This edition was prepared by Mike Gibson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Alto Rhapsody Op. 53
Staff Notation • Secular
Preview
0
0
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
Alto Rhapsody Op. 53 by Johannes Brahms — Lyrics
Aber abseits, wer ist’s?
In’s Gebüsch verliert sich sein Pfad,
hinter ihm schlagen die Sträuche zusammen,
das Gras steht wieder auf,
die Öde verschlingt ihn.
Ach wer heilet die Schmerzen dess,
dem Balsam zu Gift ward?
Der sich Menschenhass aus der Fülle der Liebe trank!
Read full lyrics
About Alto Rhapsody Op. 53
Johannes Brahms's Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53, offers a profound reflection on isolation and spiritual yearning. Commissioned for a contralto soloist, male chorus, and orchestra, its origins lie in a commission for a choral work. The text, drawn from Goethe's 'Harzreise im Winter,' explores the plight of a solitary figure, lost and embittered, who has turned away from love and human connection. The composer masterfully captures the anguish and despair of this isolated soul. However, the rhapsody concludes with a powerful plea for divine mercy and solace, a hopeful invocation for the 'Father of Love' to open the eyes of the suffering individual and lead them to spiritual healing and peace, a message deeply resonant for a contemplative setting.
