Johannes Brahms : Lullaby or Wiegenlied Op.49 No.4 - from 5 Songs

Brahms' Lullaby is one of his best known pieces, heard frequently on television and the music box toys of young children. We have included the original German lyrics here, but there are also translations in English, French and lots of other languages. The song comes from Johannes Brahms' Op.49 collection of 5 songs (or lieder), with this one being No.4 called Wiegenlied or Cradle Song. Some of Brahms' lyrics for Wiegenlied come from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" (Youth's Magic Horn) which is a collection of folk poems which have provided inspiration for many composers. This is the original version of the song though for playback purposes we illustrate it here with the vocal part played on a flute. However we have included a range of parts (Voice (music plus German lyrics), Flute, Oboe, Violin, Alto Sax, Baritone Sax, Clarinet, Trumpet, Tenor Sax, Cor Anglais, French Horn, Bassoon, Cello, Tuba, and Viola) so that different instruments can play the piece as a solo or with the original piano accompaniment. Midi and Mp3 versions can be downloaded using the links on the left hand side and the video below uses a piano roll animation synchronised to the music, while below the video you can play the mp3 file and see the music before downloading.

We also have two alternative arrangements of the music for Piano solo or for Guitar solo.