{"id":7252,"date":"2023-09-11T08:00:34","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T06:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.henle.de\/blog\/en\/?p=7252"},"modified":"2023-09-08T12:36:42","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T10:36:42","slug":"gabriellas-sang-gabriellas-song-by-brahms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.henle.de\/en\/2023\/09\/11\/gabriellas-sang-gabriellas-song-by-brahms\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cGabriellas s\u00e5ng\u201d by Brahms?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For Stefan Nilsson (died 25 May 2023)<\/p><\/div>\n

Whilst preparing for a lecture on the Johannes Brahms piano trios, given on 28 January 2023 in Schloss Elmau (here<\/a> is the complete recording), I also dealt for the first time more intensively with the A-major piano trio sometimes attributed to Johannes Brahms. As the trio is unquestionably a musically impressive piece of music, it is astonishing that its gifted composer has remained unknown to this day. The Trio E.T.A.<\/a>, having kindly played several live music examples during my lecture in Elmau, is firmly convinced that for stylistic reasons this four-movement piano trio can only be a work by the young Brahms. Therefore, towards the end of my lecture, we improvised a friendly debate about this \u201cwork without author\u201d, from which the Trio E.T.A<\/em>. also played some of its excerpts (see video from: 1:03:35 ff.).<\/p>\n

Now, dear readers, you will begin to wonder what this might have to do with the title of today’s, admittedly somewhat slight, summer blog post. Last summer I told you how an unfamiliar duet by Joseph Haydn played on the radio reminded me of another music piece <\/a>\u00a0I knew very well, but couldn\u2019t immediately identify. This is exactly what happened to me at the start of 2023 with the, yes, beautiful opening of the inauspicious A-major Trio<\/a> \u201cby Brahms\u201d. I had heard this music before, but as something else. Yet from where? Agonising weeks began. Numerous music friends were contacted and maltreated: \u201cDon’t you recognise this melody? Where does it come from?\u201d No answer.<\/p>\n

Shortly afterwards, on the occasion of a very sad private event, the melody unexpectedly \u201cpopped into my head\u201d. Written by the Swedish film composer Stefan Nilsson, it is called \u201cGabriellas s\u00e5ng\u201d. This song is the musical centre of the film \u201cAs It Is in Heaven<\/a>” by Kay Pollak (original: \u201cS\u00e5 som i Himmelen\u201d), which, though a bit sentimental, is really worth seeing. It is ultimately about the soul-healing power of music. I had accompanied my daughter’s singing of this very song once on the occasion of a christening. So that\u2019s how I \u201cknew\u201d it. As at the opening of the A-major trio, the film music comes from the depths and then soars movingly over a throbbing ostinato bass:<\/p>\n