Music and Texts of GARY BACHLUND
Vocal Music | Piano | Organ | Chamber Music | Orchestral | Articles and Commentary | Poems and Stories | Miscellany | FAQs
Klabautermann - (2009)
Christian Morgenstern
for high voice and piano
Klabautermann,
Klabauterfrau,
Klabauterkind
im Schiffe sind.
Die Küchenfei
erblickt die drei.
Sie schreit: 'Oh, Graus,
das Stück ist aus!'
Den Pudel Pax -
den Kaufmann Sachs -
sie alle frißt
der Meerschoßdachs.
Klabautermann,
Klabauterfrau,
Klabauterkind
woanders sind.[ 3 pages, circa 1' 35" ]
Christian Morgenstern
Mister Goblin of the seafarers' sea,
And his seafaring wife quite possibly,
With their goblin baby on her watery knee
Do sail upon some saltwater sea.
The ship's cook, called Cookie,
Spies one, then all of the three.
She cries, "Oh horror, Oh my! Oh me!
The thing, it is out, and the thing, it is free!"
The poodle Pax --
The merchant Sachs --
A gorging storm attacks,
Sinking sailors, bales and sacks.
Mister Goblin of the seafarers' sea,
And his seafaring wife quite possibly,
With their goblin baby on her watery knee
Are far, far away, and sailing free.
Rhymed paraphrase by the composer.
The "Klabautermann" is a goblin who inhabits a ship. Various traditions grew up around the character, that he is invisible, small, muscular yet chubby, dressed in harsh weather seamen's clothing, whose powers included protecting the ship from harm, explaining the creaks in planks, masts, spars and stairways, and yet he was also made responsible for a poor catch, broken lines and more. When a ship went down, it was said the goblin had left the ship. The stories of rats deserting a sinking ship were mixed with them following the desertion of the "Klabauterman" -- also found as "Kalfatermann" or "Klabattermann" from the Low German.
Morgenstern makes this goblin into a family man as part of the humor to this tragic tale. Basically the family went off -- perhaps on holiday? -- and the ship was lost thereby, while of course the "Klabauterfamilie" lived on.
Based on the minor tonic, the chords ride downwards and then upwards like the motion of an agitated sea. The form is a simple A-B-A song, with a small codetta. The ships sinks in the B section to an accompaniment of staccato chords and down rushing arpeggio over the span of several octaves.
The score is available as a free PDF download, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer. Click on the graphic below for this piano-vocal score.
