Oct 31, 2009 |
Ian Bostridge, Dichterliebe
Ian Bostridge attended the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, where he received an Masters of Philosophy in the history and philosophy of science. Then he went on to attain his Ph.d of Philosphy from Oxford in 1990 focusing on the significance of witchcraft in English public life from 1650 to 1750. He went on to publish in 1997 an Oxford Historical Monograph, “Witchcraft and its Transformations 1650 to 1750″ as a post-doctoral fellow at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Then he decided to become a singer.
As a singer, Dr. Bostridge has impeccable accuracy, an overwhelming facility for dynamic control, and a piercing straight tone that flutters into an almost mathematically equal vibrato.
Dichterliebe is a song cycle composed by Robert Schumann, set to the poetry of Heinrich Heine. This song cycle is known for its setting the piano as the voices’ equal: their relationship is cooperative instead of accompanimental. Many songs of the cycle begin with the voice but end with a postlude in the piano where the thoughts presented by the voice are summed up, expanded upon, and grieved over. I’ve provided the first four songs of Dichteliebe, just click on the title of the piece. I chose the first four because the poetry was intended by Robert Schumann to serve as a narrative for the voice and the first character climax of the cycle happens at the end of song four – read the poetry carefully as it ends much differently than it begins. English poetic translations come from Paul Hindemith at at www.recmusic.org/lieder, you can purchase the entire cycle on iTunes or Amazon, performed by Ian Bostridge and pianist Julius Drake.
Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, Im wunderschönen Monat Mai, Aus meinen Tränen sprießen Und wenn du mich lieb hast, Kindchen, Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube,,, Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne, Sie selber, aller Liebe, Wenn ich in deine Augen seh’, Wenn ich mich lehn’ an deine Brust,
Als alle Knospen sprangen,
Da ist in meinem Herzen
Die Liebe aufgegangen.
Als alle Vögel sangen,
Da hab’ ich ihr gestanden
Mein Sehnen und Verlangen.
Viel blühende Blumen hervor,
Und meine Seufzer werden
Ein Nachtigallenchor.
Schenk’ ich dir die Blumen all’,
Und vor deinem Fenster soll klingen
Das Lied der Nachtigall.
Die liebt’ ich einst alle in Liebeswonne.
Ich lieb’ sie nicht mehr, ich liebe alleine
Die Kleine, die Feine, die Reine, die Eine;
Ist Rose und Lilie und Taube und Sonne.
Die liebt’ ich einst alle in Liebeswonne.
Ich lieb’ sie nicht mehr, ich liebe alleine
So schwindet und Weh;
Doch wenn ich küße deinen Mund,
So werd’ ich ganz und gar gesund.
Kommt’s über mich wie Himmelslust;
Doch wenn du sprichst: ich liebe dich!
muß ich weinen bitterlich.
In the beautiful month of may In the wonderfully beautiful month of May In the wonderfully beautiful month of May From my tears sprout forth From my tears sprout forth And if you love me, dear child, The rose, the lilly, the dove, the sun The rose, the lily, the dove, the sun, She herself–the source of all love– When I gaze into your eyes When I gaze into your eyes, When I lay against your breast
When all the buds are bursting open,
There, from my own heart,
Bursts forth my own love.
When all the birds are singing,
So have I confessed to her
My yearning and my longing.
Many blooming flowers,
And my sighing become joined with
The chorus of the nightingales.
I will send you so many flowers;
And before your window should sound
The song of the nightingale.
I loved them all once in love’s bliss.
I love them no more, I love only
The Small, the Fine, the Pure the One;
IS the rose, lily, dove, and sun
I love only that which is small,
Fine, pure–the one, the ONE!
All my pain and woe vanishes;
Yet when I kiss your lips,
I am made wholly and entirely healthy.
It comes over me like longing for heaven;
Yet when you say, “I love you!”
I must cry so bitterly.
