Paul Fleming (1609 Hartenstein, nr Zwickau – 1640 Hamburg)

Summary

4-part choir:

‘Geistliches Lied’ Op. 30 (comp. April 1856, publ. July 1864)

‘O liebliche Wangen’ Op. 47 no. 4 (comp. summer? 1868, publ. Oct. 1868)

‘An die Stolze’ Op. 107 no. 1 (comp. summer 1886, publ. Oct. 1888)

IN BRAHMS'S DAY, the poetry of the Baroque poet Paul Fleming was found in numerous musical contexts: for example Fleming's religious texts to the melodies of Heinrich Isaac were found in contemporary hymnbooks, and Mendelssohn also set his texts. Brahms also owned a copy of Fleming's poetry in a 1685 edition in which his two solo texts appear consecutively. However, nearly two decades separated the composition of the solo songs; also, the poems were reprinted elsewhere as part of a wider resurgence of interest in German Baroque poetry. They also appeared under different titles from Brahms's songs. ‘O liebliche Wangen’ was originally titled ‘Auf die italienische Weise: O fronte serena’, but Brahms simply used the opening words. ‘An die Stolze’ was untitled in the 1685 edition; in an 1822 edition edited by Wilhelm Müller, it was titled ‘Liebeszwang’. The 1865 edition of Fleming's poetry by the library of the Stuttgart Literary Society is the first which uses the title ‘An die Stolze’. Brahms may also have known Lemcke's 1871 popular history of German literature, Geschichte der deutschen Dichtung neuerer Zeit, which uses the title ‘An die Stolze’.

As with Brentano's ‘O kühler Wald’, Brahms's cutting half of ‘An die Stolze’ changed the poem considerably. It removed some extensive nature imagery in the third verse, and a tongue-twisting line in the fourth verse: ‘Dass ich stracks sterbe hier’ (‘Then let me immediately die here’). The two set verses are given below:

1 Und gleichwohl kann ich anders nicht, And yet, I cannot do differently;

2 Ich muß ihr günstig sein, I must be favourable to her

3 Obgleich der Augen stolzes Licht Although the proud light of her eyes

4 Mir mißgönnt seinen Schein. Begrudges me its shine.

5 Ich will, ich soll, ich muss dich lieben, I will, I should, I must love you;

6 dadurch wir beid’ uns nur betrüben, So we both make ourselves miserable