Three Chorale Preludes (Brahms)

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms (orch. John Boyd; ed. Frederick Fennell)

Subtitle: Dedicated to the memory of John P. Paynter.

This work bears the designation Opus 122.

General Info

Year: 1896 / 1996
Duration: c. 10:45
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Organ
Publisher: Ludwig-Masters Publications
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $65.00 | Score Only (print) - $12.00

Movements

1. Behold, A Rose is Blooming – 2:55
2. O God, Thou Faithful God – 4:35
3. O World, I Must Now Leave Thee – 4:25

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Chorale Prelude Op. 122 (1896) Death and loss had been at the forefront of Johannes Brahms’ mind during the beginning of the year 1896. In March of that year Brahms’ lifelong friend and champion, Clara Schumann, suffered a massive stroke. On May 7th -- Brahms’ birthday -- he had completed the set, his final music set to words.

On May 21st, Clara passed away in Frankfurt am Main. Brahms, who considered Clara to be the “greatest wealth” in his life, was so devastated that he bungled his travel arrangements and missed the funeral in Bonn. The grueling 40-hour travel to attend the funeral served only to hasten the progress of his, now far advanced, liver cancer.

It was in this atmosphere that Brahms composed the Eleven Chorale Preludes, his first music for the organ since 1857. This is intensely private music, and the first seven movements were written in response to the death and loss of Clara. A marked change happens with the eighth movement, Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen. This movement deals with a new beginning. The text of this movement centers on the birth of the savior, but also serves as a metaphor for the beginning of life beyond hardship.

This eighth movement was lovingly arranged for band by John Boyd and edited by Frederick Fennell, and was lovingly dedicated to the memory of their friend and colleague, John Paynter.

- Program Note from University of Oklahoma Symphony Band concert program, 19 November 2018

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

Florida: IV
Maryland: IV

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

University of Maryland (College Park) Wind Orchestra (Christine Higley, conductor) - 10 December 2021
Triangle Wind Ensemble (Cary, N.C.) (Evan Feldman, conductor) – 19 November 2019
Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, Va.) Ensemble (Brian A. Coffill, conductor) – 9 November 2019
University of Oklahoma (Norman) Symphony Band (Michael E. Hancock, conductor) – 19 November 2018

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)
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

Brahms, J.; Boyd, J.; Fennell, F. (1996). Three Chorale Preludes [score]. Ludwig: Cleveland, Ohio.