U3A Music Appreciation Group Meeting 29 June 2017
Hazeldene, 29 June, 10.30 am
Nine members attended the session on 29th June 2017: Adrian, Alba, Brian, Janet, Margaret, Maureen C, Maureen S, Mike and Susan. The purpose of the session was to compare performances of the same piece of music by solo singers (and in one case two choral groups). Mike, Susan and Maureen S presented and spoke about their choices.
Mike.
All examples were from Schubert Lieder (‘art songs’). Mike began with a few words about the structure of a song. At two extremes they may be either (1) ‘strophic’, in which the music fits the separate verses of the poem; or (2) ‘through-composed’, in which the music runs continuously along with the story told in the poem. Quite often Schubert steered a course somewhere between these two extremes.
It is notable that Schubert regarded the singer’s and the pianist’s parts as equally important in telling the story. It is not merely a song with an accompaniment in the background – a true partnership.
The Earl King (‘Erl-Koenig’)
The original poem is by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1949-1832), a polymath generally regarded as Germany’s greatest poet. Goethe’s strophic poem is written in 8 verses of 4 lines each, with the rhyming at the end of lines 1 & 2 and 3 & 4. However, the appearance of Schubert’s setting is ‘through-composed’. The poem’s strophic form remains discernible because the melody undergoes variation above a changing harmonic foundation corresponding to the telling of the tale. Thus Schubert used key changes, major to minor and back, as well as extremes of soft and loud. The changes in voice of the singer according to which character he portrays and the pianist’s changes in dynamics and finger technique heighten the drama. The return to the original key at the end gives a kind of formal integrity to the ballad. There is much more underlying this piece than is at first evident!
It is indeed a chilling tale of a father riding his horse home late on a dark and windy night with his small son cradled in his arms. The child is frightened because he sees the ‘Earl King’. The father tells him it’s only the mist playing tricks. The Earl King offers the child all sorts of delights if he will go with him – his daughter will take care of the boy, he says. The child becomes more and more terrified and eventually dies in the father’s arms as they reach home.
The song is a challenge for both singer – who needs to change his voice to accommodate the three different characters involved in the ballad – and the pianist, who has to maintain an incessant triplet rhythm, which is taxing on the wrist!
Two baritones were compared: Bryn Terfel and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, with rather different-sounding voices; and two pianists with interestingly different techniques of playing. Fischer-Dieskau’s pianist was Gerald Moore and Bryn Terfel’s, Malcolm Martineau. It was interesting to note that the members unanimously preferred Terfel’s performance, as his interpretation of the different characters – the father, son and Earl-King - seemed to have greater insight.
Gretchen at her Spinning Wheel
Schubert composed this in 1814 at the tender age of 17. It was his first published and recognized masterpiece and yet another setting of a Goethe poem.
Gretchen declares (over and over again!) that she has a heavy heart – ‘mein Herz ist schweer!’. She feels that she will never find rest again because of the continued absence of her lover. She continually looks out of her window and the poet emphasizes the feeling of despair by the frequent repetition of ‘Meine Ruh ist hin, mein Herz ist schweer’ –‘ my peace is gone, my heart is heavy’. Once again, as in virtually all Schubert Lieder, the piano is an equal partner in the song, adding sound effects, in this case the constant revolutions of the spinning wheel and the abrupt changes in mood of Gretchen.
Three female voices were compared: Renee Fleming, American soprano with Christophe Eschenbach at the piano; Janet Baker, British Mezzo-soprano with Gerald Moore as pianist and Felicity Lott, British soprano with Graham Johnson
Like the men we heard, each of these singers has a lovely voice and all three are different in the sound they make and the pace at which they take the piece. This time there was less unanimity in preference. Most favoured Janet Baker’s rendering, whereas Mike preferred that of Felicity Lott, whom most people felt too shrill.
Susan
Susan presented three sets of comparisons: Firstly, two excerpts from ‘A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten, comparing two choirs; secondly, two examples of Janet Baker’s singing from Peter Warlock’s ‘Balulalow’ and from Edward Elgar’s ‘Where Corals Lie’; thirdly, comparisons of Kathleen Ferrier and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau singing Franz Schubert’s ‘An Die Musik’.
