BBC Chorus, and BBC Orchestra, conducted by Basil Cameron
Brahms's Song of Destiny, which was composed during the years 1868-71, is a setting for chorus and orchestra of a poem by the German poet Holderlin. In the poem the sublime happiness of the immortals is set against the unhappiness of ' we grief-laden mortals'. Brahms, however, has softened the inherent pessimism of the poem by repeating at the close, with slight alterations, including a significant change of key from E flat to C major, the beautiful and inspiring orchestral prelude.
The music as a whole forms a perfect tone poem subtly expressing and underlining the meaning of the words.
ORCHESTRA
* The Return of Lemminkainen is an episode from the Finnish epic * Kalevala ', and describes the return of Lemminkainen, the Finnish national hero, from his unsuccessful expedition against Pohjola. The music is scored with brilliant effect for full orchestra and the tempo is extremely rapid.