DAS WAR ICH (That Was I) D174

[haydnguy]

Theodor Körner

The poem was published posthumously in 1815. It has six verses, all printed in the Gesamtausgabe. The Peters edition prints only the first four, which seem in fact to profice a better end to the song. The autograph (New York, PML) is dated 26 March 1815. It contains also the incommplete first version of another Körner setting, Liebesrausch. The song was published in book 39 of the Nachlass (1845).

Das war ich is a striking example (the setting of Matthisson's Andenken, written a year earlier, was perhaps the first) of Schubert's ability to give psychological depth to a song by bringing the key phrase sharply into focus and changing the singer's role from that of narrator to that of actor. Everything in the song, from the off-beat entryof the voice in the first bar (marked 'Erzählend', 'as though telling a story') and the beautifully detailed accompaniment to the final crescendo leading to the sf chord of C major, is designed to highlight the singer's final declaration - 'and that was I'. This delightful song is one of the best of Schubert's early strophic songs.

Das war ich

Jüngst träumte mir, ich sah auf lichten Höhen
Ein Mädchen sich im jungen Tag ergehen,
So hold, so süß, daß es dir völlig glich.
Und vor ihr lag ein Jüngling auf den Knien,
Er schien sie sanft an seine Brust zu ziehen,
Und das war ich.

Doch bald verändert hatte sich die Szene,
In tiefen Fluten sah ich jetzt die Schöne,
Wie ihr die letzte, schwache Kraft entwich.
Da kam ein Jüngling hülfreich ihr geflogen,
Er sprang ihr nach und trug sie aus den Wogen,
Und das war ich!

So malte sich der Traum in bunten Zügen,
Und überall sah ich die Liebe siegen,
Und alles, alles drehte sich um dich!
Du flogst voran in ungebund'ner Freie,
Der Jüngling zog dir nach mit stiller Treue,
Und das war ich!

Und als ich endlich aus dem Traum erwachte,
Der neue Tag die neue Sehnsucht brachte,
Da blieb dein liebes, süßes Bild um mich.
Ich sah dich von der Küsse Glut erwarmen,
Ich sah dich selig in des Jünglings Armen,
Und das war ich!



[ame]http://www.classicalmusicforum.net/music/04-Track-4.mp3[/ame]



That was I

Language: English

Recently I dreamed that I saw on the bright heights
a maiden walking in the young day -
she was so sweet and lovely, that she was entirely like you.
And before her knelt a young man,
who seemed to draw her gently to his chest:
and that was I.

Soon the scene had changed,
and in a deep flood I saw now the fair one,
her last bit of strength disappearing.
There came a youth flying to her aid:
he sprang after her and pulled her from the waves;
and that was I.

So the dream unfolded in colorful lines,
and everywhere I saw love triumph,
and everything revolved around you!
You flew ahead in unbound freedom,
the youth trailing behind you with quiet fidelity:
and that was I!

And when I finally awakened from this dream,
the new day brought new yearning;
your dear, sweet face remained floating in front of me.
I saw you enjoying the ardor of kisses,
I saw you lying blissfully in the arms of the youth:
and that was I!