Schubert: Die Forelle (Fischer-Dieskau, Moore) @FiDiTanzer528

FiDiTanzer528 In answer to a request...

Schubert wrote no fewer than five versions of this song, and also based his Trout Quintet, D667 on it. It's a charming mini-drama, reflecting the naturalist theme of the Romantic period and Schubert's own sense of playfulness.

In the text, the narrator describes looking at a trout in the water, and his indignation when a fisherman catches it by unfair means. The famous six-note phrase that forms the majority of the accompaniment evokes the image of a fish literally rising to the bait. The vocal melody is equally light, until the moment when the fisherman muddies up the water to catch the fish, when both voice and piano change to a darker tone, creating the sense of a little drama enacted. (allmusic.com)

Die Forelle

In einem Bächlein helle,
Da schoß in froher Eil
Die launische Forelle
Vorüber wie ein Pfeil.
Ich stand an dem Gestade
Und sah in süßer Ruh
Des muntern Fischleins Bade
Im klaren Bächlein zu.

Ein Fischer mit der Rute
Wohl an dem Ufer stand,
Und sah's mit kaltem Blute,
Wie sich das Fischlein wand.
So lang dem Wasser Helle,
So dacht ich, nicht gebricht,
So fängt er die Forelle
Mit seiner Angel nicht.

Doch endlich ward dem Diebe
Die Zeit zu lang. Er macht
Das Bächlein tückisch trübe,
Und eh ich es gedacht,
So zuckte seine Rute,
Das Fischlein zappelt dran,
Und ich mit regem Blute
Sah die Betrogene an.

Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart (1739-1791)

The trout

In a bright little brook
there shot in merry haste
a capricious trout:
past it shot like an arrow.
I stood upon the shore
and watched in sweet peace
the cheery fish's bath
in the clear little brook.

A fisher with his rod
stood at the water-side,
and watched with cold blood
as the fish swam about.
So long as the clearness of the water
remained intact, I thought,
he would not be able to capture the trout
with his fishing rod.

But finally the thief grew weary
of waiting. He stirred up
the brook and made it muddy,
and before I realized it,
his fishing rod was twitching:
the fish was squirming there,
and with raging blood I
gazed at the betrayed fish.

Translation: Emily Ezust

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)

updated 17 years ago

Schubert: Die Forelle (Fischer-Dieskau, Moore)

FiDiTanzer528 2009-06-21 | In answer to a request...

Schubert wrote no fewer than five versions of this song, and also based his Trout Quintet, D667 on it. It's a charming mini-drama, reflecting the naturalist theme of the Romantic period and Schubert's own sense of playfulness.

In the text, the narrator describes looking at a trout in the water, and his indignation when a fisherman catches it by unfair means. The famous six-note phrase that forms the majority of the accompaniment evokes the image of a fish literally rising to the bait. The vocal melody is equally light, until the moment when the fisherman muddies up the water to catch the fish, when both voice and piano change to a darker tone, creating the sense of a little drama enacted. (allmusic.com)

Die Forelle

In einem Bächlein helle,
Da schoß in froher Eil
Die launische Forelle
Vorüber wie ein Pfeil.
Ich stand an dem Gestade
Und sah in süßer Ruh
Des muntern Fischleins Bade
Im klaren Bächlein zu.

Ein Fischer mit der Rute
Wohl an dem Ufer stand,
Und sah's mit kaltem Blute,
Wie sich das Fischlein wand.
So lang dem Wasser Helle,
So dacht ich, nicht gebricht,
So fängt er die Forelle
Mit seiner Angel nicht.

Doch endlich ward dem Diebe
Die Zeit zu lang. Er macht
Das Bächlein tückisch trübe,
Und eh ich es gedacht,
So zuckte seine Rute,
Das Fischlein zappelt dran,
Und ich mit regem Blute
Sah die Betrogene an.

Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart (1739-1791)

The trout

In a bright little brook
there shot in merry haste
a capricious trout:
past it shot like an arrow.
I stood upon the shore
and watched in sweet peace
the cheery fish's bath
in the clear little brook.

A fisher with his rod
stood at the water-side,
and watched with cold blood
as the fish swam about.
So long as the clearness of the water
remained intact, I thought,
he would not be able to capture the trout
with his fishing rod.

But finally the thief grew weary
of waiting. He stirred up
the brook and made it muddy,
and before I realized it,
his fishing rod was twitching:
the fish was squirming there,
and with raging blood I
gazed at the betrayed fish.

Translation: Emily Ezust

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)

Schubert: Abschied von der Erde D. 829 Fischer-Dieskau, Moore

FiDiTanzer528 2013-05-18 | In Remembrance.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
May 28, 1925 - May 18, 2012

Brahms: Feldeinsamkeit, Op. 86, No. 2 Fischer-Dieskau, Demus

FiDiTanzer528 2012-05-26 | This is for my friend Celia. This particular recording from 1958 is one of her favorites and mine. I feel it is appropriate on this day when our dear FiDi was laid to rest. May he rest in peace.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Jörg Demus (piano)
Recorded 1958

Feldeinsamkeit

Ich ruhe still im hohen grünen Gras
Und sende lange meinen Blick nach oben,
Von Grillen rings umschwirrt ohn Unterlaß,
Von Himmelsbläue wundersam umwoben.

Die schönen weißen Wolken ziehn dahin
Durchs tiefe Blau, wie schöne stille Träume;
Mir ist, als ob ich längst gestorben bin
Und ziehe selig mit durch ew'ge Räume.

Hermann Allmers (1821-1902)

Field in Solitude

I rest quietly in tall green grass,
And cast my eyes far upward;
Around me crickets chirp unceasing,
The sky's blue magically encloses me.

The beautiful white clouds float past
Through the deep blue, like lovely silent dreams.
It is as if I had been long dead,
And flew in bliss with them through unending space.

Translation: William Mann

Peter Warlock: The Curlew Pt 2 of 2 Ian Partridge

FiDiTanzer528 2011-10-12 | "The Curlew"
Song Cycle by Peter Warlock (1894-1930)
Based on poems of William Butler Yeats

Ian Partridge (tenor)
Music Group of London:
David Butt (flute)
Janet Craxton (cor anglais)
Hugh Bean (violin)
Frances Mason (violin)
Christopher Wellington (viola)
Eileen Croxford (cello)

"The Curlew", a song cycle by Peter Warlock on poems by William Butler Yeats. It is generally considered one of the composer's finest works.

It was written between 1920 and 1922 for singer and an unusual accompanying group of flute, cor anglais and string quartet.

There are four songs, with a short instrumental interlude.

"He Reproves the Curlew" ("O Curlew, cry no more in the air")
"The lover mourns for the loss of love" ("Pale brows, still hands and dim hair")
"The Withering of the Boughs" ("I cried when the moon was murmuring to the birds:")
Interlude
"He Hears the Cry of the Sedge" ("I wander by the edge of this desolate lake")

The first, second and last of these poems were taken from _The Wind Among the Reeds_ (pub. 1899), and "The Withering of the Boughs" from _In the Seven Woods_ (pub. 1904).

There is a lengthy instrumental introduction to the first song, in which the cry of the curlew is represented by the cor anglais and the peewit by the flute. The songs, which concern lost love, are melancholy in mood. A number of motif elements recur throughout the songs dependent on the point in the text - a structural technique also found in many others of Warlock's songs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curlew

Photos are of Yeats and Maud Gonne, the woman he loved but never married. She eventually married someone else.

Portrait of Yeats as a young man is by Augustus John.

Part 2

"The withering of the boughs"

I cried when the moon was murmuring to the birds,
Let peewit call and curlew cry where they will,
I long for your merry and tender and pitiful words,
For the roads are unending, and there is no place to my mind.
The honey-pale moon lay low on the sleepy hill,
And I fell asleep upon lonely Echtge of streams.
No boughs have withered because of the wintry wind;
The boughs have withered because I have told them my dreams.

I know of the leafy paths the witches take,
Who come with their crowns of pearl and their spindles of wool,
And their secret smile, out of the depths of the lake;
I know where a dim moon drifts, where the Danaan kind
Wind and unwind their dances when the light grows cool
On the island lawns, their feet where the pale foam gleams.
No boughs have withered because of the wintry wind;
The boughs have withered because I have told them my dreams.

I know of the sleepy country, where swans fly round
Coupled with golden chains, and sing as they fly.
A king and a queen are wandering there, and the sound
Has made them so happy and hopeless, so deaf and so blind
With wisdom, they wander till all the years have gone by;
I know. and the curlew and peewit on Echtge of streams.
No boughs have withered because of the wintry wind;
The boughs have withered because I have told them my dreams.

