This edition was prepared by John Christensen — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Des Abends, Deutsche Volkslieder WoO 35,6
Staff Notation • Secular, Lieder
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3 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Des Abends, Deutsche Volkslieder WoO 35,6 by Johannes Brahms — Lyrics
1. Des Abends kann ich nicht schlafen gehn,
zu meiner Herzliebsten muss ich gehn;
zu meiner Herzliebsten muss ich gehn,
und sollt ich an der Tür bleiben stehn,
ganz heimelig!
2. Wer ist denn da? wer klopfet an,
der mich so leis aufwecken kann?
Das ist der Herzallerliebste dein,
steh auf mein Schatz und lass mich ein,
ganz heimelig!
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About Des Abends, Deutsche Volkslieder WoO 35,6
Johannes Brahms' setting of Des Abends opens with a gentle, homophonic texture in the SATB choir, evoking the quiet intimacy of a lover's midnight visit. The music unfolds with a simple, folk-like charm, mirroring the directness of the German text. The verses describe a yearning heart unable to sleep, a lover knocking softly at the door, and the impossibility of capturing true love in letters, even with the heavens as ink and paper. The final verse expresses a longing to cross any barrier, even the Rhine, to reach the beloved. Brahms captures the tender, slightly melancholic spirit of these folk verses with a flowing melodic line and delicate harmonic shifts that underscore the depth of affection and longing.
