Heine-Lieder : At first I thought I should despair = Anfangs wollt' ich fast verzagen / White

Composer: White, Maude Valerie
Dates: 1855-1937
Song title: At first I thought I should despair = Anfangs wollt' ich fast verzagen
Opus, no., etc.: Nr.16
Music collection title: 16 German Songs in two volumes. Volume II
Imprint(s): London: S. Lucas, Weber & Co., [1885]; Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co.
Source(s) for score: reprint of Ditson ed.: Huntsville, TX: Recital Publications, 1995 (high key) OCLC#32599692;
In: Musica Britannica v.56, Songs 1860-1900, ed. G. Bush -- London: Stainer & Bell, 1989. p. 97-98 (low key)
1st line of poem: Anfangs wollt' ich fast verzagen (Go to text and translation)
Source of poem: Buch der Lieder: Junge Leiden: Lieder, Nr.8
Date of composition: -
Nationality of composer: English
Language(s) of text: Ditson ed. and reprint has English translation by composer, with German underneath; Musica Britannica has reverse
Tempo marking: Andantino expressivo
Key: A minor/C major (Soprano or Tenor)
F minor/A-flat major (Alto or Baritone) (since the authoritative Musica Britannica volume chooses this key, it may be the original)
Time signature: common time
No. of measures: 18
Approximate duration: 1 min.
Form: through-composed
Vocal range: high key: g-sharp to f' [g-sharp' to f"]
low key: e to d-flat' [e' to d-flat"]
Vocal tessitura: middle (predominantly c' in high key, a-flat in low key)(Go to chart: high, low)
Vocal rhythms: dotted-quarter/eighth-note pattern predominates; long-held notes at the ends of phrases
Vocal intervals: mainly stepwise, with a few wider intervals (one each of thirds through sixths)
Vocal comments: several extra notes, alternate ties, etc. for alternate language in both eds.
Textual variants, etc.: -
Instrumental part(s): Interesting and fairly challenging piano part; passionate counter-melody in treble (except for last vocal phrase), full of dotted rhythms contrasting with vocal part, underlaid by ascending sixteenth-note arpeggios throughout (except, again, for last vocal phrase); postlude is fully a third of song
Summary: packs a lot of passion into its small frame despite narrow vocal compass, mainly due to piano part with its stormy arpeggios, insistent countermelody and benedictory postlude; a little overblown when compared to settings by Crabtree and, especially, Schumann.