Heine-Lieder : Der arme Peter, 3 (Der arme Peter wankt vorbei) / Söderman

Composer: Söderman, Johan August
Dates: 1832-1876
Song title: Der arme Peter wankt vorbei = Och Peter vandrar utan tröst
Opus, no., etc.: 3
Music collection title: "Der arme Peter" für eine Singstimme und Orchester
Imprint(s): Stockholm: Lundquist, 1870
Source(s) for score: Sånger med piano = Lieder mit Klavierbegleitung / August Söderman ; hrsg. Axel Helmer -- Stockholm : Edition Reimers, 1981. Pl. no. ER 40110
1st line of poem: Der arme Peter wankt vorbei (Go to text and translation)
Source of poem: Buch der Lieder: Junge Leiden: Romanzen, Nr.4c
Date of composition: 22. April 1857
Nationality of composer: Swedish
Language(s) of text: German, Swedish
Tempo marking: Moderato
Key: E minor
Time signature: 3/4
No. of measures: 60
Approximate duration: 3 min.
Form: through-composed
Vocal range: d to a"
Vocal tessitura: first and last stanzas on the lower side of medium; middle stanza quite high (Go to chart)
Vocal rhythms: first stanza is a stolid pattern of dotted quarters followed by a descending sequence of eighth notes, contrasting with rhythmic fluidity of piano; second stanza gains some of that fluidity (triplets, quicker dotted rhythms, etc.); third stanza combines patterns from both previous stanzas
Vocal intervals: phrases in the outside stanzas tend to beigin with an upward leap of a fifth or an octave, followed by a stepwise descent; second stanza phrases contrast with a combination of triadic outlines and stepwise motion; numerous accidentals which are harmonically obvious
Vocal comments: narrative outer stanzas contrast nicely with middle stanza in various ways mentioned above; if sung by a male, the maidens' comment in the middle stanza, marked sotto voce in a rather high tessitura, could conceivably be sung in a precious falsetto as a humorous "impersonation"
Textual variants, etc.: maidens' line in second stanza is repeated, as are that stanza's final words "ins Grab hinein."
Instrumental part(s): not difficult; prelude, postlude and interludes are in a meandering, rhythmically ambiguous, four-voice imitative polyphony; middle stanza is homophonic, in sharper rhythms, with some vocal doubling
Summary: A rather long-winded interpretation of this poem, especially as compared to Schumann's setting, mainly due to the lengthy funereal prelude, interludes and postlude in imitative polyphony. The text is admittedly both tragic and ironic, and Söderman sets the words beautifully, but the piano parts seem to overweigh the song towards the mournful side. These sections may be more effective in the orchestral version. The ironic middle stanza is a nice contrast in texture, rhythm and tessitura. This could still be very effective when done together with the other two members of its "triptych," but some judicious pruning of the solo piano sections might not be out of order.