsody' Op. 53. Text is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

PART 2 IS HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR018bPKc5w
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[§§§ ASIDE: How the view count for this not-necessarily-popular video shot up from 2 to 116 in a space of thirty seconds on 2/6/2010 at about 5:10 PM EST is a miracle bug that only happens in the space-time warp that is YouTube! §§§]

Fast becoming a personal favourite, this beautiful, dramatic, prayerful piece echoes the character and structure of the grand work written by Brahms in the previous year, 'Ein Deutsches Requiem' (A German Requiem). SEE BELOW FOR LYRICS.

Sir Adrian Boult
London Philharmonic Orchestra
John Alldis Choir (Men's Voices)

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GERMAN

Aber abseits wer ist's?
Im Gebüsch verliert sich der Pfad.
Hinter ihm schlagen
Die Sträuche zusammen,
Das Gras steht wieder auf,
Die Öde verschlingt ihn.

Ach, wer heilet die Schmerzen
Des, dem Balsam zu Gift ward?
Der sich Menschenhaß
Aus der Fülle der Liebe trank?
Erst verachtet, nun ein Verächter,
Zehrt er heimlich auf
Seinen eigenen Wert
In ungenugender Selbstsucht.

Ist auf deinem Psalter,
Vater der Liebe, ein Ton
Seinem Ohre vernehmlich,
So erquicke sein Herz!
Öffne den umwölkten Blick
Über die tausend Quellen
Neben dem Durstenden
In der Wüste!

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

But who is that apart?
In the underbrush his path loses itself.
Behind him
The shrubs clap together,
The grass stands up again,
The wasteland engulfs him.

Ah, who heals the pains
Of him, for whom balsam became poison?
Who drank hatred of Man
Out of the fullness of love?
First despised, now a despiser,
He furtively consumes
His own merit
In unsatisfying egotism.

If there is in Thy Psalter,
Father of love, one note
To his ear audible,
Then refresh his heart!
Open his clouded gaze
To the thousand springs
Next to the thirsting one
In the desert!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Janet
• Baker
• alto
• rhapsody
• johannes
• brahms
• adrian
• boult
• london
• philharmonic
• goethe

[auntrebecca]

Wow, what a lovely surprise! I bought the (vinyl) record many many years ago and heard it so many times it's worn out. I was also lucky to hear Janet Baker singing in London. It's great to be able to hear it now after all these years. A thousand thanks for posting this!

[mariandelochs]

Oh, how fortunate for you to have heard Dame Janet live!!! If I had the vinyl, I would've worn it out too. This is one of my most-played tracks on the CD set!

Thanks for the view and comment! (There's lots more Janet Baker stuff on my upload page, by the way, if you're interested. And lots more to come!)

[Suz71bu]

This has been one of my favorites for years and years!

[mariandelochs]

I'm glad to hear that! It has quickly become one of my desert island pieces, too! ;)

[rpcjt]

What a magnificent and soulful outpouring! Thank you for sharing.

[mariandelochs]

Glad to have done so! I am reduced to near-tears every time I listen to this piece, so Brahmsian it is in its grandness!

Thank you for the view and comment!

[gydur1]

I remember this from my old vinyl collection of Brahms symphonies conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, I think with London Symphony Orchestra...my favourite Brahms performance...

[alguso]

It's a very beautiful musica. I've heard it over and over agais.J.Baker is the vest

i've heard Thans for posting it.Alguso.Brasil

[mariandelochs]

Fabulous comment, C! Can't add much more to that! :)