David Solomons

Alternative title

Holderlin's Tower

Composer

David W Solomons

Lyricist

Marie Keyser

Publisher

David W Solomons

Genre

Classical / Contemporary

Instrumentation

Voice

Scored for

Duo

Type of score

Score for two performers

Duration

4'0"

Language

French

Difficulty

Advanced

Year of composition

1978

Description
Setting of a poem by Marie Keyser, for two equal voices a cappella
The sound sample uses the version for low altos and is sung by the composer.
The zip file provides version in various keys to suit baritones, tenors, altos and sopranos
The poem is in French, apart from a quotation from Hölderlin in the original German

Here is a rough English translation of the poem
It stands by the sleepy river
But the bending willow would touch the water with its very top
The church - an old church - tells the hours from the island where the night descends
I can still see it, its grey roof in the grey of the water
I have a presentiment in the tower of wood, of my dwelling place, of madness, of silence
Closed in, closed in but keeping watch
Oh never change what remains and should remain
Was bleibt aber stiften die Dichter.....
[What remains, however, is the stuff of poetry]

Upload date

18 Mar 2013