20016 – Urlicht

from Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

arranged by Roger Harvey
for Symphonic brass ensemble

(4 Tpts, Flugel, 4 Hns, 3 Trbs, Tuba, percussion)

Difficulty: Medium

Price: £25.00

Programme note:
Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Youth's Magic Horn) is a collection of German folk poems published in 1805-8. Mahler's numerous settings of these poems are scattered around his catalogue: some for voice and piano, some with orchestral accompanimiment and some of which he used as movements in his symphonies. The first 9 were written in 1887 and make up Volumes 2 and 3 of his voice and piano collections. 12 more were published in 1899, originally as Humoresken, conceived with orchestral accompaniment. Urlicht and Es sungen drei Engel were replaced in 1901 by 2 new songs after Mahler had incorporated the earlier songs into his 2nd and 3rd symphonies. Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt and Ablösung im Sommer were also included in the 2nd and 3rd symphonies as instrumental movements.

O Röschen rot,
Der Mensch liegt in größter Not,
Der Mensch liegt in größter Pein,
Je lieber möcht' ich im Himmel sein.
Da kam ich auf einem breiten Weg,
Da kam ein Engelein und wollt' mich abweisen.
Ach nein, ich ließ mich nicht abweisen!
Ich bin von Gott und will wieder zu Gott,
Der liebe Gott wird mir ein Lichtchen geben,
Wird leuchten mir bis [in]1 das ewig selig' Leben!

O little red rose,
Man lies in greatest need,
Man lies in greatest pain.
Ever would I prefer to be in heaven.
Once I came upon a wide road,
There stood an Angel who wanted to turn me away.
But no, I will not be turned away!
I came from God, and will return to God,
The loving God who will give me a little light,
To lighten my way up to eternal, blessed life!

Performance note:
This version can be used as accompaniment for a solo voice performance. If this is the case, balancing the dynamics is vital and some of the transcribed vocal lines may be ommitted to avoid doubling the voice.Play softly and with very gentle articulation throughout. However, phrase with expression and shape.
The triplets at C and D should be unobtrusive. The rhythmic accompaniment at bar 50 in horns and trombones should also give texture without being at all obvious.
From E to F a little more passion is required but then let it resolve completely through the closing section.