I composed the Sechs Hölderlin Lieder [Six Hölderlin Songs] (2019/20) for the 250th anniversary of the birth of Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843). For those not acquainted with this German (Swabian) poet’s work, it may take a little effort to feel one’s way into the language. He is considered one of the greatest German lyricists of the 18th and 19th centuries, but plays a kind of outsider’s role in the company of his contemporaries Goethe, Schiller or Heine. Hölderlin, more compact, condense and sometimes more abstract than Goethe; political enough, but usually less openly so than Schiller or Heine, and all his own in the use of language – which is at times strikingly modern. His life was overshadowed by an illness which was seen as insanity at the time, but there remain many open questions as to what his mental state really was. In any case, he lived a great part of his life (some thirty years) in a small tower in the Swabian city of Tübingen as a patient incapable of leading his life on his own.
I highly recommend this writer, whose ingenious rhythms and general musicality are ever-present in his poetry. I find it curious that he may actually have played the piano for a longer period than he was able to create great poetry. This, because, he was apparently often occupied with improvising on the piano during those last thirty years in the tower. The fact that he loved music as much as literature and that he was a pianistic improviser make me feel even closer to him than I already do through his writings.
Listeners should, of course, have the texts at hand. It is helpful to understand the original German, but I have prepared some translations into English here as well.
Die Eichbäume [Oak Trees] is a wonderful description of the majesty of creation and the appealing somberness of the oak tree. Their forests offer an example for human society: each tree lives separately and free, but together form a functioning and peaceful collective as well.
Hälfte des Lebens [Half of Life] is Hölderlin’s most famous poem. This is understandable when one is able to discern its meaning, visualize its metaphors and admire the extreme density of this futuristic masterpiece of literary lyricism.
Das Erinnern [Remembering] is a poem of penance, almost a prayer. Hölderlin was raised by religious parents, studied theology, and remained profoundly connected to Christianity all his life. Here, he laments the deeds of his past and prays for forgiveness.
Hymne an die Freiheit [Hymn to Freedom] was written in 1791 and clearly positions Hölderlin as a disciple of the movements for freedom against feudalism and tyranny, most notably put into practice at the then recent (1789) revolution in France. Hölderlin’s use of language here is so impressive because he seems to be writing in a spontaneous and almost reckless manner but uses analogies and metaphors which are extremely nuanced and subtle at the same time. In fact, I see the combination of these two elements – the uninhibited and the carefully thought out – as one of the clear trademarks of the poet. “When the rotted thrones of tyrants and tyrants’ slaves have turned to dust,” – Hölderlin’s dream of a future without tyranny and opression, still so far off in our own day.
Der Nächtliche Wanderer [The Night Roamer] presents Hölderlin from his experimental side. Almost unbelievable that this poem could have been written at the end of the 18th century! It practically jumps beyond all the movements and trends of the Romantic period and re-instates itself stylistically as 20th century Surrealism. It seems, indeed, to be describing a nightmare in which a predacious owl attacks its victim.
Lebenslauf [Life’s Path] Not without cause, will the arc of life return from whence it came. A description of “going full circle” as one might say today: the feeling of satisfaction and wonder at having learned some portion of wisdom on the rough paths of life.
The voice part of Sechs Hölderlin Lieder was especially conceived for the British baritone, reciter and actor Orlando Schenk with whom I also collaborated during the process of composition and at the first performance in the Hochschule für Musik und Bildende Kunst, Stuttgart, Germany.
The Blue Book is a solo piano improvisation made on the 21st of October 2023 in the Da Vinci studio in Cigole, Italy and, with that, the newest piece on the CD. I have titled it The Blue Book because I have recently immersed myself in the works of the Swedish writer August Strindberg (1849-1912). Even if some concrete connection to Strindberg’s highly recommendable Blue Book may be missing in my music, Strindberg was a quick thinker, provocative, and very modern for his time, as unafraid, truth-loving, and outspoken an author as ever there was. His writings (and they are not all on the same high level) are, at this moment in time, a general fountain of inspiration for my music.
My English Songs were supported by the German scholarship agency “Musikfonds” and composed between 2021 and May of 2023. The idea of this song-series is a marathon through four centuries of English (and Scottish) poetry in four four-song sections. The 17th century poet John Donne plays an important part in my creative life – I composed a whole opera about his life (John Donne – a poetic opera), and his poetry is used in the first (17th century) section of my series. For this recording, however, we have chosen 4 songs, from the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
Absalom and Achitophel (excerpts from John Dryden, 1681)
Michael Stapleton writes that this poem is “generally acknowledged as the finest political satire in the English language.” Dryden was satirizing the events around the “Popish Plot” and the hysteria concerning the heir of King Charles II. The Popish Plot was a Protestant attempt (which was partly successful) to spread allegations that a Catholic conspiracy to assassinate the king was at hand. Dryden puts these subterrestrial murmurings into a metaphorically Biblical context and uses his forceful and quick-footed language to dismantle the essence and the danger of libel and consciously spread false information.
The Catharsis (Al Alvarez)
Another artist who I think should be receiving more attention is the English writer of Sephardic stock Al Alvarez (1929-2019). His poetry combines, I think, the best of British tradition with an unerring sense of the reality of the modern world. His work is seldom openly experimental, but often owns a certain sophisticated simplicity and flow with a strong will to communicate. The carefully structured poem, “The Catharsis” gracefully nudges the reader to release himself from his or her own self-constructed bonds. When it was written is not clear, but it was published first at the beginning of our century. (Many thanks to the Waywiser Press and Anne Alvarez for permission to use this poem as a song.)
Dulce et Decorum est (Wilfred Owen, 1917)
Owen himself was a soldier who served on the front-line during World War I and wrote this description of the atrocities of a gas attack in 1917. “How sweet and honourable it is to die for one’s country” (Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori) is a line from a poem by the Latin classical poet Horace – a line often used to make war appear attractive and even “sweet,” kind and brave. Owen’s vivid language can only come from someone personally acquainted with the horrors of war.
I Think that we were Children (Edmond Holmes, 1903)
Edmond Holmes was born in Ireland in 1850 and died in 1936. He was a teacher and educationalist and rose to become chief inspector for elementary schools in 1905. Amongst his written works are studies of poetry as well as essays and books on philosophical and religious topics, but also poetry of his own. I discovered his work through songs written by his personal friend Charles Villiers Stanford. Holmes is not widely known, but what impresses me is his ability to combine the mystical with the playful using such suitable and atmospheric language. When I first read this poem, the music almost immediately began to run through my head.
Some may find it unusual that the composer himself has, in these notes, spent all his time dealing with the lyrics and none at all with the music itself. My goal was always to bring life and lend emotions to this great poetry, to spread its messages, accent the innate rhythms of its ingenious language and to add a dimension of immediacy and depth. It is always me writing and expressing myself, but as if through a sieve of chosen words by gifted poets whose lines resonate strongly inside me. The idea is musical poetry diverse in means and expression: from the highly chromatic, aggressive and dark, through the majestic and warm, the dreamy and the playful to the satirical and even to the simple and sophisticatedly obvious and accessible. The poetry and the music should be heard and understood as a single communicative unit.
Chris Jarrett © 2023