Composer

:

Richard Strauss

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1929

Average_duration

:

6:00

"Und dann nicht mehr, Op. 87/3" is a song composed by Richard Strauss in 1949. It was premiered on October 22, 1949, in Munich, Germany, with the composer himself at the piano and the baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as the soloist. The song is part of a cycle of six songs titled "Vier letzte Lieder" (Four Last Songs), which Strauss composed in the last years of his life. "Und dann nicht mehr" is the third song of the cycle and is characterized by its melancholic and nostalgic tone. The text, written by Hermann Hesse, describes the passing of time and the inevitability of death. The song begins with a slow and mournful introduction played by the piano, which sets the mood for the entire piece. The baritone enters with a soft and tender voice, singing the first lines of the poem: "Weh, von Alter, Krankheit und dem Tode / ist mir so bang, dass ich oft vergehe" (Alas, from old age, sickness, and death / I am so afraid that I often faint). The song is divided into three sections, each with a different tempo and mood. The first section is slow and introspective, with the baritone singing in a low register and the piano playing a simple and repetitive accompaniment. The second section is faster and more agitated, with the baritone singing in a higher register and the piano playing a more complex and virtuosic accompaniment. The third section returns to the slow and mournful mood of the beginning, with the baritone singing the final lines of the poem: "Und dann nicht mehr, und dann nicht mehr / und kein Morgen und kein Gestern mehr" (And then no more, and then no more / and no tomorrow and no yesterday). Overall, "Und dann nicht mehr" is a poignant and deeply emotional song that reflects Strauss's own feelings about the end of his life. The composer died in 1949, just a few months after the premiere of the "Vier letzte Lieder," making this cycle his final musical statement.

More....