Sämtliche Lieder Band 1

Erich J. Wolff

Complete Songs Vol. 1

for high voice and piano

Table of Contents

Einen Sommer lang – in sechs Liedern op. 17

für hohe Singstimme und Klavier 1907

1. Sommer (Paul Wertheimer)

2. Sehnsucht (Detlev von Liliencron)

3. Zuversicht in Pan (Otto Julius von Bierbaum)

4. Einen Sommer lang (Detlev von Liliencron)

5. Ein Sonntag (Paul Wertheimer)

6. Glückes genug (Detlev von Liliencron)

aus: Sechs Lieder für eine Singstimme und Klavier op. 1 1902

2. Ein Musikant, ein Schwärmer (Robert Burns)

4. War eine Maid, die ewig spann (Robert Burns)

6. Genrebild (Jens Peter Jacobsen)

aus: Sechs Gedichte von Richard Dehmel op. 8 1907

2. Erhebung

3. Immer wieder

aus: Sechs Gedichte aus „Des Knaben Wunderhorn“ op. 9 1907

2. Frau Nachtigall

4. Knabe und Veilchen (Duett)

6. Tanzreim (Duett)

Zwei Gedichte von Tora zu Eulenburg op. 11(b)

1. Sturmflut

2. Trinklied

aus: Neun Lieder für hohe Stimme und Klavier nach verschiedenen Dichtern op. 12 1907

1. Spaziergang (Max Bruns)

4. Das mitleidige Mädel (Gustav Falke)

9. Traurige Mär (Rudolf Schaukal)

7. Im Kahn (Cäsar Flaischlen)

aus: Sieben Lieder nach verschiedenen Dichtern op. 22 1910

5. Liebesmelodie (Wilhelm Conrad Gomoll)

aus: Sechs Gedichte nach Jens Peter Jacobsen op. 26 1913

2. Seidenschuh’ über Leisten aus Gold

4. Flieg hin, mein Kiel!

6. Meine Braut führ’ ich heim

aus: Acht Lieder nach Gedichten von Emil Faktor op. 32 1910–13?

1. Der tote Lenz (Emil Faktor) NL 14 80

All seven volumes of this new edition of Erich J. Wolff’s complete songs have been created at the same time as a complete recording of these songs with various singers in co–production with Deutschlandfunk Kultur, SWR2, Radio Bremen and Bayerischer Rundfunk, and will be released gradually from April 2024 at the same time as the CD by Naxos will be released.

Preface to the 1st Volume

This first volume opens with Wolff's song cycle Einen Sommer lang op. 17 on texts by Paul Wertheimer, Detlev von Liliencron and Otto Julius Bierbaum, which was published in 1908. Most of the songs are very lyrical and in a highly romantic style, often reminiscent of Robert Schumann's song aesthetics. Wolff combines the three Liliencron settings with a triadic leitmotif, which is underlaid for the first time in No. 2 "Sehnsucht" with the words "Ich liebe dich" ("I love you") and thus connects the cycle motivically. Here, Liliencron’s poetry is carried on his hands through melodic beauty, contrapuntal finesse and post–Wagnerian harmonic mastery.

The six songs op. 1 (published in 1902) require a middle voice for the odd numbers and a high voice for the even numbers. Nos. 2 and 4 are based on texts by the Scottish poet Robert Burns and No. 6 on a poem by the Danish poet Jens Peter Jacobsen. When his op. 1 was printed, Jakob Wolff was still listed as the composer on the title page. From his songs op. 3 onwards, which appeared in 1904, Wolff probably changed his name to turn to the Catholic faith and used his Jewish first name Jakob as a middle name after Erich as the abbreviation J..

In his Opus 1 (no earlier songs have survived), Wolff demonstrates a great flair for this genre from the very beginning: No. 2 "Ein Musikant, ein Schwärmer" is a folksong–like verse song, No. 4 "War eine Maid, die emsig spann" is also, but already more formally refined (the spinning is evoked in the piano accompaniment by an oscillating second movement in quavers); the "Genrebild" No. 6 is then a rewarding and virtuoso conclusion to the song sequence with formally diverse inner parts and almost limitless pianistic imagination.

