Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), Johannes Brahms' opus 54 (1871), was composed for chorus and orchestra after a poem by Hölderlin. The first part of the poem reflects on the joyful existence of the gods and the second part on the perpetual sufferings of mankind. Brahms, however, gave his work an ending full of.

Alt Rhapsodie (Rhapsody for contralto), opus 53, by Johannes Brahms (1869). This work for contralto, male voice choir and orchestra is based on a poem by Goethe, Harzreise im Winter, which portrays the soul of a misanthropist. It has affinities to the German Requiem, composed one year earlier.

The Symphony No. 4, opus 89, by Johannes Brahms (1885), was the composer's last symphony. The extraordinary Romanticism and lyricism that pervades it has made it one of his best loved works. It consists of four movements and contains quotations from Bach, Beethoven and other composers.