A: The German Lied.
For this week’s blog I listened to an excerpt from “Im wundershonen Monat Mai”.
What?
That was the whole song??
Okay.
For this week’s blog I listened to the entire song “Im wundershonen Monat Mai”. The best thing about this song is that it’s only one minute and thirty-two seconds long. But, before you get too excited, this song is just the first piece of Dichterliebe, a 16 song cycle which totals almost 30 minutes. “Im wundershonen Monat Mai” translates as “I’m wondering where to hang my Monet”.
What???
Sorry.
“Im wundershonen Monat Mai” translates as “In the Wondrous Month of May”. The complete lyrics are:
In the wonderfully fair month of May,
as all the flower-buds burst,
then in my heart
love arose.
In the wonderfully fair month of May,
as all the birds were singing,
then I confessed to her
my yearning and longing.
Ug. Cheesier than Velveeta. (Maybe it loses something in translation.) I also dislike the vocal timbre. Male, female, baritone, or soprano, I don’t think I will ever come to enjoy this operatic style of singing.
Now let’s move on to aspects of the song that I don’t hate. Number one: the piano part. The piano does not merely serve the role of vocal accompanist; it is very lyrical and melodic on its own. In fact, I would find this tune much more enjoyable performed as a piano solo. I also enjoy the complex harmonies. The use of the damper pedal transforms long arpeggiated lines into thick, sonorous chords. I would call the chord created in the first measure a B minor/major seventh add 9 add #13 in first inversion. Sweeet. But the harmony is so ambiguous, arguments could also be made that it’s some sort of D augmented, G# diminished, or F# major. The second measure sounds like some sort of resolution because of the half-step bass motion from D to C#, but the chord is actually a C# dominant seventh – not a resolution at all but a clue that the future tonal center will be F# minor. Instead, as the first verse starts, the chord progression Bm, E7, A emerges. This is interesting not only because it moves to the major instead of the minor, but also because this II, V, I progression is the cornerstone of jazz harmony. The second half of the verse flirts with both major and minor harmonies in a progression that is extremely chromatic. The song’s form is symmetrical and easy to follow. The two verses differ only in their lyrics. They are 8 measures, divided into a 2 measure progression repeated twice, followed by a contrasting 4 measure progression. These two verses are sandwiched between three identical 4 measure piano interludes. These interludes are also symmetrical, a two measure progression repeated twice. The textbook states “the music signals that his love may remain unrequited by refusing to settle into a key and ending on a dominant seventh.” I think this interpretation may be overly reaching for a metaphor, especially when allmusic.com states that tonal resolution is reached in the very next song. I would argue that forcing a resolution would destroy the song’s pure symmetrical form.
The next selection I listened to was “Dern Lindenbaum” by Franz Schubert. “Dern Lindenbaum” translates as “Darn My Bellybutton Lint”.
What????
Sorry.
“Dern Lindenbaum” translates as “The Linden Tree”. Here are the complete lyrics:
By the fountain, near the gate,
There stands a linden tree;
I have dreamt in its shadows
So many sweet dreams.
I carved on its bark
So many loving words;
I was always drawn to it,
Whether in joy or in sorrow.
Today, too, I had to pass it
In the dead of night.
And even in the darkness
I had to close my eyes.
And its branches rustled
As if calling to me:
"Come here, to me, friend,
Here you will find your peace!"
The frigid wind blew
Straight in my face,
My hat flew from my head,
I did not turn back.
Now I am many hours
Away from that spot,
And still I hear the rustling:
There you would have found peace!
In my opinion, these lyrics don’t totally suck. This piece is also a part of a song cycle (called Winterreise) greater in scope than Schmann’s at 24 songs and over 70 minutes in length. Both songs’ lyrics make significant references to nature – a staple of Romantic music. What begins as a creatively composed piano piece quickly deteriorates as soon as the singing begins. The piano part becomes subservient to the vocal melody, unable to stand on its own. The harmonies are not as ambiguous and complex as Schumann’s and therefore, to me, less interesting. The entire piece is in the key of E, beginning and ending in major with a brief minor excursion in the middle. The form of the piece is less clear than the Schumann and therefore, to me, less enjoyable.
If I was forced to choose my favorite Eastern European romantic era lieder composer with syphilis whose name begins with s-c-h-u, I’d have to choose Schumann over Schubert.
