Funeral Hymn

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms (arr. Christopher David Westover)

Subtitle: Begräbnisgesang

This work bears the designation Opus 13.

General Info

Year: 1858 / 2018
Duration: c. 8:00
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: Manuscript

Cost: Score and Parts – unknown. Contact Christopher David Westover

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  Full score for download

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  Parts for download

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I
Flute II/Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion, including:

• Marimba (optional)
• Orchestra Chimes (optional)
• Tenor/Bass Drum (optional)
• Vibraphone (optional)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Johannes Brahms is a composer so central to the history of Western art music that he is immortalized along with Bach and Beethoven as one of the three Bs of classical music. Though it is unfortunate that he did not make many contributions to the wind-band repertoire, his early music for small wind band and chorus (Begräbnis-gesang) is a work of great artistic merit in the history of the wind repertoire.

Composed early in his life (he was 25), the work is a mini-requiem that traverses the spirit's journey from burial through judgment ot eternal rest. The style of the music clearly foreshadows Ein Deutsches Requiem, reminding listeners of its slow funeral march (Denn alles Fleisch) and its beautiful, hymn-like choral textures (Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen).

- Program Note by arranger

Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• University of Oklahoma (Norman) Concert Band (Brian Wolfe, conductor) – 23 April 2018 *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

• Allegro (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Watkin) (1876/2003)
• Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Deterling) (1869/2020)
• Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1869)
• St. Anthony Chorale and Variation VI (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Brand) (1873/1991/2007)

All Wind Works

• Academic Festival Overture (arr. Allen) (1880/2019)
• Academic Festival Overture (arr. Safranek) (1880/1914)
• Academic Festival Overture (tr. Hindsley) (1880/1914/197-?)
• Academic Festival Overture (tr. Patterson) (1880/2012)
• Allegro (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Watkin) (1876/2003)
• Begräbnisgesang (ed. Whitwell) (1858/2014)
• Blessed Are They (arr. Buehlman) (1868/1970)
• Blessed Are They (arr. Kreines) (1868/xxx)
• Blessed Are They Who Mourn (arr. Hanna) (1868)
• A Child's Lullaby (arr. Swearingen) (1868/1996)
• Clarinet Sonata No. 1 (1894)
• Der Jäger (tr. Schuetter) (1859-60/2010)
• Es ist ein 'Ros ensprungen (tr. Hoffman) (1609/1896/2018)
• Famous Melodies of Brahms (arr. Ployhar) (1970)
• Finale from Brahms Symphony No. 1 (arr. Bobrowitz) (1862-76/2019)
• Finale from "Symphony No. 1" (arr. Butts) (1862-76/)
• Finale from "Symphony No. 1" (arr. Johnson) (1862-76/)
• Finale from "Symphony No. 1" (arr. Nelson) (1862-76/1972)
• Finale from "Symphony No. 1" (arr. Wilcox) (1862-76/)
• Finale from "Symphony No. 1" (arr. Williams) (1862-76/2008)
• Four Serious Songs (arr. Langslet) (1897/2017)
• Funeral Hymn (arr. Westover) (1858/2018)
• How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place (tr. Williams)
• Hungarian Dance No 5 (arr. Laurendeau) (1869/1905)
• Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Deterling) (1869/2020)
• Hungarian Dance No. 5 (arr. Longfield) (1869/1996)
• Hungarian Dance No. 5 (arr. Mahl) (1869/1911)
• Hungarian Dance No. 5 (arr. Stalter) (1869)
• Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (1869)
• Hungarian Dance No. 5 (tr. Thompson) (1869/2018)
• Hungarian Dance No. 6 (arr. Laurendeau) (1869/1905)
• Hungarian Dance No. 6 (arr. Longfield) (1869/2005)
• Hungarian Dance No. 6 (arr. Halle) (1869/1905)
• Hungarian Dance No. 6 (arr. Price) (1869/1940)
• Hungarian Dance No. 7 (arr. Hildreth) (1869/1919)
• Hungarian Dances Nos 3, 5, 11 and 16 (arr. Sheen) (1869/1985)
• Hungarian Dances No 7-8 (arr. Brockton) (1922)
• Hymn of Freedom (tr. Gardner) (1876/1950/1995)
• Nänie (tr. Smith) (1881/2020)
• Oyama (arr. Laurendeau) (1905)
• Piano Quintet in F minor (tr. Stroble) (/2020)
• Prelude and Scherzo (arr. Hubbell) (c. 1857/1981)
• Romanza (tr. Paxton) (c. 1865-1873/2020)
• Serenade No. 2 in A major (ed. Smith) (1860/2012)
• Sleep Gently, My Child (arr. Mahaffey) (1892/2001)
• St. Anthony Chorale and Variation VI (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Brand) (1873/1991/2007)
• Symphony No. 1 Theme (arr. Feldstein and Clark) (1876/2006)
• Symphony No. 4 (arr. Wirgler)
• Three Chorale Preludes (arr. Boyd; ed. Fennell) (1896/1996)
• Three Hungarian Dances (arr. Singleton) (1858-1868/2009)
• Tragic Overture (tr. Kreines) (1880/)
• Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel (1862)
• Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel (tr. Kreines; ed. Johnson) (1862)
• Variations on a Theme by Haydn (tr. Duthoit) (1873/1938)
• Variations on a Theme by Haydn (tr. Hindsley) (1873/197-?)
• Variations on a Theme by Haydn (tr. Popkin) (1873/1996)

Resources

• Christopher David Westover, personal correspondence, April and August 2018
• Perusal score