Liebeslieder-Walzer, Op.52

Brahms composed his first volume of choral-watzes in August of 1869 to poetry taken from Polydora, an 1855 collection of German folk-poems and love-songs assembled by George Friedrich Daumer (1800-1875). Rather than the usual accompaniment for piano solo, Brahms elected to provide one for piano duet. The first performance was given in Heidelberg on November 4, 1869. The conductor Ernst Rudorff persuaded Brahms to orchestrate the accompaniment for 8 of the 18 selections (plus another subsequently included in his Op.65 set) for a concert given at Berlin's Hochschule on March 19, 1870. Offered here is a new edition and orchestration by Richard W. Sargeant Jr. The composer's own orchestration is retained for the eight selections prepared for the 1870 concert, while the remaining ten have been orchestrated by Sargeant with the same forces used by the composer.

1. Rede, Mädchen, allzu liebes (Brahms)
2. Am Gesteine rauscht die Flut (Brahms)
3. O die Frauen
4. Wie des Abends schöne Röthe (Brahms)
5. Die grüne Hopfenranke (Brahms)
6. Ein kleiner, hübscher Vogel nahm (Brahms)
7. Wohl schön bewandt
8. Wenn so lind dein Augen mir (Brahms)
9. Am Donaustrande (Brahms)
10. O wie sanft die Quelle
11. Nein, est ist nicht auszukommen
12. Schlosser auf, und mache Schlösser
13. Vögelein durchrauscht die Luft
14. Sieh, wie ist die Welle klar
15. Nachtigall, sie singt so schön
16. Ein dunkeler Schacht ist Liebe
17. Nicht wandle, mein Licht
18. Es bebet das Gesträuche

SATB soli (chorus) / Orchestra (2d1, 2, 2, 2 - 2, 0, 0, 0 - strs) ; ISMN: 979-0-58042-080-0