Hans Rott -
Der Sänger (The Singer) in D major for Bass and Piano
To my John

(Nowak no. 22, Banks no. 26)


Updated on
August 23, 2017
Hans Rott
His Life
His Music
CDs
His Importance
Works Index
Bibliography
What's On?
Newsletter
DIE QUARTE
Links
On This Site
Visitors' Book
E-Mail
Site Index
Home
Zur deutschen Seite
 
Internationale Hans Rott Gesellschaft
 
Copyright Martin Brilla
©2002-2018
All rights reserved

This Lied was composed in Vienna on May 31, 1880.

Hans Rott dedicated it to his friend John Leo Löwy (1856-1883), the elder brother of Friedrich Löwy/Löhr (who died exactly one year before Hans Rott).


DER SÄNGER
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

THE SINGER
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Was hör ich draußen vor dem Tor,
Was auf der Brücke schallen?
Laß den Gesang vor unserm Ohr
Im Saale widerhallen!
Der König sprach's, der Page lief;
Der Knabe kam, der König rief:
Laßt mir herein den Alten!
What do I hear outside the gate,
What are those sounds on the bridge?
Let the song in our ears
Resound in the hall!
So said the king, the page run off;
The boy came, the king cried:
Let in the old man!
Gegrüßet seid mir, edle Herrn,
Gegrüßt ihr, schöne Damen!
Welch reicher Himmel! Stern bei Stern!
Wer kennet ihre Namen?
Im Saal voll Pracht und Herrlichkeit
Schließt, Augen, euch; hier ist nicht Zeit,
Sich staunend zu ergetzen.
Hail onto thee, noble lords,
Hail onto thee, fair ladies!
How rich a heaven! Star upon star!
Who knows their names?
In this hall full of splendour and magnificence,
Close, my eyes; here there is no time
To feast with astonishment.
Der Sänger drückt' die Augen ein
Und schlug in vollen Tönen;
Die Ritter schauten mutig drein
Und in den Schoß die Schönen.
Der König, dem das Lied gefiel,
Ließ, ihn zu ehren für sein Spiel,
Eine goldne Kette holen.
The singer closed his eyes
And played with full tones;
The knights looked on bravely
And the fair ladies looked down into their laps.
The king, who liked the song,
To reward him for his song,
Sent for a golden chain.
Die goldne Kette gib mir nicht,
Die Kette gib den Rittern,
Vor deren kühnem Angesicht
Der Feinde Lanzen splittern!
Gib sie dem Kanzler, den du hast,
Und laß ihn noch die goldne Last
Zu andern Lasten tragen!
Do not give to me the golden chain,
Give the chain to the knights,
Before whose bold faces
The lances of the enemies splinter.
Give it to the chancellor you have got
And let him bear the golden burden along
With all his other burdens!
Ich singe, wie der Vogel singt,
Der in den Zweigen wohnet;
Das Lied, das aus der Kehle dringt,
Ist Lohn, der reichlich lohnet.
Doch darf ich bitten, bitt ich eins:
Laß mir den besten Becher Weins
In purem Golde reichen!
I sing as the bird sings,
That lives in the branches;
The song which bursts from the throat
Is a reward which rewards abundantly.
However, if I may, I would ask for one thing:
Let the best wine be offered to me
In a goblet of pure gold!
Er setzt ihn an, er trank ihn aus:
Trank voll süßer Labe!
O wohl dem hochbeglückten Haus,
Wo das ist kleine Gabe!
Ergeht's Euch wohl, so denkt an mich,
Und danket Gott so warm, als ich
Für diesen Trunk Euch danke.
He raised it to his lips, he drained it:
Potation full of sweet refreshment!
O happy be the well-favoured house
In which this is considered a small gift!
If you are well, remember me
And thank God as warmly as I
Thank you for this drink.
  Translation by Hannelore Wirth © 2003 - all rights reserved

This composition has 118 bars.  

Performances:
(without any claim for completeness)

 
October 12, 2002
Johannes Weinhuber, baritone
Markus Bellheim, piano
Würzburg/D, Great Hall of the former Mozartschule
First performance
 
Back to the Index of Playable Works

Internationale Hans Rott Gesellschaft