If there is one good thing about the chapter titles in Die wundersame Liebesgeschichte der schönen Magelone und des Grafen Peter von Provence [The Wonderful Love Story of the Beautiful Magelone and Count Peter of Provence] by Ludwig Tieck, it is that they are explicit. Thus, chapter 9 is called “How Magelone Fled with Her Knight,” and it explains exactly that: how Magelone, daughter of the King of Naples, runs away from home to avoid a marriage imposed by her father; she goes with Count Peter to his home in Provence, and there they will marry. After travelling all night and part of the following morning, they stop to rest, and the princess falls asleep. The chapter ends with a song Peter sings to her, which begins with the words Ruhe, Süßliebchen [Rest, sweet beloved].
Some time ago we listened to the song Ruhe, Süßliebchen that Johannes Brahms wrote from this poem, the eighth in his cycle Die schöne Magelone, and today we will listen to a practically unknown one, the one by Fanny Hensel. The composer titled it Schlaflied, which we could translate as “Lullaby”.
Schlaflied has the catalogue number HU 58 and was composed in December 1822; at that time Fanny was seventeen and still unmarried, that is, her surname was still Mendelssohn. The song was one of many that remained unpublished during her lifetime, and I would say it has only been published and recorded for a few years. Of the poem’s three stanzas, two are musically identical and the third is a variation of the previous ones; if we look at the tempo indications, they seem livelier than we would normally expect from a lullaby: andante grazioso for the first two and allegro for the last.
As we know, these indications are usually relative, and it is always interesting to listen to different interpretations of songs to see how the performers approach them. In this case, however, it is difficult; the only commercial recording I know is the one I am sharing with you, by Harry Baechtel and Chuck Dillard. I am also linking here a slower recording available on YouTube, on the channel of the publisher Henle, who edited the score; in this case the performers are Claire Elisabeth Craig and Katharina Königsfeld. I hope that in one version or the other, or in both, you enjoy this beautiful song.
Ruhe, Süßliebchen, im Schatten
Der grünen, dämmernden Nacht:
Es säuselt das Gras auf den Matten,
Es fächelt und kühlt dich der Schatten
Und treue Liebe wacht.
Schlafe, schlaf ein,
Leiser rauscht der Hain,
Ewig bin ich dein.
Schweigt, ihr versteckten Gesänge,
Und stört nicht die süßeste Ruh’!
Es lauschet der Vögel Gedränge,
Es ruhen die lauten Gesänge,
Schließ, Liebchen, dein Auge zu.
Schlafe, schlaf ein,
Im dämmernden Schein,
Ich will dein Wächter sein.
Murmelt fort, ihr Melodien,
Rausche nur, du stiller Bach.
Schöne Liebesphantasien
Sprechen in den Melodien,
Zarte Träume schwimmen nach.
Durch den flüsternden Hain
Schwärmen goldne Bienelein
Und summen zum Schlummer dich ein.
Rest, my love, in the shade
Of green, darkening night;
The grass rustles on the meadow,
The shadows fan and cool thee
And true love is awake.
Sleep, go to sleep!
Gently rustles the grove,
Eternally am I thine.
Hush, you hidden songs,
And disturb not her sweetest repose!
The flock of birds listens,
Stilled are their noisy songs.
Close thine eyes, my darling,
Sleep, go to sleep;
In the twilight
I will watch over thee.
Murmur on, you melodies,
Rush on, you quiet stream.
Lovely fantasies of love
Do these melodies evoke:
Tender dreams swim after them.
Through the whispering grove
Swarm tiny golden bees
Which hum thee to sleep.
(translation by Emily Ezust)
