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O lieber Gott - (2008)
Clemens Brentano
for medium voice and piano
O lieber Gott, so mild und lind,
Du schließest mit Erbarmen
Die Kinder all, die Waisen sind,
In deine Vaterarmen.
Siehst nieder in der stillen Nacht
Mit tausend kleinen Sternen,
Und wo dein freundlich Auge wacht,
Muß sich der Feind entfernen.
Drum fasse Mut, du Menschenkind,
Verlier dich nicht im Dunkeln,
Die Lichter ja am Himmel sind
Um tröstlich dir zu funkeln.[ 3 pages, circa 3' 00" ]
Clemens Brentano
O dear God, so gentle and sweet,
In your fatherly arms
You embrace with pity
All children who have been orphaned.
You look down in the silent night
With a thousand little stars,
And where your friendly eyes watch,
The enemy is kept away.
Therefore take heart, dear soul,
Do not lose yourself in the dark.
The lights shine in Heaven
To comfort you with their sparkle.
(Translation by Marilyn Barnett)
Set for a medium voice, mezzo or baritone, this is a lyrical and rather simple setting. It is intended that the changing chords blur together as seen in measures 2-3, such that the individual voice leading stands apart from the triadic arpeggios, as the tonality moves back and forth between G and E major, ending in G.
The score for O lieber Gott 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.
