RICHARD STRAUSS' COMPLETE SONG TEXTS In One Volume Containing All Solo Songs Including Those Not Published During the Composer's Lifetime With International Phonetic Alphabet Transcriptions Word for Word Translations and Commentary By BEAUMONT GLASSTABLE OF CONTENTS Richard Strauss, an overview of his life ‘Acknowledgments ‘Thoughts on Interpreting Lieder Format and Phonetics, an explanation and introduction Op. 10. Acht Gedichte aus “Letzte Blatter” von Hermann Gilm Op. 15. Fiinf Lieder ‘Op. 17. Sechs Lieder von A. F. von Schack Op. 19. Sechs Lieder aus “Lotosblitter” fon A. F. von Schack Op. 21. Schlichte Weisen. Finf Gedichte von Felix Dahn Op. 22. Miidchenblumen. Gedichte von Felix Dahn Op. 26. Zwei Lieder (nach Nikolaus Lenau) Op. 27. Vier Lieder Op. 29. Drei Lieder nach Gedichten von Otto Julius Bierbaum Op. 31. Drei Lieder von Carl Busse Op. 31, No. 4 Stiller Gang (Richard Dehmel) Op. 32. Funf Lieder. Op. 47. Finf Lieder (Ludwig Uhland) Op. 48. Finf Lieder nach Gedichten von Otto Julius Bierbaum und Karl Henckell (Op. 49. Acht Lieder Op. 51. Zwei Lieder fir eine tiefe Basstimme mit Orchesterbegleitung, Op. 56. Sechs Lieder Op. 66. Kriimerspiegel (Alfred Kerr) ‘Op. 67. Sechs Lieder Op. 68. Sechs Lieder nach Gedichten von Clemens Brentano ‘Op. 69. Funf kleine Lieder (A. v. Arnim und H. Heine) Op. 71. Drei Hymnen von Friedrich Hélderlin Op. 77. Gesinge des Orients Op. 87. Vier Gestinge flr cine Basstimme und Klavier Op. 88. Drei Lieder fur eine Singstimme und Klavier Lieder without opus numbers: Drei Liebeslieder (Three Love Songs) ‘Zwei Lieder aus “Der Richter von Zalamea” (Two Songs from “Alcalde de Zalamea”) Funf Lieder nach Gedichten von J. W. v. Goethe (Five Settings of Poems by Goethe) Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) Jugendlieder (Early Songs) Verstreute Lieder (Dispersed Songs, including Strauss’s very last song) ‘Appendix: Singing translations by Beaumont Glass of selected songs Index, song titles and first lines xiv ML 118 120 126 132 137 146 150 156 161 167 170 174 176 179 182 207 210 216 vitRichard Strauss An Overview of His Life Richard Strauss was born in Munich on June 11, 1864. His father, Franz Strauss, played principal horn in the Bavarian Court Orchestra. His mother, née Josephine Pschorr, was the daughter of the wealthy owner of the celebrated Pschorr brewery in Munich, which had been founded by her grandfather. When Franz and Josephine became engaged, he was forty-two and a widower, she was twenty-five and an heiress. Richard was their first child. Franz was a cantankerous tyrant with strong opinions, Josephine a sweet-tempered, pious soul who developed mental problems and was often institutionalized after the age of forty-seven. Their opposite temperaments must have created a high level of stress in the household. There was also a second child, Johanna, three years younger than Richard. Brother and sister enjoyed a close, loving relationship. All through his life, Richard Strauss presented to the world an amiable, calmly disciplined outer persona; tumultuous inner emotions found their expression only in his music. Piano lessons started when he was four; four years later came the violin. He began composing when he was six. His first composition was a “Schneider-Polka” (“Tailor Polka”); his second, “Weiknachislied,” can be found in this volume. The first two operas that he attended were Der Freischiitz and Die Zauberflote, both in 1871. They made an overwhelming impression on him. Mozart became one of his lifelong gods. When the boy was eight, he conducted his “Tailor Polka,” as orchestrated by his proud father, at a concert organized by the Munich Philharmonic Association, Father Franz had very definite opinions: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven good; Wagner (after Tannhduser) bad. He had played horn at the premieres of Tristan und Isolde and Die ‘Meistersinger, but he hated the music. Wagner, however, loved his playing and forgave him his surly manner. Under his father’s guidance, Richard heard nothing but classical music until he was sixteen years old. Formal study of composition, harmony, counterpoint, and orchestration began in 1875. Two years later he composed a “Serenade in G,” the first work that he orchestrated himself. His official Opus 1 was a “Festmarsch” in E major, composed in 1876. By age eighteen he had composed almost 150 works, including a symphony, five other orchestral works, fifty-nine songs with piano, and three orchestral lieder, forty-five piano pieces, as well as some chamber music. His public fame began in 1881, when he was not yet seventeen. In March alone four of his works ‘were performed, a string quartet (Opus 2), three lieder, the ““Festmarsch,” and his Symphony No. 1 in D minor, conducted by Hermann Levi (soon to be entrusted with the premiere of Wagner's Parsifal). Strauss secretly, and more and more feverishly, immersed himself in the score of Tristan und Isolde, though forbidden by his father, and soon became a thoroughly convinced ‘Wagnerian. At the University of Munich he studied philosophy, Shakespeare, art history, and aesthetics. He explored Goethe and the Greek classics, developing a lifelong love of Ancient Greece. His music began to attract attention outside of Munich: Dresden heard his “Serenade in E flat” in 1882, Vienna, Cologne, and Leipzig his violin concerto. In 1883 he composed a horn concerto for his father and his second Symphony. ‘On his summer holiday that year he experienced his first romance. He composed “Rote Rosen” for Lotti Speyer “in deepest adoration.” He was hungry for art, fell under the spell of the “Sistine Madonna” in Dresden, the “Isenheim Altar” in Colmar, and, later in Rome, Bernini's “Apollo and Daphne.” In Berlin, where his cello sonata and a concert overture were performed, he learned to play Skat, which became a lifelong addiction. He met the great conductor Hans von Billow, who helped him establish himself as a conductor, letting him take over rehearsals of the famous Meiningen Orchestra in 1885. Meanwhile, in 1884, Strauss’s second symphony was performed by the New York Philharmonic Society. Around the same time, Strauss fell in love with a married woman, Dora Wihan, the wife of one of his father’s colleagues and the inspiration of his first Published songs (Opus 10, which includes “Zueignumg” and “‘Allerseelen”). Her husband became violently jealous. Strauss moved to Meiningen, where he proved his mettle as piano soloist,x x nductor, and composer in a concert featuring Mozart's C minor concerto and his own second symphony. In the spring of 1885 his mother suffered a mental collapse, the first of a harrowing series. After Meiningen, where Strauss composed an early version of his “Burleske” for piano and orchestra, hare cane three-year contract as “third conductor” at the Munich Court Opera. Before he took up his new post, Strauss made a tour of Italy. The natural beauty of the country, combined with Fe fabulous-art (and the elegantly beautiful women of Rome) inspired him to start sketching his impreseions in the music of “Aus alien.” In Munich, he conducted opera forte first time, oes having to take over unfamiliar operas on very short notice. When his contract expired in 1889; Seams, moved to Weimar, but first he was invited to spend the summer in Bayreuth as a musical began work on bis first opera, Guntram. He wrote his own libretto, completed in 1890. Two years passed before he began to compose the music. Meanwhile, his future wife, the soprano Pauline de Ahna, had come into his life, first as & Coaching svudent, then—thanks to his recommendation—as a leading soprano of the Weimar Opera. For the rest of his life, it was the sound of her voice that inspired the soaring line of his Vecal music. She had an awesome temper, they became engaged after a particularly tempestuous Fight during a rehearsal. In May 1891 Strauss nearly died of pneumoni, but recovered enough 10 Cenduct Tristan und Isolde for the first time on January 17, 1892, “the most wonderful day of my Iife"” The following summer pleurisy and severe bronchitis sent him to Greece, Egypt, and Sicily to convalesce. It was in Cairo that he completed the composition of Guntram. Strauss was rapidly becoming famous. He was invited to conduct his works in Leipzig, Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Dresden. He tumed down an offer from the New York Symphony Orchestra. In Weimar he Senducted the world premiere of Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel. The first performance of Guntram, with Pauline as the leading lady, took place on May 10, 1894. The reviews were tepid. ‘The second production, in Munich in November 1895, was a devastating disaster, the frst in Strauss’s career and one that left deep scars. happy one and—according to Strauss himself—exactly what he needed. For the next eleven years they gave lieder recitals together all over Europe. ‘When their son Franz was born in 1897, Pauline gave up her operatic career, but she continued to sing her husband’s songs in public. In 1904 they Seyred the United States together, giving thirty-five concerts and recitals. Strauss’s first major work after their marriage was the effervescent, witty tone poem Till Eulenspiegels lustige ‘Srreiche (“Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks”), completed in May of 1895 and premiered in ‘Cologne in November. Next came Also sprach Zarathustra (“Thus Spake Zarathustra,” 1896), followed by Don Quixote (1897) and Ein Heldenleben (“A Hero's Life,” 1898). During this same period, Strauss was constantly composing songs as wel, including such popular masterpieces as “Traum durch die Deimmerung,” “Ich trage meine Minne,” and “Befreit.” Strauss and Pauline ‘were living in Munich, where he and Hermann Levi shared the top conducting duties at the Court Opera and Strauss also conducted the Musical Academy concerts. After Levi died in 1896, ‘Strauss became the principal conductor of the Court Opera. He was in demand everywhere: ten concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic, concerts jin Amsterdam, London, Madrid, Paris, Moscow, and Budapest. At home, in “Munich, there were tensions between Pauline and her in-laws. So in the summer of 1898, Strauss moved to Berlin, where he became First Conductor of the Royal Opera, He was determined to enliven the repertoire of that bastion of conservatism with fresh, new works, introducing, among many now-forgotten novelties, Die Fledermaus to Berlin.xi In 1900 he began the composition of his second opera, Feuersnot, a bawdy, brilliant piece in which he took sly revenge against the philistinism of his native Munich for the brutal savaging there of his Guntram. Also sprach Zarathustra, too, had been hissed in Munich, in 1899. But the Berlin Royal Opera rejected Feuersnot as indecent. It was premiered in Dresden in 1901. Gustav Mahler had the courage to present it in Vienna in 1902. Audiences enjoyed it, but the critics were hostile everywhere. The Symphonia Domestica, an autobiographical tone poem about his family lifo—making love to his wife, quarreling, and bathing the baby—was begun in 1902 and had its premiere in New York in 1904. Salome, Strauss’s third opera, brought him worldwide notoriety. ‘The royalties paid for his villa in Garmisch. He had attended a performance of the Oscar Wilde play, translated into German. When leaving the theatre that night, a friend suggested that it might make an interesting opera; Strauss replied that he was already busy composing it in his mind. The composition was finished in June 1905, three weeks after the death at eighty-three of Strauss’s father, whose comment on hearing part of the score had been: “What nervous music—as if one’s pants were full of bugs!” At the first ensemble rehearsal, in Dresden, ail the cast members except ‘one tumed in their scores, claiming that the music was unsingable. Carl Burrian, the Herod, shamed them all into silence when he announced that he had already memorized his entire role. ‘The first performance took place in Dresden in December 1905. When the Austrian premiere was given in Graz, Mahler, Puccini, Schénberg, Alban Berg (and—Adolf Hitler) were in the audience. ‘Toscanini conducted the piece in Milan. At the Metropolitan Opera Salome caused a scandal, partly because of Olive Fremstad’s realistic acting with the severed liead (she had practiced with 4 real one from the morgue). The opera was banished from the Met repertoire after just one Performance. Strauss worked on his next opera, Elektra, from May 1906 until January 1909. Like Salome, it was based upon a rather sensational play in one long act, in this case by the distinguished Austrian author, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, who became Strauss’s indispensable—if slightly touchy—collaborator for five of his next six operas. Thanks to their copious, fascinating correspondence, it is possible to follow the creative process from the conception to the birth of each of their operas. By 1907 Strauss’s health was in danger from overwork: morning rehearsals, afternoon concerts, evening performances, then the night train to the next engagement. He scon developed heart problems, collapsed after a rehearsal in Cologne. It was clear that he would have to curtail his strenuous activities and settle down to a quieter life. In 1908 he was granted a sabbatical to work on Der Rosenkavalier, his next opera, for which Hofmannsthal had dreamed up a totally original story, set in eighteenth-century Vienna. It eventually became Strauss’s most popular opera. The realistic, conversational style was something new and innovative. The worthy stage director of the Dresden Opera seemed completely at sea during the early rehearsals. Hugo von Hofmannsthal called in his friend, the brilliant theatrical wizard, Max Reinhardt. Not to embarrass the nominal stage director, Reinhardt never actually stepped onto the stage. Instead he watched the rehearsals from the darkened auditorium, then met with the cast members in little individual consultations. When they retuned to their places onstage, they seemed miraculously transformed, the characters suddenly becoming fascinating, living human beings. The premiere, in January 1911, was an ‘enormous success. Special trains had to be scheduled. Fifty performances in Dresden, thirty- seven in Vienna in 1911 alone! In gratitude, Hofmannsthal and Strauss planned their next collaboration as a gift to Reinhardt’s own company. It was to be a play with incidental music and a little opera at the end. The orchestra would be very small, to fit into the pit of Reinhardt’s theatre, thirty-seven players instead of over a hundred, as called for in Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier. The play would be Der Burger als Edelmann, Hofmannsthal’s German version of Le bourgeois gentithomme by Moliére, Instead of the Turkish ceremony that ended the original French play, there would be the opera Ariadne auf Naxos, with a plot combining Greek myth with Italian commedia delt’arte, sublime sentiments with burlesque comedy. The experiment proved unsuccessful. Few theatres, not excepting Reinhardt’s, had the resources to mount a work that called for world-class virtuoso singers, an orchestra of accomplished soloists, plus a full company of actors. So, inevitably, the play and the opera were eventually divorced. Strauss wrote some new music and a new ending for the play, and a prologue was added to the opera to explain the intricacies of the myth—which is the version of Ariadne auf Naxos usually heard today (it wasxii premiered in Vienna in 1916). But before that revision, Strauss and Hofmannsthal created ballet, Josephs Legende, conceived for the great Vaclav Nijinsky but eventually performed in 1914 by Leonide Massine, shortly before the outbreak of World War 1. Strauss had just begun ‘work on a new opera, Die Frau ohne Schatten (“The Woman Without a Shadow”), Hofmansthall ‘was called up to serve in the army. While waiting for his collaborator to be released from military ‘duty, Strauss completed the Alpine Symphony, in which the musical description of a hike in the mountains becomes an allegory of man’s journey through life. The magnificent, immense work is ‘eored for 123 players. It was first performed in Berlin in 1915. Hofmannsthal was discharged because of trouble with his eyes. Strauss finished the second act of the new opera in May 1916, then postponed Act III to concentrate on the much less demanding “Ariadne 11.” The new prologue was composed in three weeks. Strauss and Hofmannsthal had decided that the premiere Of Die Frau ohne Schatten would have to wait until after the war, because of the exceptional demands of the staging, which called for many spectacular magical effects. The third act was ‘completed in June 1917, The very ambitious work was finally produced in Vienna in October 1919, when Strauss and Franz Schalk became co-directors of the Vienna Opera. In February 1918 Strauss composed the “Brentano Lieder,” his retum to song writing after a twelve-year hiatus. Because of the war, he lost all the money he had deposited in a London bank. He never received his fee for the premiere in Paris of Josephs Legende. So he had to continue conducting to support his family. In the winter of 1921-22 a second North-American tour raised money for the Salzburg Festival, another of his favorite causes. For his next opera, Intermezzo, Strauss wrote the libretto himself. It was based upon an incident from his own life and the leading characters were himself, Pauline, their son, and their maid Anna, The opera was completed in 1923, successfully staged in Dresden in 1924. Intermezzo was followed by Die dgyptische Helena (The Egyptian Helen,” about Helen of Troy), the libretto again by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It ‘was premiered in Dresden in 1928, a success with Maria Jeritza in Vienna, a failure in New York, ‘Their next joint project was Arabella. Hofmannsthal died before he could finish revisions to the libretto, so Strauss set it to music exactly as his much-mourned collaborator had left it. Once ‘more, Dresden had the honor of the premiere, in 1933. It became, at least in German-speaking lands, the most successful Strauss opera after Rosenkavalier. Hitler took over Germany in January 1933. Strauss’s daughter-in-law, Alice, was Jewish; his two grandsons, therefore, were also in danger. For a while his prestige as Germany's greatest living ‘composer Was his protection; but as the years went by his family was increasingly harassed by the Nazis in Garmisch. Eventually twenty-six of Alice’s relatives died in concentration camps. Strauss’s next librettist, Stefan Zweig, was also Jewish. When their opera Die schweigsame Frau (The Silent Woman,” based on Ben Jonson's Epicane) was premiered in Dresden in 1935, ‘Zweig’s name was at first missing from the program; Strauss insisted that it be put back. Their correspondence was intercepted by the Nazis; Strauss was ordered to resign as President of the Reich Music Chamber. The opera was soon banned in Germany. Since Zweig, already in exile, could no longer openly be Strauss's librettist, he recommended Hans Gregor, a theatre historian, as his successor and remained in the background as advisor and intermediary. With Gregor, Strauss created three more operas, Friedenstag (“Day of Peace”), Daphne (both premiered in Munich, 1938), and Die Liebe der Danaé (“The Love of Danaé”), which, because its scenic requirements would have made a production too costly during World War II, was officially premiered in Salzburg after the composer's death. His final collaborator was the conductor Clemens Krauss, with whom he co-wrote the libretto of his last opera, Capriccio, an opera about writing an opera. Strauss considered it his testament. It was first performed in Munich in 1942. Capriccio is recognized as a late masterpiece, along with Metamorphosen “Metamorphoses,” his moving elegy for the noble symbols of German culture destroyed in the war) and the beautiful, autumnal “Four Last Songs.” ‘Strauss died in his bed in Garmisch on September 8, 1949, with Pauline holding his hand, Alice ‘and Franz and one of the grandsons gathered around him. He told them that what he wasxii, ‘experiencing was amazingly like what he had imagined so many years before while he was composing “Death and Transfiguration.” Pauline followed her Richard eight months later. ‘Strauss’s operas after Der Rosenkavalier were long dismissed as irrelevant (“an old man babbling his reminiscences” was a typical comment). But that unhappy situation has completely changed. ‘Today—thanks partly to the availability of complete recordings and partly to disillusionment with tonality and the avant-garde—the works of his maturity are better understood, more appreciated, and more often performed than ever. Acknowledgments Heartfelt thanks to the following for invaluable help: Ruthann Boles MeTayre, Rita Benson Music Library, the University of lowa, Iowa City, Iowa; ‘Clemens Anton Klug and Dr. Wolfgang Lockemann, American Institute of Musical Studies (“AIMS”), Graz, Austria.xiv ‘Thoughts on Interpreting Lieder ‘The singer is an indispensable partner of the composer and of the poet. The singer gives lifo and expression to the notes and the words and—above all!—to the feelings behind them, the feelings that inspired them. This requires, besides a beautiful voice, a rich imagination and the power to communicate. Every poem was born out of a special experience (the mundane and the ordinary are best left to prose); that specialness stirred the composer to set it to music. It is our task to try 10 find—or to imagine—that original, motivating spark of inspiration, and then to illuminate the song from within. Study the poem, immerse yourself in it! Be sure that you understand its message exactly (one misunderstood word can sometimes alter everything, can even reverse the meaning). Who is speaking those words? Where should you imagine the speaker to be? To whom is he or she addressing those words, and in what frame of mind? Why that word, and not another? Why that phrase? What clues to the poet’s meaning, what insight do they give us? Every singer is simultaneously an actor, communicating words with the most effective and appropriate expression, ready to move us, to shatter or to charm. But no matter how expressive, the words must be understood: clatity of diction is essential. Even the most exquisite verbal nuance is ‘wasted if the word is not being received by the listener. But clear diction does not mean “spitting out” the consonants in little explosions that break up the line of the melody. Consonants need to be resonantly projected, but not exaggerated, and those voiced consonants that lend themselves to Tegato (especially 1, m, n, ng) should be lovingly cherished, to compensate for the many that do not. The words came first, of course, But the music lifts the words to another realm of the imagination, adding a new dimension, new colors, an intensified spiritual resonance. The union of ‘words and tones is what makes a song; in a truly great Lied the combination of poem and music surpasses what either could accomplish alone. In performance, each element must get its individual due and yet be blended in harmony with its counterpart. The consonants and vowels— ‘as sheer sound, apart from the meaning of the word they form—become part of the musical fabric, the musical effect. Be sensitive to the musical possibilities of the language itself. To understand the song the singer must study the accompaniment as well as the vocal line. The piano part is full of clues; look for them! The prelude, the postlude, the interludes—they are your ‘world of the moment, your surrounding atmosphere; often they are you, your feelings, the “subtext” behind the words you sing. Your eyes, your bearing, your entire expression must be in harmony with what is coming to you from the piano. Imagine where you are, what you see before you, what you are feeling. And communicate all of that to the audience as eloquently as you can, ‘without overstepping the boundary between stage and concert platform. Be totally expressive— but not “theatrical.” A great lieder singer invites the audience into the world of the song, to share in moments of beauty and flights of the spirit that the poet and the composer have created and that the interpreter must always endeavor to re-create anew. It is not nearly enough simply to sing the indicated pitches and note values and to pronounce the words clearly and correctly, no matter how beautiful the voice. Live with the song. Explore its world. Without a special contribution from the imagination, the personality, and the very soul of the singer, the performance would at best offer flowers without any fragrance. ‘The great lieder composers were deeply sensitive to nature and to all its moods. The Romanti still had a classical education; living as they did among monuments of history and art, they absorbed a rich cultural awareness, which is reflected in their works. Spend time in nature; visit museums; study paintings and literature of the period; listen to recordings by Dietrich Fischer- Dieskau, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Lotte Lehmann, Elly Ameling, and other great interpreters of lieder.Format and Phonetics ‘An Explanation and Introduction Format The German text of each song or aria is printed in bold type; above each word is a transcription of the pronunciation in the characters of the International Phonetic Alphabet (“IPA”); beneath each word of the German text is an English word that is as close as practicable to the literal meaning, chosen from among the possible choices offered in a comprehensive German-English dictionary; beneath that, usually, in a fourth line, is the meaning of the line as it might be ‘expressed in English, with its very different syntax. Example (from Ruhe, meine Seele, “Rest, My Soul”): nit’ lagen Ivft'gonreck't' zig. ‘lagzo, zanft’ lent“flumet’ rut Nichtein Liiftchen regt sich leise, sanft entschlummert rubt der Hain; Not a littlebreezestirs itself softly, gently fallen asleep rests the grove; (Not even the slightest breeze is stirring; the grove has gently fallen into a quiet sleep;) dorg dergblet'e ‘dunk'la hla ft'iit’ zig ‘igt'e "zononfaen. durch der Blitter dunkle Hillle stiehit sich lichter Sonnenschein. through the leaves’ dark covering, steals itself light sunshine. (light sunshine is stealing through the dark covering of the leaves.) Often different interpretations may be possible; the translator has made a choice according to his, ‘own feeling for the language and his own understanding of the poem. A number of definite errors have been discovered in various otherwise excellent books of translations. Variants in the text are noted beneath or beside the relevant line, with pronunciation (in IPA) and translation of any words different from those in the line. After the end of each song there is a more or less brief commentary, consisting of observations about the nature of the song or the meaning of the poem, with perhaps a hint about the interpretation, some possibly useful background information, an explanation of discrepancies or unusual references, or similar points. Spelling has been modemized throughout wherever the pronunciation is unaffected, e.g.: Tréne for Thrane, toten instead of todten, Los instead of Loos. Phonetics: ‘The pronunciation suggested is based on a combination of two authoritative sources, Duden—Das Aussprachewérterbuch, and Siebs—Deutsche Hochsprache. ‘The diphthongs, for example, are taken from Siebs, since that version works better for singers, a. 99, 2g (Siebs) instead of aij, au, ay (Duden). The treatment of the unaccented ending “er” (as in “Mutter” or “aber”) and words or syllables ending in r (such as “der,” “nur,” “mehrfach,” “verlor") is as recommended in Duden. When the following word or syllable starts with a vowel, it is often advisable in singing to pronounce the r, for the sake of clarity and a smoother legato. Where that is the case, this