"He hears the cry of the sedge"

I wander by the edge
Of this desolate lake
Where wind cries in the sedge
"Until the axle break
That keeps the stars in their round,
And hands hurl in the deep
The banners of East and West.
And the girdle of light is unbound,
Your breast will not lie by the breast
Of your beloved in sleep."

Peter Warlock: The Curlew Pt 1 of 2 Ian Partridge

FiDiTanzer528 2010-08-30 | "The Curlew"
Song Cycle by Peter Warlock (1894-1930)
Based on poems of William Butler Yeats

Ian Partridge (tenor)
Music Group of London:
David Butt (flute)
Janet Craxton (cor anglais)
Hugh Bean (violin)
Frances Mason (violin)
Christopher Wellington (viola)
Eileen Croxford (cello)

"The Curlew", a song cycle by Peter Warlock on poems by William Butler Yeats. It is generally considered one of the composer's finest works.

It was written between 1920 and 1922 for singer and an unusual accompanying group of flute, cor anglais and string quartet.

There are four songs, with a short instrumental interlude.

"He Reproves the Curlew" ("O Curlew, cry no more in the air")
"The lover mourns for the loss of love" ("Pale brows, still hands and dim hair")
"The Withering of the Boughs" ("I cried when the moon was murmuring to the birds:")
Interlude
"He Hears the Cry of the Sedge" ("I wander by the edge of this desolate lake")

The first, second and last of these poems were taken from _The Wind Among the Reeds_ (pub. 1899), and "The Withering of the Boughs" from _In the Seven Woods_ (pub. 1904).

There is a lengthy instrumental introduction to the first song, in which the cry of the curlew is represented by the cor anglais and the peewit by the flute. The songs, which concern lost love, are melancholy in mood. A number of motif elements recur throughout the songs dependent on the point in the text - a structural technique also found in many others of Warlock's songs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curlew

Photos are of Yeats and Maud Gonne, the woman he loved but never married. She eventually married someone else.

Portrait of Yeats as a young man is by Augustus John.

"He reproves the curlew"

O, curlew, cry no more in the air,
Or only to the waters in the West;
Because your crying brings to my mind
Passion dimm'd eyes and long heavy hair
That was shaken out over my breast:
There is enough evil in the crying of wind.

"The lover mourns for the loss of love"

Pale brows, still hands and dim hair,
I had a beautiful friend
And dreamed that the old despair
Would end in love in the end:
She looked in my heart one day
And saw your image was there;
She has gone weeping away.

Robert Schumann: Requiem, Op. 90, No. 7 Fischer-Dieskau, Eschenbach

FiDiTanzer528 2010-08-01 | Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
"Requiem", Op. 90, No. 7
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Christoph Eschenbach (piano)

Schumann's Op. 90 consists of 6 songs on poems by Nikolaus Lenau and a Requiem based on an anonymous Catholic text.

"Schumann had added this song to the Lenau group on the erroneous assumption that the poet had died. It proved to be a premonition, for on the very day of the first performance, word was received of Lenau's death. " -----Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, _Robert Schumann: Words and Music_

"Requiem"

Ruh' von schmerzensreichen Mühen
Aus und heißem Liebesglühen!
Der nach seligem Verein
Trug Verlangen,
Ist gegangen
Zu des Heilands Wohnung ein.

Dem Gerechten leuchten helle
Sterne in des Grabes Zelle,
Ihm, der selbst als Stern der Nacht
Wird erscheinen,
Wenn er seinen
Herrn erschaut im Himmelspracht.

Seid Fürsprecher, heil'ge Seelen!
Heil'ger Geist, laß Trost nicht fehlen.
Hörst du? Jubelsang erklingt,
Feiertöne,
Darein die schöne
Engelsharfe singt:

Ruh' von schmerzenreichen Mühen
Aus und heißem Liebesglühen!
Der nach seligem Verein
Trug Verlangen
Ist gegangen
Zu des Heilands Wohnung ein.

Anonymous, an old Catholic poem

"Requiem"

Rest from pain-wracked toil
And love's burning glow!
He who yearned
To be united with bliss
Has entered
The Savior's abode.

For the just, bright stars
Shine in the grave's cell,
For him, who will appear
Himself as a night star
When he beholds
His Lord in heaven's glory.

Intercede for him, holy souls!
Holy Ghost, let comfort not be lacking.
Do you hear? A song of joy
Resounds, solemn notes
On which the lovely
Angelic harp joins:

Rest from pain-wracked toil
And love's burning glow!
He who yearned
To be united with bliss
Has entered
The Savior's abode.

Translation: Lionel Salter

Robert Schumann: Rose, Meer und Sonne, Op. 37, No. 9 Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-07-17 | Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
"Rose, Meer und Sonne", Op. 37, No. 9
Poem by Friedrich Rückert
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Christoph Eschenbach (piano)

"Rose, Meer und Sonne" fascinates by the gradual buildup of intensity. Schumann avoids the temptation of succumbing to the emotional excesses of the text by supplying music with steady rhythm and consistent melodic gesture, an approach that in other cases could have lead to monotony. The instrumental conclusion is independent (recalling Dichterliebe), introducing a new theme, set off from the song with all its splendor. --- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, "Robert Schumann -- Words and Music"

"Rose, Meer und Sonne", Op. 37, No. 9

Rose, Meer und Sonne
Sind ein Bild der Liebsten mein,
Die mit ihrer Wonne
Faßt mein ganzes Leben ein.

Aller Glanz, ergossen,
Aller Tau der Frühlingsflur
Liegt vereint beschlossen
In dem Kelch der Rose nur.

Alle Farben ringen,
Aller Duft im Lenzgefild',
Um hervorzubringen
Im Verein der Rose Bild.

Alle Ströme haben
Ihren Lauf auf Erden bloß,
Um sich zu begraben
Sehnend in des Meeres Schoß.

Alle Quellen fließen
In den unerschöpften Grund,
Einen Kreis zu schließen
Um der Erde blühndes Rund.

Alle Stern' in Lüften
Sind ein Liebesblick der Nacht,
In des Morgens Düften
Sterbend, wenn der Tag erwacht.

Alle Weltenflammen,
Der zerstreute Himmelsglanz,
Fließen hell zusammen
In der Sonne Strahlenkranz.

Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866)

"Rose, Sea and Sun"

Rose, sea and sun
Are the image of my love,
Her rapture enfolds
My whole life in its embrace.

All splendour, o'erflowing,
All dew from the spring field
Lie concealed as one
In the chalice of the rose.

All hues and shades compete
All breezes in the spring field
To conjure up the scene
Of the rose's alliance.

All rivers merely
Run their course on earth,
That they may come to rest
Longingly in ocean's womb.

All springs and fountains flow
To the unexhausted depths,
A circle defining
Around the earth's thriving sphere.

All the stars of skies
Are a loving glance from night,
In the morning breezes
Dying, when the day awakes.

All the flames of earth,
The diffused splendor of Heav'n,
Flow brightly together
In the garland of sun's rays.

Translation: Jennifer Parker

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 11-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-06-06 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

11. "Lied der Verfolgten im Turm" (Song of the Prisoner in the Tower)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 10-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-06-06 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

10. "Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen" (Where the Fine Trumpets Sound)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 9-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-06-06 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

9. "Trost im Unglück" (Consolation in Sorrow)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 8-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-06-05 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

8. "Das irdische Leben" (Life on Earth)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 7-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-06-05 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

7. "Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt" (St Anthony of Padua Preaches to the Fish)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 6-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-05-31 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

6. "Lob des hohen Verstandes" (In Praise of High Intellect)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 5-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-05-31 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

5. "Der Schildwache Nachtlied" (The Sentinel's Night Song)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 4-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-05-30 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

4. "Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht" (Who Made Up This Song?)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 3-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-05-29 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

3. "Der Tamboursg'sell" (The Drummer Boy)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 2-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-05-28 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

2. "Rheinlegendchen" (Rhine Legend)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Pt 1-11 Fassbaender, Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-05-28 | Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn":

1. "Revelge" (Reveille)

Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken
Conductor: Hans Zender
Recorded in April 1979

I have inserted subtitles in English from a translation by Julian Budden.

