Lotte Lehmann & Lauritz Melchior: Four Schumann duets (1939)

Here are two of the greatest Wagnerian singers singing duets of Robert Schumann. They recorded five in 1939. The orchestra is conducted by Bruno Reibold. Here are four of them (one has been uploaded previously to YouTube by another.)

Unterm Fenster (translation from Robert Burns)
"Who is it at my chamber door? - It's I, it's I - Go away, what are you looking for? - My sweet one, my sweet one - You come in the dark, like a thief! - Then catch me - You love me a little? - From my heart, from my heart, from my heart."

"And if I open as you wish? - O, open; O, open! - Then sleep and rest will be gone! - Let me in, let me in - You're a dove in the dovecote - I'm a dove - And you'll coo till daylight - It's possible, quite possible, quite possible."

"No, never will I let you in - O, do it; O, do it - You'll come every day? - With joy, with joy - How fresh you are, and what you dare! - Then may I? - You won't tell a soul - Certainly not, certainly not, certainly not, etc,"

Familien-gemalde (A. Grün)
"Grandfather and grandmother sit in the garden. The smile on their faces is like a sunny day in winter. Their arms are entwined. My lover and I are quiet nearby. Our hearts bloom and sing like a field of flowers in May."

"The double mirror of life is held up to us, clear and true. They saw us and thought of the beautiful past. We saw them and dreamed of the distant future."

So wahr die Sonne scheinet (Rückert)
"As true as the sun shines, as true as the clouds weep, as true as the flame sparkles, as true as the spring blossoms, I feel when I embrace you, you love me as I you and I love you as you me."

"The sun may disappear, the clouds weep no more, the flame sputter out, the spring blossom no more. We will still embrace and feel, you love me as I you . . ."

Ich denke dein (Goethe)
"I think of you when the shimmer of the sun gleams from the sea; I think of you when the glimmering light of the moon is reflected in the fountain."

"I see you when the dust rises from the distant road; in the deep night when the traveler trembles on the narrow bridge."

"I hear you when the waves surge with a dull roar; I often go into the quiet wood to listen when all is still." "I am with you; however far away you may be, you are near me. The sun is setting, soon the stars will be shining down on me. If only you were here."

Link to Lotte Lehmann playlist: http://www.youtube.com/user/kadoguy2006#grid/user/7EAE5C1B09884362

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Lotte
• Lehmann
• Lauritz
• Melchior
• Schumann
• Unterm
• Fenster
• Familien-gemalde
• So
• wahr
• die
• Sonne
• scheinet
• Ich
• denke
• dein
• Bruno
• Reibold

[luneweaver]

These tracks have true depth&feeling,excellent singers, Great conductor!!!

[Varese52]

Very touching to hear these two giants singing such intimate songs. One cannot help thinking of Schumann's own profound feelings for his beloved Clara when one listens. I wonder, though, if the orchestrations were by Schumann or by someone else?