At the March meeting the Society enjoyed a rare treat of hearing words in German (with accompanying translation) and music from possibly the best-loved period of popular song of the 19th century. Member Brian French, with Christopher Coote at the piano, presented extracts from three of Goethe’s poetical works, each arranged for song by three different composers. Poetry was but one of Goethe’s multiple accomplishments. This towering polymath ranged successfully from engineering to politics; he fully entered the Romantic movement with ability to draw on many layers of German story and legend.
The three composers featured were each guided by advice from the Berlin School, which aimed at clarity of text, and appropriate timing for the rhyming couplets. C.F.Zelter (1758-1832) was shown to have experimented with rhythm, in the use of a literary apostrophe for the personification of an idea. Corona Schroter (1751-1802) used interludes between vocal parts in the drama to inspire romantic reflection especially when accompanied by a musical key change, denoting a gloomy descent of mood.
It was no surprise to hear the most masterful notes of Franz Schubert (1797-1828) so clearly played by Christopher Coote transcending the Berlin lines and uniting with Goethe’s genius in the three selected songs. The Song of the Harpist dwelt on the pains and secret joys of solitude, The Erl-King takes the listener on a galloping ride to encounter an acquisitive evil force, robbing a father of his son, and lastly, The Wayfarer’s Night-song peacefully draws the traveller to a quiet rest.
Christopher mentioned his twinge of tennis elbow later in life, but ‘no pain, no gain’ underlaid the stirring chords of the Erl-King. The slow and deep Night-song had been understandably praised by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, for unity of feeling and truth.
David Tregear
Brian’s singing in German was also much appreciated!