Hello All,
It’s hard to know what to use for German musical examples after you’ve listened to “Ich habe genug,” “Ich bin der Welt,” "Tristan and Isolde” and “Meistersinger.” There’s almost nowhere to go but down! But then I remembered another sublime bit of music from Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier – The presentation of the rose. It happens early in the second act and time practically stops. You can look up the story if you’d like – it’s very complicated and I don’t want to tax your patience going into it here but the duet is for a coloratura soprano – Sophie - and a pants leg role (that is, a mezzo playing a man’s role) - Octavian.
The two singers in this video are an American mezzo called Joyce di Donato who some of you might remember from Italian diction and a German coloratura called Diana Damrau. Joyce is from Kansas but her languages are extraordinarily good, so emulating her is certainly not a bad thing. Diana is from Gürnzburg Germany which is in Bavaria in the very south of the country. She does a rather heroic job of maintaining correct vowels during some of the highest parts of the duet but please pay attention to the vowels of both singers. Also, there are some long words and multisyllabic words; make sure to notice how they string the syllables together to make words rather than just syllables on pitch. And, as always, enjoy.
R
The Presentation of the Rose Der Rosenkavalier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0O6Fnyz1Y0
It’s hard to know what to use for German musical examples after you’ve listened to “Ich habe genug,” “Ich bin der Welt,” "Tristan and Isolde” and “Meistersinger.” There’s almost nowhere to go but down! But then I remembered another sublime bit of music from Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier – The presentation of the rose. It happens early in the second act and time practically stops. You can look up the story if you’d like – it’s very complicated and I don’t want to tax your patience going into it here but the duet is for a coloratura soprano – Sophie - and a pants leg role (that is, a mezzo playing a man’s role) - Octavian.
The two singers in this video are an American mezzo called Joyce di Donato who some of you might remember from Italian diction and a German coloratura called Diana Damrau. Joyce is from Kansas but her languages are extraordinarily good, so emulating her is certainly not a bad thing. Diana is from Gürnzburg Germany which is in Bavaria in the very south of the country. She does a rather heroic job of maintaining correct vowels during some of the highest parts of the duet but please pay attention to the vowels of both singers. Also, there are some long words and multisyllabic words; make sure to notice how they string the syllables together to make words rather than just syllables on pitch. And, as always, enjoy.
R
The Presentation of the Rose Der Rosenkavalier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0O6Fnyz1Y0
Score - Begins
on page 14
http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/3/31/IMSLP154938-PMLP29341-Strauss_-_Der_Rosenkavalier_VS2_Sibley.1802.16777.pdf
OCTAVIAN
Mir ist die Ehre widerfahren, dass ich der hoch- und wohlgeborenen Jungfer Braut, in meines Herrn Vetters Namen, dessen zu Lerchenau Namen, die Rose seiner Liebe überreichen darf.
SOPHIE
Ich bin Euer Liebden sehr verbunden. - Ich bin Euer Liebden in aller Ewigkeit verbunden.
Hat einen starken Geruch. Wie Rosen, wie lebendige.
OCTAVIAN
Ja, ist ein Tropfen persischen Rosenöls darein getan.
SOPHIE
Wie himmlische, nicht irdische, wie Rosen vom hochheiligen Paradies. Ist Ihm nicht auch?
Ist wie ein Gruss vom Himmel. Ist bereits zu stark, als dass mans ertragen kann. Zieht einen nach, als lägen Stricke um das Herz.
Wo war ich schon einmal und war so selig?
OCTAVIAN
Wo war ich schon einmal und war so selig?
SOPHIE
Dahin muss ich zurück! und müsst' ich völlig sterben auf dem Weg! Allein ich sterb' ja nicht. Das ist ja weit. Ist Zeit und Ewigkeit in einem sel'gen Augenblick, den will ich nie vergessen bis an meinen Tod.
OCTAVIAN
Ich war ein Bub', da hab' ich die noch nicht gekannt. Wer bin denn ich? Wie komm' denn ich zu ihr? Wie kommt denn sie zu mir? Wär' ich kein Mann, die Sinne möchten mir vergehn. Das ist ein seliger Augenblick, den will ich nie vergessen bis an meinen Tod.
English
OCTAVIAN
On me the honour has befallen that I to you, his noble, high-born youthful bride, to come here as messenger at my cousin Lerchenau's bidding as token of his love offer you this rose.
SOPHIE
I am to Your Honour much indebted. I am to Your Honour, for all eternity indebted. There is a scent in its petals of roses, like the living ones.
OCTAVIAN
Yes, there's a drop of oil of Persian rose in its leafy part.
SOPHIE
A rose that is not earthly, like roses from gardens of Paradise. Is it not so? It's like a gift from Heaven! Oh, so sweet and red that no one dare breathe it again. Drawing me nigh, as though it were pulling at my heart. Where have I been before and felt such rapture?
OCTAVIAN
Where have I been before and felt such rapture?