collection offers a choice, e.g.: dexg/derr, or ‘o:de(r). The more formal the mood of the song, the more rhetorical or archaic the wording, the heavier the accompaniment, the more likely that the r’s will be sounded distinctly. Some familiarity with current practice among the best German singers is a desirable guide in such, as in all cases. In general, the pronunciation given is that which would be used in speaking the words (an ‘exception: when the composer has given a note to a vowel that would ordinarily be non-syllabic in speech, e.g: ely:zium—four syllables—instead of ely:zjum—three syllables).xvi Double consonants within a word are not pronounced in speech, but may be treated differently in singing, depending on the length of the note values and the importance of the word itself. For instance, in singing a word like “Wonne” (ecstasy) in a slow tempo, the n will be prolonged, both for expressive purposes and to counteract the abnormal rhythm of the word that is dictated by the ‘music, since in speech it would be pronounced quickly with a very short and open 9. This subtle distinction has not been observed in the present compilation, and is left to the singer's discretion. Ifa short vowel is to be sung on a relatively long note, some compromise must be made between the normal pronunciation in quick speech and the demands of the music: this is usually ‘accomplished by doubling the consonant that follows the vowel, to indicate its shorter value. “Kann” (can), for instance, must be distinguished from “Kahn” (boat). ‘To remind singers (and speakers) that t, k, and p are more or less strongly aspirated in German (indicated by Duden only in the introductory pages, later merely assumed), certain IPA symbols have been added to indicate the degree of aspiration: t*, k', p* strongly aspirated, t", k', p' lightly aspirated, When a word ends with the t, k, or p sound, and the next begins with the same sound, oF its voiced equivalent (d, g, or b) the final t, k, or p is not aspirated, unless a pause is made between the words (a musical rest, for example). The directors and coaches of German opera houses are very particular about such matters. German audiences expect to understand the words. ‘The translations: ‘The translator has endeavored to make the meaning of the text as clear as possible, without any concern for elegance or poetic beauty in the English wording. Some of the original poems are quite straight-forward; others are subject to various interpretations; still others need to be lived in for a while before they yield up a sense of their message. Some German words are encountered only in poetry today; dictionaries usually label them “poetic.” But perfectly ordinary words still in daily use are translated into their English equivalents; “Madchen,” for example, is usually going to be “gir!” rather than “maiden,” unless a medieval atmosphere is an integral factor in the effectiveness of the poem. “Du” will be “you” rather than “thou,” unless the poem is a prayer. German dicti ‘Vowels: One striking feature of German is the marked difference in duration between long and short vowels. “Abend” (aibant'- evening), for example, has a long ah; in “Nacht” (naxt® - night) the ais very short. Yet a singer may find the word Nacht on a much longer note than the first syllable of Abend. How to be true to the sound of the word? No matter how short the note, the arin Abend ‘must give the impression of duration through the quality and intensity of the vowel. The a in ‘Nacht must be prolonged without weight or stress, and the ch should be pronounced slightly ‘earlier than if the word were “nach” (naxx - after, toward) for instance, which has a relatively long, 12. Another characteristic of German is the obligatory use of the glottal stop [I] to separate the end ‘of one word from a following word that begins with a vowel, or to separate certain word elements within a word. Examples: sie entehren ihn (zi lent‘tesran lin - they dishonor him), die und ich (du: lunt’ lig - you and 1), vereinen (fegtgenan/ferlagnen - to unite) —{al is the IPA symbol for the usual in German. It is basically a brighter, more forward vowel ‘than our Ame “ah” (except, perhaps, an “ah” in Boston). The ain “Vater” (fait'e - father) or “haben” (ha:ban - have) is long; in “Gevatter” (gefat'e - godfather) the 2 is short. —{a) is a darker version of a, slightly lower and farther back in the mouth; it occurs in the diphthong represented in normal print as au and in the IPA as qo. Examples: Baum (bgom - tee), Haus (hags - house). Besides the difference in duration between “long” and “short,” there is a strong phonetic difference between the following “closed” and “open” vowels:xvii —{e] is a very closed vowel that does not exist in American English, and is usually one of the last to be mastered by singers who are not French or German (itis identical with the French é). [e] is closer to the position of (i] in the mouth than its nearest approximation in standard English. Examples: ewig (e:vig - eternal), Seele (zeslo - soul). The difference between “Leben” (lecban - life, to live) and “fieben” (lisbon - to love) is slight but crucial —{e] is similar to the short open e in such English words as “let,” “ege.” It can be long or short; its long version, [e:, is identical to the vowel in “air” without the r, and is written as d in German, Itis the same sound as é in French. That sound must be avoided when the [e] is short, as in Herz (herts - heart), Herr (her - Sir, Mr.) in both of which the vowel is as in “head” and not as in i” (an important distinction); @ can also be short, pronounced —{o] is a slightly darkened version of {e] and should not sound like the English [4], the vowel in “love,” which in German is only found in the ending er, as in Mutter (mut'e - mother) or aber (Caxbe - but), and is represented in the IPA as [e]. il is a closed vowel identical to the ee in “see.” —i isa light, shor [i] before another vowel, onlyslightly different from the sound of {jJ; ‘example: familjo (Familie = family). —{t1 is open and short, as in “it” or “if” in English. Some Americans do not distinguish between [1] and [e] in everyday speech, making “bin,” “been,” and “Ben” sound the same. They must guard against making the same error in German. Examples: ich (ig - 1), bin (bmn - am). {ol is a very closed vowel that, like [e] does not exist in English, but does in French (spelled 6, au, oF eau). It is closer to the mouth position of [u] than its nearest approximation in American English, which is usually a diphthong (49). Examples: ofine (oma - without), Tod (thost' - death), Boot (bort*- boat), —o] is very open, almost as much as in French, and always short (whereas the nearest sound in American speech, the vowel in “awe” is generally long). Examples: noch (nox - still), Sonne (zona - sun). There is a big difference between the sound of offen (ofan - open) and Ofen (o:fan - oven). —{u] is closed and similar to the vowel in “moon.” Examples: du (du: - you), Rue (rua - rest, peace), tun (tun - to do). —{o] is open and short, similar to the vowel in “foot” or “look” (if pronounced according to standard English; many Americans have a problem with this sound in German as in their own regional vernacular). Examples: Mutter (mot'e - mother), und (unt' - and), Kuss (k*us - kiss), —{61 is closed and does not exist in English. It is pronounced by forming the lips to make a very closed (0] and at the same time trying to say a closed German (or French) (e). Examples: schon (Gorn - beautiful), haren (hesran - to hear), Kénig (kYg:nic - king). Most Americans make too open a sound when attempting this vowel. It must be distinguished from its open counterpart: —{ce], the open version of [6], made by forming the lips to make an open [9] while trying to say {e). The sound exists in English in “girl,” “world,” “bird,” etc. (before the r is added). Examples: ‘mochte (moegt'a - would like), Gtter (goet'e - gods), Téchter (toegt'e - daughters). —1)1 is closed and does not exist in English. It is made by rounding the lips as if to say [u) and trying to pronounce [i]. Examples: grin (gry:n - green), fr (fry: - early), siss (zy:s - sweet). It is easier than [6] for Americans because (u] and [i] exist in English, whereas pure (o] and [e] do not. —{v] is the open version of [y], made by rounding the lips as if to say [u] and trying to pronounce [i]. Examples: jinger Cjyne - younger), Kasse (k*ys9 - kisses), Gltick (glvk* - luck). Diphthongs are always pronounced short in German speech, but may be notated long in music, in which case the first of the two vowel sounds must take up most of the duration of the note (as ‘when singing English diphthongs) Examples: Wein (vaen - wine), Haut ( hggt- skin), Freude (fragda - joy).xviii ‘Consonants: ‘When the last letter in a word (or word element) is 6, d, g, v, ors that final consonant is unvoiced in German. That means that [b} becomes [p], [d] becomes [4], [2] becomes (k), {v] becomes [f], {2 becomes fs] (exception: when ich follows a verb that has lost its final e through contraction, as in“hab’ ich,” the final consonant of the shortened verb may keep its voiced sound). Americans have a particular problem with a final s after a voiced consonant, as in Herzens (hertsons heart’s), Lebens (lecbans - life's), niemals (ni:ma:ls - never), because in English an s after jiced consonant is usually voiced (as in “lens”), unless the sound is spelled with a c, as in fence” or “dance.” Watch out for this common fault! P, 1, and k are usually aspirated in German (that is, mixed with the sound of h); this will be indicated by a following [*] if strongly aspirated, cr by {'] if slightly aspirated. When 6, d, and g become p, f, and k at the end of a phrase, they are not as strongly aspirated as the final consonant would be in words actually spelled with p, f, or k. Example: the difference between ‘ot (ost - dead) and Tod (tot - death), if the word happens to ‘end a phrase (otherwise both words sound the same). —ch has two pronunciations: [¢] “front ch” follows a “front” vowel (i, e, 4, , i) or a consonant. It is a light hissing sound, (the lips are not moved, as they are for sh). Examples: ich (1g 1), Milch {anilg - milk), durch (durg - through), manch (mang - many a). “Back ch” [x] follows a “back” vowel (a, 0, u). Examples: ach (ax - ah!), noch (nox - still), Buch (bux - book). There are two ‘common errors in pronouncing [x]: either it sounds too much like (¢] or too much like {k]. Example: Nacht (naxt* - night) must not sound like nackt (nak't* - naked). ji] is pronounced like y in English; sometimes it is aspirated with an h for expressive reasons. Examples: ja (ja: or hja: - yes), jung (jun or hjun - young). The possible aspiration has not been indicated in this collection. —I {I} is articulated with the tongue farther toward the front of the mouth than in American speech (but not past the teeth, as in some Russian words). It isa light, lyrical sound, and one of the problems for most American speakers. Examples: Liebe (litbo - love), Welt (velt* - world). —m [m], n(n}, and ng {n) are hummed very resonantly in German singing. Final m in the ending en, however, is only lightly touched, since such endings serve a grammatical rather than an expressive function. —nk is pronounced {nk], as in denken (denk‘an - to think), Dunkel (dunk’al - dark). —qu is pronounced [kV]; that is why German singers often have trouble in Italian with “questo” or “gui”. Examples: Quelle ("velo - spring, source), Qual (ktvatl - torment). —r is uvular in speech (as in French) but trilled or “flipped” by the tongue in singing. Final r is a special case, as discussed above under the heading “Phonetics.” After a long vowel, in the prefixes er, ver, zer, and in the endings er, ern, etc., itis barely indicated and rarely flipped or rolled in modern German speech. Final double r, as in starr ({t'ar - rigid) is rolled. The IPA symbol [2] represents the sound written “er,” when it is the only vowel in a syllable; (p] is the second vowel in a diphthong. Examples: ‘mot'e (Mutter = mother); nuxg (nur = only), vergessen (feggesan - to forget). Examples of the sound in English are “mother” and “poor” as those words ‘are pronounced in England or in parts of the eastern United States, without the so-called “mid- western” r. In singing (but not in speech), a flipped r is sometimes sounded at the end of the syllable for the sake of clarity, especially if the next word (or word element) starts with a vowel In that case the sound of the vowel [e] is preserved before the r; but the [3] is not. Care should be taken to distinguish between the endings “er” and “c” in German (examples: lieber and Liebe); {Js lighter and closer to {e}, whereas [e] is the only sound in German that is nearly equivalent to the English [a], the vowel in “love.” —st and sp at the beginning of a word element are usually pronounced as if the s were sh [I] Examples: Strasse ([t'ra:sa - street), sprechen (p'recan - to speak). If st or sp follow a vowel, or if the s and the f or p belong to different syllables, then the pronunciation is normal. Examples: erst (exgst’ - first), lispeln Clisp'aln - to whisper, to lisp). —y is usually pronounced like f, but there are exceptions, especially in names. Venus (vemus) keeps the v sound; Eva can be pronounced both ways, with [f] for Eve in paradise or the heroine ‘of Wagner's Die Meistersinger (e:fa); with [v] for a modern woman (erva). Note that the final isa pure (a] and never [a] or [4]xix —w is pronounced [v]. Examples: Welle (vela - wave), wenn (ven - when, if). —# is pronounced ss [ts]. Examples: zu (isu: - to, oo), zwei (isvae - two). Because there are so many consonants in German, and because they often need to be articulated very strongly and sharply, the singer who wants to sing a beautiful legato line must be alert to every opportunity to take advantage of those consonants that lend themselves to legato singing, especially 1, m, n, ng. Those consonants, especially when double, offer the possibility of making a