Suleika

Adrianna Rodgers Soprano http://www.youtube.com/user/Dominate421

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was a vocalist who studied with Antonio Salieri at St. Stephens in Vienna. He showed promising talent in piano, organ, violin, and composition from a young age and composed more than 600 songs throughout his life. From Johann Wolfgang Von Goethes West-östlicher Divan, Schubert chose several poems including Suleika and Suleika zweiter Gesang and set them to music. We assume that both poems were written by Marianne von Willemer, a long distance intimate correspondent with Goethe in Germany. Willemer and Goethe gave themselves the pseudonyms Suleika and Hatem in order to send letters between them. One lived on the east side of Germany, while the other lived on the west side of Germany. The poems address the east and west winds blowing back and forth between them carrying the love that they share. We hear this image of the wind in the piano part through the use of tone painting.

Suleika

Was bedeutet die Bewegung?
Bringt der Ost mir frohe Kunde?
Seiner Schwingen frische Regung
Kühlt des Herzens tiefe Wunde.

Kosend spielt er mit dem Staube,
Jagt ihn auf in leichten Wölkchen,
Treibt zur sichern Rebenlaube
Der insekten frohes Völkchen.

Lindert sanft der Sonne Glühen,
Kühlt auch mir die heiβen Wangen,
Küβt die Reben noch in Fliehen,
Die auf Feld und Hügel prangen.

Und mir bringt sein leises Flüstern
Von dem Freunde tausend Grüβe;
Eh noch diese Hügel düstern,
Grüβen mich wohl tausend Küsse.

Und so kannst du weiterziehen!
Diene Freunden und Betrübten,
Dort, dort, wo hohe Mauern glühen,
Dort find ich bald den Vielgeliebten.

Ach, die wahre Herzenskunde,
Liebeshauch, erfrischtes Leben,
Wird mir nur aus seinem Munde,
Kann mir nur sien Atem geben.

What is the meaning of this movement?
Does the east wind bring good news?
The fresh movement of its wings,
Cools the hearts deep wound.

It caressingly plays with the dust
Lifting it up in tiny little clouds
Driving the insects happy little forms
To the safe harbor of the vines.

The wind gently softens the suns glow,
Cooling my hot cheeks,
And while fleeing, kisses the vines
That flourish in the fields and hills.

And it brings its soft whisper to me,
Giving a thousand greetings from my friend.
But before these hills darken,
Certainly a thousand kisses will greet me.

And with this, you can go along
Helping friends and sorrowful ones.
There, there where the high walls glow,
There I will soon find my beloved.

Ah, the truth lives in the heart,
Loves breath, refreshed life.
His lips are calling to me,
And only his breath can give me these things.

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Music

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