{"id":5534,"date":"2010-11-05T21:02:03","date_gmt":"2010-11-06T04:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/?p=5534"},"modified":"2013-02-07T20:33:09","modified_gmt":"2013-02-08T04:33:09","slug":"transfigured-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2010\/11\/05\/transfigured-night\/","title":{"rendered":"transfigured night"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tomorrow night (Saturday) I’m joining OSO colleagues former and current for a concert at a wonderful venue in Yakima, Washington called The Seasons<\/a>.\u00a0 The concert is entitled Classically Romantic, and features three blockbuster works from three different eras of music history.\u00a0 The first work on the program is J.S. Bach’s magnificent and incomparable Chaconne<\/em> from the Partita for Solo Violin in d minor<\/em>, played by Denise Dillenbeck.\u00a0 The chaconne<\/em> is a baroque form in which a series of variations are made over a repeated bass line or chord progression [the fine line between the chaconne<\/em> and the passacaglia<\/em> remains a gray area for musicologists, at least according to this wikipedia article<\/a>].\u00a0 This particular chaconne<\/em> is a world-encompassing piece, spanning every possible mood and emotion, as well as nearly every technical hurdle violinists of the 18th century might have expected to overcome in the process.\u00a0 It is literally a cathedral of music, constructed by one performer on one instrument, one measure at a time.<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

The second work on the program is the String Quartet No. 1<\/em> of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.\u00a0 It is famous for the beautiful Andante cantabile<\/em> second movement, which can stand on its own as an encore or occasional piece, but it really is a wonderful composition for string quartet that gives a more intimate view of a composer more known for huge ballet and symphonic scores that are full of color and bombast.<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

The final work on the program is a very early work of Arnold Schoenberg, his string sextet tone poem Verkl\u00e4rte Nacht<\/em> (Transfigured Night), Op. 4.\u00a0 Based upon the eponymous poem of Richard Dehmel<\/a> concerning two lovers walking in moonlit woods and a startling revelation from one to the other, ending in acceptance and deepened commitment:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Zwei Menschen gehn durch kahlen, kalten Hain;
\nder Mond l\u00e4uft mit, sie schaun hinein.
\nDer Mond l\u00e4uft \u00fcber hohe Eichen;
\nkein W\u00f6lkchen tr\u00fcbt das Himmelslicht,
\nin das die schwarzen Zacken reichen.
\nDie Stimme eines Weibes spricht:<\/em><\/td>\n		<\/td>\nTwo people are walking through a bare, cold wood;
\nthe moon keeps pace with them and draws their gaze.
\nThe moon moves along above tall oak trees,
\nthere is no wisp of cloud to obscure the radiance
\nto which the black, jagged tips reach up.
\nA woman\u2019s voice speaks:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u201eIch trag ein Kind, und nit von Dir,
\nich geh in S\u00fcnde neben Dir.
\nIch hab mich schwer an mir vergangen.
\nIch glaubte nicht mehr an ein Gl\u00fcck
\nund hatte doch ein schwer Verlangen
\nnach Lebensinhalt, nach Muttergl\u00fcck<\/em><\/td>\n		<\/td>\n\u201cI am carrying a child, and not by you.
\nI am walking here with you in a state of sin.
\nI have offended grievously against myself.
\nI despaired of happiness,
\nand yet I still felt a grievous longing
\nfor life\u2019s fullness, for a mother\u2019s joys<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
und Pflicht; da hab ich mich erfrecht,
\nda lie\u00df ich schaudernd mein Geschlecht
\nvon einem fremden Mann umfangen,
\nund hab mich noch daf\u00fcr gesegnet.
\nNun hat das Leben sich ger\u00e4cht:
\nnun bin ich Dir, o Dir, begegnet.\u201c<\/em><\/td>\n		<\/td>\nand duties; and so I sinned,
\nand so I yielded, shuddering, my sex
\nto the embrace of a stranger,
\nand even thought myself blessed.
\nNow life has taken its revenge,
\nand I have met you, met you.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sie geht mit ungelenkem Schritt.
\nSie schaut empor; der Mond l\u00e4uft mit.
\nIhr dunkler Blick ertrinkt in Licht.
\nDie Stimme eines Mannes spricht:<\/em><\/td>\n		<\/td>\nShe walks on, stumbling.
\nShe looks up; the moon keeps pace.
\nHer dark gaze drowns in light.
\nA man\u2019s voice speaks:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u201eDas Kind, das Du empfangen hast,
\nsei Deiner Seele keine Last,
\no sieh, wie klar das Weltall schimmert!
\nEs ist ein Glanz um alles her;
\nDu treibst mit mir auf kaltem Meer,
\ndoch eine eigne W\u00e4rme flimmert
\nvon Dir in mich, von mir in Dich.
\n<\/em><\/td>\n		<\/td>\n\u201cDo not let the child you have conceived
\nbe a burden on your soul.
\nLook, how brightly the universe shines!
\nSplendour falls on everything around,
\nyou are voyaging with me on a cold sea,
\nbut there is the glow of an inner warmth
\nfrom you in me, from me in you.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Die wird das fremde Kind verkl\u00e4ren,
\nDu wirst es mir, von mir geb\u00e4ren;
\nDu hast den Glanz in mich gebracht,
\nDu hast mich selbst zum Kind gemacht.\u201c
\nEr fa\u00dft sie um die starken H\u00fcften.
\nIhr Atem k\u00fc\u00dft sich in den L\u00fcften.
\nZwei Menschen gehn durch hohe, helle Nacht.<\/em><\/td>\n		<\/td>\nThat warmth will transfigure the stranger\u2019s child,
\nand you bear it me, begot by me.
\nYou have transfused me with splendour,
\nyou have made a child of me.\u201d
\nHe puts an arm about her strong hips.
\nTheir breath embraces in the air.
\nTwo people walk on through the high, bright night.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

(English translation by Mary Whittall<\/em>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s a sprawling work which pushes the boundaries of tonality to near their breaking point, but it’s also a staggeringly dramatic and beautiful composition, one with which all Schoenberg haters should be acquainted.\u00a0 I prefer it in its original sextet version, but the orchestral version (also by Schoenberg) is quite satisfying in its own way as well.<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tomorrow night (Saturday) I’m joining OSO colleagues former and current for a concert at a wonderful venue in Yakima, Washington called The Seasons.\u00a0 The concert is entitled Classically Romantic, and features three blockbuster works from three different eras of music history.\u00a0 The first work on the program is J.S. Bach’s magnificent and incomparable Chaconne from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":303,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[136],"tags":[2396,2427,3670,2424,2423,1086,1015,1014,1256,2426,2421,2425,2422],"class_list":["post-5534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chamber-music","tag-bach","tag-chaconne","tag-chamber-music","tag-charles-noble","tag-denise-dillenbeck","tag-heather-blackburn","tag-ines-voglar","tag-joel-belgique","tag-nancy-ives","tag-tchaikovsky-string-quartet-no-1","tag-the-seasons","tag-verklarte-nacht","tag-yakima"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8kC-1rg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5540,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2010\/11\/07\/great-music-in-yakima\/","url_meta":{"origin":5534,"position":0},"title":"great music in yakima","author":"Charles Noble","date":"November 7, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Saturday night was the performance at The Seasons performance hall in Yakima, Washington. It was a great chance to play wonderful music with great friends and colleagues, especially violinist Denise Dillenbeck (nee Huizenga), who was formerly a violinist with the Oregon Symphony and founding violinist of the Ethos Quartet with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "chamber music"","block_context":{"text":"chamber music","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/chamber-music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/5155499173_90eafe1237_b-400x243.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5804,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2011\/02\/14\/opbs-artbeat-features-yeats-and-ewer\/","url_meta":{"origin":5534,"position":1},"title":"opb’s artbeat features yeats and ewer","author":"Charles Noble","date":"February 14, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon Public Broadcasting's wonderful and long-lived arts program ArtBeat this week featured Portland bowmaker extraordinaire Michael Yeats, who talks about the craft of making bows for violins, violas, and cellos. \u00a0Also featured in that segment: Oregon Symphony violinist Gregory Ewer, who masterfully plays solo Bach (his great Chaconne). \u00a0Well worth\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "instruments"","block_context":{"text":"instruments","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/instruments\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/artist11.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2583,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/05\/25\/congrats-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":5534,"position":2},"title":"congrats","author":"Charles Noble","date":"May 25, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Congratulations go to Marc Rovetti (with whom OSO principal cellist Nancy Ives and I and former OSO violinist Denise Dillenbeck played a quartet concert in Astoria this spring), who has won the job of Assistant concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra!\u00c2\u00a0 He was already a member of the Philly Orchestra for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "auditions"","block_context":{"text":"auditions","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/auditions\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"3342860131_5ba61f7650_o","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/3342860131_5ba61f7650_o-400x296.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7593,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2012\/05\/12\/bainbridge-quartet-makes-debut-in-portland-at-old-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":5534,"position":3},"title":"bainbridge quartet makes debut in portland at old church","author":"Charles Noble","date":"May 12, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"We're really excited about this one! Half of the Arnica Quartet (Charles & Heather) join with two of their oldest friends and former quartet mates: Timothy Schwarz, now of the Serafin Quartet and violin professor at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania - formerly of the ancient Arcadia Quartet with Charles and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "chamber music"","block_context":{"text":"chamber music","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/chamber-music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.arnicaquartet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/tumblr_m3691fQkNq1qg3b40.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17347,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2020\/02\/07\/something-for-everyone\/","url_meta":{"origin":5534,"position":4},"title":"something for everyone","author":"Charles Noble","date":"February 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Augustin Hadelich This weekend's Oregon Symphony concerts are going to be special - local snarky publication notwithstanding. First of all, there will be a world premiere of a new piece by Gabriella Smith, entitled Biolumnescence Chaconne. It's fantastic. The orchestra likes it very much, and our audience in Salem Friday\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/augustin-hadelich-press-e1581147222764.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/augustin-hadelich-press-e1581147222764.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/augustin-hadelich-press-e1581147222764.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":383,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2007\/07\/10\/officially-hot\/","url_meta":{"origin":5534,"position":5},"title":"officially HOT!","author":"Charles Noble","date":"July 10, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"It's only 2:55 in the afternoon and we've reached the century mark - the latest forecast predicts 102\u00c2\u00baF by 5:00 p.m. Thank goodness for the two window air conditioners we bought a few years ago - I remember sweating through the hot weeks of July and August in our dank\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hot1.jpg","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/07\/hot1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/303"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5534\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}