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Laß doch das ew'ge Fragen - (2016)
Wilhelm Busch
for baritone and piano
Laß doch das ew'ge Fragen,
Verehrter alter Freund.
Ich will von selbst schon sagen,
Was mir vonnöten scheint.
Du sagst vielleicht dagegen:
Man fragt doch wohl einmal.
Gewiß! Nur allerwegen
Ist mir's nicht ganz egal.
Bei deinem Fragestellen
Hat eines mich frappiert:
Du fragst so gern nach Fällen,
Wobei ich mich blamiert.3 pages, circa 1' 30"
Front cover illustration of an early edition of Kritik des Herzens
Leave off the questions,
Dear old chum.
I myself will comment
With my own opprobrium.
You may speak against this:
One questions anyway.
Certainly! Only know yet,
I care little what you say.
In your probing questions
A chill comes overall
As you ask of the many times
I've made my each shortfall.Leave off!
rhymed paraphrase by the composer
Copyright © Gary Bachlund 2016
A simple harmonic pendulum swings between two four-note chords, as the text is declaimed.
Scansion for the second stanza alters the rhythm of the voice part, with a return to the first in the third stanza. A coda makes the restatement of the imperative, ending in the minor tonic.
The score for Laß doch das ew'ge Fragen 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.
