Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Few songs have been set to music more often and by more different composers than Lied der Mignon, “Mignon’s Song” from Goethe’s novel, “Wilhelm Meisters Lehrejahre” (Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship). Beethoven published four settings, Schubert six, and settings by Schumann, Hugo Wolf, and Tschaikowsky are also frequently performed.

Today we hear all four of Beethoven’s settings, sung by Susanne Kapfer with Wonny Seongwon Park at the piano. https://youtu.be/IV0ESlNp6Lw

Only he who knows longing
Understands my suffering!
Alone and cut off
From every joy,
I look at the sky
To the yonder side.

Ah! he who loves and knows me
Is far away.
My head spins,
My guts burn.
Only he who knows longing
Understands my suffering!