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Tes Souvenirs - (2006)
Kundry Van Mechelen
pour Werner Van Mechelen
J’étais là, au-dessus de la mer de nuages
L’impression d’être au ciel me rendait plus heureux.
Le ciel, un mélange de bleu, juste comme tes yeux,
Tous tes souvenirs me restaient comme seul courage.
Mais pourquoi je me sens donc si mal et si seul ?
Est-ce que c’est toi ? Ou ton sourire ? Ou ta voix ?
Personne ne comprend ce que je ressens pour toi !
Ma tristesse ? Mes pleurs ? Ma mort ? C’est ça ce qu’ils veulent ?
Ah ! Mais moi je sais que l’amour peut faire mal !
Et j’ai tant pleuré, tant souffert et tant aimé,
Et c’était ta mémoire qui m’a toujours sauvé !
Regarde moi maintenant, perdu, seul dans un coin,
Et ça me fait mal de penser que tu es si loin !
Ne t’inquiète pas, je t’accompagnerai très vite.
Copyright © 2006 by Kundry Van Mechelen Used by permission
Kundry Van Mechelen
Kundry Van Mechelen (b. 1989) is the daughter of baritone, Werner Van Mechelen. Werner played a fine Gyges in our production of Zemlinsky's Der König Kandaules for the Opera Royal de Wallonie in Liège, Belgium, and Opera de Nancy et Lorraine in France. We had worked many years before in another production of Ariadne auf Naxos. Over dinner, I spoke about setting a text specifically for him, and he chose the above - a poem about the travail of young love, a common theme to everyone.
To portray that crisis which all experience at this time in life, I chose for a motive a chord form consisting of diatonically related polytonal features, such that there exist together in each measure C minor against D minor, inverting them from time to time, and then extending this pattern throughout the accompaniment. The opening two measures announce this "theme." Continuing on, a defined alto voice in the accompaniment is often in melodic dissonance with the vocal line, as if two voices find difficulty and harmony in sounding at the same time, all the while a solid ground in the bass remains firm and true.
I was there, at the edge of a sea of clouds
Offering the image of a happy sky.
The sky, of mixed blues, just like your eyes
Remain as your souvenirs steadfast.
But why then do I feel so bad and so alone?
It is for you? Or your breath? Or your voice?
No one will understand what I feel for you!
My sadness? My tears? My death? Are these to be wanted?
Oh, but I know love can make for sadness!
For I have cried, and struggled and loved too much,
Yet it was your memory which saved me!
Look at me now, lost, alone in a corner,
Considering unhappily how far away you are!
But do not be dispirited, for I will come to you quickly!
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The score in the medium key 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.
