MUSSORGSKY - SONGS of DANCE and DEATH

Songs of Dances and Death is a song cycle for voice (usually bass or bass-baritone) and piano by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, written in the mid-1870s, to poems by Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov, a relative of the composer. Each song deals with death in a poetic manner although the depictions are realistic in that they reflect experiences not uncommon in 19th century Russia: child death, death in youth, drunken misadventure and war. The song cycle is considered Mussorgsky's masterpiece in the genre.

"Trepak" deals with the death of a drunken peasant.

"Forests and fields, and the coud-rack sweeping, Darkness and storm and the pale drifts heaping, Snow-flakes lightly hovering weaves a spotless covering, Fit for a stainless childhood, round this poor clod sleeping...Rest, rest, poor friend, slumber, happy fellow, Dream that the summer is bright, the harvest yellow! The sun shines, the sickles swing, Hear the skylark singing."

"What is thy portion by work and sorrow? Rest here, poor peasant, until tomorrow. See, a coverlet so white and warm I've found you; Rest and watch the dancing snow-flakes whirl around you. Soft as the swan's down, the bed where you lie! Hey! Sing good-night, fierce gale, as you fly. Sing, wild wind, his hush-song, through the long dark night, Let the weary worker sleep till morning light. "

"Now he invited him to dance the Trepak; Sings him a song fair and pleasant; "Ho, my poor worker so bent and grey, Drunken with vodka, and wandering astray; By the snow-fiend blinded, led by fitful shadows, Through the pathless forest, over the trackless meadows".

"Still is the forest, no soul is in sight...Winds are lamenting and howling...Far away yonder where dark falls the night Something uncanny is prowling. See! Over there! where the shades gather black Death has waylaid some poor peasant."

Boris Christoff (May 18, 1914, Plovdiv, Bulgaria – June 28, 1993, Rome, Italy) was a Bulgarian opera singer, one of the greatest basses of the 20th century

CRADLE SONG

"Cradle song" deals the death of a child.
Cradle song
Faint sounds of moaning! The lamp now expiring casts but a dim flick'ring light. Rocking the cradle, the mother untiring Waits, watches, all through the night. Long before dawn someone comes knocking, Death the deliverer is here! Hark! Trembling, the mother desists from her rocking...

Mother:"Mercy, one instant, kind Death, Cease your strain!"
Death: "See, there he slumbers, my song stilled his pain: Hush-a-by, hush-a-by!"

Death:"These are good signs, see his agony ceases, Hush-a-bye, hush-a-by, sweet."
Mother:"Hence! Accursed Death! Look how your singing does blight my baby, my joy!"
Death: "Nay, peaceful dreams to your son I am bringing. Hush now, hush now, my boy!"

Mother:"Silence! my baby is suffering, crying, Grief rends this my heart!"
Death:"Soon he will sleep in my arms softly lying; Hush baby, hush baby mine!"
Mother:"Pale grow his cheeks, the fever increases, O sing no more, I entreat!"

Death:"Friend, calm your fear and despair! See, through the window peeps the pale morrow, Weeping and watching forlorn, Rest, poor woman, rest from your sorrow, Sleep, i will watch till the morn. Could you not hush your poor infant to slumber? My song is sweeter than yours."

The Death falls in love with the maiden. But in the end there is no escape for her. Death is merciless.

Magical, tender night, veiled in blue shadow, Breathing forth perfumes of spring. Yonder a sufferer leans from her window, Hear what the night whispers low. Sleep will not come to her eyes, bright with fever, Life seems to call her to joy, But under her window a figure is waiting: Death sings a strange serenade:

"Maiden, poor captive to sorrow and suffering, Wasted your beauty and youth: I will be your true knight, although you do not know me, I will come to your rescue now. Come, lady, look at yourself! See, your cheeks are like roses, your lips soft and red; Lovely your visage, your tresses are gold and silky, Your form is most fair.

Brightly gleam your eyes, so blue and so tender, Bright as the stars in the heavens; Ardent as midday suns, your breath that scorches...You have bewitched me, O love,You, too, must fall beneath the spell of my singing, Did not your sighs call me hear? I, your knight, bring the greatest gift to you: Now comes the hour of your bliss!

Fragile your form, and your kisses entrance me, O let me clasp you in breathless embrace; My love song shall bring you slumber...Be still... you are mine!"

The Warrior-Captain - Songs and Dances of Death is a song cycle for voice (bass) and piano by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky

"The battle rages, swords are flashing, Like hungry beasts the cannons roar; The horses neigh, the squadrons gallop, The stream runs crimson, dyed with gore. The burning noon-day sees the slaughter, And still at sunset the fight endures. "

"The last gleams vanish, still unyielding, The foe maintains a stubborn front. Now falls the night upon the carnage, And in the gloaming all disperse. Silence reigns; only the darkness hears The wounded crying unto Heaven."

"See, there, where fall the livid moon-rays, Astride upon a charger pale, Rides a warrior wan and grisly, whose name is Death. There, in the dusk, He hears their pitiful complaining; Surveys the ghastly field with pride: Moves like a leader triumphant,Over the scene of glory and pain. Then climbs a hillock, Gazes round him on dead and dying, grimly smiling...Now over the seething field of slaughter Rings out stern and clear his voice:" ...........

BEETHOVEN - SONATA Op.14 No.1

The Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, Op. 14 No. 1, is an early-period work by Ludwig van Beethoven, dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun. It was composed in 1798 and arranged - not transcribed - for string quartet by the composer in 1801, the result containing more quartet-like passagework and in the more comfortable key of F major.

BEETHOVEN - SONATA Op.14 No.2

The Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, op. 14 no. 2, composed in 1798--1799, is an early-period work by Ludwig van Beethoven, dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun. A typical performance lasts 15 minutes.

SONATA PASTORAL

Piano Sonata No. 15, Op. 28, is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was named Pastoral or Pastorale by Beethoven's publisher at the time, A. Cranz. While nowhere near as famous as its predecessor, the Piano Sonata No. 14 or Moonlight Sonata, it is admired for the intricacy and technicality in the ease it portrays. It takes roughly 25 minutes to play the whole work.Published in 1801, it is dedicated to the Count Joseph von Sonnenfels. This sonata was written at a time where Beethoven's alarm at his worsening deafness increased. Nevertheless, Beethoven paints a serene image with this sonata.It has been speculated whether the title 'pastoral' refers to the sense of countryside and nature (the 6th symphony pastoral sense), or to its sense of calm, simplicity and lightness. Beethoven's publishers had a tendency to name his sonatas without any consultation from Beethoven himself. Beethoven wrote most of his works with greatly contrasting parts, and behaves no different in making this sonata. Though its first and last movements can well be described as "pastorale," the inner two find no real similarity to the nickname at all.The first movement, Allegro, begins in the tonic major with a repetitive and monotone bass line sometimes described as "timpanic." On top is the simple primary theme of the movement. It is very simple and quiet, yet cunning. Eventually, the work introduces a second, more tense melody in F sharp minor, which builds up into a passage of constant quavers, on which is laid a rather simple, yet elegant melody. The development of the movement runs through various minor keys, ever becoming more dramatic and angst filled as it compresses the main theme into a repeated one-bar rhythm, which gradually fades away. It then recapitulates back into the sweet and easy-going themes of the beginning.