Oh, how is it possible then

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Oh, how is it possible then , picture postcard in Biedermeier clothing (before 1917)

Oh, how is it possible then (also: Treue Liebe ) is a German folk song. The text was composed by Helmina von Chézy on the basis of an older folk song, the melody is usually attributed to Friedrich Wilhelm Kücken , but occasionally also to Georg Heinrich Lux .

Text history

The original text has been passed down since the second half of the 18th century. The sources refer to the origin of the text in southwest Germany. The oldest text version is the “ Rastatter Liederhandschrift”, dated 1769 , which is kept in the Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire de Strasbourg . Text variants can be found on two song pamphlets that are dated “around 1750–1780” and “around 1800”, but whose places of origin are not known.

Helmina von Chézy, who is said to have got to know the song in Heidelberg in 1810 , wrote the 2nd and 3rd verses of the text version that is widely used today for the second version of her Singspiel Eginhard und Emma (printed in 1816). The composition for the piece was created by Emmerich Joseph Otto von Hettersdorf , but the setting of the song is independent of the later folk song melody.

Settings

A first melody was first recorded by Carl Hohnbaum in Hildburghausen before 1820 and sent to Ludwig Erk . The many ornaments on this melody version make it seem unlikely that it represents an original folk song melody; rather, it could be an art song setting from the beginning of the 19th century. This melody was the most printed until around 1850, and Chézy's text version was also used as a background. As a result, the song was also known as the " Thuringian Folk Song ".

The melody that is common today probably became popular around the 1830s or 40s; it can be proven printed from the 1850s. A composer of this melody was not mentioned in the first publications; In the General German Kommersbuch , musically edited by Ludwig Erk and Friedrich Silcher , in which the song was printed from the 6th edition (1861), it appears simply with the source reference "Newer Volksweise". In the course of time, the phrase “Thuringian folk song” has also been applied to this melody version, although (in contrast to the older melody) no special tradition is known from Thuringia.

When the melody became famous in the 19th century, Johann Ludwig Böhner was initially mentioned as a possible composer. But he denied this all his life and stated that he had improvised variations on the melody only on one occasion . Nevertheless, the legend of Böhner's authorship continued for a long time before Christ. a. passed on in the journal Die Gartenlaube , e.g. B. by Elise Polko 1894.

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Georg Heinrich Lux is on his grave stone and a plaque on his house as a composer of possible Oh, how is it called

According to a report by Böhner, however, the cantor Georg Heinrich Lux (1779–1861; father of the composer Friedrich Lux ) is said to have known himself to him as the composer of the song in 1852; This statement was notarized in 1896 by Pastor Nicolai from Gotha and published in the press in 1897. Apart from Böhner's report, there are no direct sources on this, especially no autograph by Lux. A sheet music edition of the song is said to have appeared under the name of Georg Heinrich Lux, but it is not verifiable in library catalogs or in Hofmeister's monthly reports , so that the veracity of this claim cannot be verified at the moment. Franz Magnus Böhme also contradicts the attribution , who reports that Lux expressly denied his authorship to him. The fact that Lux is supposed to be the composer of the folksong melody popular today contradicts Kücken's piano song setting from 1827. The dispute over Lux's possible authorship was conducted in partly polemical form towards the end of the 19th century and continued into the 20th century . From Lux's statement recorded by Böhner, however, it is not clear to which of the melodies in question it relates, especially since before 1852 the older melody recorded before 1820 was apparently the only one that appeared in print and was therefore the more widespread. It would therefore be conceivable that it is this that goes back to Lux.

In current books of songs for everyday use, Friedrich Wilhelm Kücken is predominantly given as the composer of the melody. According to his own statement, Kücken composed it as early as 1827, but initially left it unpublished, especially since his teacher Friedrich Lührß had criticized the similarity of the theme to a string quartet by Friedrich Ernst Fesca . In an exchange of letters with Wilhelm Tappert in 1874 and 1882, Kücken explained the circumstances of the creation and the late publication. It was not until 1875 that he had it appear in print. It was presumably already brought to Tübingen by students from Jena and circulated in an orally handed down form, with minor changes in the melody.

The folksong melody is also wrongly attributed to Friedrich Silcher over and over again. However, Silcher was not a fan of the melody and criticized it for its not folk song-like, large leaps in intervals. Rather, he composed his own melody, which he published as a set for four-part male choir.