portamento or slur on the consonant itself, which can give a much needed curve to the otherwise overly angular effect of short choppy syllables bristling with consonants, Seize every chance to exploit those curves! Examples: Wonne (vonno - rapture), Kummer (komme - sadness), Wange (vanp - check), helle (hello - bright). Note that in these examples the m, m, and / have been doubled in the suggested pronunciation, to illustrate the point. They are not doubled in speech, and therefore not in the phonetic transcriptions in this collection. Doubling at the discretion of the singer is often done for expressive reasons, to add intensity to key words, such as Liebe! (Ilitbo - love!), Mutter! (mmut'e - Mother!), Siisse! (zzy:so - sweet one!), etc. Lotte Lehmann, in her master classes, used to call out to her students: “Ten I's!” when they were to sing the word “Liebe” in a particularly rapturous phrase. ‘Stressed syllables: primary stress is indicated with the IPA symbol (] in front of the syllable; in cases of possible ambiguity, a secondary stress may be indicated with []. Note: Lieder means “songs,” the plural of the German word for song which is das Lied. In English we can say “lieder singer” or “he sang several lieder,” but not “a lieder”: the term would bbe “a Lied.” The plural form has become a part of our language, but not yet the singular. In the Appendix (just before the index) English singing translations can be found for the following songs, in the following order: Zueigmmg (Dedication), Nacht (Night), Allerseelen (Al! Souls’ Day), and Heimkehr (Returning Home), page 210; Seitdem dein Aug’ (Since First Your Eyes), Standchen (Serenade), and Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten (How Can We Conceal), page 211; Du meines Herzens Kronelein (You Crown My Heart), Ruhe, meine Seele (Rest, Weary Spirit), and Cacilie (Cecilia), page 212; Heimliche Aufforderung (Secret Invitation), Morgen! (Tomorrow!), Traum durch die Dammerung (Dream in the Twilight), and Ich trage meine Minne 1 Carry Love Inside Me), page 213; Befreit (Freed), Four Last Songs, Frithling (Spring), and September, page 214; Beim Schlafengehen (Going to Sleep), and Im Abendrot (At Sunset), page 215. Strauss’s special use of short pauses: The singer will notice that Strauss, like Schumann and Hugo Wolf, often interrupts a musical line with a rest solely for the sake of clear diction, For example, if one word ends in a (t) sound and the next begins with (t), (d], or [ts] he may insert a short rest between them, whereas another composer might let them be joined together as they would be in normal German speech. Also, he frequently places a rest before a word that starts with a vowel, so that the singer will make a clear attack and not slur the word or connect it to the end of the previous word. In this series of volumes the symbol for a stroke of the glottis (I) has only been used within a phrase or word to indicate a necessary separation, and has been omitted after a written-out rest.‘ohp'us gem: laxt’ gadict’s laos ““letst’a ‘blet'e ” fon ‘herman (fon) giim Opus 10: Acht Gedichte aus “Letzte Blatter” von Hermann Gilm ‘Opus 10: Eight Poems from “Last Leaves” by Hermann (von) Gilm (published in 1883, composed 1882-1883) Jay du: vagst' les, agro zetlo, das lig fem fon diy mig khve:lo, Ja, du weisstes, teure Seele, dass ich fernvon dir mich quile, Yes, you know it, precioussoul, that I far ftom you myselftorment, (Yes, you know, precious soul, that I torment myself when I am far from you;) ‘libo_maxt di ‘hertgan krank®, ha:bo dank, Liebe macht die Herzen krank, habe Dank, love makes the hearts ill, have thank(s). (love can make a heart feel ill! Thank you for that love.) , dese fraghaet ‘sece, hox den lametyst'an ‘bege Einst hielt ich,der Freiheit Zecher, hoch den Amethysten- Becher ‘Once held I, the freedom’s drinker, high the amethyst* beaker (Once I, drunk with freedom, held high the amethystine goblet—) {original poem: Hielt ich nicht (hilt'i¢ nigt, held I not), der Freiheit Zecher] [*note: the amethyst was once believed to have the power to annul drunkenness; here itis a symbol of rich, sensual passion] dont du: ze:gnat'ast den trank’, ‘ha:bo dank”. unddu segnetest den Trank, habe Dank. and youblessed the drink, have thank(s). (and you blessed the drink. Thank you for the blessing of your understanding love.) unt’ ba'fvorgst darn di ‘bg:zon, bis hig, vas. lig geverzon, Und beschworst darin die Basen, bis ich, was ich nie gewesen, And exorcised init theevils, till, what I never(had) been, (And you exorcised all evil from that drink, till ! became what I had never been before:) hhaelig, haelig lans —herts disp zank,‘ha:bo dank. heilig, heilig an ’s Herz dir sank, habe Dank. holy, holy ontothe heart toyou sank, have thank(s). (sanctified, hallowed, I sank down upon your heart. Thank you for your transforming love!) [original poem: Heilig an das Herz dir sank (one “heilig” only)] [The lover, in his thirst for freedom and experience, had much to repent of in his past. But she, in accepting and forgiving, has cleansed him of the stain, so that—finally—he can embrace her in a truly spiritualized love. The first verse is like a tender letter from a loving husband to his wife. ‘The second verse begins as the vivid memory of a more reckless, stormy, self-indulgent time—a time of intoxicating lust for life that was leading him toward dissipation and self-destruction. ‘The turning point comes at the word “segnetest,” which must calm the stirred emotions like a benediction. Her understanding, healing love has transfigured his passion into something exalted, innocent, and noble. The ecstatic third verse is an outpouring of fervent gratitude. Strauss chose the title and placed this song very appropriately at the head of his first group of songs to be2 published. He thought of them in terms of the tenor voice and dedicated Opus 10 to the tenor Heinrich Vogel. Many years later, in 1940, he orchestrated this one as an offering of thanks to the soprano Viorica Ursuleac for her portrayal of his Agyptische Helena. The surging prelude, marked moderato, must be almost hymn-like and not too fast. The exalted climax can be quite broad. The poem is the only one in the group from a different collection, “m Frihling” (In the Spring”), rather than “Letzte Blatter”. (A singing translation can be found in the appendix.)] 2 nugts Nichts Nothing ‘nenan zal lig, zack't' lig, ‘magna ktonigin lim —‘isderage? Nennensoll ich,sagt ihr, meine Kénigin im Liederreich? Name shall], say you,my queen inthe songs-realm? (You ask me to name my queen in the realm of song?) ‘oren, di: lig zagt’, 1g ‘keno zi: lam ‘vemigst’an fon lage. Toren, die ihr seid, ich kennesie am wenigsten von euch. Fools, thatyouare, I know herattheleast of you. (Fools that you are, 1 know her less than any of you.) fraik't' mig nam derg/de:r igogan farbo, fraik't' mig narx dere ‘fimo tom, Fragt michnachder Augen Farbe,fragt_ michnachder StimmeTon, Ask me after the eyes’ color, ask me after the voice’s tone, (Ask me the color of her eyes, ask me about the sound of her voice,) frak't’ nax gan lunt tants lunt'‘halt‘on, ax, unt! vas vaes lig dat fragt nach Gang und Tanz und Haltung, ach, und was weiss ich davon! ask after gait and dance and bearing, ah, and what knowl of that! (ask about her walk, her dancing, and her bearing—ah, what do / know about any of that?) Ist di ‘zona nigt di ‘k'velo alas ‘lesbons, ‘alas ligts? Ist die Sonne nicht die Quelle alles Lebens, alles Lichts? Is thesun not the source ofall life, of all light? unt! vas ‘vison fon de:gzelbon 1g unt" lisg unt tala? mugs, nigts. ‘und was wissen von derselben ich undibr und alle? nichts, nicht and whatknow of thesame 1 and youand all? nothing, nothing. {And what do we—you or or anyone—really know about that? Nothing, nothing!) [His friends ask the poet—or the composer—which of his works deserves the crown. Foolish question! How can he judge among them? How can he describe them? Inspiration brought them to life, as the sun gives us both life and light. And what do we know about those mysterious sources? Actually nothing! The song is a gift to the singer, full of playful charm, masterfully ‘combining conversational naturalness, jaunty rhythms, and lyrical beauty. In some editions there is a misprint in bar 33: the right-hand chord-b-f sharp-a should have the duration of a half note.)3. di naxt® Die Nacht ‘The Night 9s dem'valdo nt di naxt’, gos den‘bagman flagst’ zi: Taeza, Aus dem Waldetritt dieNacht, aus den Biumen schleicht sie leise, Outof the forest stepsthe night, outofthe trees steals _shesoffly, (Night steps out of the forest; she steals softly out from among the trees,) [Gilm: an (an, by) den Biumen} foot’ zig tum _—_Iin-vaet'am ‘kraeza, num gicp' laxt*, schautsich um in weitem Kreise, nun gib acht. looks herself around in wide circle, _ now give heed. (looks all around herself in a wide circle. Now take care!) {(Gilm: im weiten (im ‘vagt'an, in the wide) Kreise} ‘ala ‘igt'e ‘dize velt’, ‘alo ‘blurman,talo farbon loeft' zi: legs unt’ ‘it. di Alle Lichter dieser Welt, alle Blumen, alle Farben lischt sie aus und stieblt die All lights of this world, all flowers, all colors puts she out and steals the (She extinguishes all the lights of this world, blots out all flowers, all colors, and steals the) [austoschen = to extinguish) ‘garbon vek’ fom — felt’.‘alas mimt’ zit, vas nuxg holt’, nimt das‘zilbe vek* Garben weg vom Feld. Alles nimmtsie, was _nur hold, nimmtdas Silber weg sheaves away from the field. All takes she, which(is)only lovely, takes the silver (sheaves from the field. She takes everything away, whatever is lovely, takes away the (was mur = whatever] des ft'roms, nit’ fom —‘Wupfedax des dotms _vek’ das golt’. des Stroms, nimmtvom Kupferdachdes Doms weg dasGold. of thestream, takes from the copper roof of the cathedral away the gold. (of the stream, takes away the gold from the copper dome of the cathedral.) [Gilm: Stromes ({t'rozmas), Domes (do:mas), an optional form} ‘agsgap"lyndet’ ft'et de:g ft'raox, ‘rvk'a ‘nexe, ze: lan ‘zero; Ausgeplundert steht der Strauch, riicke nither, Sel’ an Seele; Out-plundered standsthe bush, move nearer, soul to soul; (The bush is plundered of its blossoms. Come nearer, soul to soul!) o: di naxt', mig bant’, zi: ‘ets dig misg/misrigox. 0 dieNacht,mir bangt,sic steble dichmir auch. ‘Oh the night, tome fears, she maysteal you fromme too. (Oh, the night, I fear, may steal you from me too.) [mir bangt (idiom) = I'm afraid] [in this poem night is portrayed as a thief, an unusual idea. The lover feels uneasy, unsure of his beloved. Perhaps the night will steal her away from him. A mysterious, stealthy atmosphere must be created from the very beginning, as the ominous shadows lengthen, outlines become indistinct, and colors disappear. Perhaps the long note values near the end are the lover's attempt to hold onto his vulnerable love before she slips away from him. In some editions there is a print: the first chord of the third bar (in the original, high key) should read e sharp-g sharp-a, like the following chords in that bar. (There is a singing translation in the appendix.)}4 gelorgimna Die Georgine The Dahlia varum zor fp’e:t' lergst’, ge(()*orgima? das ‘ro:zonmesgcon list‘ leptse:it* Warum so spit erst, Georgine? Das Rosenmiirchen ist erzihit Why so late first, dahlia? The rose- fairytale is told (Why have you first bloomed so late, dahlia? The rose’s fairytale has already been told,) [*note: for the sake of the legato phrase, the glottal stop may be or ont'‘homigzat’ hat’ zig di ‘bia ixg bet tgum “flume(r) — taosgoverl und honigsatt hat sich dieBiene ihr Bett zum Schlummer ausgewahit. and honey-sated has (for)itself the bee its bed tothe slumber chosen. (and the bee, sated with honey, has already chosen a bed for its slumber.) zant’ migt tsu:kalt dis ‘ditza ‘negt's? viz lespst du: ‘thaiga hin? Sind nicht zu kalt dir diese Nachte? Wie lebst du diese Tage bin? ‘Are not too cold for youthese nights? How live youthese days hence? (Are these nights not too cold for you? How are you able, these days, to live on?) ven lig dig jetst den‘fry:im ‘bregt’s, du: ‘fagegelba ttragmarin, Wenn ichdir jetzt den Friibling brichte, du feuergelbe Triumerin, If 1 toyounow the spring would bring, you fire- yellow dreamer, (If could now bring you the spring, you fire-yellow dreamer,) ven lig mit’ maettag dig banetst's, —bo'goesa-—dig_ mit’ jumiligt', wenn ich mit Maitau dichbenetzte, egisse dich mit Junilicht, if 1 _withMay-dew you would moisten, would drench you with June-light, (if I could sprinkle you with May dew, pour June light over you—) dox lax, dan vergst dur migt di letst'a, di ‘Jttoltso taentsiga Iaox nigt. doch ach, dann wirst du nicht dieLetzte, die stolze Einzige auch nicht. but ah, then were younot the last, theproud unique onealso not. (but ah! then you would also no longer be the last, the proud unique one.) vi, ‘tragmrin, lok” 1g feyge:bons? zo: rag mig ‘fvest‘elig di hant', Wie, Trium’rin, lock’ ichvergebens? so reich’ mir schwesterlich die Hand, How, dreamer, entice! invain? —_thenoffer tomesisterly the hand, (So, dreamer, do I entice you in vain? Then offer me your hand like a sister.) [Gilm: Triiumeri 1g. harp’ den ‘maetha:k' ‘ditzas ‘leibons, vi: du: den fry:im —migt' gok*ant ich hab’ den Maitag dieses Lebens,wiedu den Friling nicht gekannt; I have the Mayday of thislife, as youthe spring not known; (Lhave not known the May days of this life, just as you have not known the spring;) (Gilm: ich hab’ den Frdhling dieses Lebens, wie du den Maitag nicht gekannt} ont! fptex' vit dig, du: fagegelbo, ft'arl zig di ‘tisbo misg/mixr ims —_herts; und spit wiedir, du Feuergelbe, stablsich dieLiebe mir ins Herz; and late as foryou, youfire- yellow,stole itself the love tome into the heart; (and late, as for you, fire-yellow dahlia, love has stolen into my heart;)2p’ Jp'ent, lop’ fry:, les st daszelbo lenttsyk'an unt de:g'zelbo Jmerts. ob split, ob frilh,es ist dasselbe Entziicken undderselbe Schmerz. whether late, or early, it is thesame rapture and the same pain. (The dahlia is the last bloom in the poet’s garden; the roses have long since vanished. The dahlia, like the poet, has never experienced the joy of spring. Love came to the poet late in life; but its Joys and sorrows are as keen as they would have been in youth. Though the songs of this Opus 10 were conceived for the tenor voice, and dedicated to a tenor, the word schwesterlich suggests that this moving song may be equally—perhaps be even more—appropriate for a female voice: the woman who finds love in the autumn of her life feels a sisterly bond with the late-blooming, flower.) 