It has been a while since I have posted German Lieder (although Ruhe sanf is an aria), and I decided to post some again. Rita Streich is a great favorite of mine, and she sings beautifully. In the upper registers, her voice takes on a shimmering sound.
Rita Streich, was born in Russia and moved to Germany with her parents during her childhood, where she grew up bilingual, something that was extremely helpful during her later career. She studied with Erna Berger, Maria Ivogün, and Willy Domgraf-Fassbänder. Streich was one of the most significant coloratura sopranos of the post-war period. Her debut as an opera singer was in 1943, during World War II, at the Stadttheater (city theatre) of Ústí nad Labem (Aussig) in Bohemia (today, the Czech Republic), in the role of Zerbinetta in Richard Strauss’ opera Ariadne auf Naxos.
Schubert, “Nacht und Träume”
Heil’ge Nacht, du sinkest nieder;
Nieder wallen auch die Träume,
Wie dein Mondlicht durch die Räume,
Durch der Menschen stille Brust.
Die belauschen sie mit Lust;
Rufen, wenn der Tag erwacht:
Kehre wieder, heil’ge Nacht!
Holde Träume, kehret wieder!
Schubert, “Night and Dreams”
Holy night, you sink down;
dreams, too, float down,
like your moonlight through space,
through the silent hearts of men.
They listen with delight,
crying out when day awakes:
come back, holy night!
Fair dreams, return!
Mozart, “Abendempfindung”
Abend ist’s, die Sonne ist verschwunden,
Und der Mond strahlt Silberglanz;
So entflieh’n des Lebens schönste Stunden,
Flieh’n vorüber wie im Tanz!
Bald entflieht des Lebens bunte Szene,
Und der Vorhang rollt herab.
Aus ist unser Spiel! Des Freundes Träne
Fließet schon auf unser Grab.
Bald vielleicht mir weht, wie Westwind leise,
Eine stille Ahnung zu –
Schließ’ ich dieses Lebens Pilgerreise,
Fliege in das Land der Ruh’.
Werdet ihr dann an meinem Grabe weinen,
Trauernd meine Asche seh’n,
Dann, o Freunde, will ich euch erscheinen
Und will Himmel auf euch weh’n.
Schenk’ auch du ein Tränchen mir
Und pflücke mir ein Veilchen auf mein Grab;
Und mit deinem seelenvollen Blicke
Sieh’ dann sanft auf mich herab.
Weih mir eine Träne, und ach!
Schäme dich nur nicht, sie mir zu weih’n,
Oh, sie wird in meinem Diademe
Dann die schönste Perle sein.
Mozart, “Evening Thoughts”
It is evening, the sun has vanished,
And the moon sheds its silver light;
So life’s sweetest hours speed by,
Fly by as in a dance!
Soon life’s bright scene will be over,
And the curtain will fall.
Our play is ended! Tears wept by a friend
Flow already on our grave.
Soon perhaps, like a gentle zephyr,
A silent idea will reach me,
And I shall end this earthly pilgrimage,
Fly to the land of rest.
If you then weep by my grave
And gaze mourning on my ashes,
Then, dear friends, I shall appear to you
Bringing a breath of heaven.
May you too shed a tear for me
And pluck a violet for my grave;
And let your soulful gaze
Look tenderly down on me.
Consecrate a tear to me and ah!
Be not ashamed to do so;
In my diadem it shall become
The fairest pearl of all.
Wolf, “Bedeckt mich mit Blumen” Spanisches Liederbuch
Bedeckt mich mit Blumen,
Ich sterbe vor Liebe.
Dass die Luft mit leisem Wehen
Nicht den süssen Duft mir entführe,
Bedeckt mich!
Ist ja alles doch dasselbe,
Liebesodem oder Düfte
Von Blumen.
Von Jasmin und weissen Lilien
Sollt ihr hier mein Grab bereiten,
Ich sterbe.
Und befragt ihr mich: Woran?
Sag’ ich: Unter süssen Qualen
Vor Liebe.
Wolf, “Cover me with flowers”, from the Spanish Songbook
Cover me with flowers,
I am dying of love.
Lest the soft breezes
Rob me of their sweet scent,
Cover me!
It is all the same after all,
Breath of love and the scent
Of flowers.
With jasmine and white lilies
You should here prepare my grave,
I am dying.
And if you ask me: Of what?
I’ll say: in sweet torment
Of love.
Mozart, Zaide, “Ruhe sanft”
Ruhe sanft mein holdes Leben,
schlafe, bis dein Glück erwacht;
da, mein Bild will ich dir geben,
schau, wie freundlich es dir lacht:
ihr süssen Träume, wiegt ihn ein,
und lasset seinem Wunsch am Ende
die wollustreichen Gegenstände
zu reifer Wirklichkeit gedeihn.
Mozart, Zaide, “Rest peacefully”
Rest in peace, my dear love,
sleep until your happiness awakens;
I want to give you my picture,
look how friendly it smiles at you:
Sweet dreams, lull him to sleep,
and let his wish come to an end
the tender objects
to mature reality.
Schubert, “Wiegenlied” D498
Schlafe, holder, süsser Knabe,
Leise wiegt dich deiner Mutter Hand;
Sanfte Ruhe, milde Labe
Bringt dir schwebend dieses Wiegenband.
Schlafe in der Flaumen Schoosse,
Noch umtönt dich lauter Liebeston,
Eine Lilie, eine Rose,
Nach dem Schlafe werd’ sie dir zum Lohn.
Schubert “Lullaby” D 498
Sleep, gentle, sweet boy,
Your mother’s hand rocks you softly.
Sleep peacefully, this swaying cradle strap
brings you tender comfort.
Sleep in her lap, soft as down;
pure notes of love still echo around you.
A lily, a rose
shall be your reward after sleep.
Born: December 18, 1920 – Barnaul, Altai Krai, Russia
Died: March 20, 1987 – Vienna, Austria
The noted German soprano, Rita Streich, was born in Russia and moved to Germany with her parents during her childhood, where she grew up bilingual, something that was extremely helpful during her later career. She studied with Erna Berger, Maria Ivogün, and Willy Domgraf-Fassbänder.
Rita Streich was one of the most significant coloratura sopranos of the post-war period. Her debut as an opera singer was in 1943, during World War II, at the Stadttheater (city theatre) of Ústí nad Labem (Aussig) in Bohemia (today, the Czech Republic), in the role of Zerbinetta in Richard Strauss’ opera Ariadne auf Naxos. Three years later, in 1946, she secured her first engagement at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden (State Opera) in Berlin, where she stayed until 1952. In 1951 she joined the Berlin Städtische Oper. In 1952 she moved to Bayreuth, in 1953 to Vienna, and in 1954 to Salzburg. Appearances at La Scala in Milan, at Covent Garden and in Glyndebourne followed. She made her USA debut as Zerbinetta with the San Francisco Opera in 1957.
From 1974 Rita Streich taught at the Folkwang-Hochschule in Essen and the Music Academy in Vienna. She gave master-classes during the Salzburg Festival from 1983.
Streich was a leading interpreter of parts in Mozart operas. Her repertoire included arias from Idomeneo, Così fan tutte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Die Zauberflöte, The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and others. Since she had grown up bilingual, she could also sing the works of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in their original Russian without a trace of an accent.
Streich retired from the stage in 1972 to teach at Essen, but returned four years later to Vienna, where she continued to teach, and where she died at the age of sixty-six. In the 1950s, and for some years after, she was considered the foremost German coloratura of her generation, often likened to her teacher Erna Berger.