The Phantasie aus Don Juan instructs the pianist to imitate the sound of a harp. It's plangent melody and verbal repetitions such as ‘Im Herzen! Im Herzen!’ also suggest a folksong, and though the text may be Spanish in origin, the character of deep melancholy and personal identification-there is no doubt that the singer’s own heart has been caught like many others in the fishergirl’s net-was one that Mahler was to exploit with increasing success throughout his composing career.
(from notes by Roger Vignoles © 2004).
Phantasie aus Don Juan
German source: Ludwig Braunfels
Das Mägdlein trat aus dem Fischerhaus,
Die Netze warf sie ins Meer hinaus!
Und wenn kein Fisch in das Netz ihr ging,
Die Fischerin doch die Herzen fing!
Die Winde streifen so kühl umher,
Erzählen leis’ eine alte Mär!
Die See erglühet im Abendrot,
Die Fischerin fühlt nicht Liebesnot
Im Herzen! Im Herzen!
Fantasy
English translation © Richard Stokes
The girl stepped from the fisherman's hut,
She cast her nets out into the sea!
And even if she caught no fish,
The fishergirl trapped hearts!
The breezes blow cool about her,
Whispering an old fairy tale!
The sea glows red in the sunset,
The fishergirl feels no anguish of love
In her heart, in her heart!
15 сен 2024
