Hugo Wolf’s Wanderers Nachtlied
Posted in Classical, Going to Sleep, Lieder on Oct 30th, 2008 No Comments »
Here is setting of Goethe’s short poem - the second with this title and one which Schubert also set early in his career - as an addition to my Going to Sleep anthology. It is the version by Hugo Wolf. Here are the words.
“You who are from heaven, who assuage all grief and suffering, and fill him who is doubly wretched, doubly with delight, ah! I am weary of striving! To what end is this pain and joy? Sweet peace, enter my heart.”
In the dissonant chords behind the vocal there is mental pain and anguish, from which the singer yearns for rest.
The singer is Mitsuko Shirai, accompanied by Hartmut Holl.
