This song was recorded live at the Oxford Lieder Festival as part of Hugo Wolf: The Complete Songs on Stone Records.
Click here to listen to this song with Nicky Spence and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Text & Translation
Erwartung
German source:
Richard Dehmel
neben der roten Villa
unter der toten Eiche
scheint der Mond.
Wo ihr dunkles Abbild
durch das Wasser greift,
steht ein Mann und streift
einen Ring von seiner Hand.
Drei Opale blinken;
durch die bleichen Steine
schwimmen rot und grüne
funken und versinken.
Und er küßt sie, und
seine Augen leuchten
wie der meergrüne Grund:
ein Fenster tut sich auf.
Aus der roten Villa
neben der toten Eiche
winkt ihm eine bleiche
Frauenhand.
Expectation
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
near the red villa
beneath the dead oak
the moon is shining.
Where her dark image
gleams through the water,
a man stands, and draws
a ring from his hand.
Three opals glimmer;
among the pale stones
float red and green sparks
and sink.
And he kisses her,
and his eyes gleam
like the sea-green depths:
a window opens.
From the red villa
near the dead oak,
a woman’s pale hand
waves to him.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Erwartung
German source:
Richard Dehmel
Expectation
English source:
Richard Stokes
Aus dem meergrünen Teiche
From the sea-green pond
neben der roten Villa
near the red villa
unter der toten Eiche
beneath the dead oak
scheint der Mond.
the moon is shining.
Wo ihr dunkles Abbild
Where her dark image
durch das Wasser greift,
gleams through the water,
steht ein Mann und streift
a man stands, and draws
einen Ring von seiner Hand.
a ring from his hand.
Drei Opale blinken;
Three opals glimmer;
durch die bleichen Steine
among the pale stones
schwimmen rot und grüne
float red and green sparks
funken und versinken.
and sink.
Und er küßt sie, und
And he kisses her,
seine Augen leuchten
and his eyes gleam
wie der meergrüne Grund:
like the sea-green depths:
ein Fenster tut sich auf.
a window opens.
Aus der roten Villa
From the red villa
neben der toten Eiche
near the dead oak,
winkt ihm eine bleiche
a woman’s pale hand
Frauenhand.
waves to him.
Composer
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg or Schönberg was an Austrian composer, music theorist, and painter. He was associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School.
Poet
Richard Dehmel
Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel was a German poet and writer. His poems use a range of metrical patterns, and have been set to music by composers such as Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg, and Kurt Weill. His poetry often focused on themes of love and…
Performances
Previously performed at:
- The Oxford Lieder Young Artist Programme Audition Recitals (Day One - Part One) 17 Mar 2022
- Mastercourse Day One 23 Oct 2017