Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, "Von deutscher Seele" Part 1 "Mensch und Natur" 6-6

Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
"Von deutscher Seele" (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.


Part One: "Mensch und Natur" (Man and Nature)
Pt 6 of 6


Spruch 7 aus "Wandersprüche"

Der Wandrer, von der Heimat weit,
Wenn rings die Gründe schweigen,
Der Schiffer in Meeres Einsamkeit,
Wenn die Stern aus den Fluten steigen:

Die beiden schauern und lesen
In stiller Nacht,
Was sie nicht gedacht,
Da es noch fröhlicher Tag gewesen.


Aphorism 4 from "Travel dicta"

The traveler far from his native land
When the world around him is silent,
The seaman in the loneliness of the sea
When the stars rise from the waters,

Both shudder
In the silent night, and read
What they had never thought
While it had still been cheerful day.


"Nachtgruß"

Weit jetzo alles stille ist,
Und alle Menschen schlafen,
Mein Seel das ewge Licht begrüßt,
Ruht wie ein Schiff im Hafen.

Der falsche Fleiß, die Eitelkeit,
Was keinen mag erlaben,
Darin der Tag das Herz zerstreut,
Liegt alles tief begraben.

Ein andrer König, wunderreich,
Mit königlichen Sinnen
Zieht herrlich ein im stillen Reich,
Besteigt die ewgen Zinnen.


"Night greeting"

Far and wide, all now is still
And all humanity is sleeping.
My soul greets the eternal light
Peaceful as a ship in harbor.

Misguided effort, human vanity,
That which brings no comfort
And oppresses the heart by day,
All lie buried deep.

Another king, wondrously rich,
With royal mind, gloriously
Arrives at his silent kingdom
And scales the eternal heights.


English translation: Lionel Salter

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• cantata
• chorus
• Pfitzner
• Eichendorff
• Giebel
• Töpper
• Wunderlich
• Wiener
• Keilberth

[HerrWagnerfreund]

Where is part 5?

[FiDiTanzer528]

@HerrWagnerfreund

The link to Part 5 is under the Video Responses where it says "This video is a response to" or you can go to my channel where I have a playlist of the entire cantata with all the parts in order. Thanks for viewing.

[HerrWagnerfreund]

Thank you very much. You're videos are great and I thank you very much for them.

[FiDiTanzer528]

@HerrWagnerfreund

Glad you enjoyed them. Were you able to view all 13 parts? That's why I suggested the playlist.

[Searchandpreserve]

I´ve always been a Go-Between: I like songs in general, no matter if they are "pop-songs" or "Ernste Lieder", to me that´s no contradiction. Good songs in general are about what it´s like to be a human being, the joys of life and its bitterness. Thus Pfitzner´s brilliant setting of the "Wandersprüche" reminds me of Tim Buckleys "Song to the siren" from 1970, another "Wanderer von der Heimat fern". "Inspiration" is the word, both for Pfitzner and Buckley.

[EdGulli]

beautiful, well-chosen images, äh ich meine: toll gemacht :D