Von Ewiger Liebe was composed between 1857-1866, by Johannes Brahms and it is the first song of the song cycle Vier Gesänge, Op. 43. It was first published in 1868. Dunsby in his book Making Words Sing , mentions that when composing this song, Brahms was actually expressing his belief in eternal love ( Making Words Speak , p.36). The poem Brahms used to compose this song was written by Heinrich Hoffman ( Making Words Speak , p.37). The poem creates a dramatic atmosphere where it positions the reader and in the case of this song, the listener, into a dark silent forest where a man walks his beloved home. He expresses his love to the woman and she follows with her words of love, thus creating the feeling of eternal love ( Making Words Speak , p.38). Musically, the lieder is more of a duet between the rich and very difficult accompaniment with the rich and beautiful sound of the singer. Both melody and rhythm follows the poem's scenery changes which enriches the storyte...
She listened to this woman speak. Her tone was getting on her nerves. She sounded arrogant and you could hear the irony in her voice. It sounded as if everything she said to this woman was wrong. It sounded as if this woman was trying to belittle her even in the simplest things. With each phone call, this woman's tone became even more disturbing. She resisted the urge to reply back in a similar tone and she was proud that she controlled her emotions and thoughts. Everything shifted however once they met in person. A sweet woman was standing beside her. She couldn't believe her eyes. - Is this the person that annoys me during phone calls and belittles me? - she thought. She moved close to initiate the conversation and when this woman spoke to her, with a smile on her face, the disturbing tone returned. It was quiet enlightening to realize that the way we carry our voices, the tone we use as well as the way we phrase our sentences play a vital role in t...