Wolff’s Lieder op. 8, published in 1907, are six settings of the fin-de-siècle poet Richard Dehmel, who also inspired Arnold Schoenberg’s string sextet op. 4 Verklärte Nacht. Schoenberg had already set the text to Wolff's op. 8 No. 2 "Erhebung" as his op. 2 No. 3. It is worth comparing the two songs: Both are wild, big-playing, explode the piano song pianistically and actually lend themselves to large orchestra, whereby Wolff’s gesture seems even more grandiose. In "Erhebung" we can hear his great admiration and knowledge of Richard Wagner. How different, on the other hand, is No. 3 "Immer wieder", whose lyrical mood is reminiscent of Brahms’ most beautiful songs. Written in 12/8 time, Wolff uses two metrical levels in the piano accompaniment: continuous crotchets in the bass, so that the listener experiences a sense of floating, as a 6/4 time signature simultaneously carries the song. The intimacy of Dehmel’s poem is immersed in a magical atmosphere here.

Wolff’s Lieder op. 9 from 1907 are settings from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn", a collection of folk poems published between 1805 and 1808 by Clemens Brentano and Achim von Arnim, which we still associate with Gustav Mahler’s settings. Wolff set 18 of them to music. No. 2 ("Frau Nachtigall") is the most ornate of these and only has a rudimentary folk character. Notated in slow-flowing 6/8 time, Wolff has achieved the feat of being simple and sophisticated at the same time. The two songs No. 4 and No. 5, "Knabe und Veilchen" and "Tanzreim" respectively, are dialogue songs, as we know them from Mahler. While No. 4 comes across as a lively waltz, No. 5 leads us in its Viennese dialect at a „Ländler“ into a lively flirtation between a young man and a proud maiden. A perfect encore for every duet recital with a smile effect.

The two songs op. 11(b) based on verses by the poet Tora zu Eulenburg, which were also published in 1907, form a great contrast to this. No. 3 "Sturmflut" can be compared with Wolff's op. 8 No. 2 "Erhebung": highly dramatic and wild, orchestral and exuberant. It seems more like a vocal scene than a piano song. The "Tanzlied" No. 4, with its full-fingered dotted chords in the accompaniment,

is naturally somewhat more outward-looking, but very lively. It ends with the words "Raise your glasses, we are young, young unto death", which anticipates the death-defying enthusiasm for battle at the beginning of the First World War as a looming shadow.

Wolff’s nine songs op. 12 were also published in 1907 and form a loose collection of songs based on contemporary poets who tend to be forgotten today. No. 1 "Spaziergang" is one of his most intimate compositions and leads into an enchanting atmo-sphere from the very first bar. Nature as a positive force and the lyrical self take symbiotic paths to express love. A deep and meaningful song by Wolff. No. 4 "Das mitleidige Mädel" uses the dotted rhythms of the previously discussed "Trinklied", but now with a lightness and virtuosity that accom-panies the ballad-like wanderings of the boy until he finds happiness in love. No. 9 "Traurige Mär", on the other hand, is about disappointed and hurt love - with a tragically succinct ending. It is alrea-dy reminiscent of a ballad. In No. 7 "Im Kahn", dotted rhythms evoke gliding on the water. The song, which is structured in several parts (with recitative-like borrowings), is a wonderfully cheerful, serene contemplation of life and passing.

Wolff’s "Liebesmelodie" op. 22 No. 6 was published in 1910 and, like op. 8 No. 3 is written polymetrically in both 12/8 and 6/4 time. Once again, the piano bass leads a rhythmic life of its own. This composition is an example of a song with a continuous accompaniment pattern, over which rises a varied verse song with a very beautiful melody.

The six songs op. 26, published in 1913, bear the last opus number given to Wolff during his lifetime. This time all the songs are set to texts by Jens Peter Jacobsen. While No. 2 "Seidenschuh’ über Leisten von Gold" with its slow waltz accompaniment is very reminiscent of E. Grieg, No. 4. "Flieg hin, mein Kiel!" and No. 6 "Meine Braut führ’ ich heim" are fast and rhythmic songs full of dance-like charm and brilliance.

"Der tote Lenz" op. 32 No. 1 is a special song, as it shifts melodically between the major and minor thirds in an almost blues-like manner. Swaying 3/8 groups suggest the model of a barcarole, which experiences to a grandiose final climax.

The songs of this 1st Volume were recorded with the tenor Daniel Johannsen and the soprano Samantha Gaul together with the editor at the piano on the CD Erich J. Wolff Complete Lieder Vol. 1 Naxos 8.574451 (https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.574451), which was released in April 2024.

All sung texts are also here available as a pdf under „Lyrics.“