DAILY DOSE of BEETHOVEN (August 5, 2020)
Yesterday we looked at how songs 3 and 4 are the " Crux" of Beethoven's 6 Lieder, Op 48. Song 3 is about accepting one's mortality and shaping how you wish to spend your life. Song 4 was about locating your life in universal creation. That is not an easy step, it's a great leap. Tonally, it's a big leap from F# minor to C major. That is the Lydian or Tritone interval. It's a huge leap, but a lawful one, that the mind will grasp.
It's only in his fifth song that Beethoven celebrates God's might. He starts out with: "God is my Song." It is very short.
SONG 5: Gottes Macht und Vorsehung
Gott ist mein Lied!
Er ist der Gott der Stärke;
Hehr ist sein Nam',
Und groß sind seine Werke
Und alle Himmel sein Gebiet.
God is my song!
He is the god of strength
Hehr is his name
And his works are great,
And all the heavens are his territory.
SONG 6: Bußlied
Finally, we have the song of repentance. We again make the comparison between CPE Bach and Beetoven. In song 1, Bitten, they were mostly on the same wavelength. Here, song 6, they really part company. This time CPE sets only two verses, and Beethoven sets six.
For CPE, asking God for forgiveness seems to be full of anguish.
https://youtu.be/cCUGVczCqk8?list=TLPQMDMwODIwMjAo6Lq5eo1HkA
Beethoven also treats the first three verses imploring for mercy, but in the last three, he breaks out!
For the first time, the song breaks out of a simple piano accompaniment and becomes very joyous, as he asks the Creator for guidance—creative guidance. Beethoven had a paradoxical relation to the Creator. He said that he talked to God freely and openly about his music, and that he could not have written it without divine guidance. However, when one of his friends wrote on the cover of his opera Fidelio, "Finished with the help of God”, Beethoven wrote over it, " Man help yourself."
Bußlied
An dir, allein an dir hab ich gesündigt,
Und übel oft vor dir getan.
Du siehst die Schuld, die mir den Fluch verkündigt;
Sieh, Gott, auch meinen Jammer an.
Dir ist mein Flehn, mein Seufzen nicht verborgen,
Und meine Tränen sind vor dir.
Ach Gott, mein Gott, wie lange soll ich sorgen?
Wie lang entfernst du dich von mir?
Herr, handle nicht mit mir nach meinen Sünden,
Vergilt mir nicht nach meiner Schuld.
Ich suche dich, laß mich dein Antlitz finden,
Du Gott der Langmut und Geduld.
Früh wollst du mich mit deiner Gnade füllen,
Gott, Vater der Barmherzigeit.
Erfreue mich um deines Namens willen,
Du bist mein Gott, der gern erfreut.
Laß deinen Weg mich wieder freudig wallen
Und lehre mich dein heilig
Recht Mich täglich tun nach deinem Wohlgefallen;
Du bist mein Gott, ich bin dein Knecht.
Herr, eile du, mein Schutz, mir beizustehen,
Und leite mich auf ebner Bahn.
Er hört mein Schrei'n, der Herr erhört mein Flehen
Und nimmt sich meiner Seele an.
6. Repentance
I sinned only on you,
And often done badly in front of you.
You see the guilt that announces the curse to me;
Look at my misery, God.
My supplication is not hidden from you, my sighing,
And my tears are before you
Oh God, how long should I care?
How long have you been away from me
Lord, do not act with me according to my sins,
Don't forgive me for my guilt.
I'm looking for you, let me find your face
You god of patience and patience.
Early you want to fill me with your grace
God, Father of Mercy.
Rejoice for your name's sake
You are my God who likes to please.
Let your path wave me joyfully again
And teach me your holy right
Do me daily as you please;
You are my god, I am your servant.
Lord, hurry, my protection, to help me
And guide me on a level track.
He hears my cry, the Lord hears my supplication
And takes care of my soul.
For more Daily Dose, go to our previous posts, or to www.ffrcc.org. You will find the index of past posts on https://www.ffrcc.org/daily-dose-of-beethoven