Poet: Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843)
Source: Sechs Hölderin Fragmente
Date of Composition: 1958 (Summer)
Publication: Boosey & Hawkes, 1962*
Voice Difficulty Level: Moderately Difficult
Subject: Desire to return to nescience.
Range: Eb4 – G5
Tessitura: A4 – E5
Tempo: Quietly flowing; 3/4 (Voice), 9/8 (Piano)
Duration: 01:40
Vocal Characteristics: Lush, legato melody; short phrases; a few simple melismas; some more complex chromaticism in the middle section
Piano Difficulty Level: Difficult
Accompaniment Characteristics: Flowing eighth note triplet feel; with an echo of the vocal line in the top voice of the right hand; octave intervallic seconds in one hand
Additional Comments: pp. 8, mm. 2, there are no accents on “gebt ihr” in the manuscript;
*Boosey score contains translations by Pears and Elizabeth Mayer