Franz Schubert: Auf der Bruck, D. 853 (Fischer-Dieskau, Moore)

FiDiTanzer528 2010-05-23 | Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
"Auf der Bruck", D. 853
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)
Recorded 1957

"It has often been pointed out that the passion and pathos of the Schulze songs foreshadow 'Winterreise'. 'Auf der Bruck', with its blend of courage, hope, and misgiving, might be compared to 'Mut'. The relentless quavers drive on for nearly 150 bars, an image both of the rhythm of the trotting horse and of the rider driven on by his passion and self-doubt. In this strophic setting the risk of monotony is avoided by the subtle changes in the voice line, and by the richness of the tonal palette by means of which Schubert adapts the music to the sense." (John Reed, The Schubert Song Companion.)

Note: The Bruck was a lookout point on a hill near Göttingen, a favorite destination for walks with panoramic views on the Hainberg.

Auf der Bruck

Frisch trabe sonder Ruh und Rast,
Mein gutes Roß, durch Nacht und Regen!
Was scheust du dich vor Busch und Ast
Und strauchelst auf den wilden Wegen?
Dehnt auch der Wald sich tief und dicht,
Doch muß er endlich sich erschliessen;
Und freundlich wird ein fernes Licht
Uns aus dem dunkeln Tale grüßen.

Wohl könnt ich über Berg und Feld
Auf deinem schlanken Rücken fliegen
Und mich am bunten Spiel der Welt,
An holden Bildern mich vergnügen;
Manch Auge lacht mir traulich zu
Und beut mit Frieden, Lieb und Freude,
Und dennoch eil ich ohne Ruh,
Zurück zu meinem Leide.

Denn schon drei Tage war ich fern
Von ihr, die ewig mich gebunden;
Drei Tage waren Sonn und Stern
Und Erd und Himmel mir verschwunden.
Von Lust und Leiden, die mein Herz
Bei ihr bald heilten, bald zerrissen
Fühlt ich drei Tage nur den Schmerz,
Und ach! die Freude mußt ich missen!

Weit sehn wir über Land und See
Zur wärmer Flur den Vogel fliegen;
Wie sollte denn die Liebe je
In ihrem Pfade sich betrügen?
Drum trabe mutig durch die Nacht!
Und schwinden auch die dunkeln Bahnen,
Der Sehnsucht helles Auge wacht,
Und sicher führt mich süßes Ahnen.

Ernst Schulze (1789-1817)

At the Bruck

Trot briskly, without stopping or resting,
My good horse, through the night and the rain!
Why do you draw back before thickets and boughs,
Why are you unsteady on the rough paths?
Though the forest stretches deep and thick,
Yet it must finally open out,
And friendly will a distant light appear
To greet us from the dark valley.

Well could I over mountain and field
Fly on your slender back,
And with the worlds merry play
And with sweet visions content myself;
Many an eye laughs at me with an intimate air,
And offers me peace, love and joy
Yet I hasten without rest,
Back, back to my pain.

Three days I was away
From her, who has bound me for ever;
For three days, sun and stars
And earth and heaven vanished for me.
Instead of pleasure and pain, which with her
Would quickly heal my heart or tear it apart,
I have felt for three days only woe,
And, alas, I had to be without joy!

Far over land and sea we see
The birds flying to warmer fields;
How then should Love itself
Deceive itself as to its true path?
Then trot bravely through the night,
And the dark ways shall disappear;
The bright eye of longing waits,
And sweet anxiety safely guides me.

Translation: Arthur Jacobs

Johannes Brahms: Heimweh II, Op.63,No.8 Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-05-09 | Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
"Heimweh II", Op. 63, No. 8
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Jörg Demus (piano)

Brahms wrote three songs entitled "Heimweh" as part of his Op. 63. In each song, Brahms conveys the protagonist's longing for lost childhood. The second song, Op. 63, No. 8, is the most complex, with a beautifully yearning, chromatic melody heard only in the accompaniment to the slower and rhythmically repetitive vocal line. These represent, respectively, the emptiness of a deserted beach as a metaphor for the search for happiness and the bitter realization that there can be no return to the lost joy of childhood.

Heimweh II

O wüßt ich doch den Weg zurück,
Den lieben Weg zum Kinderland!
O warum sucht' ich nach dem Glück
Und ließ der Mutter Hand?

O wie mich sehnet auszuruhn,
Von keinem Streben aufgeweckt,
Die müden Augen zuzutun,
Von Liebe sanft bedeckt!

Und nichts zu forschen, nichts zu spähn,
Und nur zu träumen leicht und lind;
Der Zeiten Wandel nicht zu sehn,
Zum zweiten Mal ein Kind!

O zeig mir doch den Weg zurück,
Den lieben Weg zum Kinderland!
Vergebens such ich nach dem Glück,
Ringsum ist öder Strand!

Klaus Groth (1819-1899)

Nostalgia II

Oh, that I knew the way back,
The blessed way to childhood!
Why did I look for happiness
And leave my mothers hand?

Oh, how I long to rest,
Woken by no struggle,
To shut my tired eyes,
Gently protected by love.

To seek after nothing, to peer at nothing,
Only lightly and gently to dream,
Blind to the changes of time
A second childhood!

Oh, show me then the way back,
The blessed way to childhood!
In vain I look for happiness,
All around me is desolate coast.

English translation: William Mann

Hugo Wolf: Morgenstimmung (Reinick) Fischer-Dieskau, Moore

FiDiTanzer528 2010-04-14 | One of Hugo Wolf's late songs written in 1896 to a poem by Robert Reinick. Within a year he would be incurably insane. Even so, all of the late songs "are finely structured and eloquent" to quote Eric Sams (The Songs of Hugo Wolf).

Hugo Wolf (1860-1903)
"Morgenstimmung" (Morning Mood)
Poem by Robert Reinick
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)

"Morgenstimmung" (1896)

Bald ist der Nacht ein End' gemacht,
Schon fühl' ich Morgenlüfte wehen.
Der Herr, der spricht: »Es werde Licht!«
Da muß, was dunkel ist, vergehen.
Vom Himmelszelt durch alle Welt
Die Engel freudejauchzend fliegen;
Der Sonne Strahl durchflammt das All.
Herr, laß uns kämpfen, laß uns siegen!

Robert Reinick (1805-1852)

"Morning Mood"

Soon night will reach its end;
already I feel the morning breezes blowing.
The Lord, he says: "Let there be light!"
Then all that is dark must disappear.
From Heaven's vault through all the world
the angels fly, cheering with joy;
rays of sunlight blaze through the universe.
Lord, let us struggle, let us win!

Translation: Emily Ezust

Samuel Barber: I Hear an Army, Op. 10, No. 3 Gerald Finley

FiDiTanzer528 2010-03-14 | Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Three Songs, Op. 10 to poems of James Joyce
3. "I Hear an Army"
Gerald Finley (baritone)
Julius Drake (piano)

Samuel Barber's background, deeply rooted in singing, his love of poetry, and his intimate knowledge and appreciation of the human voice, inspired his vocal writing.

Barber set to music six poems by James Joyce from his _Chamber Music_. Three of these songs were published in 1939 as Barber's Op. 10.

The final song, "I Hear an Army," has an extremely vivid text. The speaker of this poem talks of an approaching army with "thundering horses" and "flutt'ring whips." The music heard during the description of the army is intense and frantic. At the end, the speaker asks why his or her lover has left at this time of need. (AllMusic.com)

"I Hear an Army", Op. 10, No. 3

I hear an army charging upon the land,
And the thunder of horses plunging, foam about their knees:
Arrogant, in black armour, behind them stand,
Disdaining the reins, with flutt'ring whips, the charioteers.

They cry unto the night their battlename:
I moan in sleep when I hear afar their whirling laughter.
They cleave the gloom of dreams, a blinding flame,
Clanging, clanging upon the heart as upon an anvil.

They come shaking in triumph their long, green hair:
They come out of the sea and run shouting by the shore.
My heart, have you no wisdom thus to despair?
My love, my love, why have you left me alone?

James Joyce

Samuel Barber: Sleep Now, Op. 10, No. 2 Gerald Finley

FiDiTanzer528 2010-03-07 | Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Three Songs, Op. 10 to poems of James Joyce:
2. "Sleep Now"
Gerald Finley (baritone)
Julius Drake (piano)

Samuel Barber's background, deeply rooted in singing, his love of poetry, and his intimate knowledge and appreciation of the human voice, inspired his vocal writing.

Barber set to music six poems by James Joyce from his _Chamber Music_. Three of these songs were published in 1939 as Barber's Op. 10.