5. gedult’ Geduld Patience godvlt’, zarkst du: ont tsackst’ mit’ ‘vaesom ‘fige Geduld, sagst du undzeigst mit weissem Finger Patience, say you and point white finger ("Patience,” you say; and you point with a white finger) of magne ‘tsurktunft' fest’ gaJlosno —thyrg. ast di_ minus gore, auf meiner Zukunft fest geschloss’ne Tar. Ist die Minute, die da lebt, geringer, at _my future's firmlyclosed door. Is the minute, thathere lives, less significant, (at the firmly closed door of my future. Is the present, living moment less significant) [Gilm: festverschlossene (fest'fex,flosana)]} als ‘jemo tungaborrnan? ‘za:ga mize! kYanst' mit derg ‘li:bo du: den lents ferfibon, dan als jene ungebor’nen? sage mir! kannst mit der Liebedu den Lenz verschieben, dann thanthat unbomone? tell me! can withthe love youthe springpostpone, then (than that moment yet unborn? Tell me! Can you postpone spring along with love? Then) borg ig ditg fy:g/fystgens te:vick*get®, dox mit dem ‘endat' Igox das ticbon borg’ichdir fiir eine Ewigkeit, ‘doch mit dem Fribling endet auch das Lieben lend 1 toyoufor an eternity, but withthe spring ends also the loving (Ican extend credit to you for an eternity. But loving ends with the spring,) unt’ gena'hertgonsfuldan tsailt di tsaet". gadult’, zarkst du: unt’ zenkst di und Herzensschulden zahltdie Zeit. Geduld, sagst du undsenkst die and no heart's debts pays the time. Patience, say youand lower the (and time will not pay the debts of the heart. “Patience,” you say, and you lower your) ‘Jvarisa‘lok'2, unt! ‘t'ynt'lig Talon ‘blusmanplet‘e(1) lap", unt" ‘fe'ynt'lig schwarze Locke, und stiindlich fallen Blumenblitter ab, und stiindlich black curl, and hourly fall flower- petals down, and hourly (Gark curls; and hourly the petals fall from the flowers; and hourly) ‘ordet’ ‘geno tott'anglok’a derg ‘rem ‘etst'as farggelt’ fyse das grap’. fordert eine Totenglocke der Triine letztes Fabrgeld fiir das Grab. demandsa _passing-bell_the tear's last fare for the grave. (@ tolling knell calls for the final fare of tears for the journey to the grave.)6 zit nug di ‘Paigo nel fory:be ‘rinan, horg, vit zit ‘mamont’ “kMopfon Sich nur die Tage schnell voriiber rinnen, horch, wie sie mahnend klopfen See just the days quickly past trickle, hear, howthey dunningly knock ‘Gust see the days quickly trickling by, hear how they knock, demanding payment,) andi brust’,max lgof,max Igof, vas vig nigt* hagt* ga'vinon, an die Brust, mach auf, mach auf, was wir nicht heut? gewinnen, at the breast,open up, open up, whatwe not today gain, (at your breast, crying “Open up! Open up! That which we do not gain today) 1st’ ‘morgan tunlegzetslice feylust’. gadult’, zarkst du: unt‘ zenkst di tgogonli:de, ist morgen unersetzlicher Verlust. Geduld, sagst du und senkst die Augenlider, is tomorrow irreplaceable loss. Patience, say _youand lower the eyel (is irretrievably lost tomorrow. “Patience,” you say, and you lower your eyel feynagnt™ 1st" magna fraige an das glvk*; zo: "le:bo voi, ig ze: dig ‘ume ‘vide, verneint ist meine Frage an dasGliick; so lebe wobl,ich seh’ dich nimmer wieder, denied is my questionto the happiness; so fare well, 1 see you never again, (My question to happiness is answered with a “no.” So farewell, I shall never see you again;) zorvils magn tunlegbit'ligas gafik. du: hast’ gaglgop't', vag tandra so will ’s mein unerbittliches Geschick.Du hast geglaubt, weil and’re so wants itmy inexorable fate. Youhave believed, because others (my inexorable fate has willed it so. You believed that because others) ‘vart‘an'myson_ unt" vart'an KYoenan, kan lunt' mus ligs laox; 1¢ taibe hi warten miissen und warten kénnen, kann und muss ich’s auch;ich aber hab’ wait must and wait can, can and must I ittoo; I howeverhave (anust wait and can wait, that I can and must wait too. But I have) {tsum ‘Tcbon -lunt tsum ‘KPyson_ nusg/nusr tgenon ‘fry:lin, viz deve ‘rorzanft'raox. zum Liebenundzum Kissen nur einen Friihling, wie der Rosenstrauch. forthe loving and forthe kissing only one spring, likethe rosebush. (only one spring, like the rosebush, only one spring for kisses and for love.) [This song can be interpreted in more than one way. Perhaps the disappointed lover merely hopes to achieve his goal by threatening to leave the lady forever if she keeps putting him off. Youth is the spring of life, he tells her, and will not return. It cannot be postponed for later enjoyment. But pethaps he has literally only one spring left, perhaps he knows that a secret illness will cut short his life before another spring will have come. Though he desperately craves her love, he will leave her because he does not want her sympathy. In support of this view one might note the references to death, the falling petals, the tolling bell, the closed door of his future, as well as the passionate urgency and heartfelt sincerity of the climax. In the high key of some editions there may be misprints in bar 99 (the third chord has an e natural, note flat) and in the postlude.} 6. di feyfvisgonan Die Verschwiegenen ‘The Discreet Ones 1g ‘hatbavorl, es zae hire got’ forg/for'iale —velt' fey'k*yndict’, Teh habe wohl, es sei ut vor aller Welt verkiindigt, 1 have indeed, it be here loudly before all (the) world announced, (Here let it be loudly announced to all the world that I have indeed)gare fitlon ‘haemlig tanfegt'raot’, vas du: lan mirg gozyndict gar vielen heimlich anvertraut, was da an mir gestindi; (to) very many secretly confided, what you against me sinned: (secretly confided to very many how you have sinned against me;) ig zak'ts dem ‘gantson ‘blusmanhery, dem ‘fagloan zaik't' gs ‘ft'lo, ich sagt’s dem ganzen Blumenheer,dem Veilchen sagt’ ich’s stille, I told it totheentire flower- host, tothe violet told I _itquietly, (1 told it to the entire host of flowers; to the violet I told it quietly,) deme ‘rowza Iaot* unt’ Igot'e derg ‘grosslaggigan kamu, der Roselaut und lauter der grossugigen Kamille. tothe rose loudly and still more loudly to the wide-eyed camomile. [note the long value Strauss has mischievously given 10 “gross-" to express the camomile’s reaction!) dox hats da'bae nox ‘ktagna nox", blaep' ‘munt'e nu:g/nur lunt’ ‘haet'v; Doch hat’s dabei noch keine Not, bleib’ munter nur und heiter; But has itthereby still no danger,remain cheerful just. _and_ serene; (But, in doing so, I nevertheless exposed you to no danger. Just stay cheerful and serene:) diz les ga'vust!, znt’talo ost® unt’ ‘zaxgans_ mgt’ meze vat’. die es-_-—_gewusst,sind alletot und —_sagen’s nicht mehr weiter. those who it(have)known, are all dead and(will)tell itno longerfurther. (those who knew it are all dead and will not pass it on.) [This playful song opens with a delightful dissonance and ends with roguish humor. He does not say what she did in “sinning” against him; but he openly declares that he has already told the secret to any number of listeners. But she needn’t worry that the word will get around. They were all flowers; none of them will breathe a whisper about it, though the camomile was rather shocked at the time, since by now all of them are dead. It is a slight but charming little piece. ‘There is a misprint in some editions: in the fourteenth bar there should be b flats, not b naturals.) 7. di tsaet'loizo Die Zeitlose ‘The Meadow Saffron Gof fmf gamex'am vaedoptlats fret tgenzam di 1sagt'lozo, Auf frisch gemihtem Weideplatz steht einsam die Zeitlose, On freshly mown meadow-placestandssolitary the saffron, (On the freshly mown meadow there is a solitary saffron,) den lagp' fon tgene ‘lia, di. farp' fon tgene ‘ro: den Leib von einer Lilie, die Farb’ von einer Rose; (ithas)the body of a ily, thecolor of a rose; (the shape of a lily, the color of a rose;) [den Leib is the object of an imaginary verb) dox lesiist' gift, vas Iggs_ dem Ktelg, dem raenon, blink't' zo: ‘rosie... doches ist Gift, was aus dem Kelch,dem reinen, blinkt so rétlich.. but it is poison, thatwhichoutof the cup, the pureone,shines so redishly... (but the red glow that shines out of that pure chalice is poison...)Yeist's blu:m, di ‘leist's lizp' zimt'baedo fon, dox_ ‘este. dieletzte Blum’, die letzte Lieb’ sind beide sehin, doch tidlich. the last flower, the last love are both beautiful,but deadly. [The few bars of this effective little masterpiece are potent with expression. In melancholy solitude yourself, you see the lonely, late-blooming meadow saffron. In soaring phrases you admire its beauty. In an ominous dissonance you recall that it is poisonous. Like your last love. ‘The very sound of the words adds to the chilling atmosphere of this remarkable song.] 8 alezetlon Allerseelen All Souls’ Day Ji'el lgofden tf di ‘duft'ondon re'ze:don, di ‘letst‘on ‘oxt'on last’en track’ heybae, Stell’ auf den Tisch dieduftendenReseden, die letzten roten Astern trag’ herbel, Placeon the table the fragrant mignonettes,the last. red asters carry ‘hither, (Place the fragrant mignonettes on the table, bring in the last red asters;) unt’ las tons vide fon derg ‘ikbo ‘re:don, vi: lggnst’ im mag. gip' mig di hant', undllass uns wieder von der Liebe reden, wieeinst im Mai. Gib mir dieHand, and let us again of the love speak, as once inthe May. Give tome the hand, (and let us speak again of love, as we did one day in May. Give me your hand,) das ig zix‘haembig‘drvk‘a, unt’ ven mans zit’, mizg/mix list’ les tagnelas, dass _ ich sie heimlich driicke, und wean man’s sieht, mir ist es einerlei, gil (So)thatI it secretly press, and if one itsees, tome is it allthe same, give (Go that I may secretly press it; and if anyone sees, it’s all the same to me; give) mizg_nuxy/nux tagnon‘daene ‘zy:son ‘bhik’a, vi: lagnst’ lim mae. es bly:t' tunt ‘duft‘at’ mir our einen deiner siissen Blicke, wieeinst im Mai. Es blaht und duftet tome just one of yoursweet glances, as once intheMay. Jt bloomsand is fragrant (me just one of your sweet glances, as you did one day in May. There are fragrant flowers) [Gilm: Es bliiht und funkelt (funk‘alt’, sparkles) hagt’ laof ‘jexdom'graibo, acn thaik’ hm jazpfjar ist’ ja: den ‘Yort'an frag, heut’ auf jedem Grabe,ein Tag im Jabr ist ja den Toten frei, today on every grave, one day intheyear is surelytothedead free, (today on every grave; one day in the year is surely free to the dead:) [Gilm: ein Tag im Jahre (jaz) ist den Toten frei] kom lan man herts, das lig dig. ‘vide ‘ha:bo vi: laenst’ im mae. komm’ an mein Herz, dass ich dich wieder habe wiecinst im Mai. come to my heart,(so)that 1 you again have as once inthe May. (come to my heart, so that I may have you back again as you were one day in May.) [All Souls’ Day is the second of November. In European countries it is the day on which the dead are formally remembered. Flowers and candles are placed on their graves. The lovers in this beautiful and famous song have had to separate. Their love has had to die to the world. But at least on this one day, consecrated to the dead, that love can and will be remembered. In the autumn of resignation they revive for a moment the ecstasy of May. An orchestration by Robert Heger is available. There is a singing translation in the appendix.]‘orp'us fynfisem: fynf ‘inde fyzg taeno ‘mit‘loro ‘ft'imo mut" kMa‘vizgbaglagt’ un Opus 15: Fanf Lieder far eine mittlere Stimme mit Klavierbegleitung Opus 15: Five Songs for a Middle Voice with Piano Accompaniment (Composed in November and December of 1886) (From Madrigale by Michelangelo Buonarotti: “Porgo umilmente all’ aspro giogo il collo”) (German translation by Sophie Hasenclever) ins jox_ba9g_1¢ den ‘nak'on ‘de:mu:t'fol, bagk’ ‘egoint' In ’s Joch beug’ ich den Nacken demutvoll, beug” lichelnd Intothe yoke bend I the neck hum! bend smiling (Chumbly offer my neck to the yoke; smiling, I bow) fore dem misgofik’ diss haop't, dis herts, das lip't’ lunt’ glaop't’. vor dem Missgeschick dies Haupt, diesHerz, das liebt und glaubt, before the misfortune this head, this heart, thatloves and believes, (my head to misfortune, and bow this heart of mine that loves and believes) forz ‘magne faendin. vide ‘dite KWvarl bagm 1 mig mgt’ mut" grol, vor meiner Feindin. Wider diese Qual bium’ ich mich nicht mit Groll, beforemy enemy. Againstthis torment rear(up)I myself not _withresentment, (before my enemy, a woman. I do not struggle against this torment, I feel no resentment;) mig bant’ —fidtmerg, zit‘tndra zig lgen'matl. ven ‘daenas taogas ft'ratl mir bangt vielmehr, sie lindre sich einmal. Wenn deines Auges Strabl forme fears(it)rather, it softens itself once. If your eyes’. ray [subj.] (rather, I dread that one day it may be mitigated. Ifa ray from your eyes) diss lagt’ fegvandalt’ hat‘ lm ‘le:benszaft', velc laet’ hat dan dies Leid verwandelt hat in Lebenssaft, welch’Leid bat dann this sorrow [obj] transformed has into life- juice, what sorrow has then (has transformed this sorrow into the sap of life, then what sorrow has) gu:‘ton'on mig di Kraft’? ins jox_ba9g tg den ‘nak'an ‘de:mut'fol, zu téten michdieKraft? In ’s Joch beug’ ich den Nacken demutvoll... to kill me the power? Intothe yoke bend I the neck humbly... (the power to kill me? I humbly offer my neck to the yoke...) [Michelangelo thrives on the torment caused by the piercing eyes of his “enemy,” the woman he loves. He dreads the thought that something might one day ease or mitigate that inspiring pain. All the other songs in this group of five are settings of poems by Count Adolf Friedrich von ‘Schack. The original intention was to compose