Schubert - Winterreise, D 911 "Erstarrung" - D F Dieskau

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civileso
July 19, 2007

Franz Schubert from Winterreise, D 911/Op.89 (Winter Journey) Schubert's song-cycle setting of Wilhelm Müller's poems My favorite baritone Fischer-Dieskau singing "Erstarrung" from my favorite Sc...

Franz Schubert

from Winterreise, D 911/Op.89 (Winter Journey)
Schubert's song-cycle setting of Wilhelm Müller's poems

My favorite baritone Fischer-Dieskau singing "Erstarrung" from my favorite Schubert work, Winterreise. In his book about Schubert's songs, Fischer-Dieskau wrote these paragraphs about this 24-song cycle:

"Although Schubert himself once said that for him there was no real happy music, he had never before attempted such a chain of variations on the theme of grief. If the main character remains a shadowy figure, natural phenomena intrude all the more insistently. The wintry landscape, its snowstorms, frozen streams, bare lime trees and the fugitive victim of inhospitality and cold combine to form an unceasing lament. Schubert loved to listen to the sounds of nature; his music echoes a gentle, almost inaudible rustling. Fierce storms, whispering woods and plants, the singing meadows, all are translated into music. Not only in "Der Lindenbaum" are the plants endowed with a musical language. The unpretentiousness and simplicity of Müller's poems are matched by the simplicity of Schubert's musical texture. His sole interest is in the depth of feeling, not in psychological over-refinements. Regret and renunciation are his themes. Dreams are the lover's torture. The battle with his emotions is long and despairing. Sixteen of the poems are in minor keys, the agony is unending before the insanity breaks in."

He continues to talk about the cycle in his book: "Should one offer such an intimate diary of a human soul to an audience whose interests are so varied?" And he concludes: "The views of that section of the audience which expects only a refined, aesthetic entertainment from a Liederabend cannot be allowed to prevail. The singer must have no fears about the chilling effect which these songs can have, given the correct interpretation; he must make no concessions to Austrian charm or maudlin sentimentality, and must be prepared to be criticized for his attitude. If these songs only please us, or stir us or frighten us, then we are a long, long way from fully understanding Schubert's personal statement. Winterreise demands much more than the purely lyrical approach - it runs the gamut of emotions, up to and including drama."

IV. Erstarrung

Ich such' im Schnee vergebens
Nach ihrer Tritte Spur,
Wo sie an meinem Arme
Durchstrich die grüne Flur.

Ich will den Boden küssen,
Durchdringen Eis und Schnee
Mit meinen heißen Tränen,
Bis ich die Erde seh'.

Wo find' ich eine Blüte,
Wo find' ich grünes Gras?
Die Blumen sind erstorben,
Der Rasen sieht so blaß.

Soll denn kein Angedenken
Ich nehmen mit von hier?
Wenn meine Schmerzen schweigen,
Wer sagt mir dann von ihr?

Mein Herz ist wie erstorben,
Kalt starrt ihr Bild darin;
Schmilzt je das Herz mir wieder,
Fließt auch ihr Bild dahin!

IV. Numbness

Vainly I search in the snow
for the footprint she left
when arm in arm with me she
passed along the green meadow.

I want to kiss the ground,
pierce ice and snow
with my hot tears
until I see the soil beneath.

Where shall I find a blossom,
where find green grass?
The flowers are dead, the turf looks so wan.

Is there then no memory
that I may take from here?
When my sorrows are stilled,
what shall tell me of her?

My heart feels dead;
within it her image gazes coldly.
When my heart thaws again
her image will flow away.

Category: Music

Tags:

Franz Schubert Winterreise D 911 Erstarrung Classical music Dietrich Fischer Dieskau Jorg Demus Art Song Cycle

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kentokhromatic (1 month ago) Show Hide

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Is this performance transposed into A minor (a minor third down)? I hear the pitches being around there (G#, A etc) but the score's saying the pitches are higher.

ROVERY171272 (1 month ago) Show Hide

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Who's the pianist , please !

civileso (1 month ago) Show Hide

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As the title slide shows, Jörg Demus.

ROVERY171272 (1 month ago) Show Hide

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La partition que l'on voit est un ton supérieur à ce qu'on entend. Mais ce qu'on entend est sublime.

wanflove (1 week ago) Show Hide

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preferably english please :P

KittyRufus258 (1 month ago) Show Hide

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I love it ! its spendid uhh SPLENDID

KindOfMaroon (3 months ago) Show Hide

-2

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Yeah. This text is in G minor, but he's singing it in C minor.

sinfonian2013 (3 months ago) Show Hide

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The sheet music on the video is written in C minor, but he's singing it in A minor.

spankydeluxe (5 months ago) Show Hide

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Just to let u know, I loved the way u put the score in the movie. However, the music u had was in a much higher key than what was being sung. Good job though!

stybboon (4 months ago) Show Hide

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yes, this is soprano score.

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Schubert - Winterreise, D 911 "Erstarrung" - D F Dieskau

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