Here's some great music from the opera 'Daphne' by Richard Strauss (1864-1949). Not the famous and marvellous instrumental 'Mondlichtmusik' at the end of the work -depicting Daphne's transforming into a tree- but another scene, early in the opera, between Daphne and her mother Gaea. It's gorgeous music, especially for the alto voice, and some of the best music I've heard of Richard Strauss. Also included here are (soprano) Daphne's lines 'Bin ich dann näher den Bäumen und Blumen? Bin, was sie sind?', a very precious and tender moment in the opera, as far as I'm concerned.
The music presented here has a very special part for Gaea's alto-voice, sung by alto Anna Larsson, Daphne is sung by soprano Renee Fleming and the instrumental contribution comes from the WDR-Symphony Orchestra of Köln conducted by Semyon Bychkov.
The story of Daphne is derived from Greek mythology. In this scene Gaea worries about Daphne, her daughter. Daphne doesn't want to join the orgiastic wine festival (in celebration of the god Dionysos) that will turn her into a real woman and help her to become an accepted member of society. Daphne is afraid and has even rejected her longtime friend Leukippos just before the start of the festival. She feels closer to nature than man. She loves the day and the sun, the trees and the flowers, and she's afraid of evening and night. In this scene Gaea tries to persuade her daughter to join the festival.
See also what I wrote on 'Daphne' on my weblog: tonalties.nl/wordpress/?p=47
To illustrate this video I got inspired by pictures in five of my books, pictures that I can strongly associate with this music. Hope you like them. They're from these books:
* Leni Riefenstahl - Five Lives
* De Paleistuin/The Palace Garden - Den Haag Sculptuur/The Hague Sculpture, catalogue 2005 / Marie-Jeanne de Rooij (ed.)(thanks sister, the beautiful catalogue is very inspiring)
* A-Maze, The People of the Labyrinths (POTL), 2007 ; photography: Geert de Rooij, thanks brother, for your beautiful art! People of the Labyrinths is a dutch high fashion label company owned and run by dutch fashion designers Geert de Rooij en Hans Demoed, see: labyrinths.nl
* The Holy Grail - The People of the Labyrinths, Winter 03-04 ; photography: Geert de Rooij
* Richard Strauss. Die Bühnenwerke von der Uraufführung bis heute, 1980 / Rudolf Hartmann
Hope you'll enjoy this music as much as I do!
Copyright of this video: Pieter de Rooij, Tonal Ties Productions.
Please take note carefully of the following sung words of the libretto while listening:
scene between Gaea and Daphne, from the opera 'Daphne' by Richard Strauss. libretto: Joseph Gregor
GAEA
Daphne!
DAPHNE
Mutter!
GAEA
Wir warten dein.
Komm ins Haus.
DAPHNE
Es eilt der Fuss
Zu gehorchen.
Die Seele, Mutter,
Die Seele bleibt hier.
GAEA
Dein Zagen kenn ich.
Dein Zagen herrscht
In allem Lebendigen!
Doch kommt der Tag,
Da öffnet der Götter
Heiliger Wille
Unsre Herzen wie Blüten
So mir wie dir --
Und lässet blühen
In grosser Andacht
Die ganze Erde!
DAPHNE
Bin ich dann näher
Den Bäumen und Blumen?
Bin, was sie sind ?
GAEA
Dunkel ist der Götter
Heiliger Wille.
Nicht leicht hier unten
Der Weg auf Erden!
Als du so heftig
Dem Freund widersprachst,
Ja fort ihn wiesest
Am Tage des Festes
Kam Sorge mir, Daphne.
DAPHNE
So leite mich, Mutter,
Ich will gehorchen.
GAEA
Tochter, du bist neues Reis,
Von mir entsendet,
Zweig vor der Blüte,
Bist Sorge mir, Daphne!
DAPHNE
Und werde blühen,
Geschmückt im Frühling
Wie Wiesen und Laub?
GAEA
Nimm erst die Kleider,
Der Menschen Schmuck,
Und blüh gesegnet
In Ahnung des Festes!
DAPHNE
So lass mich, Mutter,
So wie ich lief
Durch blühende Wiesen,
Dann bleibt das Fest mir
Nicht ganz so fremd...
GAEA
Bist du auch fern mir,
Daphne, Tochter:
Einst führen Götter
Dich wieder zurück,
Und wieder zur Erde!
