SKU: A0.1474698

Johannes Brahms is best known for his symphonies, concerti and large scale chamber works, but his catalog of over 200 Lieder shows he was also a master of small forms and intimate expression. Wiegenlied (Lullaby), included in this set of arrangements for string quartet, is one of the best known and most loved melodies ever written. His original gently syncopated accompaniment, reproduced here, makes an elegant backdrop for it.

The set opens with Sapphische Ode (Sapphic Ode), whose title is not directly connected to the ancient Greek poet Sappho of Lesbos, but refers to the verse form of the poem Brahms set, that bears her name. The melody resembles the theme of the slow movement from Brahms’s violin concerto, written a few years earlier. Following it is Wenn du nur zuweilen lächelst (If you only sometimes smile), a fine example of the mood of longing and melancholy that Brahms often depicted in both songs and instrumental music. The music moves back and forth between major and minor, and the flowing 9/8 meter occasionally varies the 3+3+3 pulse to 2+2+2+3 in a natural-seeming way.

Brahms never wrote an opera, but Von ewiger Liebe (Of Eternal Love), which builds from a somber opening, through a stormy middle section to a powerful climax, gives us a sense of what a Brahms operatic scene, in this case a love duet, might have sounded like. It is one of his most famous songs, and rightly so.

CYPRESS PUBLISHING is pleased to be the imprint for arrangements for string ensemble by Stephen Levintow. He is a free lance professional violist and violinist specializing in chamber music, who began making string quartet and trio arrangements for wedding, party and corporate events, to expand the repertory or to improve on existing versions. Selections include unusual pieces by both familiar and lesser-known composers, plus standard classical and popular favorites. 

The goal is to produce high-quality, musically satisfying arrangements faithful to the composer’s original material, yet sight-readable in most cases by working professionals or intermediate to advanced students. The full range of normal string technique is employed, while avoiding unnecessary technical complexity. Melodic material is distributed throughout the four voices where appropriate, to maintain listener and performer interest. All parts and scores are set in Sibelius© software format, with careful attention to legibility and page turns.