The second song, "Sleep now," is in a three part form, in which the first and last parts are similar, with a contrasting section in between. The second section is more dramatic while the third section returns to tranquility. (AllMusic.com)

"Sleep now", Op. 10, No. 2

Sleep now, O sleep now,
O you unquiet heart!
A voice crying "Sleep now"
Is heard in my heart.

The voice of the winter
Is heard at the door.
O sleep, for the winter
Is crying "Sleep no more."

My kiss will give peace now
And quiet to your heart -
Sleep on in peace now,
O you unquiet heart!

James Joyce

Samuel Barber: Rain Has Fallen, Op. 10, No. 1 - Gerald Finley

FiDiTanzer528 2010-02-28 | Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Three Songs to Poems of James Joyce, Op. 10
No. 1 - "Rain Has Fallen"
Gerald Finley (baritone)
Julius Drake (piano)

Samuel Barber's background, deeply rooted in singing, his love of poetry, and his intimate knowledge and appreciation of the human voice, inspired his vocal writing.

Barber set to music six poems by James Joyce from his _Chamber Music_. Three of these songs were published in 1939 as Barber's Op. 10.

"Rain has fallen," the first song, has an interesting piano accompaniment. High, cascading arpeggios are meant to convey the idea of falling rain. Also, in the middle section, the piano has a low, chromatically descending line which also sounds like falling rain. This song has a dramatic tone throughout. (AllMusic.com)

"Rain Has Fallen", Op. 10, No. 1

Rain has fallen all the day.
O come among the laden trees:
The leaves lie thick upon the way
Of memories.

Staying a little by the way
Of memories shall we depart.
Come, my beloved, where I may
Speak to your heart.

James Joyce

Schubert: Vor meiner Wiege, D. 927 Fischer-Dieskau, Moore

FiDiTanzer528 2010-02-12 | Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
"Vor meiner Wiege", D. 927
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)

Although Schubert's "Vor meiner Wiege" ("Before My Cradle", D. 927) might be classed among the composer's relatively few cradle songs; the text's preoccupation with nostalgia and death removes it from the realm of innocent lullabies of Schubert's past and looks forward to the dark lullabies of Mussorgsky. Setting a four-verse poem of Karl von Leitner as a five-strophe song, Schubert is acutely sensitive, perhaps even morbidly sensitive, to the meaning of the poem. He sets the first two verses in a slow and solemn bleak B minor, the same key as "Einsamkeit" (Loneliness) from _Winterreise_, but modulates at the close of the second verse to a radiantly nostalgic D major. After almost two verses recalling the joy of being suckled by his mother while she sang to him in a long and gently flowing melody, the song again modulates back to B minor at the close of the fourth verse when the poem turns to thoughts of death. The fifth and final verse is as dark as almost anything in _Winterreise_, and the repetition of the final line—"For the long, last and deepest rest"—is heartbreaking in its sense of utter bereavement. Although some critics have disparaged Leitner's poem as mawkish (which it certainly is), there is no denying that it inspired Schubert to one of his greatest and most profound songs. ----All Music Guide

Vor meiner Wiege, D. 927

Das also, das ist der enge Schrein,
Da lag ich einstens als Kind darein,
Da lag ich gebrechlich, hilflos und stumm
Und zog nur zum Weinen die Lippen krumm.

Ich konnte nichts fassen mit Händchen zart,
Und war doch gebunden nach Schelmenart;
Ich hatte Füßchen und lag doch wie lahm,
Bis Mutter an ihre Brust mich nahm.

Dann lachte ich saugend zu ihr empor
Sie sang mir von Rosen und Engeln vor,
Sie sang und sie wiegte mich singend in Ruh,
Und küßte mir liebend die Augen zu.

Sie spannte aus Seide, gar dämmerig grün,
Ein kühliges Zelt hoch über mich hin.
Wo find ich nur wieder solch friedlich Gemach?
Vielleicht, wenn das grüne Gras mein Dach!

O Mutter, lieb; Mutter, bleib' lange noch hier!
Wer sänge dann tröstlich von Engeln mir?
Wer küßte mir liebend die Augen zu
Zur langen, zur letzen und tiefesten Ruh'?

Karl Gottfried von Leitner (1800-1890)

At my cradle

So this is the narrow cabinet
Where once I lay as a child.
There I lay: frail, helpless and unable to speak,
opening my lips only to cry.

I could seize nothing with my delicate little hands,
and yet I was always bound fast like a rogue;
I had tiny feet, yet lay as if I were lame,
until Mother took me and held me to her breast.

Then I laughed up at her as I suckled;
She sang to me of roses and angels.
She sang and she rocked me to sleep,
and kissed my eyes lovingly closed.

She spread out something of silk: dusky green,
a cool tent high above me.
Where will I ever find again such a peaceful room?
Perhaps when the green grass is my roof!

O Mother, dear Mother, stay awhile yet!
Who else could sing to me so soothingly of angels?
Who else could kiss my eyes lovingly closed,
For the long, deep and final rest?

Translation: Emily Ezust

Verdi: Il balen del suo sorriso from Il Trovatore Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-01-11 | I received a request a while ago to upload some examples of DFD singing Italian (or French) opera. So here we go with my first selection. More in time. Those of you who don't care for DFD singing opera, especially Italian opera, don't have to listen. :)

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
"Il Trovatore" (Act II):
Aria, "Il balen del suo sorriso"

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Alberto Erede cond.

Portraits by Diego Velazquez

Il balen del suo sorriso
D'una stella vince il raggio!
Il fulgor del suo bel viso
novo infonde a me coraggio!...
Ah! lamor, l'amore ond'ardo
la favelli in mio favor!
Sperda il sole d'un suo sguardo
la tempesta del mio cor.

The flashing of her smile
shines more than a star!
The radiance of her beautiful features
gives me new courage!. . .
Ah! Let the love that burns inside me
speak to her in my favour!
Let the suns glance clear up
the tempest raging in my heart.

Hugo Wolf - Zum neuen Jahr (Mörike) Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2010-01-02 | A song of joyous affirmation. Happy New Year to all!

Hugo Wolf (1860-1903)

Zum neuen Jahr

Wie heimlicher Weise
Ein Engelein leise
Mit rosigen Füßen
Die Erde betritt,
So nahte der Morgen.
Jauchzt ihm, ihr Frommen,
Ein heilig Willkommen,
Ein heilig Willkommen!
Herz, jauchze du mit!

In Ihm sei's begonnen,
Der Monde und Sonnen
An blauen Gezelten
Des Himmels bewegt.
Du, Vater, du rate!
Lenke du und wende!
Herr, dir in die Hände
Sei Anfang und Ende,
Sei alles gelegt!

Eduard Mörike (1804-1875)

To the New Year

Like a cherub softly
And secretly treading
On the earth
With rosy feet,
So the morning neared.
Sing in jubilation, all ye faithful,
A holy welcome,
A holy welcome!
You, my heart, sing in jubilation too!

May this New Year begin in Him,
Who moves moons and suns
On blue canopies of sky.
Thou father, counsel,
Guide and lead us!
Lord, into thy hands
Be laid beginning and end
And all things!

English translation: Eric Sams

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Daniel Barenboim (piano)

Gwyneth Jones - In questa reggia from Puccinis Turandot - Munich Gala 1988

FiDiTanzer528 2009-12-07 | This one is for You Tube user Klassizismus. Hope you enjoy this Dennis.

Gwyneth Jones (soprano)

Giacomo Puccini
Turandot: "In questa reggia"

Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
Leopold Hager cond.

Munich Opera Gala 1988

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Pt 3 Der Liederteil 4-4 Finale

FiDiTanzer528 2009-12-06 | Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
Von deutscher Seele (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata
after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Anton Mowakowski (organ)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.

Part Three
"Der Liederteil" (Songs)

Pt 4 of 4

"Schlußgesang":
"Schifferspruch" aus "Geistliche Gedichte"

Wenn die Wogen unten toben,
Menschenwitz zuschanden wird,
Weist mit feur'gen Zügen droben
Heimwärts dich der Wogen Hirt.
Sollst nach keinem andern fragen,
Nicht zurückschaun nach dem Land,
Faß das Steuer, laß das Zagen!
Aufgerollt hat Gottes Hand
Diese Wogen zum Befahren
Und die Sterne, dich zu wahren.

Final Song
"Mariners maxim" from "Sacred poems"

When the waves rage below,
Human wit is wrecked;
Up above, the waves shepherd
Directs you homeward with fiery pointers.
You should ask for no other,
Not look back to the land,
Grasp the helm, have no fear!
Gods hand has unfurled
These waves for you to travel on
And the stars to protect you.

