Johannes Brahms: Complete Songs, Vol. 3

Alina Wunderlin, Esther Valentin-Fieguth, Kieran Carrel, Konstantin Ingenpaß, Ulrich Eisenlohr

Brahms: Deutsche Volkslieder (49), WoO 33
Brahms: Volks-Kinderlieder, WoO 31

For Brahms, the folk songs were sources of musical inspiration, not subjects of academic study. The songs from Books 6 and 7 of German Folk Songs exemplify how Brahms' distinctive and expressive accompaniments gave these songs unique qualities, how he intensified certain verses to bring out their power, or how he allowed the piano its own revealing melodic phrases. In Book 7, the songs are divided between a precentor and a chorus, opening up new musical possibilities. In the Volkskinderlieder, Brahms' economy and skill turn lullabies into works of art.