“Die Mainacht” Op. 43 No. 2 (Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)), written 1866, published 1879, text by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748-1776)
One of Brahms’ most beloved songs, this is one of the great, quintessential Romantic Period song-diary creations, an exquisitely crafted Nature-Nocturne. Brahms’s songs often use a modified strophic form, which seems to help Brahms contain both the forward-looking, personal element of his art, as well as remaining firmly rooted in the Classical Tradition; the technique leads to a form at once grounded in the solid formal discipline and structure of the past, while imbuing it with the promise and potential of romantic variation and re-invention of the same thematic material – a technique of thematic development which Berlioz and Liszt were to take to new heights.
Brahms has a special gift in creating music of haunting recollection, that exquisite melancholy of what might have been, a love of which the memory is so painful that even the cooing of two doves can turn your heart to sobs.
The structure of the song is very clearly demarcated and designed to create maximum punch of emotion.
“Die Mainacht”: Analysis Outline
Verse 1
Line 1 & 2: A Material – The narator in the forest
Line 3 & 4: B Material – The Nightingale hints at the first sadness
Verse 2
Line 1 & 2: C Material – The cooing-dove theme turns into diminished harmonies at the height of grief.
Line 3: D Material – False ending of the verse
Line 4: E Material – The Climax of the song so far, heightened by punctuating either side of it with pauses (both written out and implied), making it function as a quasi- stand-alone verse.
Verse 3
Line 1 & 2: A Material – The narrator directly addresses the beloved in the melody of the opening.
Line 3: E Material – Brahms foreshortens the structure dramatically and skips Material B, C and D, cutting straight to the Climactic material E.
Line 4: E Material – after a short modulation, Brahms creates a double-climax ending, based on the falling arpeggio of the E Material
Coda: Again Brahms stretches the final words almost to the limit of the human breath, before the piano quietly winds down in material based on the opening broken chords.
Brief Analysis
Verse 1
Line 1 & 2: A Material – The narator in the forest
As often is the case with Brahmsian “walking” motives, the music starts on an inverted chord. The broken chord motive sets up a weary, trundling step, rising patiently from the depths until the voice summons enough energy to start its story. At first it describes a peaceful and tranquil evening walk – it could be ultimately uneventful.
Line 3 & 4: B Material – The Nightingale hints at the first sadness.
A bittersweet modulation describes the Nightingale’s “fluting” tones. That the night-wanderer is sad, is only revealed at the end of the verse when it lands in the tonic minor key.
Verse 2
Line 1 & 2: C Material – The cooing-dove theme turns into diminished harmonies at the height of grief.
E Flat Minor dramatically drops a major third and the doves coo in the first inversion on B Major. “Überhüllet” starts with the same melody of the opening, but soon rests and lengthened notes in the voice allow the yearning leaps in the piano-part to grow bigger and more dramatic, expressing the tormented emotions that erupt in a diminished chord with two arpeggios sweeping upward. The piano sighs on the diminished 7ths (G Natural to A Sharp) perfectly anticipates the “ich wende mich”, where the narrator is overcome with grief at the thought of the two birds happily chirruping in their love-nest. The German word “girret” perfectly recreates the sound of the doves.
Line 3: D Material – False ending of the verse.
The second verse seems to unravel as the narrator turns deeper into the darkness of the forest, and the dark night of the soul.
On the word “Schatten” (Shadows), the rhythms lengthen. The composer deliberately structured this apparent end of the verse as a suspension of time.
Line 4: E Material – The Climax of the song so far, heightened by punctuating either side of it with pauses (both written out and implied), making it function as a quasi- stand-alone verse.
Brahms delivers special magic on the final line of the verse. When the tears start flowing, Brahms paints a magnificent arch, with chromatic major and minor seconds both in the melodic line as well as the broken chord accompaniment that gently articulates an inner melody. But surprisingly, this rising climax line is abandoned. It does not “land” anywhere, reaches no true climax of grief nor any resolution.
Again the energy dissipates at the real end of the second verse. Long pauses stretch the harmonies as long as they can, right to the edge of losing all momentum.
Verse 3
Line 1 & 2: A Material – The narrator directly addresses the beloved in the melody of the opening.
Verse 3 starts with the same melody as the beginning, but the structural genius Brahms dispenses with the introduction, foreshortening the song. Brahms heightens the tension by transforming the accompaniment to rolling triplets. There might even be a hint of optimism on the word “find” where the note is lengthened to give it extra emphasis.
Line 3: E Material – Brahms foreshortens the structure dramatically and skips Material B, C and D, cutting straight to the Climactic material E.
Since the voice repeats the exact melody of the previous verse, the torment is churned up in the triplets of the piano part, making the harmonic clashes of major and minor seconds that much more emotionally driving.
Line 4: E Material – after a short modulation, Brahms creates a double-climax ending, based on the falling arpeggio of the E Material
Walter Frisch uses this climax as an example of Brahms’ particular Principle of Developing Variation to describe how Brahms “completes” the earlier climax that was left hanging.
A chordal postlude based on the opening “walking” broken chord quaver notes, gradually wind down the nocturnal walking song.
The Poetry:
“Die Mainacht” Op. 43 No. 2 (Johannes Brahms), text by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748-1776) – German Text:
Wann der silberne Mond durch die Gesträuche blinkt,
Und sein schlummerndes Licht über den Rasen streut,
Und die Nachtigall flötet,
Wandl’ ich traurig von Busch zu Busch.
Überhüllet von Laub girret ein Taubenpaar
Sein Entzücken mir vor; aber ich wende mich,
Suche dunklere Schatten,
Und die einsame Thräne rinnt.
Wann, o lächelndes Bild, welches wie Morgenrot
Durch die Seele mir strahlt, find’ ich auf Erden dich?
Und die einsame Thräne Bebt mir heißer die Wang’ herab!
“Die Mainacht” Op. 43 No. 2 (Johannes Brahms), text by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748-1776) – Text translated into English by Albert Combrink:
When the silver moon flashes through the bushes,
And his slumbering light scatters across the lawn
And the nightingale flutes (warbles),
I wonder sadly from bush to bush.
Shrouded in greenery, a pair of doves coo
Their delight in front of me,
but I turn myself away, Search for darker shades,
And the lonely tears run.
When, o smiling image, which like Morning-red
Radiates through my soul, shall I find you on earth?
And the lonely tears tremble more hotly down my cheeks!
Download Free Sheet Music of “Die Mainacht” Op. 43 No. 2 (Johannes Brahms/Ludwig Hölty):
“Die Mainacht” Op. 43 No. 2 (Johannes Brahms/Ludwig Hölty) sung by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone) & Wolfgang Sawallisch (Piano)
“Die Mainacht” Op. 43 No. 2 (Johannes Brahms/Ludwig Hölty) sung by Christa Ludwig (Mezzo-soprano) and uncredited pianist.
“Die Mainacht” Op. 43 No. 2 (Johannes Brahms/Ludwig Hölty) played by Mischa Maisky (Cello) & Pavel Gililov (Piano)
A magnificent and textured exegesis of this most sublime
of Brahms’ many lieder. I have played this in a transcription
for clarinet and piano and it lies perfectly there as well.
Thank you for educating us.
Vincent
I am very glad you enjoyed the post – sublime indeed…