“Mignon as Public Property”: The Early Public Performance ... · Jennifer Ronyak Killam Postdoctoral Fellow in Music University of Alberta [email protected] 1 “Mignon as Public

Jennifer Ronyak Killam Postdoctoral Fellow in Music

University of Alberta [email protected]

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“Mignon as Public Property”: The Early Public Performance of the “Intimate” German Lied

Example 1: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “Kennst du das Land” (“Mignon’s Lied”).1 Kennst du das Land? wo die Zitronen blühn, Im dunkeln Laub die Gold-Orangen glühn, Ein sanfter Wind vom blauen Himmel weht, Die Myrte still und hoch der Lorbeer steht. Kennst du es wohl? Dahin! Dahin! Mögt ich mit dir, o mein Geliebter, ziehn. Kennst du das Haus? auf Säulen ruht sein Dach, Es glänzt der Saal, es schimmert das Gemach, Und Marmorbilder stehn und sehn mich an: Was hat man dir, du armes Kind, getan? Kennst du es wohl? Dahin! Dahin! Mögt ich mit dir, o mein Beschützer, ziehn. Kennst du den Berg und seinen Wolkensteg? Das Maultier sucht im Nebel seinen Weg, In Höhlen wohnt der Drachen alte Brut, Es stürzt der Fels und über ihn die Flut. Kennst du ihn wohl? Dahin! Dahin! Geht unser Weg! o Vater, lass uns ziehn!

Knowst thou the land of flowering lemon trees? In leafage dark the golden orange glows, From azure sky there wafts a gentle breeze, Calm the myrtle, high the laurel grows, Knowst thou it still? There! there! There would I go, beloved mine, with thee. Knowst thou the house? Its column-bedded roof, The shining hall, the inner room aglow, The marble statues gaze but do not move: What have they done, poor child, to hurt thee so? Knowst thou it still? There! there! There would I go, protector mine, with thee. Knowst thou the mountain, stepping up through cloud? The mule in mist treads out his path; a cave, And in it dwells the ancient dragon brood; The crag swoops down and over it the wave; Knowst thou it still? There! there! There goes the way, father, for thee and me.

1Translation adapted from Christopher Middleton, in Goethe, Selected Poems, ed. Middleton, vol. 1 of Goethe’s

Collected Works, ed. Victor Lange, Eric Blackall, and Cyrus Hamlin (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1983), 132. German original taken from Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, vol. 5 of Goethe, Sämtliche Werke nach Epochen seines Schaffens, Münchner Ausgabe, edited by Karl Richter in conjunction with Hubert G. Göpfert, Norbert Miller, and Gerhard Sauder (Munich: C. Hanser, 1985-),142.



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Example 2: Vocal-instrumental concert program, given by Ludwig Fischer, 26 April 1810, Saal des Königlichen National-Theaters in Berlin. 2

First Part: 1. Overture from William Tell, by Mr. Kapellmeister Weber 2. Aria by Righini, sung by Fischer 3. Violin Concerto, played by and composed by Mr. Hennig 4. Lied by Goethe: “Kennst du das Land” sung at the piano by Fischer (“am Klavier gesungen von Fischer”) Second part: 1. Great orchestral overture, by Mehul 2. Scene and Aria by Paer, sung by Fischer 3. Flute concerto, played by Mr. Schulze 4. Italian and French Romances with guitar accompaniment, sung by Fischer

Example 3: “Musikalisch-deklamatorisch[e] Morgen-Unterhaltung” (musical-declamatory

morning “amusement”), given by Karl Blum (composer) and Karl von Holtei (poet/actor), 4 May 1829, Saal des Königlichen Schauspielhauses. First half.3

First part:

1) Prologue, by Holtei, spoken by the Royal Actress Madame Erelinger 2) Song, for this particular occasion, text by L. Rellstab und music by B. Klein, sung by the Royal Singer Madame Milder [Publisher’s listings have this as a “hymn.”] 3.) The Song of the Brave Man, by Bürger, presented by Mr. Devrient senior 4.) Rastlose Liebe, song for four men’s voices, by Spohr, sung by Mr. Dietz, Mr. Devrient junior, Mr. Blume and Mr. Zschiesche 5.) “A true occurrence from the days of the flood in Danzig” as told by L. Robert, read by Mademoiselle Maas 6.) Introduction and Rondo from Hummel’s newest Sonata in A flat major for Pianoforte, performed by Demoiselle Carol Bauer und Mr. Hauck 7.) Die Rosen, lyrical play (“Spiel”), read by Demoiselles Herold, Holzbecher and Karl v. Holtei 8) Sehnsucht nach Italien, by Goethe, composed by Karl Blum, sung by Royal Singer Madame Schultz 9.) Lied, by Felix Mendelsohn-Bartholdy, sung by Mr. Devrient, junior. 10.) Lied an die Rose, by Spohr, at the Piano, performed by Royal Singer Demoiselle Hoffmann 11.) Duettino by Conradin Kreuzer, “Ich denke dein,” performed by Mr. Stümer and Mr. Bader, accompanied at the piano by Demoiselle Carol Bauer

2 Vossische Zeitung (24 April 1810), cited in Christoph-Hellmut Mahling, “Zum ‘Musikbetrieb’ Berlins und seinen Institutionen in der ersten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts,” in Studien zur Musikgeschichte Berlins im frühen 19. Jahrhundert, ed. Carl Dahlhaus (Regensburg: Gustav Bosse Verlag, 1980), 27-284. 3 Vossische Zeitung (2 May 1829). The concert is advertised as “(mittags 12 Uhr), von Karl Blum und Karl von Holtei veranstalteten musikalisch-deklamatorischen Morgenunterhaltung, zum Besten der durch Ueberschwemmung . . . Verunglückten.”



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Example 4: Spontini, “Mignon.”4

4 Published in Max Friedlaender, ed., Gedichte von Goethe in Compositionen seiner Zeitgenossen (Weimar: Verlag der Goethe-Gesellschaft, 1896).



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Example 4, cont.



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Example 4, cont.

Documents

“Mignon as Public Property”: The Early Public Performance ... · Jennifer Ronyak Killam Postdoctoral Fellow in Music University of Alberta [email protected] 1 “Mignon as Public