BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1956-1957 EIGHTH RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST LISA DELLA CASA, Soprano GERALD MOORE, Pianoforte THE SIR WILLIAM WHITLA HALL QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST SATURDAY, MARCH 16th 1957

I Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D. 774 (Composed 1823. Words by Stollberg) Schubert seems to have re-acted automatically to the motion of water in river and lake. The words matter little; the boat glides over the waves in the setting sun, the waves dance and the trees beckon from the shore. The song is strophic, i.e. the same music is repeated for each stanza. The delicious accompaniment, suggesting the dripping of water from the oars, and the charming colaratura of the vocal line made this song a favourite from the beginning. Du bist die Ruh, D. 776 (Composed 1823. Words by Rückert) O bliss and fount of peace, thou who awakenest the eyes to blessedness and closest them in satisfied sleep, take in dedication all that I am. Be with me and the world is not. Thou dome of heaven's brightness, let me live wholly in thy light. Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118 (Composed 1814. Words by Goethe) Gretchen is better known to us as Marguerite of the Faust legend. As she sits at her spinning-wheel she thinks of her lover. "H peace is gone, she can think of nothing but him, of the way he walks, the way he looks, of the touch of his hand, of his kiss. O to kiss him once more and to die! Her heart is sore and her peace is gone." The accompaniment suggests the rhythm of the spinning-wheel, and, dramatically, at the thought of his kiss the wheel stops and she has to pull herself together and start it again.

II Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer, Op. 105, No. 2 (Composed 1886. Words by Lingg) My slumber grows gentler, my griefs hover over me. In my dreams I see you calling at the door, but no-one wakens to open. I awake and weep bitterly. I know that this means death for me and that someone else will have your kisses, but come to me again before the spring- time. Visit me once again. Von ewiger Liebe, Op. 43, No. 1 (Composed 1868. Words by Wenzig, from the Slavic) It grows darker and darker on wood and field. It is the still of even- ing and no bird breaks its silence. The lover has come from the village bringing his sweetheart home; he speaks to her manfully. "Are you ashamed of our love? Then let our love die and let us part quickly as we met." The maiden replies "Love such as ours cannot die; it is stronger than iron and steel. Iron and steel may be forged into different shapes or rust, but love such as ours must last for ever." Ständchen (Composed 1886-9. Words by Kugler) The moon hangs over the mountain, right for lovers. The silence is broken by the splash of a fountain. Three students stand under the arch in the shadow with flute and fiddle and zither singing and playing. The music reaches the beloved and in her dream she sees her fair- haired lover and whispers "Forget me not."

III Begegnung (Composed in 1888. Words by Mörike) A dreadful storm raged during the night that swept the streets and chimneys clean. A girl comes down the street carelessly, looking fresh and rosy in the wind. Her lover meets her and comes forward eagerly for what is a somewhat embarrassed meeting. He asks her if her hair has recovered from the disorder into which the wind blew it during the night, which they spent together. Romantically he recalls the delights of her kisses and their love-making. She is of a fickle type and will have none of this seriousness but whips off light- heartedly round the corner. Hugo Wolf (1860-1904) Geh, Geliebter, geh jetzt (Composed 1890. From an anonymous Spanish poem translated by Geibel; from the Heyse-Geibel Spanisches Liederbuch) Go, be- loved, go now; the morning is dawning. People are beginning to move in the streets. The neighbours often scold me for my love of you. They must not know how strong it is. Go, beloved, go now. The sun is drinking up the dew-pearls; I must leave my tear-pearl here. Though the sun is rising, it is dark for me, so do I dread the hour of parting. Go, beloved, go now. Flee from my arms and kisses; to delay would mean but scorn and pain. Though we suffer as in Purgatory, hope will come and open Heaven for us. Go, beloved, go now. Er ist's (Composed 1888. Words by Mörike) This is a type of song not common in Wolf's output. It is a triumphant salute to the spring, without human or character interest of any kind, elements seldom lacking in his work. "Spring sends colours and perfumes over all the earth. The shy violets appear. Spring has come, making the earth radiant." When the singer has finished the accompaniment conveys to us the burgeoning and efflorescene of the season. INTERVAL

IV Richard Strauss (1864-1949) FOUR LAST SONGS (The four last songs were composed in 1948, 64 years after his first songs were written. The words of Im Abendrot are by Eichendorff, those of the other three by Strauss's friend Hermann Hesse. The songs were not written a cycle to be sung in a definite order and singers vary them). Im Fruhling In twilight vaults I dreamed long of thy trees and blue skies. of thy scent and birdsong. Now thou liest revealed in lustre and daintiness, bathed in light, like a miracle before me. Thou knowest me again, thou callest me tenderly; thy blessed presence trembles through all my limbs. September The garden mourns; the rain sinks cool into the flowers; the summer shudders softly towards its end. Leaf after leaf drops golden, down from the high acacia tree. Summer smiles in feeble surprise in the dying garden dream. Long he remains standing by the roses, and yearns for rest. Slowly he closes his tired eyes. Beim Schlafengehen Now the day has made me weary, my ardent desire shall gladly welcome the starry night like a tired child. Hands, cease from all action; brow, forget all thoughts; all my senses now would sink in slumber. And my unguarded soul would soar in free flight, to live deeply and a thousandfold in the magic circle of night. Im Abendrot We have gone hand and hand through trouble and joy; now we rest from our wanderings over the quiet countryside. All around, the valleys bow themselves; already the sky is darkening; only two larks rise dreamily through the scent. Step hither and let them whirr; soon it is time for sleep, that we do not go astray in this loneliness. O wide, silent peace! so deep in the sunset. How weary we are with wandering! Is this perhaps death?

Eiinerlei, Op. 69, No. 3 (Composed in 1919. Words by von Arnim) Her mouth is always the same, his kiss ever new to me; her eye still the same, his free glance true to me; o lovely feeling on oneness how is it that so many different feelings spring from you? Ich Wollt' ein Sträusslein binden, Op. 68, No. 2 (Composed 1919. Words by Brentano). I wanted to weave a garland but it was night and not a flower was to be seen or I should have brought it to you. Tears flowed on to the clover and a little flower sprang up that I was about to bring but it begged me to do it no harm and to think of my own griefs and not let it die in sorrow before its time. If it had not thus spoken I should have plucked it, but now it cannot be. My lover has stayed away and I am alone. In love there dwells sorrow. It must be so. Befreit. Op. 39, No. 4 (Composed 1898. Words by Dehmel) Spoken by a husband to his dying wife. "Do not weep, beloved, but smile at this moment of farewell. You made our home the world to me. O bliss ! Put your burning hands in mine and leave me your loving soul; you leave to me also our dear children. You devoted your life to me; I would devote mine to them. Stay calm, soon shall be the time when we shall both be released from sorrow. I have given you back to the infinite. I know that I shall see you again in my dreams and my tears. O bliss!" Schlechtes Wetter, Op. 69, No. 5 (Composed 1919. Words by Heine) A child is at the window: on a wet day; the weather is cold and snowing. She sees from the window mother crossing the street. She goes to buy the makings of a cake for her little daughter who sits at home blinking at the light, her golden curls covering her soft face...