English translation: Lionel Salter

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata Von deutscher Seele Pt 3 Der Liederteil 3-4

FiDiTanzer528 2009-11-22 | Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
Von deutscher Seele (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata
after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.

Part Three
Der Liederteil (Songs)

Pt 3 of 4

Intermezzo aus "Sängerleben"

Wohl vor lauter Sinne, Singen
Kommen wir nicht recht zum Leben;
Wieder ohne rechtes Leben
Muß zu Ende gehn das Singen;
Ging zu Ende dann das Singen:
Mögen wir auch nicht länger leben.

Intermezzo from Minstrel Life

Before thinking and singing aloud,
We do not rightly come alive;
Again, without proper living
Singing must die out;
If then singing were to die out
We too could no longer live.

Spruch 3 aus "Sängerleben"

Hast du doch Flügel eben
Und das gewalt'ge Wort;
Halt hoch dich über dem Leben,
Sonst geht's über dich fort.

Aphorism 3 from Minstrel Life

So long as you still have wings
And the power of words,
Soar above lifes trials,
Or they will overcome you.

"Der Friedensbote" aus "Zeitlieder"

Schlaf ein, mein Liebchen, schlaf ein,
Leis durch die Blumen am Gitter
Säuselt des Laubes Gezitter,
Rauschen die Quellen herein;
Gesenkt auf den schneeweißen Arm,
Schlaf ein, mein Liebchen, schlaf ein,
Wie atmest du lieblich und warm!

Aus dem Kriege kommen wir heim;
In stürmischer Nacht und Regen,
Wenn ich auf der Lauer gelegen,
Wie dachte ich dorten dein!
Gott stand in der Not uns bei,
Nun droben bei Mondenschein,
Schlaf ruhig, das Land ist ja frei!

The peace message from Songs of the time

Sleep, my dear one, sleep,
Gently the rustling of the leaves
Through the flowers at the window
Whisper the plashing of the fountains;
Snug on a snow-white arm,
Sleep, my dear one, sleep;
How lovely and warm is your breathing!

We have come home from the war;
In stormy night and rain
When I lay on watch,
How I thought then of you!
God stood by us in our need;
Now in the moonlight above
Sleep peacefully, the land is now free!

English translation: Lionel Salter

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 3 Der Liederteil 2-4

FiDiTanzer528 2009-08-30 | Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
"Von deutscher Seele" (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata
after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.

Part Three
"Der Liederteil" (Songs)

2-4

"Die Nonne und der Ritter" aus "Romanzen"
(Soli: Alt, Tenor, Chor)

Da ist die Welt zur Ruh gegangen,
Wacht mit Sternen mein Verlangen;
In der Kühle muß ich lauschen,
Wie die Wellen unten rauschen!

"Fernher mich die Wellen tragen,
Die ans Land so traurig schlagen,
Unter deines Fensters Gitter,
Fraue, kennst du noch den Ritter?"

Ist's doch, als ob seltsam' Stimmen
Durch die lauen Lüfte schwimmen;
Wieder hat's der Wind genommen,
Ach, mein Herz ist so beklommen!

"Drüben liegt dein Schloß verfallen,
Klagend in den öden Hallen,
Aus dem Grund der Wald mich grüßte,
's war, als ob ich sterben müßte."

Alte Klänge blühend schreiten!
Wie aus lang versunknen Zeiten
Will mich Wehmut noch bescheinen,
Und ich möcht' von Herzen weinen.

"Überm Walde blitzt's von weiten,
Wo um Christi Grab sie streiten;
Dorthin will mein Schiff ich wenden,
Da wird alles, alles enden!"

Geht ein Schiff, ein Mann stand drinne,
Falsche Nacht, verwirrst die Sinne!
Welt Ade! Gott woll' bewahren,
Die noch irr im Dunkeln fahren!

"The Nun and the Knight" from "Romances"
(Contralto, tenor, chorus)

The world has gone to rest,
My longing is awake, with the stars;
In the cool I must listen
To the waves roaring below.

The waves that carry me here from afar.
Beat so sadly on the land,
Beneath your window grille,
Lady, do you still know your knight?

Yet it is as if strange voices
Were swimming through the tepid air;
The wind has taken them away again,
Ah, my heart is so oppressed!

Yonder your castle lies in ruins;
Lamenting in the desolate halls;
From its depths the forest greeted me,
It was as if I were to die.

Old sounds are reawakened!
As from long-lost times
Melancholy will still fill me,
And I could weep from my heart.

Far over the forest the lightning flashes
Where they quarrel over Christs grave;
Thither will I turn my ship;
There everything, everything will end!

A ship sails: in it stood a man.
False night, you confuse the senses.
World, adieu! May God preserve
Those who still wander in darkness.

English translation: Lionel Salter

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 3 Der Liederteil 1-4

FiDiTanzer528 2009-08-30 | Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
"Von deutscher Seele" (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata
after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.

Part Three
"Der Liederteil" (Songs)

1-4

"Der alte Garten" aus "Romanzen"
(Sopran-solo)

Kaiserkron und Päonien rot,
Die müssen verzaubert sein,
Denn Vater und Mutter sind lange tot,
Was blühn sie hier so allein?

Der Springbrunn plaudert noch immerfort
Von der alten, schönen Zeit,
Eine Frau sitzt eingeschlafen dort,
Ihre Locken bedecken ihr Kleid.

Sie hat eine Laute in der Hand,
Als ob sie im Schlafe spricht,
Mir ist, als hätt' ich sie sonst gekannt,
Still, geh vorbei und weck sie nicht!

Und wenn es dunkelt das Tal entlang,
Streift sie die Saiten sacht,
Da gibt es einen wunderbaren Klang
Durch den Garten die ganze Nacht.

"The old garden" from "Romances"
(Soprano solo)

Crown-imperial and red peonies
Must be bewitched,
For father and mother are long since dead:
Why do they bloom here so alone?

The fountain still splashes on continually
From the good old days:
A woman sits there, fallen asleep,
Her hair covering her dress.

In her hand she has a lute,
As if she were speaking in her sleep;
It seems as if I had scarcely known her,
Hush, go past and do not wake her!

And when it grows dark along the valley
She gently strikes its strings;
It gives forth a wondrous sound
The whole night through the garden.

Spruch 1 aus "Sängerleben"
(Chor)

Von allen guten Schwingen,
Zu brechen durch die Zeit,
Die mächtigste im Ringen,
Das ist ein rechtes Leid.

Aphorism 1 from "Minstrel life"
(Chorus)

Of all stout opponents,
Time is the most powerful
With which to wrestle.
That is a real sorrow.

English translation: Lionel Salter

Felix Mendelssohn: Scheidend, Op. 9, No. 6 Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2009-08-22 | I received a kind request for this song as performed by DFD. I should mention that for some reason he chose to sing only the first verse on this recording.

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
"Scheidend" (Parting), Op. 9, No. 6
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Wolfgang Sawallisch (piano)

"Scheidend", Op. 9, No. 6

Wie so gelinde die Flut bewegt!
Wie sie so ruhig den Nachen trägt!
Fern liegt das Leben, das Jugendland!
Fern, fern liegt der Schmerz, der dort mich band,
Sanft tragt mich, Fluten, zum fernen Land!

Johann Heinrich Voss (1751-1826)

"Parting"

How mildly the river flows!
How calmly it carries the boat!
Far off is life, the land of youth!
Far, far away lies the sorrow, that held me there,
Gently bear me, river, to the distant land!

Translation by FiDiTanzer528

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 2 Leben und Singen 3-3

FiDiTanzer528 2009-08-15 | Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
"Von deutscher Seele" (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata
after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.

Part Two
"Leben und Singen" (Life and Singing)

Pt 3-3

"Trost" aus "Geistliche Gedichte"

Der jagt dahin, daß die Rosse schnaufen,
Der muß im Staub daneben laufen;
Aber die Nacht holt beide ein,
Setzt jenen im Traume neben die Rosse
Und den andern in seine Karosse.
Wer fährt nun fröhlicher? Der da wacht,
Oder der blinde Passagier bei Nacht?

"Consolation" from "Sacred poems"

He who hunts till his horses pant
And he who must run beside him in the dust,
Both are overtaken by night,
Setting one in dream beside his steeds
And the other in his coach.
Who now is the happier traveller? He who watches
Or the blind passenger by night?

6. Spruch 2 aus "Sängerleben"

Gleichwie auf dunklem Grunde
Der Friedensbogen blüht,
So durch die böse Stunde
Versöhnend geht das Lied.

