Das Marienleben (The Life of Mary) is a song cycle by German composer Paul Hindemith. The cycle, written for piano and soprano, sets to music a collection of 15 poems by Rainer Maria Rilke that tells the story of the life of Mary.[1] The cycle was featured in the 1923 Bauhaus exhibition in Weimar.[2] Thirteen years after its 1923 premiere in Frankfurt, Hindemith began extensively revising and reworking the piece, eventually producing a second version which premiered in Hanover in 1948.[3]
| Das Marienleben | |
|---|---|
| Song cycle by Paul Hindemith | |
 The composer in 1923 | |
| English | The Life of Mary |
| Text | 15 poems by Rainer Maria Rilke |
| Language | German |
| Based on | Life of Mary |
| Composed | 1923, revised 1948 |
| Movements | 15 |
| Scoring | Soprano and piano (some also with orchestra) |
Hindemith also orchestrated six of the songs: four in 1938 and two more in 1948.[3]
Structure edit
The work consists of fifteen movements:[1]
- Geburt Mariä (Birth of Mary)
- Die Darstellung (The Presentation)
- Mariä Verkündigung (Annunciation to Mary)
- Mariä Heimsuchung (Visitation of Mary)
- Argwohn Josephs (Joseph's Suspicion)
- Verkündigung über den Hirten (Annunciation to the shepherds)
- Geburt Christi (Birth of Christ)
- Rast auf der Flucht in Ägypten (Rest on the Flight into Egypt)
- Von der Hochzeit (Of the wedding)
- Vor der Passion (Before the Passion)
- Pietà (Pieta)
- Stillung Mariä mit dem Auferstandenen (Consolation of Mary with the resurrected)
- Vom Tode Mariä I (Of the Death of Mary I)
- Vom Tode Mariä II (Of the Death of Mary II)
- Vom Tode Mariä III (Of the Death of Mary III)
A typical performance lasts around an hour and a half.
References edit
- ^ a b Staff, Rovi. "Das Marienleben, song cycle for soprano & piano, Op. 27". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ Droste, Magdalena (2022) [1990]. Bauhaus: 1919-1933. Translated by Michael, Jane (2019 ed.). Berlin, Germany: Taschen: Bibliotheca Universalis. p. 234. ISBN 978-3-8365-6554-7.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Michael (1990). "Marienleben, Das". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (3 ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 398. ISBN 0193113201.
Literature edit
- Wilhelm Sinkovicz: Paul Hindemiths Liederzyklus "Marienleben" und seine beiden Fassungen als Beispiel für den Stilwandel der Musik in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Thesis. Vienna 1993.
External links edit
- Hindemith - Das Marienleben on YouTube (Vocal: Roxolana Roslak; Piano: Glenn Gould)
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