Further settings independent of the folk song come from Moritz Ernemann (1825), Ferdinand von Hiller , Adam Ore , Gustav Schmidt , Alexander Winterberger , Julius Hopfe, Johann Heinrich Stuckenschmidt, Robert Emmerich and Ferdinand Gumbert . None achieved the popularity and spread of the folk song.

content

While in the older text version of the love song the motifs of loyalty and eternal love take center stage, this is toned down in Helmina von Chézy's new poem by taking up well-known motifs such as forget-not-me , blue flowers or if I were a bird ; borrowings from Goethe's violets can also be seen. Only in this sentimental text version and Friedrich Kücken's equally sentimental setting did the song reach folk song-like distribution in the 19th century, which the actual folk song model did not have.

melody

\ relative g '{\ autoBeamOff \ key g \ major \ time 2/4 \ tempo 4 = 60 h g8 e | dg g4 | a g8 a | hey, d4 | d c sharp8 d | ec 'h4 | a h8 a | d, 4 r | a 'h8 a | ge d4 | h 'c8 h | e, h 'a4 | d, e8 d | dc 'h4 | a e8 f sharp | g4 r \ bar "|." } \ addlyrics {Oh, how is it possible then that I can let you, love you dearly, believe me! You have taken over my heart so completely that I love no one else than you alone! }

text

Oldest version, Rastatt, 1769

How is it possible then that
I can let you
love you from
the bottom of my heart, believe me.
You have taken my heart
so much
that I can't
love anyone else so much.

Better to break your heart in two,
somehow a false faithfulness,
somehow a false love
spilled in me,
yes , if happiness doesn't want
you to become me,
then I certainly love you so much
.

There should be no other
than you alone,
and you, O beautiful child,
I will remain true to
you , I will
be ready to serve you at any time ,
until I will come
under the ground.

Yes after death then
so that one can say
on my dead bahr that
the grave inscription is true.
Here lies buried a man
whom I loved alone
truly loved
up to the grave.

Song sheet version, around 1750–1780

Oh how is it possible then
that I can leave you,
love you dearly,
believe me.
You have taken my heart
so much
that I don't love anyone else,
love so much.

Although luck doesn't want
me to be yours,
I still love you, I
sure believe it!
There shouldn't be someone else who
should take me in,
As you, oh most beautiful child,
I'll remain true to you!

Break my heart in two,
When you feel a false loyalty
or only false love
in me!
I want to be at your
service anytime ,
Until I come underground
. Then

after my death, so
that you may remember,
Perceive
this little rhyme at the bier :
Here lies buried in it,
Who loved you alone,
Who loved you
Until the grave.

Helmina von Chézy (1817)

Oh, how would it be then
that I could let you!
I love you so dearly,
believe me!
You have taken my
whole heart from me,
That I love no other,
Than you alone!

Blue blooms a little flower, that
means don't forget mine,
put the flower to your heart
and think of me!
If flower and hope die the same,
we are rich in love,
because it does not die with me,
believe me!

If I were a bird, I would
soon be with you,
don't be
afraid of falcon and hawk, flew to you quickly. If
a hunter kills me,
I fell in your lap;
If you'd look at me sadly,
I'd be happy to die then!

Folksong

version Oh, how is it possible then
that I can let you,
love you dearly,
believe me!
You have taken my heart
so completely
that I love no one other
than you alone.

Blue is a
little flower, that is, forget-not-me;
Put this flower to your heart
and think of me!
If flower and hope die alike,
we are rich in love,
because it never dies with me,
believe me!

If I were a bird,
I would like to be with you soon,
Falk and Habicht don't shy away from it,
flee quickly to you;
if a hunter shot me dead,
I would fall into your lap;
if you look at me sadly,
then I would gladly die.

Re-sealing and reception

In 1860, the poet Alexander Rost (1816–1875) created a patriotic rewording of the lyrics for his "romantic folk play" Ludwig the Iron or The Wonder Girl from the Ruhl :

Oh, how is it possible then,
That I can leave you,
Where my cradle was,
Thuringian country!

The mountains smell blue,
When I look up the forest,
my heart grows so wide,
full of bliss.

I call: How beautiful it is!
I ask: can it be different,
where my cradle was,
my fatherland!