Aphorism 2 from "Minstrel life"

Just as over dark ground
The rainbow blooms,
So in the evil hour
Song brings appeasement.
.

English translation: Lionel Salter

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 2 Leben und Singen 2-3

FiDiTanzer528 2009-08-08 | Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
"Von deutscher Seele" (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata
after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.

Part Two
"Leben und Singen" (Life and Singing)

Pt 2-3

"Der Umkehrende" aus "Geistliche Gedichte"

Was ich wollte, liegt zerschlagen,
Herr, ich lasse ja das Klagen,
Und das Herz ist still.
Nun aber gib auch Kraft, zu tragen,
Was ich nicht will!

"The convert" from "Sacred poems"

What I wanted lies in ruins:
Lord, I am lamenting no more
And my heart is quiet.
But now give me strength, too,
To bear what I do not want!

Orchestral Interlude
"Ergebung" (Resignation)

English translation: Lionel Salter

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 2 Leben und Singen 1-3

FiDiTanzer528 2009-08-02 | Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
"Von deutscher Seele" (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata
after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.

Part Two
"Leben und Singen" (Life and Singing)

Pt 1-3

Vorspiel (Prelude)

"Werktag" aus "Geistliche Gedichte"

Wir wandern nun schon viel hundert Jahr
Und kommen doch nicht zur Stelle,
Der Strom wohl rauscht an die tausend gar
Und kommt doch nicht zur Quelle.

"Workday" from "Sacred poems"

We have already travelled for several hundred years
And yet have not reached the spot.
The river has perhaps roared even for a thousand
And yet has not come to its source.

English translation: Lionel Salter

Robert Schumann: Liebesbotschaft, Op. 36, No. 6

FiDiTanzer528 2009-07-26 | Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
"Liebesbotschaft", Op. 36, No. 6
Poem: Robert Reinick
Christian Gerhaher (baritone)
Gerold Huber (piano)

Written in the summer of 1840, the closing song of Sechs Gedichte, Op. 36, "Liebesbotschaft," Op. 36/6 (A Lover's Message), is one of Robert Schumann's finest adagio melodies. Its text, by Robert Reinick, details one lovestruck man's requests to the clouds to carry a message of faithful adoration to his beloved. Schumann similarly used this song to communicate his affection to his fiancée, Clara Wieck, who was temporarily separated from him while obstacles surrounding their engagement cleared. Reinforcing their complementary styles and personalities, he borrowed a portion of her "Liebeszauber," Op. 13, to close "Liebesbotschaft," giving it the finest ending in the volume. (AllMusic.com)

Liebesbotschaft

Wolken, die ihr nach Osten eilt,
Wo die eine, die Meine weilt,
All meine Wünsche, mein Hoffen und Singen
Sollen auf eure Flügel sich schwingen,
Sollen euch, Flüchtige, zu ihr lenken,
Daß die Züchtige
meiner in Treuen mag gedenken.

Singen noch Morgenträume sie ein,
Schwebet leise zum Garten hinein,
Senket als Tau euch in schattige Räume,
Streuet Perlen auf Blumen und Bäume,
Daß der Holdseligen, kommt sie gegangen,
All die fröhlichen Blüten
Sich öffnen mit lichterem Prangen.

Und am Abend in stiller Ruh',
Breitet der sinkenden Sonne euch zu!
Mögt mit Purpur und Gold euch malen,
Mögt in dem Meere von Gluten und Strahlen
Leicht sich schwingende Schifflein fahren,
Daß sie singende Engel
Glaubet auf euch zu gewahren.

Ja, wohl möchten es Engel sein,
Wär mein Herz gleich ihrem rein;
All meine Wünsche, mein Hoffen und Singen
Zieht ja dahin auf euren Schwingen,
Euch, ihr Flüchtigen, hinzulenken
Zu der Züchtigen,
Der ich einzig nur mag gedenken.

Robert Reinick (1805-1852)

Message of love

Clouds that hurry toward the East,
where the one who's mine is waiting,
all my wishes, my hopes and songs
shall fly with you on your wings,
shall steer you, hurrying ones, to her
so that my chaste love
shall think of me with loyal love.

Sing morning dreams to her still,
float gently in the garden,
sink like dew into the shadowy room,
strew pearls upon the flowers and trees
so that to that wonderful being, if she passes by,
all the merry blossoms
shall open with even brighter splendor.

And in the evening, in the silent calm,
spread the sinking sun's light upon her!
It shall paint you purple and gold;
And in the sea, bright with glow and sunbeams,
the little ship plies its way,
so that she believes singing angels
are preserving her.

Yes, it may well be angels,
if my heart were pure like hers;
All my wishes, my hopes and songs
are drawn there on your wings,
are steered there by you, hurrying ones,
to my chaste love,
so that I alone may think of her.

Translation: Emily Ezust

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 1 Mensch und Natur 6-6

FiDiTanzer528 2009-07-18 | Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
"Von deutscher Seele" (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.

Part One: "Mensch und Natur" (Man and Nature)
Pt 6 of 6

Spruch 7 aus "Wandersprüche"

Der Wandrer, von der Heimat weit,
Wenn rings die Gründe schweigen,
Der Schiffer in Meeres Einsamkeit,
Wenn die Stern aus den Fluten steigen:

Die beiden schauern und lesen
In stiller Nacht,
Was sie nicht gedacht,
Da es noch fröhlicher Tag gewesen.

Aphorism 4 from "Travel dicta"

The traveler far from his native land
When the world around him is silent,
The seaman in the loneliness of the sea
When the stars rise from the waters,

Both shudder
In the silent night, and read
What they had never thought
While it had still been cheerful day.

"Nachtgruß"

Weit jetzo alles stille ist,
Und alle Menschen schlafen,
Mein Seel das ewge Licht begrüßt,
Ruht wie ein Schiff im Hafen.

Der falsche Fleiß, die Eitelkeit,
Was keinen mag erlaben,
Darin der Tag das Herz zerstreut,
Liegt alles tief begraben.

Ein andrer König, wunderreich,
Mit königlichen Sinnen
Zieht herrlich ein im stillen Reich,
Besteigt die ewgen Zinnen.

"Night greeting"

Far and wide, all now is still
And all humanity is sleeping.
My soul greets the eternal light
Peaceful as a ship in harbor.

Misguided effort, human vanity,
That which brings no comfort
And oppresses the heart by day,
All lie buried deep.

Another king, wondrously rich,
With royal mind, gloriously
Arrives at his silent kingdom
And scales the eternal heights.

English translation: Lionel Salter

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 1 Mensch und Natur 5-6

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 1 Mensch und Natur 4-6

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 1 Mensch und Natur 3-6

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 1 Mench und Natur 2-6

Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, Von deutscher Seele Part 1 Mensch und Natur 1-6

FiDiTanzer528 2009-07-18 | Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
"Von deutscher Seele" (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.

Part One: "Mensch und Natur" (Man and Nature)
Pt 1 of 6

Spruch 1 aus "Wandersprüche"

Es geht wohl anders, als du meinst:
Derweil du rot und fröhlich scheinst,
Ist Lenz und Sonnenschein verflogen,
Die liebe Gegend Schwarz umzogen;
Und kaum hast du dich ausgeweint,
Lacht alles wieder, die Sonne scheint,
Es geht wohl anders, als man meint.

Aphorism 1 from "Travel dicta"

It is quite different from what you think:
While you appear ruddy and merry,
Spring and sunshine have vanished,
The dear region has turned black;
And scarcely have you wept your fill
Than everything smiles again, the sun shines,
It is quite different from what one thinks.

Spruch 3 aus "Wandersprüche"

Was willst auf dieser Station
So breit dich niederlassen?
Wie bald nicht blast der Postillon,
Du mußt doch alles lassen.

Aphorism 3 from "Travel dicta"

Why will you set yourself up
So solidly at this stage?
How soon will the postillion not blow,
And then you must leave everything.

Orchestral Interlude:
"Tod als Postillon" (Death as Postillion)

Spruch 3 aus "Wandersprüche"

Was willst auf dieser Station, usw.

Aphorism 3 from "Travel dicta"

Why will you set yourself up, etc.

English translation: Lionel Salter

Edvard Grieg: To brune Øjne, Op. 5, No. 1 (Two Brown Eyes) Håkan Hagegård

FiDiTanzer528 2009-07-12 | In the Op. 5 songs, "Melodies of the Heart", on Danish texts by Hans Christian Anderson, Grieg inflected the German style he had learned in Leipzig with a more Northern character. These songs mark his first maturity as a song writer and won him his first wide notice in the Scandinavian countries.

