Johannes Brahms
(1833-1897)

Schicksalslied
Composed 1868-71

Brahms began Schicksalslied in the summer of 1868 while visiting composer Albert Dietrich in Oldenburg, Germany. One morning, while waiting to tour the shipyards at Wilhelmshaven – a curious fascination of his, despite his lifelong reluctance to set foot on a ship – he discovered Friedrich Hölderlin’s novel Hyperion and was deeply moved by the poem “Hyperions Schicksalslied.” That very day, Brahms was found sitting alone by the sea, sketching what would become the first drafts of the piece. Although inspired immediately, he wrestled for several years with how to reconcile the poem’s form and message with his own musical instincts.

Hölderlin’s poem is divided into two stanzas: a luminous portrayal of divine beings who dwell in eternal light, followed by a grim depiction of humankind, suffering blindly under the weight of fate. Brahms found it difficult to end the piece with the poem’s bleakness. He initially considered reprising the opening choral section, but conductor Hermann Levi convinced him otherwise.

Instead, Brahms concluded the work with a purely orchestral epilogue – a transformed restatement of the opening material – that suggests solace without denying sorrow.

The structure is as compelling as the music itself. The serene opening, in E-flat major, evokes the timeless realm of the gods. The second section, shifting abruptly to C minor and a more urgent tempo, portrays the turbulence of human existence. The final orchestral return, unexpectedly set in C major, introduces ambiguity: does the music suggest divine grace touching the human world, or does it emphasize the distance between the two realms?

This ending reflects Brahms’s worldview – philosophical, agnostic, yet deeply compassionate. Like his German Requiem, Schicksalslied offers consolation not through doctrine, but through beauty and understanding. Combining rich orchestration, emotional depth, and a bold formal approach, Schicksalslied stands as a profound and enduring achievement—short in duration but monumental in spirit.

Instrumentation – two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, strings, and SATB choir

Duration – 18 minutes

~ Kenneth Bean
Georg and Joyce Albers-Schonberg Assistant Conductor
Princeton Symphony Orchestra