We’ve reached the fourth and final post dedicated to the Schubertíada, in which we’ll talk about a single concert: the one by Julius Drake, the Quartet Gerhard, and Katja Maderer on Saturday, August 30th. The program includes chamber and Lied works by Tchaikovsky and Brahms (chamber music, in essence). In the central part of the concert, Maderer and Drake will perform a short selection of Lieder by both composers.
I realized that we’ve listened to five of the six Brahms songs that will be performed, and the one we’re missing is a rarely heard piece, so let’s talk about it, even if only briefly. It’s Mädchenfluch, the last of the nine songs in Op. 69. The text is taken from Die Gesänge des Serben [The Songs of the Serbs, 1852], a collection of traditional songs translated into German by the Bohemian writer Siegfried Kapper, whom Brahms turned to on several occasions.
In Mädchenfluch [The Maiden’s Curse], we meet a young woman, Mara, who has been betrayed by Jowo. Her mother, who seems to have seen it coming, speaks to her with concern. Mara unleashes all her anger against the man and curses him, but she can’t help loving him still, and each curse ends with a wish for him to return to her. The situation is certainly complex, and Brahms captures this emotional depth with his usual sensitivity in a song we’ll hear performed by Juliane Banse and Helmut Deutsch. As always, after the music you’ll find the rest of the songs from the recital we’ve listened to so far.
And next week… I’m not sure, to be honest. I’ll come up with something, in the midst of the Schubertíada hangover.
Über drei Gebirge:
"Ist, o Mara, liebe Tochter,
Ist gebleicht das Linnen?“
Ihr zurück die junge Tochter
Über neun Gebirge:
"Nicht in’s Wasser, liebe Mutter,
Taucht’ ich noch das Linnen,
Denn, o sieh’, es hat das Wasser
Jawo mir getrübet.—
Wie dann erst, o liebe Mutter,
Hätt’ ich es gebleicht schon!
Fluch’ ihm, Mutter, liebe Mutter!
Ich auch will ihm fluchen.
Gäbe Gott im hellen Himmel,
Dass er sich erhänge—
An ein böses Bäumchen hänge,
An den weissen Hals mir!
Gäbe Gott im hellen Himmel,
Dass er lieg’ gefangen—
Lieg’ gefangen tief im Kerker,
An der weissen Brust mir!
Gäbe Gott, der Herr im Himmel,
Dass er Ketten trage—
Ketten trage, festgeschlungen,
Meine weissen Arme!
Gäbe Gott im hellen Himmel,
Dass ihn nähm’ das Wasser—
Dass ihn nähm’ das wilde Wasser,
Mir in’s Haus ihn bringe!“
Across three mountains:
"Is, o Mara, dear daughter,
The linen bleached?"
Back to her, the young daughter calls
Across nine mountains:
"Nothing is in the water, dear mother,
I haven't dipped the linen yet
For, you see, Jawo has
Muddied the water.
How, then, o dear mother,
Could I have bleached it?
Curse him, mother, dear mother!
I will curse him too.
May God in bright heaven grant
That he might hang himself
On a terrible little tree...
On my white neck!
May God in bright heaven grant
That he might lie imprisoned,
Imprisoned deep in a dungeon...
On my white breast!
May God grant, o lord in heaven,
That he might wear chains -
Wear chains tightly about him...
My white arms!
May God in bright heaven grant,
That the waters might seize him -
That the wild waters might seize him...
And bring him to my house!"
(translation by Emily Ezust)
Friday 30 August: Quartet Gerhard, Julius Drake & Katja Maderer
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