VIENNA BOYS CHOIR Wiener Sängerknaben

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Program Notes – page 24 In spite of his enormous talent, Schubert was never able to live off his music; he had to eke out a meagre living from teaching. First he worked as an assistant teacher at his father’s school, later he taught music at the Hungarian estate of Count Esterházy. Schubert wrote eight symphonies, six masses and chamber music. He is most famous for his lieder; he wrote more than six hundred songs on poems by Goethe, Heine, Shakespeare and others. Schubert died at the age of 31, possibly from medicine he was given to treat an illness. Mayrhofer, a poet from Upper Austria, met Schubert in Vienna in 1814; they became close friends. Schubert set 47 of Mayrhofer's poems to music, and Mayrhofer wrote the libretti of at least two unfinished operas for his friend. “The gondolier" is typically Romantic. It can be read as a poem describing a night in Venice and celebrating escapism: It is midnight, the poet (or the skipper, as the case may be) is out on the waters in Venice, having a grand old time basking in the moonlight. There is however a gloomy undertow: “meine Barke”, my skiff, might also refer to the poet himself, who – unfettered, is being rocked by “des Meeres Schoß”, literally the bottom of the sea. The choice of words would support this, a “Barke” is the kind of boat Charon uses to ferry the deceased across the River Styx. Death is the ultimate freedom. Finally, St. Mark's campanile strikes midnight – the pianist strikes the same chord twelve times. Everybody is asleep, only the skipper – the poet – is awake, or should we say conscious. No one else has seen or understood. However one chooses to interpret the words, one thing remains clear – the first verse conveys a feeling, a longing to be shot of mundane worries, to be free. This certainly applied to Mayrhofer, who was forced to work for the censor's office, a job he loathed. In the end, sadly, Mayhofer, who suffered from depression, killed himself; he jumped out of his office window in Vienna. Text: Es tanzen Mond und Sterne Den flücht'gen Geisterreih'n Wer wird von Erdensorgen Befangen immer sein! Du kannst in Mondesstrahlen Nun, meine Barke, wallen Und aller Schranken los Wiegt dich des Meeres Schoss. Vom Markusturme tönte Der Spruch der Mitternacht: Sie schlummern friedlich alle, Und nur der Schiffer wacht. Program Notes continued on the next page
Program Notes – page 25 Translation: Moon and stars dance A fleeting ghostly round - Who wants to be caught In earthly worries forever! My little skiff, you can Sail by the moonlight now, And unfettered and unhampered The sea will rock (dandle) you. From St Mark’s campanile Sounds the midnight hour: They all sleep peacefully, Only the skipper is awake. Solo lied to be announced from the stage Der 23.Psalm (Psalm 23), D. 706 (1820) Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828) Text: Biblical; translation by Moses Mendelssohn (1729 – 1786) The 23rd Psalm bears the title “The good shepherd”;; it is one of the most popular psalms of King David. The good (and just) shepherd is an epithet used for gods (and kings) throughout the Ancient Near East. It was duty of the king or the city deity to provide for the people and keep them from harm, in the same way in which a shepherd looks after his flock: I shall not want. The last two verses describe a festive banquet, in fact the ultimate - funereal - banquet, and God himself anoints the believer – a gesture of hospitality extended in the Near East. Schubert wrote this piece for Anna Fröhlich and her pupils in December of 1820. The poetic translation sung today is by philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (1729 – 1786), Felix Mendelssohn’s grandfather. Text Translation: Gott ist mein Hirt, mir wird nichts mangeln God is my shepherd, I shall not want. Er lagert mich auf grüner Weide, He makes me lie down in green pastures, Er leitet mich an stillen Bächen He leads me beside still waters. Er labt mein schmachtendes Gemüt He restores my aching soul, Er führt mich auf gerechtem Steige He leads me on the right path Zu seines Namens Ruhm. To honour his name. Program Notes continued on the next page
Page 1 and 2: 2012 Fall Program MUSIC FROM THE IM
Page 3 and 4: Vienna Boys Choir 2012 Fall Tour of
Page 5 and 6: Program Notes - page 3 Ego sum pani
Page 7 and 8: Program Notes - page 5 Wie lieblich
Page 9 and 10: Program Notes - page 7 Text: Um Mit
Page 11 and 12: Program Notes - page 9 Translation:
Page 13 and 14: Program Notes - page 11 Translation
Page 15 and 16: Program Notes - page 13 Contemporar
Page 17 and 18: Program Notes - page 15 Laudate Dom
Page 19 and 20: Program Notes - page 17 Slow down,
Page 21 and 22: Program Notes - page 19 Now that yo
Page 23 and 24: Program Notes - page 21 Und so bin
Page 25: Program Notes - page 23 Look, the s
Page 29 and 30: Program Notes - page 27 Tritsch Tra
Page 31: Program Notes - page 29 This is tot

VIENNA BOYS CHOIR Wiener Sängerknaben

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