Heine-Lieder : Die Bergstimme (Ein Reiter durch das Bergtal zieht) / Bókay

Composer: Bókay, János
Dates: 1858-
Song title: Die Bergstimme
Opus, no., etc.: Nr.1
Music collection title: Heine-dalok
Imprint(s): Budapest : Az Athenaeum r.-t. kottanyomása, 1925
Source(s) for score: New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (NUC #NB0607005) microfilmed
1st line of poem: Ein Reiter durch das Bergtal zieht (Go to text)
Source of poem: Buch der Lieder: Junge Leiden: Romanzen, Nr.2
Date of composition: 1923
Nationality of composer: Hungarian
Language(s) of text: German
Tempo marking: Vivace
Key: D minor
Time signature: 3/8
No. of measures: 54
Approximate duration: 1 min., 45 sec.
Form: strophic
Vocal range: c-sharp to g' [c-sharp' to g"]
Vocal tessitura: medium, much of song recited on a [a']; indicated for "Baryton (Mezzo Soprano)" but a higher voice with good low d's would do fine (Go to chart)
Vocal rhythms: fairly evenly divided between eighth-, quarter- and dotted quarter-notes
Vocal intervals: when not on the recitation tone, evenly divided between stepwise motion and skips of up to a fifth
Vocal comments: indicated for "Baryton (Mezzo Soprano)" but one phrase in each strophe lightly touches a high g', and the tessitura is certainly not too low for a tenor or soprano with a good low d [d']
Textual variants, etc.: -
Instrumental part(s): uniformly homophonic in texture, chords of 3 to 6 voices; the predominant, propulsive rhythmic pattern is dotted eighth-, sixteenth- and eighth-note, followed by a measure or two of straight eighth-notes
Summary: Despite the fact that the narrative half of each strophe is recited on a monotone "a", this is among the most dramatically convincing settings of this ballad. Among the means Bókay employs are the vivace tempo, the propulsive dotted rhythms in the piano, evocative of hoofbeats, and the obvious but effective device of different registers for the voices of the rider and the echo. Altogether a masterly use of slight resources to achieve maximum impact.