Four love songs after texts of Erich Fried
Page 5
| instrumentation | soprano, three recorders and guitar |
| finished | 25th October 2007 |
| dedicated to | Angela Bertus and Mareile Busse |
| movements | 1. Nur nicht – 2. Aber – 3. Erwägung – 4. Was es ist |
| length | 8 min. |
| first performance | 27th April 2008 in the Magdalenen Church in Berlin-Neukölln |
The "Love songs after poems by Erich Fried" originated from a suggestion of my good friends Angela Bertus and Mareile Busse.
The four pieces are based on different harmonic principles to give each song the contemplative, longing or glorifying mood that is described in the poems.
The first song "Nur nicht" often uses the whole tone scale along with diminished and augmented chords. Their use reflects the contrast between fiction and reality in the poem.
The second song "Aber" shows with its various parallels between the different parts the life's journey of the two individuals and their changing relationship to each other.
In the third song "ErwŠgung" several sixth, seventh and ninth chords are used. Their shimmering colours reflect the consideration of different alternatives and their irrelevance shown in the text.
The fourth song "Was es ist" focuses with its chords of fourths, fifths and tritones on the ambivalence and fascination of love as the highest human good.