Eastern Kentucky University
From Kantatas to Lieder to Bluegrass – The Power of Text and Music: Study 1: (Burns) The Incarnations of Mailied
Institution
Eastern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Joyce Hall Wolfe
Abstract
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) can be hailed as not only one of the leading literary figures of his time but also a scientist, financial manager, and director of many civil offices in Weimar. His poetry and dramas have inspired many composers of vocal and instrumental works alike. Although many of his poems have been set by master composers, this study focused on the single poem Mailied from 1771. The singer of Mailied first considers the poem as a piece of literature apart from the music. Next musical settings of the poem are identified and considered. Renowned composers spanning one hundred fifty years including Ludwig von Beethoven, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Hans Pfitzner, Bela Bartok, and Mary Howe have set Mailied. This study concentrated on the settings by Beethoven, Hensel, and Pfitzner. Each examination included melodic and harmonic characteristics, tessitura, presence or absence of text painting, tempo, vocal and accompaniment requirements, setting of poetic phrase structure, and form. After each setting was explored as an individual song, the three settings were compared and significant observations recorded. The composers’ differing interpretations of the poem, the manifestations of those differences in music, and the informed journey of the singer to expressive and creative performances of each lied are presented in this poster.
From Kantatas to Lieder to Bluegrass – The Power of Text and Music: Study 1: (Burns) The Incarnations of Mailied
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) can be hailed as not only one of the leading literary figures of his time but also a scientist, financial manager, and director of many civil offices in Weimar. His poetry and dramas have inspired many composers of vocal and instrumental works alike. Although many of his poems have been set by master composers, this study focused on the single poem Mailied from 1771. The singer of Mailied first considers the poem as a piece of literature apart from the music. Next musical settings of the poem are identified and considered. Renowned composers spanning one hundred fifty years including Ludwig von Beethoven, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Hans Pfitzner, Bela Bartok, and Mary Howe have set Mailied. This study concentrated on the settings by Beethoven, Hensel, and Pfitzner. Each examination included melodic and harmonic characteristics, tessitura, presence or absence of text painting, tempo, vocal and accompaniment requirements, setting of poetic phrase structure, and form. After each setting was explored as an individual song, the three settings were compared and significant observations recorded. The composers’ differing interpretations of the poem, the manifestations of those differences in music, and the informed journey of the singer to expressive and creative performances of each lied are presented in this poster.