Quote:
Originally Posted by skaltezon
Somehow I wondered how a baritone would do on this one, but I finally settled on the
Swedish tenor Jussi Björling, because his voice seems appropriately mellow for this melancholy piece.
Schubert's Ständchen D 957, n°4
Jussi Björling. tenor
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After reading this, I also wondered how a baritone would sound. I found that I prefer the baritone to the tenor, skaltezon, because the baritone sounds even
more mellow to me:
Schubert's Ständchen D 957, n°4
Olaf Bar, Baritone
Geoffrey Parsons, Piano
Being able to read the lyrics in this video made me understand them better. I realized that the song isn't as melancholy as it initially sounded to me. Instead, it is a song of longing and hope, with a little wistfulness in there, too:
Schubert's Ständchen D 957, n°4, German Lyrics:
"Leise flehen meine Lieder durch die Nacht zu dir. In den stillen Hain hernieder, Liebchen, komm zu mir. Flüsterned schlanke Wipfel rauschen in des Mondes Licht. Des Verräters feindlich lauschen fürchte, Holde, nicht. Hörst die Nachtigallen schlagen? Ach, sie flehen dich. Mit der Töne süssen Klagen, flehen sie für mich. Sie verstehen des Busens Sehnen, kennen Liebesschmerz, kennen Liebesschmertz. Rühren mit den Silbertönen jedes weiche Herz. Lass auch dir die Brüst bewegen, Liebchen, höre mich! Bebend harr' ich dir entgegen. Komm, beglücke mich. Komm, beglücke mich."
Erica's English translation:
"Quietly my songs beseech you through the night. In the still grove, Darling, come down to me. The slender branches of the treetops rustle, whispering, in the moonlight. Do not fear the hostile eavesdropping of traitors, Beloved. Do you hear the beat of the nightingales' wings? Oh, they are beseeching you. With the tones of sweet lament, they are begging you for me. They understand the longing in one's breast, they know heartache, they know heartache. May the silver tones touch every soft heart. Let yourself also be moved in your breast, Darling, hear me! Trembling, I wait to meet you. Come, make me happy. Come, make me happy."
That's quite lovely, isn't it? "The slender branches of the treetops rustle, whispering, in the moonlight." Reading the German lyrics helped me identify the words I had to look up, such as "Holde" and "Hain."
I think the treetops rustling and whispering in the moonlight might look like this:
