Brahms' Outrageous and Beethovenian Sense of Humor

DAILY DOSE of BEETHOVEN (August 17, 2020)

Some of our readers recently requested more Brahms. Although the “Daily Doses” is dedicated to Beethoven’s 250th anniversary year, understanding his predecessors and his successors, helps us understand him.

There is no doubt in our minds that Brahms' irreverent attitude in composition below derives from the spirit of Beethoven.

In 1880, the University of Breslau awarded Brahms an honorary Doctor of Philosophy. Brahms had little use for such academic titles, and was content to write a thank-you note. The university however, expected nothing less than a new composition, written especially for the occasion.

The conductor Bernard Scholz, who had recommended the award, wrote somewhat arrogantly to Brahms: "Compose a fine symphony for us, but well orchestrated, old boy, not too uniformly thick!"

Can you imagine the audacity to first demand a symphonic work from Brahms, and then tell him how to compose it? Brahms had little or no respect for academics, who sometimes belittled him, and gossiped about his lack of education. For Brahms, a degree in music from a University, meant only that now you were were ready to really start discovering music, in the way he had done.

He went ahead with an orchestral work, but not as planned! The stiff university leaders wished him to employ some sort of stultified graduation song as its basis. Instead Brahms created a sort of modified "Quodlibet", after the tradition of Bach, and incorporated four student songs. They were all drinking songs, but some were also political. Some of the university staff were aghast, but some were secretly pleased.

For our listener/reader to enjoy this at a higher level, we provide all 4 songs. When you get to know them, the final composition—the overture—will become 1,000 times richer, including its humor. You will understand what some of these songs meant and how they interacted.

We recommend singing along with the verses provided!

Song 1: Fuchslied (Fox Song): Meant for hazing freshmen.

https://youtu.be/2CG-y8FTa8E

1. (Studenten)
Was kommt dort von der höh'?
Was kommt dort von der höh'?
Was kommt dort von der ledern' höh'?
Ça, ça, ledern' höh',
Was kommt dort von der höh'?
(Students)
[What comes there from on yonder?
What comes there from on yonder?
What comes there from on bloody yonder?
Sa, sa, bloody yonder,
What comes there from on yonder?]

2. Es ist der Fuchsmajor,
Es ist der Fuchsmajor,
Es ist der ledern' Fuchsmajor,
Ça, ça, Fuchsmajor,
Es ist der Fuchsmajor.
[It is the Foxmajor,
It is the Foxmajor,
It is the bloody Foxmajor,
Sa, sa, Foxmajor,
It is the Foxmajor.]

3. Was bringt der Fuchsmajor?
Was bringt der Fuchsmajor?
Was bringt der ledern' Fuchsmajor?
Ça, ça, Fuchsmajor,
Was bringt der Fuchsmajor?
[What brings the Foxmajor?
What brings the Foxmajor?
What brings the bloody Foxmajor?
Sa, sa, Foxmajor,
What brings the Foxmajor?]

4. Er bringt uns seine füchs',
Er bringt uns seine füchs',
Er bringt uns seine ledern' füchs',
Ça, ça, ledern' füchs',
Er bringt uns seine füchs'.
[He brings us his foxes,
He brings us his foxes,
He brings us his bloody foxes,
Sa, sa, bloody foxes,
He brings us his foxes.]

5. (Fuchs)
Ihr Diener, meine herr'n,
Ihr Diener, meine herr'n,
Ihr Diener, meine hohe herr'n,
Ça, ça, hohe herr'n,
Ihr Diener, meine herr'n!
(Foxes)
[At your service my gentlemen,
At your service my gentlemen,
At your service, my noble gentlemen,
Sa, sa, gentlemen,
At your service my gentlemen.]

6. (Foxmajor)
Ich bring' euch meine füchs',
Ich bring' euch meine füchs',
Ich bring' euch meine ledern' füchs',
Ça, ça, ledern' füchs',
Ich bring' euch meine füchs'.
(Foxmajor)
[I bring you my foxes,
I bring you my foxes,
I bring you my bloody foxes,
Sa, sa, bloody foxes,
I bring you my foxes. ]

7. (Studenten)
So wird der fink ein fuchs,
So wird der fink ein fuchs,
So wird der ledern fink ein fuchs,
Ça, ça, fink ein fuchs,
So wird der fink ein fuchs.
(Students)
[Thus, the finch becomes a fox,
Thus the finch becomes a fox,
Thus, the bloody finch becomes a fox,
Sa, sa, finch a fox,
Thus, the finch becomes a fox.]

