Ruhe, meine Seele!

Ruhe, meine Seele!
Lied by Richard Strauss
Meditation by Perrault, 1893.
English	Rest, my soul
Catalogue	TrV 170
Opus	27, No. 1
Text	Poem by Karl Henckell
Language	German
Composed	May 17, 1894, Weimar.
Dedication	Pauline de Ahna, composer's wife.
Scoring	Voice and piano

"Ruhe, meine Seele!", Op. 27, No. 1, is the first in a set of four songs composed by Richard Strauss in 1894. It was originally for voice and piano, and not orchestrated by Strauss until 1948, after he had completed one of his Four Last Songs, "Im Abendrot". The words are from a poem "Ruhe, meine Seele!" (Rest, my soul) written by the poet Karl Henckell.

History

Strauss composed the song in May 1894, and that September he gave it as a wedding present to his wife the soprano Pauline de Ahna.

Related songs

Timothy L. Jackson has noted that Strauss had composed the song "Ruhe, meine Seele!" for piano and voice in 1894 but did not orchestrate it until 1948, just after he had completed "Im Abendrot" and before he composed the other three of his Four Last Songs. Jackson suggests that the addition of "Ruhe, meine Seele!" to the Four Last Songs forms a five-song unified song cycle, if "Ruhe, meine Seele!" is performed as a prelude to "Im Abendrot", to which it bears motivic similarity.

Instrumentation and accompaniment

The instrumentation is: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, 3 timpani, celesta, harp and the orchestral string section.

The accompaniment has sombre and ambiguous harmonies, with contrasting calm and tempestuous episodes, but ends peacefully in the home key of C major.

Lyrics

Ruhe, meine Seele!

Rest thee, my Soul

Nicht ein Lüftchen Regt sich leise, Sanft entschlummert Ruht der Hain; Durch der Blätter Dunkle Hülle Stiehlt sich lichter Sonnenschein. Ruhe, ruhe, Meine Seele, Deine Stürme Gingen wild, Hast getobt und Hast gezittert, Wie die Brandung, Wenn sie schwillt. Diese Zeiten Sind gewaltig, Bringen Herz Und Hirn in Not – Ruhe, ruhe, Meine Seele, Und vergiß, Und vergiß, Was dich bedroht!

Not a breath of wind is stirring, Hill and Dale are wrapped in slumber; Golden through the sheltering foliage Summer's Midday sunbeams peep. Rest thee, rest thee troubled spirit, Thou hast suffered laboured, toiled, Thou hast fought and thou has trembled, like the stormbeat, ocean wild. These times are momentous, head and heart must trouble bear – Rest thee, rest thee troubled spirit and forget all thy sufferings will soon be over!

Opus 27

The other songs of Opus 27 are:

• Op. 27 No. 2 "Cäcilie" (Wenn du es wüßtest)
• Op. 27 No. 3 "Heimliche Aufforderung" (Auf, hebe die funkelnde Schale)
• Op. 27 No. 4 "Morgen!" (Und morgen wird die Sonne wieder scheinen)

Recordings

Richard Strauss recorded it twice with himself accompanying on the piano. In 1919 with the baritone Heinrich Schlusnus and again in 1944, with the baritone Alfred Poell.

External links

• 4 Lieder, Op. 27: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• The LiederNet Archive: "Rest my soul", English translation by Emily Ezust

Orchestral accompaniment

• Recording on YouTube, Jessye Norman
• Recording on YouTube, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf

Piano accompaniment

• Recording on YouTube, Alfred Poell
• Recording on YouTube, Kiri Te Kanawa
• Recording on YouTube, Dima Orsho
• Recording on YouTube, Richard Tauber
• Recording on YouTube, Helen Traubel
• Recording on YouTube, Birgit Nilsson