Schicksalslied

The Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), Op. 54, is an orchestrally accompanied choral setting of a poem written by Friedrich Hölderlin and is one of several major choral works written by Johannes Brahms. Brahms began the work in the summer of 1868 at Wilhelmshaven, but it was not completed until May 1871. The delay in completion was largely due to Brahms’s indecision as to how the piece should conclude. Hesitant to make a decision, he began work on the "Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53," which was completed in 1869 and first performed in 1870.