Song 2: Wir haben gebauet Ein stattliches Haus (We have built a stately house)

https://youtu.be/U5wKYbSz3oM

This drinking song was also a patriotic song, written 60 years earlier in 1820, when political repression was high. The cartoon (see picture below), is from 1819, and shows a Thinkers' Society wearing muzzles. In this case, we really, really encourage you to follow the verses. Even the stuffiest German professor would know this.

Text and Tranalation:

1. Wir hatten gebauet
Ein stattliches Haus
Und drin auf Gott vertrauet
Trotz Wetter, Sturm und Graus.
[We had built
A stately house
And trusted in God therein
Despite tempest, storm and horror.]

2. Wir lebten so traulich,
So innig, so frei,
Den Schlechten ward es graulich,
Wir lebten gar zu treu.
[We lived so cozily,
So devotedly, so free,
To the wicked it was abhorrent,
We lived far too faithfully.]

3. Sie lugten, sie suchten
Nach Trug und Verrat,
Verleumdeten, verfluchten
Die junge, grüne Saat.
[They peered, they looked
For deceit and treachery,
Slandered, cursed
The young, green seed.]

4. Was Gott in uns legte,
Die Welt hat's veracht't,
Die Einigkeit erregte
Bei Guten selbst Verdacht.
[What God put inside us,
The world has despised.
This unity stirred suspicion
Even among good people.]

5. Man schalt es Verbrechen,
Man täuschte sich sehr;
Die Form kann man zerbrechen,
Die Liebe nimmermehr.
[People reviled it as crime,
They deluded themselves badly;
They can shatter the form,
But never the love.]

6. Die Form ist zerbrochen,
Von außen herein,
Doch was man drin gerochen,
War eitel Dunst und Schein.
[The form is shattered,
From out to within,
But they smelled inside it
Sheer haze and appearance.]

7. Das Band ist zerschnitten,
War schwarz, rot und gold,
Und Gott hat es gelitten,
Wer weiß, was er gewollt.
[The riband is cut to pieces,
'T was black, red and gold,
And God allowed it,
Who knows what He wanted.]

8. Das Haus mag zerfallen.
Was hat's dann für Not?
Der Geist lebt in uns allen,
Und unsre Burg ist Gott!
[The house may collapse.
Would it matter?
The spirit lives within us all,
And our fortress is God!]

Song 3: Alles schweige! Jeder neige

https://youtu.be/TA1ru4Z2ZCU?list=RDTA1ru4Z2ZCU

This is also a patriotic song. Brahms uses only the section that starts "Hört, ich sing' das Lied der Lieder”. It celebrates Emporer Joseph II, who we discussed in the July 17, 2020 post.

1. Alles schweige! Jeder neige
ernsten Tönen nun sein Ohr!
Hört, ich sing' das Lied der Lieder,
hört es, meine deutschen Brüder!
Hall es wider, froher Chor!

[Be silent! Everyone tend
serious tones now his ear!
Listen, I sing the song of songs
hear it, my German brothers!
Echo it, happy chorus!]

2. Deutschlands Söhne laut ertöne
euer Vaterlandsgesang!
Vaterland! Du Land des Ruhmes,
weih'n zu deines Heiligtumes
Hütern uns und unser Schwert!]

[2. Germany's sons sound out loud
your fatherland song!
Fatherland! You land of glory
consecrate to your sanctuary
Guard us and our sword!]

Finally the well - known “Gaudeamus igitur”. The words are included in the video.

https://youtu.be/aLUKfU2AOBY

Once you know all four songs, have fun appreciating how Brahms weaves these songs into a theme of his own making and totally upset the "serious" atmosphere he had been required to create.

He wrote it for a huge "thick" orchestra. Conducted it himself. It is known as the “Academic Festival Overture” (Akademische Festouvertüre, Op. 80). Here it is:

https://youtu.be/aLUKfU2AOBY