Widmung

[Shagdac]

Have recently fallen for the piece Widmung. Can anyone offer additional history on this piece. I have seen this titled as (Dedication) and (Wedding Song) as well. What is it best known by. Also I have seen it with Schumann as the composer and also Liszt. I'm aware that Liszt did a transcription on this, but have been unable to locate the score. The only score I can find is Schumanns original. Any suggestions. Also, who has the best recording of this. I appreciate your time.

Thank you,
S

[Hmoll]

Have recently fallen for the piece Widmung. Can anyone offer additional history on this piece. I have seen this titled as (Dedication) and (Wedding Song) as well. What is it best known by. Also I have seen it with Schumann as the composer and also Liszt. I'm aware that Liszt did a transcription on this, but have been unable to locate the score. The only score I can find is Schumanns original. Any suggestions. Also, who has the best recording of this. I appreciate your time.

Thank you,
S

It's a transcription of a song by Schumann. It is difficult to find the score because Liszt only transcribed two of Schumann's songs. I have the score, and can fax it to you - or email it - but is won't be until Mon.

It's really just a love song, nothing profound like Erlkonig. I can't remember who the poet is.

I think Yundi Li recorded it.

[bernhard]

As Hmoll said, it is a song by Schumann. The poem is by Friedrich Ruckert (1788 – 1866) and goes like this:

Widmung (Dedication)

Du meine [Seele]1, du mein Herz,
Du meine Wonn', o du mein Schmerz,
Du meine Welt, in der ich lebe,
Mein Himmel du, darein ich schwebe,
O du mein Grab, in das hinab
Ich ewig meinen Kummer gab.
   
Du bist die Ruh, du bist der Frieden,
Du bist vom Himmel mir beschieden.
Daß du mich liebst, macht mich mir wert,
Dein Blick hat mich vor mir verklärt,
Du hebst mich liebend über mich,
Mein guter Geist, mein beßres Ich!
     
You are my heart and my soul
My bliss and pain;
You are the world I live in,
The heaven I aspire to ,
The tomb where I have laid my sorrow
To rest forever.

You are repose and peace,
And my share of heaven;
Your love justifies me,
Your gaze transfigures me,
Lovingly you raise me to new heights,
My good angel,
My better self.

This is the first song (Op, 25 no. 1) of a cycle of songs - Myrthen, Liederkreis – (Myrtles, a Song cycle) that Schumann wrote in Leipzig in the first months of 1840.

He wrote this cycle (Op. 25 – 26 songs in all) as a wedding present for Clara – they married on 12 September 1840.

Here is what Schumann had to say about it:

Leipzig, February 1840: Dear Clara; since yesterday morning I have written nearly 27 pages of music (something new!) about which all I can tell you is that as I wrote it I laughed and wept for Joy”.

To his publisher: “For some time now I’ve had a special thought in mind, which perhaps you might feel able to help me with. Op. 25 is to be a wedding present! So that call for an ornamental binding, as carefully and as tastefully designed as ever you can manage”.

Arguably the best recording of it is by Dietrich Fischer Dieskau (DG) with Christopher Eschenbach on the piano.

You can get a score (vocal version) from here.
https://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/bgp0487/sco10003.html#3

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Shagdac]

Thanks Bernhard!

This is great, but the score doesn't look long enough for the one I'm thinking of....didn't Liszt redo this piece? It's the same melody, (and excuse me if I am mistaken, I don't have all my notes with me here at work)...but it seems considerably longer that a 3 page score. Also, it seems like it is possibly a little more difficult than this. The person at the music store told me Liszt did do this piece differently,and it's under the name of Widmung
(Liebensled) ??sp. Sorry, can't remember the exact spelling. Is this the same piece on this link? Either way, I am grateful for this as well, and indeed all your help. I think Joel has a copy he's going to try and email as well.

Again, thanks for your help. Appreciate it!

s

[allchopin]

Here's the real deal buddy
https://muslib.mmv.ru/piano/shuman_list_posv.pdf

Btw, it translates to Dedication - the only recording I have of it is Kissin, which is excellent.

[Shagdac]

Thanks so much AllChopin! This is exactly what I was looking for! It printed out great as well. I just made about 10 copies! I too have the recording by Kissin, as well as the one of Van Cliburn. It is also excellent. The Kissin CD I have that it is on, is his Carnegie Hall Debut...he also has Rhapsodie espagnole as well, which is a great piece.

I know I am pushing my luck, but you wouldn't also happen to have the score for Rhapsodie espagnole would you? Have had difficulty finding both the Liszt Widmung piece as well as Sp. Rhap.

Again, thanks for all your help!
S

[benji]

Rhapsodie Espagnole:
https://www.sheetmusicarchive.net/compositions_b/lzrhpesp.pdf

Both are great pieces.

[Shagdac]

Got it, thanks much Benji!

To think I drove all over the place to try and locate these, and all I had to do tonight was download them!

Thanks again all!
s

[joell12068]

here is another transcription of this piece, this one by Sergio Fiorentino.  

https://joell12068.zftp.com/fiorentino_schumann.pdf

[Shagdac]

Thanks so much Joel, this looks great too. Can't wait to
start learning this piece.

Appreciate your help!

S

[faulty_damper]

Hey, Susan, I heard Widmung played by Van Cliburn, a video recording in 1950 on the Classical Arts Showcase.  A bit disappointing. Not of the piece but the performance.

[allchopin]

A link to either van Cliburn's audio or video recording of it would be fantastic.

[Shagdac]

I have the CD with Van Cliburn's recording of Widmung, but I don't know how to get it on the computer, or do the "link". If it's not real complicated, I would be happy to try if someone can explain it, and I have all the necessary connections.

S

[allchopin]

Here are the steps- you decide if it is complicated or not:
1) get your hands on a cd ripper (program that extracts the audio from the CD) - such as 'audiograbber' or 'cdex'
2) get free webspace - geocities, brinkster, etc - easy to sign up
3) upload the file from your computer (it's an option in the website's file manager) to the website
4) once (if) you get there let me know