In some songbooks, the text “Thuringian Land” has been replaced by “my fatherland” and another half-strophe added, probably to better underline the text of the melody:

When I see the green mats
where our flocks move,
I pray with devotional ardor:
God, you are good!

In the repackaged form, the song should also be chosen as the hymn of Thuringia.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Albert Schreiber: The origin of the so-called Thuringian folk song "Oh, how would it be possible then". In: From home. Sheets of the Association for Gotha History and Antiquity Research. Volume 2 (1898/99), No. 2 (January 1, 1899), pp. 49-64 ( digitized version ).
  2. ^ Rolf Wilhelm Brednich : The Rastatter Liederhandschrift from 1769. In: Yearbook for folk song research. 13 (1968), pp. 26-58, JSTOR 846721 .
  3. ↑ Secular songs to be looked up at will in the register, 1769 ( catalog entry of the BNU Strasbourg).
  4. ^ A b Ludwig Erk , Franz Magnus Böhme : Deutscher Liederhort . Volume 2. Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig 1893, p. 372 f. ( Digitized version ).
  5. ↑ Cf. Otto Holzapfel : Lied index: The older German-language popular song tradition ( online version on the Volksmusikarchiv homepage of the Upper Bavaria district ; in PDF format; ongoing updates) with further information.
  6. ↑ a b Urania. Pocket book for women to the year 1817. Brockhaus, Leipzig and Altenburg o. J. [1816], pp. 113–166, here p. 161 ( digitized in the Google book search).
  7. ↑ Caroline Valentin : "Oh how is it possible then" by H. von Chezy and his first melody. In: Festschrift for the 90th birthday of Sr. Excellency of the Real Secret Council Rochus Freiherrn von Liliencron. Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig 1910. Reprint: Gregg Internat. Publ., Farnborough / Hants. 1970, ISBN 0-576-28159-X , pp. 358-386.
  8. ↑ Ludwig Erk, Wilhelm Irmer (Hrsg.): The German folk songs with their ways of singing. Volume 1, fifth issue. Plahn, Berlin 1840, p. 13 ( digitized in the Google book search).
  9. ↑ Andreas Kretzschmer : German folk songs with their original ways. First part (in 8 booklets). Vereins-Buchhandlung, Berlin 1838–1840, No. 252, pp. 448–450 ( digitized in the Google book search).
  10. ↑ Gottfried Wilhelm Fink : Musical treasure of the Germans: a collection of 1000 songs and chants with ways of singing and piano accompaniment. Mayer and Wigand, Leipzig 1843, p. 121 ( digitized in the Google book search).
  11. ^ Ludwig Richter , Adolf Eduard Marschner , Franz von Pocci , A. Jürgens: Old and new student, soldier and folk songs. Mayer, Leipzig 1847, p. 139 ( digitized version ).
  12. ^ August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben: Deutsches Volksgesangbuch. Engelmann, Leipzig 1848, p. 3 f. ( Digitized version ).
  13. ^ German songbook. With monophonic and polyphonic tunes mainly for use by students. Campe, Nürnberg 1852, p. 251 ( digitized version ).
  14. ↑ a b General German Commers Book. 6th edition. Schauenburg, Lahr 1861, p. 399 ( digitized in the Google book search).
  15. ↑ Folk song from Thuringia. "Oh how is it possible". For a voice with piano accompaniment. Edition for soprano (CS 10.270) as well as for alto or bass (CS 10.271). CA Spina, Vienna undated [approx. 1854].
  16. ↑ a b Martin Beltz: The composer of the Thuringian folk song. In: Thuringian monthly sheets. 2 (1894), No. 4, p. 48 f. ( Digitized version ); No. 5, p. 62 f. ( Digitized version ) and oh, how is it possible then. No. 7, p. 85 f. ( Digitized version ).
  17. ↑ Elise Polko: Two Thuringian folk songs. In: The Gazebo. 1894, No. 7, pp. 109-111 ( online at Wikisource ).
  18. ^ Anonymous: From here and outside - Mainz, January 7th. In: The piano teacher. Music educational journal. Volume 20 (1897), p. 26 ( Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
