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Es hatt' ein Müller eine Mühl' - (2015)
Wilhelm Busch
for baritone and piano
Maximilian Krummen gewidmet
Es hatt' ein Müller eine Mühl'
An einem Wasser kühle;
Da kamen hübscher Mädchen viel,
Zu mahlen in der Mühle.
Ein armes Mädel war darunt,
Zählt sechzehn Jahre eben;
Allwo es ging, allwo es stund,
Der Müller stund daneben.
Er schenkt ein Ringlein ihr von Gold,
Daß er in allen Ehren
Sie ewig immer lieben wollt';
Da ließ sie sich betören.
Der Müller, der war falsch von Sinn:
»Wenn ich mich tu vermählen,
So will ich mir als Müllerin
Wohl eine Reiche wählen.«
Da 's arme Mädel das vernahm,
Wird's blaß und immer blasser
Und redt nit mehr und ging und kam
Und sprang ins tiefe Wasser. -
Der Müller kümmert sich nicht viel,
Tät Hochzeitleut bestellen
Und führt mit Sang und Saitenspiel
'ne andre zur Kapellen.
Doch als man auf die Brücke kam,
Fängt's Wasser an zu wogen
Und zischt und rauscht verwundersam
Herauf bis an den Bogen.
Die weiße Wassernixe stand
Auf schaumgekrönter Welle;
Sie hält in ihrer weißen Hand
Von Gold ein Ringlein helle.
»Du Falscher, deine Zeit ist aus!
Beeile dich geschwinde!
Dich ruft hinab ins kalte Haus
Die Mutter mit dem Kinde.«6 Pages, circa 3' 15"
A miller had a grindstone mill
Turned by a swift, cool stream;
Pretty maidens streamed to it
To mill and of him dream.
One poor girl was among them,
Just innocent at sixteen;
As things went and as things were,
The miller played quite keen.
He gave her a little ring of gold
As token, as pledge, as bond
As if he would love her ever;
So, beguiled, did she respond.
The miller proved himself untrue:
"If ever I choose to marry,
I will elect for me a better bride.
Were she rich, I would not tarry."
When the poor girl heard of this,
She blanched pale and paler then;
She spoke no more, but did withdraw
To drown at the watery glen.
The miller, unsympathetic to this tale,
Later led to chapel his guests
And some other well-chosen bride,
With instruments and songs and jests.
But as they came to the river bridge,
Below them rushing water stirred loud;
It hissed and roared menacingly
At arching bridge and marching crowd.
A white water nymph then quick arose
Upon her foam-crowned wave;
And in her whitest hand she held
The little gold gift given by that knave.
"You betrayer, your time now ends!
Prepare for what's swift and wild!
Who calls you down to their deep, cold house?
It's the mother with your child."
rhymed paraphrase by the composer
Copyright © 2015
The setting references some quotes from Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin. At the outset, "Das Wasser." The tale is musically told in simple strophes, moving from mood to mood as Busch writes the narrative. The text is found in Busch's anthology, Kritik des Herzens. For other settings of Busch's art, click here.
The setting moves from major and through related domains to a final relative minor, as the unhappy narrative ends.
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.
Es hatt' ein Müller eine Mühl'
