Brahms: Complete Liebeslieder Walzer Op. 52 & 65; Hungarian Dances

by Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir, Justin Doyle, Angela Gassenhuber, Philip Mayers

Overview

Brahms' Liebeslieder Walzer (or "Love Song Waltzes") are certainly among his lightest works, standing in stark contrast to the intricacies of his chamber music and his symphonies, but that doesn't mean that they are artless. The RIAS Kammerchor Berlin has a way with Brahms' choral music, and that continues to be evident; a group of younger singers might have more pure charm, but few would bring the clarity that is heard here. The Liebeslieder Walzer are inspired by folk music, but they are not folk music; the two sets differ substantially (the pieces in the second book avoid folkish melodies nearly completely and mostly include soloists). Conductor Justin Doyle catches the precise weight of each piece and the flavor of the men-vs.-women dialogue around which many of the pieces in the first book are structured (it is a common feature of folk song and dance). Another attractive feature here is that the set of Liebeslieder Walzer is broken up by Hungarian Dances, performed by the same four-hand piano duo of Philip Mayers and Angela Gassenhuber that backs the choral pieces. It's easy to imagine that this might have been done in the 19th century. About the only complaint is Harmonia Mundi's sound, from the rather cavernous modern Buergerhaus in Neuenhagen near Berlin; its gymnasium-like sound (in the American sense, not the German) completely wrong for what was quintessentially domestic music. However, this is generally a strong recording of the Liebeslieder Walzer, something that hasn't come along for a while. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	11/04/2022
Label:	Harmonia Mundi
UPC:	3149020944875
Rank:	151014

Tracks

1. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~1. Rede, M¿¿dchen, allzu liebes
2. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~2. Am Gesteine rauscht die Flut
3. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~3. O, die Frauen
4. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~4. Wie des Abends sch¿¿ne R¿¿te
5. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~5. Die gr¿¿ne Hopfenranke
6. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~6. Ein kleiner, h¿¿bscher Vogel
7. Hungarian Dance No. 7, A major
8. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~7. Wohl sch¿¿n bewandt
9. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~8. Wenn so lind dein Augen mir
10. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~9. Am Donaustrande
11. Hungarian Dance No. 20, E minor
12. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~10. O wie sanft die Quelle sich
13. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~11. Nein, est ist nicht auszukommen
14. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~12. Schlosser auf, und mache Schl¿¿sser
15. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~13. V¿¿gelein durchrauscht die Luft
16. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~14. Sieh, wie ist die Welle klar
17. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~15. Nachtigall, sie singt so sch¿¿
18. Hungarian Dance No. 4, F minor
19. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~16. Ein dunkeler Schacht ist Liebe
20. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~17. Nicht wandle, mein Licht, dort au¿¿en
21. Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op. 52~18. Es bebet das Gestr¿¿uche
22. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~1. Verzicht, o Herz, auf Rettung
23. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~2. Finstere Schatten der Nacht
24. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~3. An jeder Hand die Finger
25. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~4. Ihr schwarzen Augen, ihr d¿¿rft nur winken
26. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~5. Wahre, wahre deinen Sohn
27. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~6. Rosen steckt mir an die Mutter
28. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~7. Vom Gebirge Well auf Well
29. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~8. Weiche Gr¿¿ser im Revier
30. Hungarian Dance No. 14, D minor
31. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~9. Nagen am Herzen f¿¿hl ich ein Gift mir
32. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~10. Ich kose s¿¿¿¿ mit der und der
33. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~11. Alles, alles in den Wind
34. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~12. Schwarzer Wald, dein Schatten ist so d¿¿ster
35. Hungarian Dance No. 9, E minor
36. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~13. Nein, Geliebter, setze dich
37. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~14. Flammenauge, dunkles Haar
38. Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65~15. Zum Schlu¿¿

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
Justin Doyle   Primary Artist
Philip Mayers   Primary Artist,Piano
Angela Gassenhuber   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe   Text
Walter Rosler   Liner Notes
Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller   Cover Illustration
Georg Friedrich Daumer   Text
Florian B. Schmidt   Editing,Mastering,Artistic Director
Elisabeth Rothmund   Liner Note Translation
Jean-Jacques Groleau   Liner Notes
Aki Matusch   Engineer
Ruth Jarre   Producer
Bernhard Hess   Producer
Charles Johnston   Liner Note Translation,Text Translation
Irene Weber-Froboese   Liner Note Translation
Johannes Brahms   Composer
Michel Chasteau   Text Translation