Die Nacht (Strauss)

In 1882, his friend Ludwig Thuile introduced Strauss to the poetry of Gilm contained in the volume Letzte Blätter (last leaves), published in the year of the poet's death (and the composer's birth) 1864, which contained the poem Die Nacht.^[1] The Opus 10 songs were all intended for the tenor voice.^[2] Alan Jefferson wrote:

Die Nacht is a song of trembling and yearning, a song tinged with fear that the night, which takes away the familiar shapes of daylight, will also steal the beloved...Strauss manages to convey the manner in which the all-embracing power of night is stealing so mercilessly over everything: first by the a powerful (though gentle) rhythmic beat; and then by the minor seconds (two adjacent black and white notes put down together) which create the effect of merging two objects into one until they resolve into something else, musically as well as visually...Die Nacht is a supreme example of Strauss's art.^[3]

Norman Del Mar notes that the opening musical phrase for the line "Aus dem Walde tritt die Nacht" is very similar to the "wonderful oboe solo from Don Juan, to be composed five years later".^[4]

Strauss recorded the song twice with himself at the piano: in 1919 with the Baritone Heinrich Schlusnus, and again for a 1942 wartime radio broadcast from Vienna with tenor Anton Dermota.^[5]

Die Nacht

The Night[6]

Aus dem Walde tritt die Nacht, Aus den Bäumen schleicht sie leise, Schaut sich um in weitem Kreise, Nun gib acht. Alle Lichter dieser Welt, Alle Blumen, alle Farben Löscht sie aus und stiehlt die Garben Weg vom Feld. Alles nimmt sie, was nur hold, Nimmt das Silber weg des Stroms, Nimmt vom Kupferdach des Doms Weg das Gold. Ausgeplündert steht der Strauch, Rücke näher, Seel an Seele; O die Nacht, mir bangt, sie stehle Dich mir auch.

Out of the forest steps Night, Out of the trees she softly steals, Looks around her in a wide arc, Now beware.. All the lights of this world, All flowers, all colors She extinguishes, and steals the sheaves From the field. She takes everything that is dear, Takes the silver from the stream, and from the Cathedral's copper roof, She takes the gold. The bushes are left, stripped naked, Come closer, soul to soul; Oh, I fear that the night will also steal You from me.

Notes

Sources

• Norman Del Mar, Richard Strauss. A Critical Commentary on his Life and Works, Volume 3, London: Faber and Faber (2009)[1968] (second edition), ISBN 978-0-571-25098-1.
• Getz, Christine (1991), The Lieder of Richard Strauss, chapter 10 in Mark-Daniel Schmid, Richard Strauss Companion, Praeger Publishers, Westfield CT, 2003, ISBN 0-313-27901-2.
• Jefferson, Alan. (1971) The Lieder of Richard Strauss, Cassel and Company, London. ISBN 0-304-93735-5
• Trenner, Franz (2003) Richard Strauss Chronik, Verlag Dr Richard Strauss Gmbh, Wien, ISBN 3-901974-01-6.