Brahms's Late Spirituality: Hope in the Vier Ernste Gesänge, Op. 121
This thesis presents a new interpretation of Johannes Brahms's Vier ernste Gesänge, op. 121. Foundational information is provided on Brahms's spirituality and knowledge of the Bible, his personal life surrounding the composition of the Vier ernste Gesänge, and his relationship to the philo...
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| Format: | Others |
| Language: | English English |
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Florida State University
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| Online Access: | http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-3612 |
| Summary: | This thesis presents a new interpretation of Johannes Brahms's Vier ernste Gesänge, op. 121. Foundational information is provided on Brahms's spirituality and knowledge of the Bible, his personal life surrounding the composition of the Vier ernste Gesänge, and his relationship to the philosophy of Schopenhauer, which has previously been connected to these songs. The unity of the cycle is also considered; although it has been widely claimed that the final song either does not belong in the set or is the weakest of the four, this interpretation argues for its validity and its importance in an overall understanding of the set. Key musical details are explored in each of the four songs and a conclusion is drawn: Brahms's choice of texts and musical settings of those texts point to a sense of hope which may be an indication of Brahms's own late spirituality. === A Thesis submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Music. === Spring Semester, 2011. === April 4, 2011. === Lied, Brahms, Vier Ernste Gesänge, Spirituality, Bible, Art Song, Lieder, Op. 121 === Includes bibliographical references. === Douglass Seaton, Professor Directing Thesis; Denise Von Glahn, Committee Member; Michael Buchler, Committee Member. |
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