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

Part 2 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.

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

[aussilky2]

I used to think that Christa Ludwig "owned" this lovely piece. Not any more!

DJB rules

[mariandelochs]

@aussilky2

:))

[Kievest]

Should become obvious to anyone with

ears to hear that Dame Janet Baker

deserved her legendary status! With

a voice of great warmth and beauty,

she delivers every word and musical

phrase as if she wrote them. For me,

her singing in this part is especially

reverent and touching. Thank you,

Teresa, for this marvelous clip!

[mariandelochs]

Oh, you said it all, C! Yes, she does sing them as if 'she wrote them' - so true and sincere is her singing. Something in her voice breaks my heart, and I feel and sense only the composer's intent, with none of the singer's ego. A legend, indeed!

[dwrenched1]

This was the first version of this most beautiful piece that I heard. I have it now on CD and Dame Janet`s voice is still miraculous to me.

[CincyDude5]

Nothing beats a contralto. However, the Bake comes pretty close.