Brahms and His Poets: A Handbook

Covering Brahms's 32 song opuses published during four decades of song-writing, this book offers a way of understanding what Brahms believed to be the right poetic basis for his immortal music. Johannes Brahms's much-loved solo songs continue to be enjoyed in recordings and on recital stages all over the world. This book provides a wealth of information on the poets whose words he set, many of whom are still unfamiliar.A substantial introduction explores the multiple meanings song-poetry held for Brahms and challenges the widely held opinion that he responded only to the general mood of a poem. It is followed by alphabetically organised essays on the forty-six poets whose verses he set. Each summarises the settings, Brahms's links to the poet, interconnections between the poets, and offers further context situating the poet within a wider literary, cultural and politicallandscape. The poets are revealed to be part of a deeply collegial cultural community of which Brahms was an active part. Covering Brahms's 32 song opuses published during four decades of song-writing, this book offers a wayof understanding what Brahms believed to be the right poetic basis for his immortal music. It is designed to be an essential reference tool for students and scholars of Johannes Brahms, as well as performers and lovers of his songs. NATASHA LOGES is Head of Postgraduate Programmes at the Royal College of Music and has co-edited Brahms in the home and the concert hall: Between private and public performance and contributed to the Cambridge History of Musical Performance and is currently co-editing Johannes Brahms in Context. As a song accompanist, she has performed in various venues overseas and in the UK.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Graham Johnson Introduction Index of Solo Opuses publlished in Brahms's Lifetime Guide to Poet Entries Alphabetised Poet Entries Select Bibliography

About the Author :
NATASHA LOGES is Professor of Musicology at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. She was previously Head of Postgraduate Programmes at the Royal College of Music, London.

Review :
[A] valuable reference book for scholars and performers. Loges's book looks set to become the definitive volume on [on Brahms's songs] for years to come...Loges's range of reference and attention to detail is impressive and her introduction neatly contextualises Brahms's reading habits while stressing the collaborative nature of song composition and performance. [O]ffers a long-awaited, comprehensive guide to to the poets and literature related to Brahms's solo Lieder. . . . [E]nsures that future research will acknowledge the care and depth of reading that Brahms lavished on literature throughout his life. . . .[A] remarkable scholarly achievement and a wonderful reference book for scholars and performers. An extremely useful and endlessly fascinating book, which should be an invaluable volume for performers and listeners alike. Turn to any one of these entries and your understanding of why and how Brahms set a particular text will be deepened many times over...the book's value to interpreters as well to the much wider community of Lieder-lovers cannot be overestimated - it will surely be regarded as an indispensable resource, but can also be dipped into for pleasure as well as information and insight. Five Stars. The publication of Natasha Loges's book Brahms and His Poets: A Handbook offers a long-awaited, comprehensive guide to the poets and literature related to Brahms's solo Lieder. This volume has surely been anticipated by scholars and performers of this repertoire alike.... Loges's compendium is a remarkable scholarly achievement and a wonderful reference book for scholars and performers that will surely be welcomed by the Brahms community. Whether readers study the entire volume or occasionally dip into this rich resource, they will undoubtedly be rewarded and inspired by the depth of meaning that Loges finds in personal relationships that shaped the lives of Brahms and his poets, as well as in their collective production of literature and songs.