a set for Strauss’s aunt, Johanna Pschorr, a contralto, who was hurt that her nephew's first published songs were dedicated to a tenor who had admired them. To pacify his aunt, Strauss gave his next two to her. They were both ‘composed on the same day in May 1884. She kept them for her own personal use. Sadly, both have been lost. Of the songs published as Opus 15, two were dedicated to her (Nos. 2 and 5).]2. ‘vint*enaxt® Winternacht Winter Night (poem by Adolf Friedrich von Schack, song composed November 27, 1886) mut’ re:gan unt’ ‘ft urmgabrooza zag mizg vilktoman, detsembemo:nt’, unt’ fy:g mug den Mit Regen und Sturmgebrause sei mir willkommen, Dezembermond, und fubr’ mich den Withrain and storm-roaring be tomewelcome, December moon, and lead me the (You are welcome to me, December moon, with your rain and roaring storms! Show me the) veik' tsum ‘t'rgoligan ‘hggza, vo: ‘magna gallip't’s ‘hern vomt®. ni: hab 1g ‘Weg zum traulichen Hause, wo meine geliebte Herrinwohnt.Nie hab’ ich way tothecozy house, wheremy beloved lady lives. Never havel (way to the cozy house where my beloved lady lives. I have never) di ‘blyt’a des ‘macon, den blgoondon ‘himal, den blitsondon go zor freilig go'gry's dieBliite des Maien, den blauenden Himmel, den blitzendenTau so frohlich gegriisst, the bloom oftheMay, the bluing sky, the sparkling dewso joyfully greeted, (greeted the blooming of May, the bluing sky, the sparkling dew as joyfully) ‘hagt'a daen'Ingean, dagen ‘ne:bolgabrag lunt' ‘volk‘ongrgo: wie heute dein Schneien, dein Nebelgebriiu und Wolkengrau; as today your snowing, your fog- brew and clouds- gray; (as today I greet your snow, your brew of fog, and your gray clouds;) den dorg das flok‘angatritbo, ‘Jomne(r), lals je: deg tents —_golaxt*, denn durch das Flockengetriebe, schéner, als je* der Lenz _gelacht, for through the flakes- bustle, — more beautifully, than ever the spring has) laughed, (for through the whirl of snowflakes—more beautifully than ever nature’s spring has smiled—) {* je der, not (as sometimes printed) jeder] ‘Teggt‘at' lune’ lyst deze ‘ry:imy —desg ‘icbo _misg ‘haemlig nun im de:g ‘vint’enaxt® leuchtet und bliht der Frablingder Liebemir heimlich aun in der Winternacht. shines and bloomsthe spring of the love tomessecretly now in the winter night. (the spring of love now secretly glows and blooms for me in the winter night.) [The happy lover revels in the bluster of winter on his way to his sweetheart’s house, knowing that her love will warm him more than any spring sunlight. While the pianist storms about at the keyboard, the singer too has opportunities to conjure up the elements, as in the elongated note at the stressed syllable of “Gebrause,” where a discreet roar is surely not out of place. Both mood and key shift alluringly when the lover basks in the thought of his waiting love.) 3. des ‘laedans Lob des Leidens In Praise of Suffering (poem by Adolf Friedrich von Schack, song composed November 30, 1886) or fmet — des'lesbons ‘lagdan igi! zex' lig di ‘blet’e, ven zi: 't'erbon, © schmibtdes Lebens Leiden nicht! seht ihr die Blatter, wenn sie sterben, Ohdisdain the life’s suffering not! see you the leaves, when they die, (Oh, do not disdain life's suffering! Do you not see the leaves, when they die,)21g lin des ‘therpst‘as‘goldanam ligt’ migt’ Yagge, als lim ‘fry:lm ‘ferbon? sich _in des Herbstes goldenem Licht nicht reicher, als im Fribling fiirben? themselves in the autumn's golden light not richer, than inthe spring color? (more richly colored in the autumn’s golden light than in the spring?) {Schack: gold’nem (goldnom)] vas glaegt der ‘bly:‘odes feygerons lim ‘hgoxe des _lok"tho:beverans? Was gleicht der Blite des Vergehensim Hauchedes Oktoberwehens? ‘What is similar to the bloom of the passing inthe breath of the October blowing? (What can compare with the bloom of passing in the breath of the October winds?) [Schack: Vergeh’ns (feygems) Oktoberweb’ns (lok‘t'o:bevemns)] Kervstalne(r) als di Macest’s flux leyglentst des taogas ttremonkvela, Krystaliner als dieKlarste Flut erglinzt des Auges Triinenquelle, More crystalline than the clearest flood gleams the eye's tears- source, (The gleaming tears that spring from our eyes are more crystalline than the clearest stream;) Cif “dupk’'le flamt di tabant’glut®, als hox lam tak’ di ‘zononhele tief dunkler flammtdie Abendglut, als hocham Tag die Sonnenhelle deeply darker flames the sunset-fire, than high inthe day the sun- brightness (the dark fire of sunset flames more intensely than the bright sun at the height of the day;) unt’ aene K*yst' zor haeson kus, als vere fyre/fyx te:vig ‘fagdan mus. und keiner kiisst so beissen Kuss,als wer fiir ewig. scheiden muss. ‘and noone kisses so hot kiss, as who for ever part — must. (and no one kisses such an ardent kiss as someone who must depart forever.) [The melancholy poet, who in the previous song had preferred winter to spring, here finds the autumn the most poignantly beautiful season. Strauss lends his richly colored harmonies. In some editions there is a misprint: in bar 28, the 4th triplet should have an f natural, not f sharp.) 4 9s den ti:den dere "rage / dem hhertsn lex ‘Aus den Liedern der Trauer / Dem Herzen ii From the Songs of Mourning / Like the Heart (poem by Adolf Friedrich von Schack, song composed December 3, 1886) dem ‘hertsan tenlig, ven leslan lumzonst' na:x taene tYremo ran, Dem Herzen dhnlich, wenn es lang umsonst nach einer Trine rang, Totheheart similar, when it long invain for a tear struggled, (Like the heart when it has struggled long in vain for a tear) di: ‘zagna k'vail lentbinda, fp'rent' nun di ‘texgdo, die seine Qual entbinde, sprengt nun die Erde, that its torment might release, bursts now the earth, (that might release its torment, the earth now bursts) di: legft'art’ fon ragf wnt’ frost’ gabundan vart', di tggsgo ‘vint'erindo. die erstarrt vonReif und Frost gebunden ward, die eis’ge Winterrinde. which benumbed by hoarfrost and frost bound was, the icy winter-crust. (the icy crust of winter, the earth which was so numb and bound by frost and hoarfrost.)2 dure valt' funt'felt,lum —berk" —lunt' ze: fp'rist' ‘vuxent’ _lgof lisp talt'as ver Dureh Wald undFeld,um Berg und See spriesst wuchernd auf ihr altes. Weh’ ‘Through forest and field, aroundmountain and lakesprouts rankly up its old pain (its ancient pain sprouts rankly through forest and field, around mountains and lakes,) cunt’ grysnt’ ln tgvaek' lunt’ rank’an unt ‘donk'alt'lin dem ‘himalsblgo und griint in Zweig und Ranken und dunkelt in dem Himmelsblau and greens in branch and tendrils and darkens in the sky's blue (and grows green tendrils and leaves on the branches, and darkens in the blue of the sky,) unt tgit'et’ linden ‘ropfon to, di: lan den‘gre:zen ‘fvank'an — undzittert in den Tropfen Tau, die an den Griisern schwanken — and trembles in the drops(of)dew, thaton the grasses sway — (and trembles in the dewdrops that sway with the grass....) aun, gram tum zi, dit lig feglow/lox,leyst'art'e, big Igox du: hepfor, ‘Nun,Gramum sie, die ichverlor, _erstarrter, brich auchdu_hervor, Now, grief for her, whom! lost, numbone, breakalso you forth, (Now, break forth, grief! Break forth, grief for her whom I lost, I—numb with suppressed grief!) om it dem f'rorm isu: flu:t'an, bg hegfog!im —bhits dere ‘volk’o um dem Strom zu fluten, brich hervor! Im Blitz der Wolke inorder withthe stream to flood, break forth! In the lightning of the cloud (Break forth, to flow with the floods of spring! In the lightning of the clouds) zolst du: gly unt’ mit den‘naxt'vio:lon blyznlunt' mit den ro:zon blut‘an. solistdu glah’n und mit den Nachtviolen bldh’n und mit den Rosen bluten. shall youglow and withthe night violetsbloom and withthe roses bleed. (you should bum, and bloom with the night violets, and bleed with the red roses.) [This poet, like so many others, finds an analogy between his inner feelings and the world of nature all around him. But the coming of spring, greeted in song after song as something glorious and life-enhancing, is here interpreted in a totally different way. The world bursting forth in bloom is normally perceived as a joyous event. But in this poem the sorrows of the earth break through the crust of ice and snow, and all the pent-up grief comes pouring out. Spring, here, is a release of painful tears too long suppressed, like those of the bereaved poet himself. In this, as in the two preceding Schack poems set by Strauss, spring is seen in a uniquely negative light.) 5. ‘hagmkte:g, Heimkehr Homecoming (poem by Adolf Friedrich von Schack) ‘aeze —“fvank’on di test's, erg khan flik't'thsfeverts, Leiser _schwanken die Aste, der Kahn liegt uferwirts, More sofily sway the branches,the boat flies shorewards, (The branches are swaying more sofily, the boat is flying toward the shore;) haem ke:et di tPaobo tsum ‘nest'a, gu: disg ktergt’ haem maen herts. heim kebrt dieTaube zum Neste, zu dir kebrt heim mein Herz home returnsthe dove tothenest, to youretumshome my heart. (the dove retums to the nest, my heart comes home to you.)13 genwk' lam ‘fimendan y2,ven mins das'le:bon lerm’, Genug am schimmernden Tage, wenn rings _ das Leben lirmt, Enough in the shimmering day, when all aroundthe life makes noise, (Long enough in the shimmering day, when life is bustling all around,) mit‘ tirom ‘fly:golfla:ga st‘ lesis —vaet'agafvermt’, it irrem Fliigelschlage ist es ins Weite _geschwiirmt. withmad wing: stroke is it into the distance strayed. (my heart has strayed into the distance with a mad beating of its wings.) [schwarmen = to swarm, to revel, to rove, to stray, to rave] dox numdi ‘zona gefixdan unt fi'ilaz1g_zenk't' lgof den haen, Doch nun dieSonne geschieden und Stille sich senkt auf den Hain, But now the sun(has) departed and stiliness itself lowers ontothe grove, (But now that the sun has departed and stillness descends upon the grove,) fyiit les: bag dizg/disr hst derg ‘fridan, di ru: bae dirp/dizrlalaen. fidbites: bei dir ist der Frieden,dieRuh’ bei dir allein. feels it: withyou is the peace, the peace* withyou alone. (my heart feels this: peace is with you, inner peace is with you alone.) [*Frieden = peace (as the opposite of war); Ruhe = peace (as restful quietness of spirit)} {Schack: die Rube (ru:0) bei dir allein} [Evening comes, bringing peace and tender love, after a day’s work in the crowded, noisy, glamourous bustle of city life. In this, one of Strauss’s loveliest, most endearing songs, the poet, ‘A. F. von Schack, is for once in a serenely happy mood, in contrast to the other four songs in the group. The inspired quality of this setting may reflect the relief that Strauss must have felt.) ‘orp'us ‘zip'tsem: zeks ‘nde fyze Yaena ‘hors ‘zmnft'rmo mit’ kMa'vireboglaet'un Opus 17: Sechs Lieder fur eine hohe Singstimme mit Klavierbegleitung ‘Opus 17: Six Songs for a High Voice with Piano Accompaniment (poetry by Adolf Friedrich von Schack, music composed 1885-1887) i zagt'de:m dagen Igok’ lin ‘magnas ‘faot's Seitdem dein Aug’ in meines schaute Ever Since Your Eyes Looked into Mine zagt"deim daen laok' lin ‘mgenas fegt's unt tizbo, itdem dein Aug’ in meines schaute und Liebe, Since youreye intomine looked and love, (Ever since your eyes first looked into mine, and love) vir fom ‘humal__herg/her lags lism Igof mig _heyni:det'got's, wievom Himmelher aus ihmauf mich herniedertaute, as fromtheheaven hither fromit ontome dewed down, (rained down on me from that glance like dew from heaven,) vas ‘bet's mip di lergda erg? ity ‘best'as hat’ zi: mise gageibon, was bite die Erde mehr? Ihr Bestes hat sie mir gegeben, what might offer to me the earth more? Its best has it tome given, (what more can earth possibly offer me? It has already given me its very best;)4 unt! fon des hertsans ‘ft'tlom glvk' var’ ty:befol_magn ‘gantses ‘le:bon ward Gbervoll mein ganzes Leben became over-fullmy whole life (and my whole life is now overflowing with the quiet happiness of my heart—) dung n aenan taoganblik®, durch jenen einen Augenblick. through that one —_twinkling-of-an-eye.* (through that one moment.) [Augenblick = moment (literally: “eye-glance,” a much-exploited pun)] {The soaring line, the rich harmonies, the voluptuous slurs, make this one of Strauss’s most gorgeously ecstatic songs. Radiant and warm, it pulses with love’s fulfillment, from the depths to the heights, spiritual as well as erotic. In a footnote, the composer recommends that for the tenor voice the song be transposed upward a whole tone. A singing translation is in the appendix.] 