Saturday, August 20, 2005

Er Ist's

See the translation and the page where I found it. Note to people in voice lessons: Always know the translation of your foreign language work. Be able to tell me what recordings you’ve listened to of someone else singing the same work!

The Link:
http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=11642

UPDATE: Martin speaking the text.

The poem and translation:

Frühling läßt sein blaues Band
Spring lets its blue ribbon

Wieder flattern durch die Lüfte;
flutter again in the breeze;

Süße, wohlbekannte Düfte
a sweet, familiar scent

Streifen ahnungsvoll das Land.
sweeps ominously through the land.

Veilchen träumen schon,
Violets are already dreaming,

Wollen balde kommen.
and will soon arrive.

Horch, von fern [ein]1 leiser Harfenton!
Hark! In the distance - a soft harp tone!

Frühling, ja du bist's!
Spring, yes it is you!

Dich hab ich vernommen!
I have heard you!

I have this advice: see how a line of the poetry makes you feel . . . what images do the words inspire? Write down the images; see if the composer has captured something similar when you think about the melody and the harmony. Begin to bring emotion to the words and how you say them . . . how you should look when you say those things and what exactly you are trying to communicate. Then . . . you are well on your way to becoming a great musician and effective interpreter of words and music.

No comments: