From Berlin she wrote to her fiancé, who lived away in Leipzig: “It is deeply melancholy, and so sad that I cannot sing it at all without it bringing sorrow to me” (15. For Clara Schumann, to whom the entire Liederkreis cycle is closely connected, Mondnacht in any case had great importance. Adorno rightly making reference to Goethe’s dictum remarked that “it is very difficult to speak about Mondnacht, as is the case with all things created to great effect.” And yet, I would like to attempt an approach to the singularity of this especial song. If you wish to indulge in the sensuality and hidden meaning of the text of Mondnacht, click the following YouTube-Link and listen to the recitation of three great actors, each greatly from different from the other: Interestingly, Schumann created four different versions of Mondnacht you will find them all, together in print for the very first time, in the new Henle edition. Click here to read the preface and other information on the newly published Henle Urtext edition. 39, in which Mondnacht is the 5th in a cycle of 12 songs, the editor points out that “the religious overtones of the text of Mondnacht were apparently still recognised, for this song was performed on 22 September 1856 at the musical commemoration ceremony for Robert Schumann in Dresden” (Kazuko Ozawa). In her preface to the Henle Urtext edition of Schumann’s “Liederkreis” op. And one should also not overlook the simple fact that Mondnacht belongs to the “Spiritual Poems” within Eichendorff’s collection.
The image of death is tenderly and touchingly portrayed as the soul quietly returning home, and we experience death in this context as a liberation from earthly weight and bitterness (thus, in an excellent essay, Wolfgang Frühwald, Professor of German literature). This is clearly the case with Mondnacht, and the key word is “meine Seele” (first line of verse 3). Eichendorff’s strongest poems point further towards greatness, towards metaphysics, and yes, religion. And the reason is not only Eichendorff’s positively shattering command of language, his characteristically desirous tone and the subtle intertwining of nature and personal inner reflections. century can hardly remain untouched by the magic of these three verses.
That I can easily believe, for even the oh so “modern” citizens of the 21. It is said to be one of THE favourite poems of the Germans. Winter)Įichendorff’s poem Mondnacht, often translated as “Night of the Moon” unquestionably ranks among his best. (Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Gedichte, Berlin 1837, S.
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