The creation of the starry firmament. Paul Nash
La creació del firmament estelat - P. Nash

I had another post ready for this week, but there was a last minute change due to an unforeseen musical event. Soprano Katharina Konradi should have sung today at L'Auditori, within the Schubert Lied series; it was a concert postponed since November due to the singer's illness but, unfortunately, she will be not able to sing either. It's a shame, because she's a great singer, but I hope we'll have more chances to listen to her. We're listening instead another young singer, mezzo soprano Klaudia Tandl, who is proposing a different programme.

That's why today we have a small version of the regular Schubert Lied posts: I'll briefly introduce a song from the programme and link the songs we have already heard so far. So today we have a lot of music and few words.

Klaudia Tandl's recital will begin with Im Freien, (“In the open”), one of Schubert's happiest Lieder; it's not easy to find there any signs of sadness, so usual even in his happy songs. The poem is by Johann Gabriel Seidl, from Lieder der Nacht, a book published in 1826 (the same year that the song was composed). Indeed, Im Freien is a night scene, in which someone hears how the stars speak to him, someone who loves everything around him. We could think that the poet melancholy evokes a happy past, but it's not the case; he doesn't speak in the past tens but in present tens. He seems really happy and Schubert's music conveys that intimate happiness. The accompaniment is one of those that we could hear as a separate piece, a very elaborated one, while in contrast the voice sings with a seemingly simple vocal line. It's a beautiful song, that we're listening sung by another singer that took part at the Schubert Lied, Samuel Hasselhorn, accompanied by Takako Miyazaki.

And after Im Freien, what's next? Well, according to the following list, some troubled hearts.


 

Im Freien

Draussen in der weiten Nacht
Steh ich wieder nun,
Ihre helle Sternenpracht
Lässt mein Herz nicht ruhn!

Tausend Arme winken mir
Süss begehrend zu,
Tausend Stimmen rufen hier,
„Grüss dich, Trauter, du!“

O ich weiss auch, was mich zieht,
Weiss auch, was mich ruft,
Was wie Freundes Gruss und Lied
Locket, locket durch die Luft.

Siehst du dort das Hüttchen stehn,
Drauf der Mondschein ruht.
Durch die blanken Scheiben sehn
Augen, die mir gut!

Siehst du dort das Haus am Bach,
Das der Mond bescheint?
Unter seinem trauten Dach
Schläft mein liebster Freund.

Siehst du jenen Baum,
Der voll Silberflocken flimmt?
O wie oft mein Busen schwoll,
Froher dort gestimmt!

Jedes Plätzchen, das mir winkt,
Ist ein teurer Platz,
Und wohin ein Strahl nur sinkt,
Lockt ein teurer Schatz.

Drum auch winkt mir’s überall
So begehrend hier,
Drum auch ruft es, wie der Schall
Trauter Liebe mir.

 
Please follow this link if you need an English translation.

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