  19. ^ Wilhelm Altmann : Friedrich Lux. In: Hessische Biographien. Volume 3. 1934, pp. 273-277. Retrieved via WBIS , online (subscription access only)
  20. ^ "Oh, how is it possible then" (wording by Helmine von Chezy), tone by Georg Heinrich Lux, work I, for a voice with piano accompaniment. Verlag Heinrich Dietrich, Leipzig o. J. Quoted from: Karl Fritz Bolt: "Das Thüringer Volkslied": "Oh how is it possible then". In: The music. 26 (1934), pp. 849-855, here p. 853 ( digitized version ).
  21. ↑ Hofmeister's monthly reports 1829–1900 online
  22. ↑ a b Franz Magnus Böhme : Popular songs of the Germans in the 18th and 19th centuries. Breitkopf and Härtel, Leipzig 1895, p. 272 ​​u. Note p. 599 f. ( Text archive - Internet Archive ).
  23. ↑ Carl Hunold: Who is the composer of the Thuringian folk song: "Oh, how is it possible then"? An argument and refutation. In: Gothaisches Tageblatt. Born 40, 1897. Beil. 7. No. 85.
  24. ↑ G [ottlob] S [chneider]: "Oh, how is it possible then" and his composer. In: Gothaisches Tageblatt. Born 49, 1897. No. 126.
  25. ↑ Gustav Boehm: Böhner or Lux. In: Gothaisches Tageblatt. Born 49, 1897. No. 141.
  26. ↑ a b Karl Fritz Bolt: "The Thuringian Folk Song": "Oh how is it possible then". New evidence against FW Kücken's authorship. In: The music. Jhg. August 26, 1934 issue 11, pp. 849-855 ( digitized version ).
  27. ↑ Gotthilde Güterbock: Oh, how about it then. In: The Odenwald. 9 (1962), ISSN  0029-8360 , pp. 99-108.
  28. ^ Wilhelm Tappert: The "Thuringian Folk Song". Two letters from Friedrich Kücken. In: Neue Musik-Zeitung. 9 (1888), No. 4, p. 42 f. ( Text archive - Internet Archive ).
  29. ^ Hofmeister: Musical-literary monthly report. October 1875, p. 227 .
  30. ^ Friedrich Kücken: Kücken album. 12 songs with accompaniment of the pianoforte. Edition for soprano. 2nd volume. Kistner, Leipzig undated [1875], p. 42 f. ( Digitized in the Google book search).
  31. ↑ Gabriel Brügel: Critical communications to Silcher's folk songs. In: Sämmelbände of the International Music Society. 15 (1913–1914), pp. 439–457, here p. 454 ( Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
  32. ^ Friedrich Silcher: Folksongs collected and set for four male voices : sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
  33. ↑ Wilhelm Tappert : Oh how is it possible then! In: Musikalisches Wochenblatt. Organ for musicians and music lovers. 5 (1874), No. 40 (October 2, 1874), pp. 485-487 ( Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
  34. ↑ Oh, how is it possible then that I ... , The LiederNet Archive
  35. ↑ Theo Mang, Sunhilt Mang (ed.): Der Liederquell . Noetzel, Wilhelmshaven 2007, ISBN 978-3-7959-0850-8 , pp. 276-277 .
  36. ↑ Heinz Rölleke (Ed.): The folk song book . Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 1993, ISBN 3-462-02294-6 , pp.  308 .
  37. ↑ Alexander Rost: Ludwig the Iron or The Wonder Girl from the Ruhl. Romantic folk drama in 5 acts. Guthschmidt, Berlin 1861, p. 22 ( urn : nbn: de: bvb: 12-bsb10703638-7 ).
  38. ^ Gustav Damm: Songbook for Schools. 168 songs for one, two and more voices. 11. Stereotype edition in new orthography, Steingräber, Hanover, undated [early 1880s], p. 93 ( Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
  39. ↑ Lotar Köllner: "Oh how is it possible then ..." On the 130th anniversary of the death of the composer Georg Heinrich Lux. In: Heimatblätter zur Geschichte, Kultur und Natur. 1991, 3, ZDB -ID 915765-7 , p. 10. Also in: Heimatblätter des Eisenacher Landes, 1990/91 (1992), ZDB -ID 915503-X , p. 36.
  40. ↑ Lotar Köllner: Georg Heinrich Lux. In: Heimat-Grüße, supplement to the Ruhlaer Zeitung, NF Vol. 19 (2013), 3, July 11, 2013, ZDB -ID 2077910-0 , pp. [1–2].