איוב פרק ג

כ   לָמָּה יִתֵּן לְעָמֵל אוֹר;        וְחַיִּים, לְמָרֵי נָפֶשׁ.
כא  הַמְחַכִּים לַמָּוֶת וְאֵינֶנּוּ;      וַיַּחְפְּרֻהוּ, מִמַּטְמוֹנִים.
כב  הַשְּׂמֵחִים אֱלֵי-גִיל;           יָשִׂישׂוּ, כִּי יִמְצְאוּ-קָבֶר.
כג  לְגֶבֶר, אֲשֶׁר-דַּרְכּוֹ נִסְתָּרָה; וַיָּסֶךְ אֱלוֹהַּ בַּעֲדוֹ.

This motet grew out of the canonic Mass movements (WoO 18) that Brahms wrote in 1856 as counterpoint studies. The first movement is a dense and chromatic reworking of Brahms' earlier canonic Agnus Dei. The second movement, a reworking of the canonic Benedictus, is joyous and spiritual in mood. The third movement, a transformation of canonic Dona nobis pacem, retains only the soprano melody from that work. The other parts elaborate with newly composed contrapuntal textures. The movement concludes with a recall of the previous movement's ending. The final movement is a simpler setting of the traditional chorale melody Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin (With Peace and Joy I Go There). Brahms' dedication of this motet to the Bach scholar Philipp Spitta is probably an homage to that great composer's influence on this motet. It is Brahms' greatest work for unaccompanied chorus.