A Ceremony of Carols
Benjamin Britten composed this eleven-part work on a hazardous return sea trip from the USA to Britain in 1942. Here we heard parts 4 (‘Balulalow’) and 5 (‘As dew in Aprille’). The poem used here is in Middle English and therefore has strong French influences in its language, dating from the Norman Conquest in 1066. Benjamin Britten started the English Opera Group around the end of the war to promote compositions and operas and the Group included Peter Pears, Kathleen Ferrier and later Janet Baker, whom we are to hear later.
The first version of Ballulalow and As Dew in Aprille that Susan presented was sung by The Oxford Girls’ Choir. The sound of girls’ voices is heard much more now than in the past since Canterbury Cathedral established a girls’ choir in 2013 for the first time in 900 years. The second version is sung by the Choir of King’s College Cambridge in a setting perfectly pitched for the high treble voices of young boys. The sound, in contrast to that of the girls, is a purer one, speaking to us of the innocence represented by the birth of Jesus, to whom Mary, his mother, is singing the beautiful and moving lullaby of ‘Balulalow’.
Janet Baker
This pair of excerpts compares two very different pieces of music sung by the same singer – Janet Baker. She was born in 1933 and is still living. She started her career in 1953, the year in which Kathleen Ferrier, a subject of Susan’s next pair of comparisons, died. Janet Baker is a mezzo-soprano of great renown and much loved in the music world for the purity of the sound of her voice as well as her wonderful diction and imaginative interpretation.
The first piece was yet another setting of ‘Balulalow’, this time by Peter Warlock; the second, one of the songs in Edward Elgar’s song cycle ‘Sea Pictures’ – Where Corals Lie.
An Die Musik
In this set, Susan compared Kathleen Ferrier (Contralto) and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Baritone) singing ‘An Die Musik’ by Franz Schubert. Kathleen Ferrier was a world-renowned Contralto, who achieved fame in the short time of ten years at the end of which she tragically died at the age of 41. In this excerpt is illustrated the wonderfully natural sound of her virtually untrained voice and will be contrasted in the second excerpt by that of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (1925-2012), who in the 87 years of his life had an enormous singing repertoire as well as being a renowned conductor. Franz Schubert used a poem by his friend, Franz von Schober, to set to music in 1817.
Maureen S.
Ombra mai fu
This is an aria from the 1738 opera Serse (otherwise known as ‘Xerxes’) by G.F.Handel. The piece is often played as an orchestral version, known commonly as ‘Handel’s Largo’. The translation means literally ‘never a shade’ and is sung by the main character Xerxes I, king of Persia. He is admiring the shade of a tree.
Maureen compared the voices of Andreas Scholl (Counter Tenor) and Kathleen Ferrier (Contralto) in singing this famous aria. We have referred to Kathleen Ferrier above. Andreas Scholl was a German Counter Tenor (in the alto vocal range), specializing in baroque music. The audience expressed a preference for the Kathleen Ferrier version.
The session ended with a discussion of the programme for the next session on Thursday 27th July 2017. The topic will be simply ‘Holiday Music’ (which should give wide scope!) and will be held at Janet’s home, April Cottage, Church Road. Nearer the time, please inform Mike and Janet if you will attend and send suggestions for pieces to Mike.
Additional notes on the texts of the songs.
Erl-Koenig The Earl King
Wer reitet so spaet durch Nacht und Wind Who rides so late through night and wind?
Es ist der Vater mit sienem Kind. It is the father with his child.
Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm, In his arms he has the boy,
Er fast ihn sicher, er halt ihn warm He holds him safe, he keeps him warm
Mein Sohn, was brings du so bang dein Gesicht? My son, why do you hold your face in fear?
Siehst Vater, du den Erlkoenig nicht? Father, don’t you see the Earl-King?
Den Erlenkoenig mit Kron und Schweif? The Earl King with his crown and train?
Mein Sohn, is est ein Nebelstreif. My son, it’s but a wisp of mist.
Du liebes Kind, komm geh mit mir! Dear child, come go with me!
Gar schoene Spiele spiel ich mit dir Wonderful games I’ll play with you.
Manch bunte Blumen sind an dem Strand, Many gay-coloured flowers are on the shore,
Meine Mutter hat manch guelden Gewand. My mother has many a garment of gold.
