STERNE UND STEIN [Stars And Stone], Songs After Rudolf Gelpke
Harold Blumenfeld
About this work:
Cycle "STERNE UND STEIN" [Stars and Stone] for Mezzo or Baritone and Piano, is setting of "Die Statue des Antinous" and smaller poems written for composer by Rudolf Gelpke, fellow student at the University of Zurich when both were in their early twenties. Sung in German or in composer's English version.
These lovely unpublished Gelpke poems are redolent of Heine, perhaps with overtones of Rilke.
Composer's readily singable version in English appears beneath original German in score...
>Former Pub. MMB Music, now closed. Published by COMPOSER: blumenf@wustl.edu
Score: $25...
After Zurich, poet Rudi Gelpke went on to Iran where he mastered Pharsee and Arabic, becoming translator of medieval Persian lore into German. Some 15 volumes of his orientalist works published, including major study of drugs in East (read Middle East) and West: "Rauschgifte im Osten und Westen".
Rudi died young, barely in his forties, after exploring LSD, other substances, at one point along with Tim Leary in L.A.
"STERNE UND STEIN" is set in his memory. Songs: I "Weisse Traenen", II "Venus" and III "Die Statue des Antinous".
Premiere Edison Theater, St Louis 29 Feb 2004, Cecilia Stearman, mezzo, Seth Carlin, piano. Copy of archival CD recording of premiere available direct from composer: blumenf@wustl.edu.
"STATUE DES ANTINOUS" is final, focal song of cycle. Text excerpt in composer's English:
"YOU SEEM TO ME, COOL MARBLE FORM,
BUT BEAUTIFUL IMAGINED STONE,
THE GLANCES FROM YOUR EYES SO WHITE,
SO TIMELESS STRANGE, AND LONE.
PERHAPS YOU'VE BURIED IN YOUR STONE
OF BLEEDING WOUNDS THE SMART.
PERHAPS THERE BEATS UNDER DEADENED STONE
AN EVER UNDYING HEART.
I KNOW IT NOT. I KISS YOUR FACE,
OH WONDROUS CRAFTED STONE.
AH, BUT YOUR LIPS ARE AS COOL
AS PALLID IVORY BONE".
["Ich weiss es nicht...Ich kuesse dich,
Du schoen getraeumter Stein.
Doch deine Lippen bleiben kuehl
Wie blasses Elfenbein"].
Year composed: 2003
Duration: 00:07:00
Ensemble type: Voice, Solo or With Chamber or Jazz Ensemble:Solo Voice with Keyboard
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation notes: Songs in German, or in composer's English singing translation, baritone or mezzo, piano.
Youthful poems of Rudolf Gelpke dealing with Antinous and Hadrian, Venus, etc.