"Sterbelied" "Sterbelied / When I Am Dead, My Dearest" [Erich Wolfgang Korngold]

"Sterbelied" "Sterbelied / When I Am Dead, My Dearest" [Erich Wolfgang Korngold]

First line of lyrics: Lass Liebster wenn idh tot bin / When I am dead, my dearest

Part of: "Leider des Abschieds" / "Songs of Farewell"

Korngold, Erich Wolfgang; music (American, born in Austria, 1897-1957)

Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)

Kerr, Alfred; translated text (German, born Alfred Kempner, 1867-1948)

1921 [composition] [copyright]; 1949 [copyright renewed]; 1942 [copyright English/German]

Mainz, London, Madrid, New York, Paris, Prag, Tokyo, Toronto: Schott Musik International [German]; New York: Associated Music Publishers, Inc.; London: Schott & Co. Ltd. [English/German]

genre: song|song cycle

solo: voice

instrumentation: piano

initial sharps/flats: two flats

initial time signature: 4/4

origin: Austria

male composer|male translator

German|English

Rossetti poem(s): "Song" ("When I am dead, my dearest")

Place in the larger work: The first song of four in the song cycle called "Lieder des Abschieds," which includes 1. "Sterbelied" (When I am dead, my dearest) [Rossetti-Kerr]; 2. "Dies eine kann mein Schnen nimmer fassen" (Despairing) [Edith Ronsperger]; 3. "Mond, so gehst du wieder auf" (Moon thou risest again) [Ernst Lothar]; 4. "Gefasster Abschied" (Do not weep) [Ernst Lothar].

Notes about the text: The 1942 republication of the setting provides both German and English text: "The original English poem has been slightly adapted to coincide with the rhythms of the German translation, to which the music was written." One might surmise that, during World War II, national hostilities may have led the publisher to provide an English text for Korngold's setting on the assumption that it would render the setting more acceptable to English-speaking audiences.

Tempo markings: "Sehr ruhig und gefast" (German); "mit verhaltener tiefer Empfindung / Very quiet and composed, with deep but restrained emotion." (English/German)

Performance instructions: For piano: "nur die Melodienote hervorheben!" The English version translates: "(Bring out the melody notes only)."

Performance history: Premiered in 1921 with Maria Olczewska. Hungarian mezzo Rosette Anday sang the first Vienna performance of the "Lieder des Anschieds" in their orchestral version. (Carroll)

Recordings: "Sterbelied." Performance by Hungarian mezzo Rosette Anday and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, piano, 1924. YouTube, uploaded by Brendan Carroll, https://youtu.be/N5DKPOSrrIg. Accessed 3 Nov. 2021

Format 1: musical score

5 pages (pp. 5-9) (German); 5 pages (pp. 3-7) (English/German)

In reference to the published works below: Gooch and Thatcher 4767

Reference: Gooch, Bryan N.S. and David S. Thatcher. Musical Settings of Early and Mid-Victorian Literature: A Catalogue. New York: Garland, 1979.

Other data reference(s): Carroll, Brendan. Notes. "Rosette Anday sings Korngold's Sterbelied Opus 14 [1924]." YouTube, https://youtu.be/N5DKPOSrrIg. Accessed 3 Nov. 2021.

Cataloguer: Mary Arseneau, Stephanie Malette, Emily McConkey, Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa

musical score in German: Central Library, Bucherhallen Hamburg

musical score in German and English: Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

Opus: 14, number 1

Record: CRM-songwheniamdead-korngold

File(s): CRM-songwheniamdead-korngold-ger.pdf; CRM-songwheniamdead-korngold-ger-en.pdf

"© 1921 Schott Musik International, Mainz | © nenewed 1949 Schott & Co. Ltd., London" (German); "Copyright 1921 by B. Schott's Söhne, Mainz | Copyright assigned to Associated Music Publishers, Inc. | English version copyright 1942 by Associated Music Publishers, Inc." (German/English)

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