"A Birthday / Ein Geburtstag." "A Birthday" [Frederic H. Cowen]

"A Birthday / Ein Geburtstag." "A Birthday" [Frederic H. Cowen]

First line of lyrics: My heart is like a singing bird / Mein Herz ist wie ein Vögelein

Cowen, Frederic H. [Hymen]; music (English, born in Jamaica, 1852-1935)

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

Sturm, L. G.; translated text

1892 [publication] [copyright]

London: Joseph Williams; New York: Edward Schuberth & Co.

genre: song|parlour song

solo: soprano|tenor

instrumentation: piano

initial sharps/flats: five flats

initial time signature: 2/4

other version 1 - solo: soprano|tenor

other version 1 - instrumentation: piano

other version 1 - initial sharps/flats: two flats

other version 2 - solo: soprano|tenor

other version 2 - instrumentation: piano

other version 2 - initial sharps/flats: no sharps or flats

origin: United Kingdom

male composer

English|German

Rossetti poem(s): "A Birthday"

Tempo markings: "Poco allegretto ma appassionato"; quarter note = 72

Performance instructions: The solo may be sung by either a soprano or tenor.

Recordings: Cowen, Frederic H., et al., "A birthday : my love is like a singing bird /​ F. H. Cowen. The cuckoo /​ [music by] Liza Lehmann." Performance by Rosina Buckman, soprano with orchestra. Columbia Record, 1900. Trove, National Library of Australia, https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/23973534. Accessed 28 Jan. 2019.

Dedication: "To my friend William Shakespeare" (English version)

Notes: Two versions of this piece in D flat (five flats) have been identified, one with lyrics in both English and German, and one with only English lyrics. Another version in B flat (two flats) has been located in British Library (Ives DM105).

Format 1: musical score

4 pages (pp. 4-7); 4 pages (pp. 46-49)

In reference to the published works below: Gooch and Thatcher 4212; Ives DM105

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

Reference: Ives, Maura. Christina Rossetti: A Descriptive Bibliography. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2011.

Cataloguer: Sarah Pennington, University of Ottawa

musical score in D flat in German and English: University of Maine, https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/4816/

musical score in D flat in English: Cowen, Frederic H. "A Birthday." Twelve Songs, Joseph Williams, 1892, pp. 46-49. Royal Academy of Music Library, London

Record: CRM-birthday-cowen

File(s): CRM-birthday-cowen-dflat-ger-eng.pdf; CRM-birthday-cowen-dflat-eng.pdf

The Christina Rossetti in Music project website is hosted in Canada at the University of Ottawa Library, and we aim to comply with Canadian copyright laws. If you believe we have violated Canadian copyright law, please contact us at christinarossettimusic@uottawa.ca. The Christina Rossetti in Music project is strictly not for profit and intended for research and educational purposes only.