The paintings used are by one of Grieg's contemporaries, the Norwegian painter Hans Andreas Dahl.

To brune Øjne, Op. 5, No. 1

To brune Øjne jeg nylig så,
i dem mit Hjem og min Verden lå.
Der flammed' Snillet og Barnets Fred;
jeg glemmer dem aldrig i Evighed!

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)

Two sparkling brown eyes I chanced to see,
They held my world and my destiny.
A peace so childlike in them did lie;
Ill never forget them until I die.

Translation: William H. Halverson

Håkan Hagegård (baritone)
Warren Jones (piano)

Franz Schubert - An den Mond, D. 296 (Goethe) Fischer-Dieskau, Moore

FiDiTanzer528 2009-07-03 | In contrast to my last video of Pfitzner's "An den Mond", here is the second of Schubert's settings of the same Goethe poem. Schubert's first attempt (D. 259), a simple strophic setting, does not really do justice to this wonderful poem. Schubert must have thought so because he wrote this second version (D. 296) later the same year. According to Fischer-Dieskau, in this setting, "the quite incomparable delicacy and longing contained in the poem, the alternation of joy and sorrow, find their most sublime expression. It was probably the death of the lovelorn Chirstel von Lassberg who drowned herself in the Ilm, not far from Goethe's garden-house in Weimar, which led Goethe to write the poem." (D. Fischer-Dieskau, "Schubert's Songs: A Biographical Study")

An den Mond

Füllest wieder Busch und Tal
Still mit Nebelglanz,
Lösest endlich auch einmal
Meine Seele ganz.

Breitest über mein Gefild
Lindernd deinem Blick,
Wie des Freundes Auge mild
Über mein Geschick.

Jeden Nachklang fühlt mein Herz
Froh und trüber Zeit,
Wandle zwischen Freud und Schmerz
In der Einsamkeit.

Fließe, fließe, lieber Fluß!
Nimmer werd ich froh;
So verrauschte Scherz und Kuß,
Und die Treue so.

Ich besaß es doch einmal,
Was so köstlich ist!
Daß man doch zu seiner Qual
Nimmer es vergißt.

Rausche, Fluß, das Tal entlang,
Ohne Rast und Ruh,
Rausche, flüstre meinem Sang
Melodien zu,

Wenn du in der Winternacht
Wütend überschwillst,
Oder um die Frühlingspracht
Junger Knospen quillst.

Selig, wer sich vor der Welt
Ohne Haß verschließt,
Einen Freund am Busen hält
Und mit dem genießt,

Was, von Menschen nicht gewußt
Oder nicht bedacht,
Durch das Labyrinth der Brust
Wandelt in der Nacht.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

To the Moon

Again you fill bush and valley
Silently with a misty glow,
And also you finally release
My soul entirely.

You spread your gaze
Soothingly over my fields,
Like a friends eyes gently
Looking upon my fate.

My heart feels every after-echo
Of happy and dreary times,
I walk between joy and pain
In the solitude.

Flow, flow, dear river!
I will never become happy:
Thus merriment and kisses hastened by,
And thus did faithfulness.

But I once possessed
That which is so precious!
To think that nevertheless, to ones torment,
One never forgets it!

Murmur, river, along the valley,
Without rest or repose,
Murmur, whisper melodies
To my song.

When in the winter night, you
Furiously overflow,
Or purl around the springtime splendor
Of young buds.

Blessed is he who shuts himself off
From the world without hatred,
Clasps a friend to his breast
And, together with him, enjoys

That which, not known to people
Or not considered,
Through the labyrinth of the heart
Wanders in the night.

Translation: Stanley Appelbaum

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)

Hans Pfitzner - An den Mond, Op. 18 (Goethe) Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2009-06-28 | Among Hans Pfitzner's very best early songs must be counted "An den Mond", Op. 18, a setting of the Goethe poem previously set at least twice by Schubert. The music is mesmerizing in its mystery and brewing tension, with accompaniment that, if not particularly adventurous, is at least effectively atmospheric. In fact, this entire song is riveting in its dark atmosphere and imagery, and in certain ways is actually Impressionistic. Pfitzner seemed to be challenging Debussy by extensively using the whole-tone scale. However, Pfitzner used the scale as a living formal entity, while Debussy thought in terms of atmosphere, impressions, and the picturesque. The scale in Pfitzner's song is at least partly employed as evocation of the moon and the "Nebelglanz" which it casts over landscape and the poet's soul. The composer also fashioned an orchestral version of this song.

An den Mond

Füllest wieder Busch und Tal
Still mit Nebelglanz,
Lösest endlich auch einmal
Meine Seele ganz.

Breitest über mein Gefild
Lindernd deinem Blick,
Wie des Freundes Auge mild
Über mein Geschick.

Jeden Nachklang fühlt mein Herz
Froh und trüber Zeit,
Wandle zwischen Freud und Schmerz
In der Einsamkeit.

Fließe, fließe, lieber Fluß!
Nimmer werd ich froh;
So verrauschte Scherz und Kuß,
Und die Treue so.

Ich besaß es doch einmal,
Was so köstlich ist!
Daß man doch zu seiner Qual
Nimmer es vergißt.

Rausche, Fluß, das Tal entlang,
Ohne Rast und Ruh,
Rausche, flüstre meinem Sang
Melodien zu,

Wenn du in der Winternacht
Wütend überschwillst,
Oder um die Frühlingspracht
Junger Knospen quillst.

Selig, wer sich vor der Welt
Ohne Haß verschließt,
Einen Freund am Busen hält
Und mit dem genießt,

Was, von Menschen nicht gewußt
Oder nicht bedacht,
Durch das Labyrinth der Brust
Wandelt in der Nacht.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

To the Moon

Again you fill bush and valley
Silently with a misty glow,
And also you finally release
My soul entirely.

You spread your gaze
Soothingly over my fields,
Like a friends eyes gently
Looking upon my fate.

My heart feels every after-echo
Of happy and dreary times,
I walk between joy and pain
In the solitude.

Flow, flow, dear river!
I will never become happy:
Thus merriment and kisses hastened by,
And thus did faithfulness.

But I once possessed
That which is so precious!
To think that nevertheless, to ones torment,
One never forgets it!

Murmur, river, along the valley,
Without rest or repose,
Murmur, whisper melodies
To my song.

When in the winter night, you
Furiously overflow,
Or purl around the springtime splendor
Of young buds.

Blessed is he who shuts himself off
From the world without hatred,
Clasps a friend to his breast
And, together with him, enjoys

That which, not known to people
Or not considered,
Through the labyrinth of the heart
Wanders in the night.

Translation: Stanley Appelbaum

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Aribert Reimann (piano)

Richard Strauss - Freundliche Vision, Op. 48, No. 1 Fischer-Dieskau

FiDiTanzer528 2009-06-13 | Five songs comprise the Op. 48 Lieder of Richard Strauss. The first, "Freundliche Vision", whose text describes an experience merging love and nature which is so intense as to seem dream-induced, penetrates the chromatic post-Tristan world, one which would reach fruition in "Salome" and "Elektra"; the floating vocal melody seems detached from the weighty accompaniment, as though taking leave of reality. ~ All Music Guide

Freundliche Vision

Nicht im Schlafe hab' ich das geträumt,
Hell am Tage sah ich's schön vor mir:
Eine Wiese voller Margeritten;
Tief ein weißes Haus in grünen Büschen;
Götterbilder leuchten aus dem Laube.
Und ich geh' mit Einer, die mich lieb hat,
Ruhigen Gemütes in die Kühle
Dieses weißen Hauses, in den Frieden,
Der voll Schönheit wartet, daß wir kommen.

Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865-1910)

A pleasant vision

I did not dream this while asleep;
I saw it fair before me in the light of day:
A meadow full of daisies,
a white house deep in green bushes,
images of gods gleaming from the leaves.
And I walk with one who loves me,
in a peaceful mood in the coolness
of this white house, in which peace
awaits our arrival, full of beauty.

Translation: Emily Ezust

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)

Schumann: Der Einsiedler (The Hermit), Op. 83, No. 3

FiDiTanzer528 2009-06-08 | A little something for Schumann's birthday...and a fond memory. This performance comes from the very first Fischer-Dieskau recording that I ever heard (age 15, many years ago), an album of Eichendorff songs including the Op. 39 Liederkreis.

