Art Songs that are Beautiful

I don't know why but I came home today with a sense of loss. So what do I do? I start singing. Whenever I'm emotionally charged, I sing or play piano. Today I felt like singing. Being that my voice is fabulous now, I appreciate that I can sing without 'issues.' Anyway I sang two of these songs in college (the German ones), and they are just absolutely gorgeous. If I knew how to put up an mp3 of just the piano accompaniments I would.

I sang three songs after getting home, and now I feel much better. 1 is in English and 2 are in German. I will write them here for you, in English.

The Black Swan from The Medium
Gian Carlo Menotti

The sun has fallen and it lies in blood,
The moon is weaving bandages of gold.
O black swan, where, or where is my lover gone?
Torn and tattered has my bridal gown,
And my lamp is lost, and my lamp is lost.
With silver needle and with silver thread,
The stars stitch a shroud for the dying sun.
O black swan, where, oh, where has my lover gone?
I had given him a kiss of fire,
And a golden ring, and a golden ring.
Don't you hear your lover moan?
Eyes of glass and feet of stone,
Shells for teeth and weeds for tongue.
Deep, deep, down in the river's bed, he's looking for the ring.
Eyes wide open, never asleep,
he's looking for the ring, looking for the ring.
The spools unravel and the needles break.
The sun is buried and the stars weep.
O black wave, O black wave, take me away with you.
I will share with you my golden hair,
and my bridal crown, and my bridal crown.
Oh, take me down with you.
Take me down to my wandering lover
with my child unborn, with my child unborn.

Sad isn't it? The music is of modern sound too. It's really eerie here and there, and very heart-wrenching when you sing it.

Die Mainacht
(May Nightt)
poem: L.H.C. Holty, music: Johannes Brahms

When the silver moon shines through the trees and spreads it slumbrous light over the grass and the nightingale sings, I wander sadly from bush to bush. Concealed by the leaves, a pair of doves coos its delight for me to hear, but I turn away and seek darker shadows. And the lonely tear runs. O smiling image that like a rosy dawn radiates through my soul, when will I find you on earth? And the lonely tear trembles, hot, running down my cheek.


Remember this is German, so OF COURSE it's more beautiful in it's orignal form. I would interpret this to be a paraphrased translation of the true meanings. This song just allows the voice to soar, it's awesome!

Das verlassene Magdlein
(The Abandoned Maid)
poem: E. Morike, music: Hugo Wolf

Early, when the roosters crow and before the stars disappear, I have to be at the hearth and light the fire. Beautiful is the firelight and hte leaping sparks; I gaze at them, sunk in sorrow. Suddenly it comes to me, faithless boy, that I dreamt of you during the night. Tears upon tears fall down my cheeks. That's how the day begins. If only it would go away!

I was so 'in character' for this piece at my Senior Recital, I felt like I was really actually going to cry (but not really). This song is gut-wrenching to sing, especially when it 'speaks' to me as a person.


Isn't music fabulous? Anyhoo, I'm off. I still haven't eaten dinner yet, and that's saying something for me because usually I'm starving when I first get home. Thanks for sharing my music today.