#germaniavibes #cantbeatclassics #makinghistory #poetry #germany #german #volkslied
"Mein Neujahrslied" is a New Years resolution poem by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815). Here, I have sung all 14-stanzas as an experiment to see how the poem might've sounded like without modifications. The poem is more known as "Stimmt an mit hellem, hohen Klang," but it was truncated from 14 stanzas to just 5 stanzas and with modifications in the verses. The lyricist is Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815). The composer is Albert Methfessel.
Apparently, there are three melodies for this poem:
a. Albert Methfessel (1818)
b. Johann Gottlieb Karl Spazier (1794)
c. J. P. Schmidt (1814)
However, I could not find the sheet music of Spazier and Schmidt, so I can only use Methfessel's melody. I would be grateful to have access to the schoolbooks that have the missing sheet music.
Source: http://www.zeno.org/Literatur/M/Claudius,+Matthias/Gedichte+und+Prosa/Asmus+omnia+sua+secum+portans/Erster+und+zweiter+Teil/Mein+Neujahrslied
Context: A singer from Eichtal wanders into the oak woods in an early winter morning. He witnesses a new year. The sunlight warms his heart. His new years resolution is to found the town of Braga. He hopes the German people embrace their ancestral virtues and preserve old German customs. He hopes men of all ages are honest and bold and that all women are chaste and modest. He states that Germans want their royal family's blood to not suck. The singer believes people should be good. Men should not drink too much wine or be a player. The bards must be wise men, not childish dudes. The singer sees the listener as a friend and cousin.
Lyrics/Text:
1. Es war erst frühe Dämmerung
Mit leisem Tagverkünden,
Und nur noch eben hell genung
Sich durch den Wald zu finden.
Und nur noch eben hell genung
Sich durch den Wald zu finden.
2. Der Morgenstern stand linker Hand,
Ich aber ging und dachte
Im Eichtal an mein Vaterland,
Dem er ein Neujahr brachte
Im Eichtal an mein Vaterland,
Dem er ein Neujahr brachte
Comments