Composed in 1850, "Der Einsiedler" (The Hermit) is Schumann's last setting of Eichendorff, "one of those poems combining religious awe with veneration for nature in which the deeply Catholic Eichendorff excelled." (Graham Johnson). Schumann employs a simple strophic setting with the three verses set to the same music. "Nothing can take away from the beauty of this simple but haunting melody and the whole song achieves a quiet majesty in a fine performance."(Graham Johnson)

Der Einsiedler, Op. 83, No. 3

Komm, Trost der Welt, du stille Nacht!
Wie steigst du von den Bergen sacht,
Die Lüfte alle schlafen,
Ein Schiffer nur noch, wandermüd',
Singt übers Meer sein Abendlied
Zu Gottes Lob im Hafen.

Die Jahre wie die Wolken gehn
Und lassen mich hier einsam stehn,
Die Welt hat mich vergessen,
Da tratst du wunderbar zu mir,
Wenn ich beim Waldesrauschen hier
Gedankenvoll gesessen.

O Trost der Welt, du stille Nacht!
Der Tag hat mich so müd' gemacht,
Das weite Meer schon dunkelt,
Laß ausruhn mich von Lust und Not,
Bis daß das ew'ge Morgenrot
Den stillen Wald durchfunkelt.

Josef von Eichendorff (1788-1857)

The Hermit

Come, comfort of the world, quiet night!
As you softly ascend from the mountains
The breezes all go to sleep;
Only a sailor, travel-weary,
Still sings over the water his evening song
In praise of God in the harbor.

The years pass like clouds
And leave me lonesome here,
The world has forgotten me;
You appear to me as a miracle
While I, beside the murmuring wood,
Sit here, lost in thought.

O comfort of the world, quiet night!
The day has so wearied me,
The broad sea is already dark;
Let me rest from yearning and want
Until the eternal daybreak
Flashes through the silent wood.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)

Gabriel Fauré: Les berceaux (Cradles), Op. 23, No. 1 Souzay

FiDiTanzer528 2009-06-06 | Gabriel Faurés "Les berceaux," Op. 23/1 (1879), a setting of a poem by Sully-Prudhomme, uses a flowing melodic line in the vocal part and a characteristic accompaniment in the piano to evoke the movement of both ships and of cradles (berceaux), linking the two together in motion and emotion.

The poem describes large ships rocked by the water and cradles rocked by women: "But the day of farewells will come, because women must weep, and curious men must dare the lure of the horizon." But though ships carry men away from their cradles, the ships sense, and are momentarily held back by, the soul of the cradles.

The song opens with the lulling motion of arpeggios in the piano bass line, underpinning a soothing, quietly sung vocal line. At the line "But the day of farewells will come, " a crescendo slowly builds to a forte climax on "dare the lure of the horizon." The piano leads the way back to the more flowing sprit of the opening, ending the song in the tone in which it began. ~ All Music Guide

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

Les berceaux

Le long du Quai, les grands vaisseaux,
Que la houle incline en silence,
Ne prennent pas garde aux berceaux,
Que la main des femmes balance.

Mais viendra le jour des adieux,
Car il faut que les femmes pleurent,
Et que les hommes curieux
Tentent les horizons qui leurrent!

Et ce jour-là les grands vaisseaux,
Fuyant le port qui diminue,
Sentent leur masse retenue
Par l'âme des lointains berceaux.

René-François Sully-Prudhomme (1839-1907)

Cradles

Along the quay the great ships,
Bending silently with the surge,
Take no thought of the cradles,
Rocked by the hands of the women.

But the day of parting will come,
For it is ordained that women shall weep,
And that inquisitive men
Shall try the shining horizons.

And on that day the great ships,
Leaving the receding harbor,
Feel their hulks restrained
By the soul of the distant cradles.

Translation by Philip L. Miller from The Ring of Words

Gerard Souzay (baritone)
Dalton Baldwin (piano)
Recorded 1960

Robert Schumann - Dichterliebe, Op. 48 Pt 4-4 Fischer-Dieskau Salzburg 1956

FiDiTanzer528 2009-05-31 | I received a kind request (thank you!) to upload some of this performance of "Dichterliebe" and decided that this would be a perfect presentation to honor Fischer-Dieskau's 84th birthday on May 28. This performance comes from Fischer-Dieskau's debut solo recital at the Salzburg Festival on August 13, 1956. His partner at the piano is Gerald Moore.

"Dichterliebe", 'The Poet's Love' (composed 1840), is the best-known song cycle of Robert Schumann (Op. 48). The texts for the 16 songs come from the "Lyrisches Intermezzo" of Heinrich Heine, composed 1822-1823, published as part of the poet's "Das Buch der Lieder".

The very natural, almost hyper-sensitive poetical affections of the poems are beautifully mirrored in Schumann's settings, with their miniaturist chromaticism and suspensions. The poet's love is a hothouse of nuanced responses to the delicate language of flowers, dreams and fairy-tales. Schumann adapts the words of the poems to his needs for the songs, sometimes repeating phrases and often rewording a line to supply the desired cadence.

Notes from Wikipedia.
English translations of the Heine poems by Paul Hindemith.

Dichterliebe, Op. 48
Part 4, Songs 15-16

Aus alten Märchen winkt es
Hervor mit weißer Hand,
Da singt es und da klingt es
Von einem Zauberland;

Wo bunte Blumen blühen
Im gold'nen Abendlicht,
Und lieblich duftend glühen,
Mit bräutlichem Gesicht;

Und grüne Bäume singen
Uralte Melodei'n,
Die Lüfte heimlich klingen,
Und Vögel schmettern drein;

Und Nebelbilder steigen
Wohl aus der Erd' hervor,
Und tanzen luft'gen Reigen
Im wunderlichen Chor;

Und blaue Funken brennen
An jedem Blatt und Reis,
Und rote Lichter rennen
Im irren, wirren Kreis;

Und laute Quellen brechen
Aus wildem Marmorstein.
Und seltsam in den Bächen
Strahlt fort der Widerschein.

Ach, könnt' ich dorthin kommen,
Und dort mein Herz erfreu'n,
Und aller Qual entnommen,
Und frei und selig sein!

Ach! jenes Land der Wonne,
Das seh' ich oft im Traum,
Doch kommt die Morgensonne,
Zerfließt's wie eitel Schaum.

From old fairy tales beckons
To me a white hand,
Where there is a singing and sounding
Of a magical land,

Where multicolored flowers bloom
In golden twilight,
And glow lovely and fragrant
With their bridal visage,

And where green trees sing
Primeval melodies;
Where breezes sound secretly,
And birds warble,

And mist-figures rise
From the earth
And dance airy round-dances
In an odd chorus,

And blue sparks burn
On every leaf and twig,
And red lights run
In a mad, chaotic circle,

And loud springs break
Out of wild marble stone,
And in the streams--oddly--
Shine forth the reflections.

Ah! If I could enter there
And indulge my heart
And give up my agony
And be free and holy!

Ah! This is the land of bliss
That I see so often in a dream,
But when the morning sun comes,
It melts like mere froth.

Die alten, bösen Lieder,
Die Träume bös und arg,
Die laßt uns jetzt begraben,
Holt einen großen Sarg.

Hinein leg' ich gar manches,
Doch sag' ich noch nicht, was;
Der Sarg muß sein noch größer,
Wie's Heidelberger Faß.

Und holt eine Totenbahre,
Und Bretter fest und dick;
Auch muß sie sein noch länger,
Als wie zu Mainz die Brück'.

Und holt mir auch zwölf Riesen,
Die müssen noch stärker sein
Als wie der starke Christoph
Im Dom zu Köln am Rhein.

Die sollen den Sarg forttragen,
Und senken ins Meer hinab;
Denn solchem großen Sarge
Gebührt ein großes Grab.

Wißt ihr, warum der Sarg wohl
So groß und schwer mag sein?
Ich senkt auch meine Liebe
Und meinen Schmerz hinein.

The old, angry songs,
The dreams angry and wicked--
Let us now bury them.
Fetch a large coffin.

In it will I lay many things,
But I will still not say quite what.
The coffin must be still larger
As the cask in Heidelberg.

And fetch a death bier
And planks firm and thick;
They must be still longer
Than the bridge to Mainz.

And fetch me, too, twelve giants;
They must be still stronger
Than that strong St. Christopher
In the Cathedral to Cologne on the Rhine.

They should carry the coffin away
And sink it down deep in the sea,
Since such a great coffin
Deserves a great grave.

Do you know why the coffin
Must be so large and heavy?
I sank with it my love
And my pain, deep within.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)