Heine-Lieder : Lesom idu ia ... / Grechaninov

Composer: Grechaninov, Alexander Tikonovich
Dates: 1864-1956
Song title: Lesom idu ia ...
Opus, no., etc.: op.51, Nr.3
Music collection title: Poème dramatique : sieben Lieder nach Heinrich Heine und Wl. Solowjew für eine Singstimme mit Klavierbegleitung …
Imprint(s): Leipzig: Zimmermann, 1911
Source(s) for score: OCLC #19528136 Izbrannye romansy - Moskva: Muzyka, 1988; OCLC #24826141 Izbrannye romansy i pesni ... - Moskva: Muzyka, 1971; original collection (op. 51): New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
1st line of poem: Ich ging fürbaß, und wie ich ging (Go to text)
Source of poem: Buch der Lieder: Vorrede zur dritten Auflage, stanza 2
Date of composition: 1910
Nationality of composer: Russian
Language(s) of text: Russian
Tempo marking: Lento; tempo molto rubato
Key: C-sharp minor/major
Time signature: 3/4 alternating frequently with 2/4
No. of measures: 24
Approximate duration: 1 min., 45 sec.
Form: through-composed
Vocal range: d to a' [d' to a"]
Vocal tessitura: fairly high, mainly due to two 2-measure high notes (f-sharp' and a') (Go to chart)
Vocal rhythms: numerous and varying subdivisions of the beat, including quarter-, eighth- and sixteenth-note triplets
Vocal intervals: quite variable, neither steps nor wider intervals predominate; several tricky intervals (tritones, diminished fourth, augmented third, minor ninth, etc.)
Vocal comments: short, rather non-melodic vocal phrases focussed on text-expression, some with very wide range; measure 17 should be a half note f-sharp', not a dotted half note; a solid high a' is essential
Textual variants, etc.: Second stanza of poem only
Instrumental part(s): intricate and somewhat challenging piano part, full of atmospheric detail (horn calls, bird calls); numerous, varied and often rapid ornamental figurations (trills, arpeggios, tremolos, etc.); a little vocal doubling; relatively long postlude
Summary: A very atmospheric setting, neo-Wagnerian (or perhaps Wolfian) in its chromatic expressionism. The tonal palette is very late Romantic, almost impressionistic, with coloristic use of added sixths, sevenths, ninths, etc., flattened supertonic and subdominant chords, and modal ambiguity. A low C-sharp pedal permeates much of the song. The vocal line is made up of short phrases, most having little melody in the traditional sense, but which try to wring every last bit of expression from the slight text. This is quite an effective song which packs a lot of intricate and sensuous detail into its small frame: setting the forest scene with a horn call and "bird-song" in the piano, building gradually to a stentorian climax, responding to the typical Heinian twist which concludes the poem by ending the vocal part on an unresolved, offbeat tritone, and closing with a gently fading postlude, returning to the horns and birds of the forest background.