For this week’s blog I listened to an excerpt from “Im wundershonen Monat Mai”.
What?
That was the whole song??
Okay.
For this week’s blog I listened to the entire song “Im wundershonen Monat Mai”. The best thing about this song is that it’s only one minute and thirty-two seconds long. But, before you get too excited, this song is just the first piece of Dichterliebe, a 16 song cycle which totals almost 30 minutes. “Im wundershonen Monat Mai” translates as “I’m wondering where to hang my Monet”.
What???
Sorry.
“Im wundershonen Monat Mai” translates as “In the Wondrous Month of May”. The complete lyrics are:
In the wonderfully fair month of May,
as all the flower-buds burst,
then in my heart
love arose.
In the wonderfully fair month of May,
as all the birds were singing,
then I confessed to her
my yearning and longing.
Ug. Cheesier than Velveeta. (Maybe it loses something in translation.) I also dislike the vocal timbre. Male, female, baritone, or soprano, I don’t think I will ever come to enjoy this operatic style of singing.
Now let’s move on to aspects of the song that I don’t hate. Number one: the piano part. The piano does not merely serve the role of vocal accompanist; it is very lyrical and melodic on its own. In fact, I would find this tune much more enjoyable performed as a piano solo. I also enjoy the complex harmonies. The use of the damper pedal transforms long arpeggiated lines into thick, sonorous chords. I would call the chord created in the first measure a B minor/major seventh add 9 add #13 in first inversion. Sweeet. But the harmony is so ambiguous, arguments could also be made that it’s some sort of D augmented, G# diminished, or F# major. The second measure sounds like some sort of resolution because of the half-step bass motion from D to C#, but the chord is actually a C# dominant seventh – not a resolution at all but a clue that the future tonal center will be F# minor. Instead, as the first verse starts, the chord progression Bm, E7, A emerges. This is interesting not only because it moves to the major instead of the minor, but also because this II, V, I progression is the cornerstone of jazz harmony. The second half of the verse flirts with both major and minor harmonies in a progression that is extremely chromatic. The song’s form is symmetrical and easy to follow. The two verses differ only in their lyrics. They are 8 measures, divided into a 2 measure progression repeated twice, followed by a contrasting 4 measure progression. These two verses are sandwiched between three identical 4 measure piano interludes. These interludes are also symmetrical, a two measure progression repeated twice. The textbook states “the music signals that his love may remain unrequited by refusing to settle into a key and ending on a dominant seventh.” I think this interpretation may be overly reaching for a metaphor, especially when allmusic.com states that tonal resolution is reached in the very next song. I would argue that forcing a resolution would destroy the song’s pure symmetrical form.
The next selection I listened to was “Dern Lindenbaum” by Franz Schubert. “Dern Lindenbaum” translates as “Darn My Bellybutton Lint”.
What????
Sorry.
“Dern Lindenbaum” translates as “The Linden Tree”. Here are the complete lyrics:
By the fountain, near the gate,
There stands a linden tree;
I have dreamt in its shadows
So many sweet dreams.
I carved on its bark
So many loving words;
I was always drawn to it,
Whether in joy or in sorrow.
Today, too, I had to pass it
In the dead of night.
And even in the darkness
I had to close my eyes.
And its branches rustled
As if calling to me:
"Come here, to me, friend,
Here you will find your peace!"
The frigid wind blew
Straight in my face,
My hat flew from my head,
I did not turn back.
Now I am many hours
Away from that spot,
And still I hear the rustling:
There you would have found peace!
In my opinion, these lyrics don’t totally suck. This piece is also a part of a song cycle (called Winterreise) greater in scope than Schmann’s at 24 songs and over 70 minutes in length. Both songs’ lyrics make significant references to nature – a staple of Romantic music. What begins as a creatively composed piano piece quickly deteriorates as soon as the singing begins. The piano part becomes subservient to the vocal melody, unable to stand on its own. The harmonies are not as ambiguous and complex as Schumann’s and therefore, to me, less interesting. The entire piece is in the key of E, beginning and ending in major with a brief minor excursion in the middle. The form of the piece is less clear than the Schumann and therefore, to me, less enjoyable.
If I was forced to choose my favorite Eastern European romantic era lieder composer with syphilis whose name begins with s-c-h-u, I’d have to choose Schumann over Schubert.
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