This coming week sees the Christian festival of All Souls commemorating the dead, and I’ll be sending out a list of Requiem settings (more of that on Thursday).
So, for today, the song (‘Lied’) by Richard Strauss called Allerseelen, composed in 1885. It’s a setting of a poem by Hermann von Gilm, and is a song of the memory of love and affection as one lover on All Souls day in November reflects on the joy and love of the previous May – you can hear Strauss carefully balancing gentle memory, fear, and a colossal outpouring of love!
The song is in ternary form, and a translation of the song, by the brilliant Richard Stokes (author of The Book of Lieder, pub. Faber, 2005) is:
Stell auf den Tisch die duftenden Reseden,
Set on the table the fragrant mignonettes,
Die letzten roten Astern trag herbei,
Bring in the last red asters,
Und laß uns wieder von der Liebe reden,
And let us talk of love again
Wie einst im Mai.
As once in May.
Gib mir die Hand, daß ich sie heimlich drücke,
Give me your hand to press in secret,
Und wenn man’s sieht, mir ist es einerlei,
And if people see, I do not care,
Gib mir nur einen deiner süßen Blicke,
Give me but one of your sweet glances
Wie einst im Mai.
As once in May.
Es blüht und duftet heut auf jedem Grabe,
Each grave today has flowers and is fragrant,
Ein Tag im Jahr ist ja den Toten frei,
One day each year is devoted to the dead;
Komm am mein Herz, daß ich dich wieder habe,
Come to my heart and so be mine again,
Wie einst im Mai.
As once in May.
I’ve chosen this recording by the great soprano Elly Ameling, recorded in the 1970s on vinyl (you’ll be able to make out the noise of the needle).
If you enjoy this, try another song from the same collection, Zueignung – a song of thanks – performed by the mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, accompanied by the Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMRNuZwjdis
If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, try the Four Last Songs, which he composed at the end of his life, reflecting on his life and love with his wife, soprano Pauline de Ahna. It is the ultimate of Strauss, his orchestral writing, and ability to set poetry to music.
I have a particular affection for the third song, especially the soaring passage after the violin solo, but all four are stunning. This broadcast is from the National Youth Orchestra Prom this summer (starting at 33:00), with the wonderful soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha.
Perhaps you’ll spot one or two Trinity students performing…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001pvdp/bbc-proms-2023-nyo-at-the-proms
Listening Project 