Mein Vater, mein Vater und hoerest du nicht? Father, father don’t you hear?
Was Erlenkoenig mir leise verspricht? What the Earl King is softly promising me?
Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig mein Kind, Be calm, keep calm my child,
In dueren Blaettern saueselt der Wind. The wind is rustling in the dry leaves.
Willst feiner Knabe, du mir mit gehn? Will you come with me fine lad?
Meine Toechter sollen dich warten schoen, My daughters will care for you,
Meine Toechter fueren den naechtlichen Reihn My daughters lead our nightly dance,
Und wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein. And will rock and dance and sing you to sleep.
Mein Vater, mein Vater und siehst du nicht dort Father, father, can’t you see
Erlkoenigs Toechter am duestern Ort? The Earl King’s daughters there in the gloom?
Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh es genau My son, my son, I can see clearly
Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau. It’s the old willows gleaming so grey.
Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schoene Gestalt I love you, your beauty allures me
Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch ich Gewalt And if you’re not willing, I shall use force.
Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt tasst er mich an! Father, father, he’s seizing me now!
Erlkoenig hat mir ein Leids getan! The Earl King has hurt me!
Dem Vater grausets, er reitet geschwind, The father shudders, swiftly he rides,
Er halt in Armen das aechzende Kind. Hugging the moaning boy in his arms.
Erreicht den Hot mit Muhe und Not, In fearful dread he reaches home,
In seinen Armen das Kind war tot. In his arms the child was dead.
Gretchen am spinnrade Gretchen at her spinning wheel
Meine Ruh ist hin, My peace is gone,
Mein Herz ist schweer, My heart is heavy,
Ich schwinde sie nimmer I shall never find rest
Und nimmermehr Never again.
Wo ich ihn nicht hab’, When he is not with me,
Ist mir das Grab, It is death to me,
Die ganze Welt The whole world
Is mit vergaelt. Is turned to gall for me.
Mein armer Kopf My poor head
Ist mir verrueckt, Is crazed,
Mein armer Sinn My poor senses
Ist mir zerstueckt. Are shattered.
Meine Ruh ist hin, My peace is gone,
Mein Herz ist schweer, My heart is heavy,
Ich schwinde sie nimmer I shall never find rest
Und nimmermehr Never again.
Nach ihm nur schau’ich I look only for him
Zum Fenster hinaus. From the window.
Nach ihm nur geh’ ich I leave the house
Aus dem Haus. Only to find him.
Sein hoher Gang His tall stride
Sein’ edie Gestalt, His noble figure,
Seines Mundes Laechein, The smile on his lips,
Seiner Augen Gewalt. The power in his eyes.
Und seiner Rede, And his words,
Zauberfluss, Their magical flow,
Sein Haender druck, The pressure of his hand,
Und ach sein Kuss! And, ah, his kiss!
Meine Ruh ist hin, My peace is gone,
Mein Herz ist schweer, My heart is heavy,
Ich schwinde sie nimmer I shall never find rest
Und nimmermehr Never again.
Mein Busen draengt My heart surges
Sich nach ihn hin: Towards him:
Ach, duerfte ich fassen Ah, if I might clasp
Und halten ihn. And hold him.
Und kuessen ihn, And kiss him,
So wie ich wolt’, As I would like to,
An seinen kuessen In his kisses
Vergehen solt’. I should expire.
O koennt’ ich ihn kuessen Oh, if I could kiss him
So wie ich wolt’, As I would like to,
An seinen kuessen In his kisses
Vergehen solt’. I should expire.
Meine Ruh ist hin, My peace is gone,
Mein Herz ist schweer, My heart is heavy.
Balulalow (Text in Middle English ~ 1066 – 1500)
Oh my deare heart, your Jesu sweit,
Prepare thy creddil in my spreit,
And I sall rock the in my hert,
And never mair from thee depart.
But I sall praise thee evermoir
With sanges sweit unto thy gloir.
The knees of my hert sall bow
And sing that richt Balulalow.
As dew in Aprille
I sing of a maiden that is makeles:
King of all kings To her son she ches.
He came also stille To his moder’s bower
As dew in Aprillew That falleth on the flower.
He came also stille There his moder was,
As dew in Aprille That falleth on the spray.