2. ‘ftent’gon Stindchen Serenade max Igof,max lgof, dox ‘lagza, magn kin’, Mack’ auf, mach’ auf, doch leise, mein Kind, Open up, open up, but sofily,my child, um ‘Waenon fom —“flome sus 'vek'an, ‘k'gom murmalt dere bax, um Keinen vom —Schlummer zu _wecken, kaum murmeltder Bach, inordernoone from the sleep to wake, barely murmurs the brook, (0 as not to wake anyone from sleep. The brook barely murmurs,) kgm tsu'et im vint’ lagn blat* an den ‘byfan unt’ ‘hek'an, drum 3 kaum zittert im Windein Blatt anden Biischen und Hecken.D’rum _leise barely trembles inthe wind a leaf onthe bushes and hedges. Therefore softly (hardly a leaf trembles in the wind among the bushes and hedges. Therefore softly.) magn me'gon, das nigts zig rek't',mury ‘Igezo di hant’ Igof di ‘k*link'o gallek' mein Miidehen,dass nichts sich regt, ‘our leise dieHandauf dieKlinke gelegt. my —gitl,(so) that nothing itselfstirs, just softly the hand ontothe latch laid. (my girl, so that nothing will stir; just lay your hand softly on the latch.) mut ‘rian, vis ‘it's de:e/derr telfon zo: zaxt’, lum ‘bluman tsu: thypfon, Mit Tritten,wieTritteder Elfen so sacht, um Blumen zu hipfen, With steps, like steps of the _ elves so soft, inorder over the flowers to hop, (With steps as soft as the steps of elves to hop over the flowers,) [Schack: die fiber die Blumen hiipfen (who hop over the flowers)] fick’ laegt’ hengos in di ‘momt’faenmaxt’ gu: mixg/mizrlm_ den ‘gart'an tsu: fivpfon. flieg’ leicht hinaus in dieMondscheinnacht zu mir in den Garten zu schlpfen. fly lightlyout intothe moonlight night to me ——_intothe garden to. slip. (Aly lightly out into the moonlit night, to slip into the garden to me.)rms ‘lumen di ‘bly:t'an. am ‘rizzolndan bax unt ‘duft'on im —_flasf, Rings schlummerndieBliiten am rieselnden Bach und duften im Schlaf, Allaround slumber the blossomsby thetrickling brook and are fragrant in the sleep, (All around, blossoms are slumbering by the trickling brook and are fragrant in sleep, nug di ‘tbo list’ vax. zits ‘nisde, hisg ‘demets __gahagmnisfol nur dieLiebe ist wach. Sitz’ nieder, hier diimmert’s geheimnissvoll only the love is awake. Sit down, here darkens it mysteriously (only love is awake. Sit down, here it is mysteriously dark) ‘unt'e den ‘Iindonbagmon, di ‘naxt‘igal uns su: hagp't'an unter den Lindenbiumen, dieNachtigall uns zu Hijupten under the linden trees, thenightingale for usat heads (under the linden trees; the nightingale above our heads) zol_fon Yunzran ‘kyson ‘tragman unt di ‘oz, ven zi: lam ‘morgan legvaxt', soll_von uns’ren Kiissen triumen und dieRose, wenn sie am Morgen erwacht, shallof our kisses dream and the rose, when it in the morning wakes, (hall dream of our kisses, and the rose, when it wakes in the morning,) hox gly:n, ho:x glyn fon den 'von(m)efaoen deze naxt’, hoch gliih’n, hoch glith’'n von den Wonneschauern der Nacht. high glow, high glow fromthe bliss- showers of the night. (will glow radiantly, glow radiantly from the showers of bliss in the night.) [This masterpiece is possibly Strauss’s most popular song. It overflows with effervescent charm, as the lover persuades his sweetheart to join him in the garden; then comes a quiet transition, as they nestle down together in the darkness under the linden trees, followed by a surge of erotic ecstasy that builds to a glorious climax. Felix Mott! orchestrated the song, and in his version the high A sharp is twice as long. Strauss endorsed that effective idea, and even with piano the song is almost always sung that way. The accompanist simply repeats each half of the bar. A singing, translation can be found in the appendix.] 3. das gohaemnis Das Gebeimnis The Secret du: frackst' mig, ‘me:t'gon, vas ‘flvst’ent derg vest’ —_—feyt'raga den ‘bly:t'onglok’an? Du fragst mich,Midchen,was flisternd der West _vertraue den Bliitenglocken? Youask me, girl, what whispering the west (wind) confide* to the blossom-bells? (You ask me, girl, what the west wind may be confiding in a whisper to the bluebells?) (note: the subjunctive is used in indirect quotations} varum fon ‘svasge tsuz: tsvaek' lim galest di tgvitfendan —‘Té:gol ‘lok‘an? Warumvon Zweige zu Zweig’ im Geist die zwitschernden Végel locken? Why from bough to bough inthe branches the twittering birds entice? (Why the twittering birds in the trees are enticing each other from branch to branch?) [Schack: die zwitschernden Vigel sick locken (entice each other)| vatum lan ie’nosp'a di ‘K’nasp'a zig fmick't* unt’ ‘velon ‘Warum an Knospe dieKnospe sich schmiegt und Wellen Why to bud the bud —_itselfclings and waves (Why a bud clings to another bud, and why waves)16 mut’‘velon {sepflisson, unt dem ‘momt'ft'ra:l derg/de:r Igof den ‘kYelgon zig vik't, mit Wellen zerfliessen,unddem Mondstrahl,der auf den Kelchen sich wiegt, with waves melt, and tothemoonbeam, which on the chalices itself rocks, (mingle with waves, and to the moonbeam that rocks on their chalices) di viodon der naxt’ zig die Violen der Nachtsich the violets of the night themselvesopen up? —Ohsilly questioning! (the night violets open up? Oh, what silly questions!) vem ‘vison fromt', mgt’ kan fim di tant'vort' fe Wem Wissen frommt,nicht kann ihm die Antwort fel ‘Towhom knowing isof use, not can forhim the answer be missing; (CThe answer will not be missing to someone who is ready for such knowledge;) drum —_‘vart's, maen khint’, bis di komt’, di: virt_dixg/dizrlalas legtse:lon. drum warte, mein Kind, bis die Liebe kommt, die wird dir alles erzihlen. ‘therefore wait, my child, till the love comes, it will toyou everything tell. (therefore just wait, my child, tll love comes along; it will explain everything to you.) {Schack: drum warte, Kind, bis die Liebe kommt] [Strauss was clearly thinking of Schubert’s accompaniment to “Geheimes” when he composed the opening bars of this secret. The song is “grateful” to sing, with graceful, soaring lines over flowing arpeggios, mellifluous chains of thirds and sixths, Strauss at his most seductive.) 4, 95 den ‘iden dezg rage / fon ‘dunk'lom ‘flage lump’ onan ‘Aus den ,dern der Trauer / Von dunklem Schleier umsponnen From the Songs of Mourning / Webbed with a Dark Veil fon ‘dunk'lom ‘flage(t) lomp'onon ist’ misg das ‘Pargasligt, Vondunklem Schleier umsponnen ist mir das Tageslicht, By dark veil webbed about is forme the daylight, (I see the daylight as if through a dark veil;) v ‘Jt'aegan nggo'zonon— 1g ze: zi: nigtt. mixg Jvagft derg blik* hrny:be() wohl steigen neue Sonnen—ich seh’sie nicht.Mir schweiftder Blick hinllber probablyrise new suns— I see themnot. Formeroams the gaze beyond (new suns probably rise—I do not see them. My gaze roams about yonder) lon'vagt'an, ‘demefem; fom —‘humal_blink't' lagn try:be(r) taenza:me ft'em. in Weiten, dimmerfero; vom Himmel blinkt ein triiber einsamer Stern. in distances, twilight-far; fromthesky gleams a sad_—lonely star. (in twilit distances; a sad, lonely star is gleaming down from the sky.) aen‘me:t'gon, blaeg fon'vanon, vimk't mi:g fon ‘dry:bon {su: Ein Madchen, bleich von Wangen,winkt mir von driiben zu: A. girl, pale of cheeks, beckons tome from yonder to: (A girl with pale cheeks is beckoning to me from the other side, s 1g bin forangaganon; vas'tsé:gust ich bin vorangegangen; was zégerst du? I havegoneonahead; whylinger you? (“Ihave gone on ahead; why do you linger behind?”)"7 (The young woman he loved has died. For him, in his loss, the world has become dark. He sees a solitary star. Is it she? Is she calling him to join her? Strauss has created a mood of bleak melancholy in the accompaniment. The singer should find a soft, spectral tone, different from the first part, for the voice that calls from another world. The last words are tinged with reproach.] Just Have Courage! Jas das'tsa:gon, ‘raiga ‘mutt'1¢ ‘dagna ‘zorgan, ‘daens kva:l, Lass? das Zagen, trage mutig deine Sorgen, deine Qual, Leave the faint-heartedness, bear bravely your cares, your torment, (Cast off faint-heartedness, bravely bear your cares, your torment;) zag di ‘vundo nox. zo:‘blust'tg, haglon virt* zi: dox laen'matl. sei dieWunde noch so blutig, heiten wird sie doch einmal be the wound ever so bloody, heal will it yet once. (however bloody your wound, it will eventually heal.) ‘unt'e tife() tagzasdek's tragmt di ‘june ‘K*nosp's fom, Unter tiefer Eisesdecke triumt die junge Knospe schon, Beneath deep ice covering dreams the young bud —_ already, ‘Beneath its covering of ice, the young bud is already dreaming) das devg ‘fry:lm zi: legvek'o mut dew ‘lide ‘holdam (os dass der Friibling sie erwecke mit der Lieder holdem Ton. that the spring it mayawake withthe songs? lovely tone. (that spring will awaken it with the lovely sound of songs.) nu:g/nusr lemptorg den blik govendot*,unt dur ‘dysst'res ‘volk‘angrao. Nur empor den Blick gewendet, und durch diistres Wolkengrau Just aloft the gaze tured, and through gloomy cloud- gray Gust lift your gaze aloft, and through the gloomy gray of the clouds) brigt {suletst, das les dig ‘blendat*, glowprage nox des'himals _ blgo. bricht zuletzt, dasses dich blendet, glorreich noch des Himmels Blau. breaks ultimately, that it you dazzles, glory-richstill the sky's blue. (the blue of the sky will ultimately break, dazzling your eyes with its glory.) (F) Igox di ‘try:bon ‘ft'undon unt di ‘treman, di: du: vagnst', Aber auch die trilben Stunden und die Triinen, die du weinst, But also the dreary hours and the tears, that you weep, (But even the dreary hours and the tears that you weep—) loop’, vis fragdan, lent"fvunden, zy:s leyfaenan zi: disp/dix lagnst', glaub’, wie Freuden, die _—_entschwunden, siiss erscheinensie dir einst, believe, like joys, that(have) vanished, sweet appear —_theyto you oneday, (believe this!—will seem sweet to you someday, like vanished joys;) ‘unt mit‘ ‘vermu:t', —_ halp' nusg ‘haet'e, ‘Jagdest du: fy:g/fyx ‘timeday und mit Webhmut, halb nur heiter, scheidest du fir immerdar and with melancholy, half only cheerful, part -youfor ever (and with melancholy, only half cheerfully, you will always part)18 fon dem ‘laedon, dem baglact'e, deig zo:'laqo tray dig vate. von dem Leiden, demBegleiter, der so langetreu dir war. fromthe suffering, the companion, that so long faithful to you was. (from your suffering, from the companion that was faithful to you so long.) [This lovely song is a spiritual sermon, its aphorisms warmed with sincere sympathy and underscored with rich chromatic harmony. Take a positive, courageous attitude toward life's difficulties; our trials are our challenges, our sorrows are there only to be overcome.) 6 bark'aro:lo Barkarole Barcarole vm deg falondon ‘raxde ‘fp'son ‘isit'et’ lunt’ ‘loget'at" laen ‘fimende glants, Um = der fallenden Ruder Spitzen zittert und leuchtetein schimmernderGlanz, Around the falling oars’ points tremblesand shines a shimmering radiance, (A shimmering radiance quivers and glows about the ends of the oars as they dip into the water,) flix’ bae jeidom ‘flaigo mut’ bligan hin fon ‘velontsu:‘velon_ im tants, flieht bei jedem Schlage mit Blitzen hin von Wellen zu Wellenim Tanz. flees at every stroke with lightnings hence from waves to waves inthe dance. (flees at every stroke, flashing like lightning from wave to wave in their dance.) mirg/misr um ‘bu:zon fon ‘lizbasvonan —tsit'et’ —_lunt’ aget‘at das herts viz di flu:t’. Mir im Busen von Liebeswonnen zittert und leuchtet das Herz wie die Flut, Forme inthe bosom from love- raptures tremblesand shines the heart like the stream, (Like the stream, the heart in my bosom trembles and glows with the raptures of love, ‘judbolt'hngof tsu: den ft'emnan lunt'‘zonan, berp't tsurfewgem lindexg ‘vorgandan glut’ jubelt hinaufzu den Sternen und Sonnen,bebt zu vergeh’n in der wogenden Glut. exults up to the stars and suns, tremblesto die in the undulating fire. Jom Igof dem ‘felzon dures gryn dese p'lavama ze: lig das'zaglongot"raigono dax Schon auf demFelsendurch ’s Grinder Platane seh’ ichdassiulengetragene Dach Already on the crag through the green oftthe plane-trees see I the column-borne roof (Already I see the roof, supported by columns, on the cliff, through the green of the plane-trees,) ont dasflimendo ligt’ lam latttamo Ktyndot’ mig, das di galiip't'a nox vax. und das flimmernde Lichtam Altane kiindet mir, dassdieGeliebte noch wach. and the flickering light atthe balcony announces tome, that the beloved still awake. (and the flickering light at the balcony tells me that my beloved is still awake.) ‘fliggo magn kam lunt' birk’ tons fewfvisgan, irk’ luns, zeiligo naxt des lapigust*s Fliege mein Kahn und birg uns verschwiegen, birg uns, selige Nachtdes August; Fly my boat and shelterus discreetly, shelter us, blissfulnight of the August; (Fly, my boat, and shelter us discreetly, shelter us, blissful August night;) zys vol h Ogof den'velon zg Vigan, (Nabe 'zysse, ‘zy'se(r) lan tire brust’. siiss wohl ist’s auf den Wellen sich wegen, aber sisser, silsser an ihrer Brust. sweet surelyis iton the waves oneselftorock, but sweeter, sweeter at her breast. (Sweet as it surely is to lull oneself on the waves, itis sweeter, far sweeter at her breast.)19 [As in so many poems and songs, a phenomenon in external nature—here the flashing light on the waves—is then internalized into a corresponding feeling in the poet’s—or singer’s—heart. Strauss’s setting is charming, with lovely modulations and cascades of spray in the piano part.] ‘op'us nggntsem: zeks ‘inde Igps ‘ot ‘osblet’e fon ta:dolf‘risdnig grasf fon Jak fy:y laene ‘zinft'ima lunt’ p'janofort'a Opus 19: Sechs Lieder aus “Lotosblatter” von A. Fr. Graf v. Schack fir eine Singstimme und Pianoforte Opys 19: Six Songs from “Lotus Leaves” by Adolf Friedrich, Count von Schack For Voice and Piano (Completed January 12, 1888) 1. Vols: nox, ‘meit’gon Wozu noch, Madchen ‘What's the Use, Girl volsu: nox, ‘me:t'gon, zal les‘froman, das du: forg mir fegt'elun_ly:pst"? Wozu noch, Midchen, soll es frommen,dassdu vor _mir Verstellung Gbst? Towhat stil, girl, _—shallit beofuse, that youin frontofme pretense — practice? (What's the use, gil, in still pretending with me) hags fro: das ‘naga glvk’ —vitkYomon unt zaik'les tofan, das du: li Heiss’ froh das meue Glick willkommen undsag’ es offen, dassdu Bid gladlythe new happinesswelcome and say it openly,that you love! (Gladly bid your new happiness welcome, and say it openly, that you are in love!) an‘dgenas’bu:zons ‘hoem ‘fvelon, dem ‘vanjanro:t, das kYomt’ lunt’ gest, Andeines Busens bihermSchwellen,dem Wangenrot, das kommt und geht, At your bosom’shigher swelling, forthe cheek- red,thatcomes and goes, (From the higher swelling of your breast, from the blush that comes and goes,) vart_dagngahaemnisfon den'k'velon, den ‘blu:mongagst'en lenst' _ley'fp'ext": ward dein Geheimnis von den Quellen, den Blumengeistern lingst _erspiiht; was your secret by the springs,(by)the flower- spirits long sinceespied; (your secret has long since been guessed by the springs, by the flower-spirts;) 4i ‘Vogen murmohis iinden‘grot'on, es flvst'ets lags derg/dex tabont'vint’, die Wogen murmeln’s in den Grotten,es _fliistert’s leis’ der Abendwind, the waves murmur itin the grottoes, there whispers itsoflly the evening wind, (the waves murmur it in the grottoes, the evening wind whispers it softly,) vo: du: forrbaegesstt, hagst dus ‘fp'ot'on :visp vison les 2aet"layp, Knt'! wo du vorbeigehst, hirst du’s spotten: Wir wissen es seit lange, Kind! where you pass by, hear youitmock: we know it since long, child! (wherever you go, you hear them making fun of you: “We've known it all along, child!”) [Why pretend you’re not in love? You you can fool me? Everyone knows your secret by now. This charming song starts without anything in the accompaniment. Then the piano enters with a teasing nudge, playfully echoing the singer's last two notes and continuing to do so through several phrases. Strauss repeats the opening line at the end, after having playfully repeated the word “Kind,” with delicate little teasing acciaccature in the piano. The postlude20 ends with a question, its dominant seventh leading gracefully into the next song, if the songs are performed as a group—as planned by Strauss.] 