브람스의《네 개의 엄숙한 노래, op. 121》(Vier ernste Gesnge, 1896)에나타난 동기적 연관성

On the motive relationship embedded in 《 Vier ernste Gesnge, op.121 》by J. Brahms: With the focus on the first song

《Vier ernste Gesänge, op.121》 is Brahms’ last Lieder composed in 1896. It consists of a cycle of four songs, whose lyrics were excerpted from the Bible. Through this work, Brahms expresses his infinite awe of god and vanity of human life. Another significant poetic theme of this work is redemption by love. This is shown in the first song, in which its core lyric word “Hebel [vanity/ futility/ meaninglessness...]” in Hebrew, excerpted from Qoheleth, becomes a musical motto motive, which deepens in expression through developing variation. This remains not only to the first song but also throughout the entire cycle, and thus ultimately showing that the whole cycle deduces from the first motto motive and builds into a continuous unity.