Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53
This guide follows Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53 (1869) in one part.
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Follow all 6 sections as they play
– – 0:03–12:13
The orchestra opens in a chilly C minor, a picture of the winter landscape. At the (a lyrical, speech-like vocal passage) the alto enters abruptly, as if in the middle of a thought, and describes the lone figure vanishing into the brush. The , marked , has three parts (A, B and A′) and portrays the man who was scorned and now scorns others. When the Chorus enters, the men's chorus joins the , the music turns to C major, and a warm hymn-like melody prays for the wanderer's heart to be revived.
Section boundaries in music are not always sharp; a transition may be felt over a pause or a held chord.
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