2. bragt’ ty:be magn haop't® Breit? fiber mein Haupt Spread Over My Head bragt’ ty:be maen haop't daen'fvartsos harp, nack* tsu: mixg daen lango‘zict, Breit’ ber mein Haupt dein schwarzesHaar,neig’ zu mir dein Angesicht, Spread over my head your black hair, inclineto me your face, (Spread your black hair over my head, bring your face close to mine:) da: f'ré:mt’ ln di ‘zeta zo: hel lunt’ kMarg mizg ‘dgene(r) taogan ligt da strémt in dieSeeleso hell und klar mir deiner Augen Licht. thenstreams intothe soul so brightand clear tome your eyes’ light. (then the light of your eyes will stream into my soul so brightly and clearly!) 1g vil nigt “drosbon dey zona pPraxt®, nox dev ‘t'emo 'lagct'andan_k*rants, Ichwill nichtdroben der SonnePracht, noch der Sterne leuchtenden Kranz, 1 wantnot upthere the sun’s splendor, nor the stars’ fuminous wreath, (ldo not want the splendor of the sun up above, or the luminous garland of the stars;) ig vil muy ‘dgene ‘tok'on naxt’, lunt ‘daene ‘blik's glants. ichwill mur deiner Locken Nacht und deiner Blicke Glanz. 1 wantonly your curls’ night and your gaze’s luster. (I want only the darkness of your curls and the luster of your gaze.) {Strauss has set the first part to sustained chords in a majestic tempo, exaltation to the lover's plea, which later soars to an ecstatic double climax, the second anticipated by an enthusiastic, notated upward portamento.) 3. Jom zint, dox kealt di ‘humals{t‘erna ‘Schén sind, doch kalt die Himmelssterne Beautiful but Cold Are the Stars of Heaven Jon zint,dox_Kalt di ‘humalsft'ema, di ‘gabon ktark’, dis zit feglaen; Schén sind, doch kalt dieHimmelssterne, dieGaben karg, die sie verleih’n; Beautifulare, but cold the heaven’s stars, the gifts meager, which they bestow; (Beautiful but cold are the stars of heaven; and meager are the gifts that they bestow;) fyw/fus taenan daene ‘blik's ‘gema hin gecb 1g tion ‘goldnanfaen. fir einen deiner Blicke gerne hin geb? ich ihren gold’nen Schein. for one of your glances gladly away give1 their golden gleam. (I gladly give away their golden gleam for just one of your glances.) gotrent’, zo: das vitgivisrtewvig ‘darbon, mug ‘fysran zi: hm ‘jaraslgof Getrennt,so dasswir ewig darben, our fihrensie im Jahreslauf Separate, so that we eternally are in wantonly lead they in the year’s course (In the course of the year, so that we are etemally in want, they bring on only separately)2 den herpst’ mut’ ‘zaenon fexrongarbon, des fry:lins_‘bly:t'snp*raxt" heraof; den Herbst mit seinen Ahrengarben, des Friiblings Bliitenpracht herauf the autumn with sheaves of grain, the spring’s flower-splendor upwards; (the autumn with its sheaves of grain and the splendor of spring’s flowers;) dox ‘daena taogan, ot, deg ‘zeigan des ‘gantsan jairas kilt ty:beraeg doch deine Augen, o, der Segen des ganzen Jahres quillt dberreich but your eyes, ob,the blessingofthe whole year gushes superabundantly [Schack: des ganzen Jahrs (ja:es)] laos tion ft'exs —lals‘milde ‘re:gon,di ‘bly:'o lunt' fruxttsuglaee. aus ihnenstets als milder Regen, dieBlite und Frucht zugleich. outof them constantlyas gentle rain, the blossom and fruit atthe same time. (cut of them constantly as a gentle rain, the blossom and the fruit atthe same time.) [Schack: die Blite und die Frucht zugleich] [This lovely song starts with an almost Schubertian simplicity and calls for a beautiful legato line, enriched from within with a feeling of loving admiration, sometimes ardent, sometimes tender, especially so in the inspired musical depiction of the gentle rain. There may be a misprint in some editions: in measure 31 there should be an A flat in the right hand on the second beat.] 4 vis ‘zolt'n vise gohaem zit ‘halt'n Wie sollten wir geheim sic halten How Should We Keep It Secret vis zolt'on vise gohagm zit halt’an, di ‘zeslick*get, di: luns leytyit"? Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten, dieSeligkeit, die uns erfillt? How should we secret it keep, the bliss, _thatus fills? (How should we keep it secret, this bliss that fills us?) ‘nggn, bis ln ‘zagno ‘isfst‘on ‘falt‘an zae talon onze herts lent'hvit'! Nein, bisin seine tiefsten Falten sei allen unserHerz enthiil No, till into its | deepest folds be toallour heart revealed (No, down to their deepest recesses let our hearts be revealed to all!) ven isvae lin'tibo 21g gefundon, ge’ jurbol him dure di natu, ‘Wenn zwei in Liebesich gefunden, geht Jubel hin durch dieNatur, When two in love themselves(have) found, goes jubilation hence through the nature, (When two have found each other in love, a cry of jubilation passes through all nature,) lintenen ‘vonofolon ‘f'undon leik't’ zig desg thax Igof val’ lunt' flu. Mingern wonnevolien Stunden legt sich der Tag auf Wald und Flur. in longer blissful hours lays _itselfthe day on forest and field. (the day lies upon forest and field in longer, blissful hours.) zelpst' loos dery/de:r taego '‘morfom —_ft'am, lagen jargtPaozant’ly:belesp't', Selbst aus der Eiche morschem Stamm, die cin Jabrtausend dberlebt, Even fromthe oak’s rotting trunk, whicha millennium survives, (Even from the rotting trunk of the thousand-year-old oak) {Schack: morschem Stamme ({t'ama)]2 St'ack't' ngg des ‘vipfols ‘gryma flama unt" rgoft" fon juxgant'lust durgberp't’. steigt meu des Wipfels griine Flamme und rauscht von Jugendlust durchbebt. rises anew the treetop’s green flame and rustles by youth- joy through-quivered. (a green flame of foliage rises anew at the top and rustles, quivering with youthful joy.) tsu:‘hoem glantslont‘doft's ‘bregan_ di ‘kYnosp'an Iaof baemglyk' dere tsvae Zu héhermGianz undDufie brechendieKnospen auf beim Glick der Zwei To higher splendor and fragrance break the buds open at the happinessof the two (At the happiness of the two, the buds burst open to heightened splendor and fragrance) ont’ zyse raoft’ _leslinden'‘began unt’ raege bly’ lont' ragge glentst deve mac. und silsser rauscht es in den Bichen und reicher bliht und reicherglanzt der Mai. and sweeter murmurs it in the brooks and richer bloomsand richer gleams the May. (and the brooks murmur more sweetly and May blooms and glitters more richly.) [Schack: und reicher blaht und ghinzt der Mai) [This thrilling song, quivering with joyous life, is an exuberant outpouring of the rapture of falling in love. A special characteristic of the song is apparent at a first glance: the composer calls for vibrant portamenti, not just on the more or less obvious word “wie,” but on the less ‘expected—because unaccented—first syllable of the key word “geheim,” and then upwards to the high A. Strauss repeats the first two lines of the poem at the end, with a fortissimo final climax. A singing translation can be found in the appendix.] 5. ‘hof unt’ vide feyisa:gn Hoffen und wieder verzagen ‘To Hope and Again to Despair ‘hofon unt’ vide feytsa:gan, ‘haront’ ‘lgofen lan tisram balktom, Hoffen und wieder verzagen, harrend lauschen an ihrem Balkon, Tohope and again todespair, waiting tolisten at her balcony {Schack: vor (forg, in front of) ihrem Balcon] opt migt', fom ‘vindogotraigon, isu: mizg ‘driqe fon _licgficrlaen tom, ob —_nicht,vom Windegetragen, zu mir dringe von ihr ein Ton, whethernot, bythe wind bore, to me penetrate from her a tone, (whether a tone, borne by the wind, will not reach me from her—) ‘alzoraen zagt"'momdan fom Pago zig misg tsus'thargan. also reih’n seit Mondenschon Tage sich mir zu Tagen. thus range since months already days themselves formeto days. (thus, for months already, do the days pass, one after the other, for me.) {[Schack: also reihen (ragon) seit Monden schon} Jp'ex ven ft'um lunt'‘ft'ume —naxt’ zig ‘laget’ im tgsdon_re'virg, Sp&t, ‘wenn stumm und stummerNachtsich lagert im den Revier, Late, when mute and muter night itself camps in the desolate preserve, (Late, when more and more silently night descends upon the desolate grounds,) ‘zenk‘an tgu:'urtsom ‘flume zig legmy:dat di ‘vimp'en senken zu kurzem Schlummersich ermiidet die Wimpera mir; to brief slumber themselves wearied the eyelashes for me; (my weary eyelids sink into a brief sleep;)B ‘vide(®) lemptorg gos ‘thragman fon ling, faxr 1g tu: ‘nggam ‘tome. wieder empor aus Triumenvon ibr, fahr’ichzu neuem Kummer. again aloft’ fromdreams ‘of her,go I to new worry. (raised again after dreams of her, I awake to new worry.) ‘aibe(1), lor himal, 1g flea: ‘Tgobo mig nigt' maen ttagest’ss gust", Aber, o Himmel,ich flehe: raubemir nichtmein teuerstes Gut, But, © heaven, I entreat:rob frommenot my — most precious possession, (But, O heaven, I entreat: do not rob me of my most precious possession,) dis bogivk’ands ‘ver, das lg —ga'nergt’ mut des‘hertsons lust; dies begliickende Wehe,das ich _geniihrt mit desHerzens Blut: this making happy pain, that I(have) nourished with the heart’s blood: (this pain that makes me happy, that I have nourished with my heart’s blood!) hox Wunt'here Jas ‘loden di glut(’),drn ig “zeilig—feyges. hoch und hdher lass loderndieGlut, drin ich selig__vergehe. hhigh and higherlet flame the fire, _inwhich1 blissfully perish. (Let the fire in which I blissfully perish flame higher and higher!) [The anxious lover hovers between hope (major) and despair (minor), waiting under his lady's balcony for some word of encouragement that may never come, loving the very torture of love, willing to perish in its flames. The singer will try to express the masochistic pleasure of his Strauss, an optimist at heart, lets hope win out at the final cadence. Unlike Opus 19, which come from a larger, five-part collection called “Verwehte Blatter” (Blown-Away Leaves), this lyric is from Schack’s “Liebesgedichte” (Love Poems),] 6. magn herts ist’ ft'om ‘Mein Herz ist stumm My Heart Is Mute maen herts list’ f'um, maen herts lst’ k*alt’, legft'art' im des'vnt'es taezo; Mein Herz ist stumm, mein Herz ist kalt, erstarrt in des Winters Eise; My heart is mute, my heart is cold, numb in the winter’s ice; bisvaglon in'zaene whisfo nus valt’ unt" tsi’ unt’ reik't’ aigs Taeza. bisweilen in seinerTiefe nur wallt und zittert undregt sich °s leise. nowandthenin its depthsonly simmersand tremblesand stirs _ itself itsoftly. (only now and then does something stir and simmer and quiver in its depths.) {Strauss repeats “/eise”] dan_ sts, lals op’ laen'mildss gon di ‘dek'a des ‘frost'as ‘brego; Dann ist’s, als ob ein mildesTaw'’n dieDecke des Frostes breche; Then is itas if a mild thawingthe cover of thefrost may break; (Then it seems as if mild thaw might break the covering of frost;) dorg ‘grymando'velde, ‘blyonda Igon —‘murmain fon ‘nagom di ‘bego. durch griimende Wilder, blihendeAw’n — murmeln von Neuem die Bache. through greening woods, blooming meadows murmur of new the brooks. (the brooks murmur anew through greening woods and blossoming meadows.)24 unt’ ‘hoemek'an, fon blat su: blat’ fom ‘fry:lmsvinds —_get’ra:gon, Und Hérnerklang, von Blatt zu Blatt vom Frablingswinde getragen, ‘And homs- sound, from leaf to leaf bythespring wind: borne, (And the sound of homs, borne from leaf to leaf by the spring wind,) drt’ lags den‘fluxt'on fans. lorg mize mat’, vit_laen rusf Igos ‘zeiligantargon. dringt aus denSchluchten ans Ohrmir matt,wie ein Rufaus seligen Tagen. penetrates from the ravines totheear tomedull, likea call from blessed days. (Comes to my ears from the glens, faintly, like a call from blessed days of the past.) dox das talt'endo herts vir’ jug nigt’_ mesg, das tego ‘ft'erbondan fals Doch das alterndeHerz wird jung nicht mehr, das Echo sterbenden Schalls But the aging heart becomes youngnot more, the echo of dying sound (But my aging heart will not grow young again; the echo of a sound that is dying away) [Strauss changes “Schalles” (shymes with “alles”) to “Schalls") ttomt’ ‘ferme, ime ferme herp, unt’ vidde(r) legft'art® lisk't' Yalas, tint ferner,immer ferner her, und wieder erstarrt liegt alles. soundsfarther, ever farther hither, and again benumbed lies everything. (Comes to me from farther and farther away, and everything becomes numb once more.) [Once again Strauss rounds off a song by repeating the beginning at the end. This pessimistic, strangely moving song, so full of richly beautiful music, ends a cycle that had begun with first love in a young girl's heart, had built to the ecstasy of fulfilled passion, then passed through uncertainty and doubt to the dread that the days of youthful love have become only a haunting memory. There may be a misprint in some editions: in measure 24 there should be an A natural in the second eighth in the second triplet in the left hand (as there is inthe right).] ‘op'us Taenluntusvantstg: “fligt's ‘vaezn fmf godigt's fon Te:liks damn fysg ‘hore ‘f'ima lunt’ pHjanofort'abaglaet'un Opus 21: Schlichte Weisen Siinf Gedichte von Felix Dahn fir hohe Stimme und Pianofortebegleitung Opus 21: Simple Songs Five Poems by Felix Dahn for High Voice with Piano Accompaniment (probably composed in 1887 and 1888, dedicated to “my dear sister”) 1 al magn godank'n All mein Gedanken All My Thoughts ‘al. magn ge'dank'an, maen herts lunt’ magn zin, Allmein Gedanken, mein Herz und mein Sinn, Allmy thoughts, my heart and my mind, (All my thoughts, my heart, and my mind) dat, vor di Tipst’a Iist’vanden zi: hin, gem ties ‘vergas trots ‘maoe(r) unt org, da, wo dieLiebsteist, wandernsie hin. Geb’n ihresWeges trotz Mauer undTor, there, where the dearest is, wander theyhence.Go their way’s despitewall and gate (wander to wherever my dearest is. They go their way in spite of wall and gate;) [geh'n ihres Weges is an idiom calling for the genitive case]