The poetry of Johann Wolfgang v. Goethe was an essential part of the transformation of the German classical “Lied” from sing-song accompaniment to thorough-composed dramatic presentation. A case in point is “Wonne der Wehmut” (Delight in Melancholy), a short poem written by Goethe in 1775, when Beethoven was not even five years old and Schubert wouldn’t be born for more than 20 years.
Beethoven’s setting of “Wonne der Wehmut” was published in 1811, and Schubert’s in 1815. Compare the two settings, both presented here by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
Beethoven, Opus 83-1: https://youtu.be/VQ3EtRJH1Sc
Schubert, D. 260: https://youtu.be/zAD9Wna5GU0
Wonne der Wehmut
Trocknet nicht, trocknet nicht,
Tränen der ewigen Liebe!
Ach, nur dem halbgetrockneten Auge,
Wie öde, wie tot die Welt ihm erscheint!
Trocknet nicht, trocknet nicht,
Tränen unglücklicher Liebe!
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Joy in Melancholy
Don’t dry, don’t dry
Tears of eternal love!
Ah, but to the half-dry eye
How desolate, how dead the world appears!
Don’t dry, don’t dry,
Tears of unhappy love!
Beethoven : Wonne der Wehmut, op.83 nr.1 (English subtitles)
Schubert: Wonne der Wehmut, D. 260
Beethoven : Wonne der Wehmut, op.83 nr.1 (English subtitles)
Schubert: Wonne der Wehmut, D. 260
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John Scialdone published this page in Daily Beethoven 2021-05-20 09:02:41 -0400