Richard Strauss: Morgen!

Written by Samuel Kidd

Baritone

In category: Song of the Day

Published September 14, 2020

I wasn’t sure how to start this week of posts, so I decided to begin with my favorite Lied sung by probably my favorite Lieder singer. Is it cliché to share a recording of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Gerald Moore? Probably. Do I care? No! 

It’s hard to put into words why I love this song so deeply. On the surface, it’s relatively simple; a slow, pretty song with an unhurried vocal line and flowing piano arpeggios. But there is so much depth within this relative simplicity. First, there’s the message of the poem, this sublime feeling of reconciliation and hope. There is no uncertainty, the first line (when translated) reads “and tomorrow the sun will shine again”. The singer/poet know that they will be reunited with their beloved tomorrow, of that they have no doubt, almost to the point of innocence or naiveté. And that pure kernel of hope is so beautifully expressed in the simplicity and stillness of the musical setting. I think that’s what this song captures better than any other, a sense of stillness and timelessness. When I listen to Morgen!, it feels as if the whole world has come to a stop. I think everyone has had one of those moments where you stop and look around and say “I wish I could just stay in this moment forever”. To me, this song captures the essence of that experience, the world paused in a certain and rapturous bliss. And that’s a large part of why it remains my all-time favorite song.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTxqQ2J9Q3I

Hear soprano and pianist Erin Morley perform “Morgen!” NYFOS@Home‘s first concert We’ll Be Together Again, premiering online on September 30, 7pm ET. Register here to join us!

author: Samuel Kidd

select author’s name to read all of their posts

Samuel Kidd, baritone, is a second-year master student studying vocal performance at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, under the instruction of Bill McGraw. Before CCM, he graduated from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Freda Herseth. Last year at CCM, Samuel performed the role of Krušina in the mainstage production of The Bartered Bride, in addition to the title role in the workshop production of Falstaff. He was involved in several operas at the University of Michigan as Friar Laurence in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Dr. Talbot in Bolcom’s Dinner at Eight, and Theseus in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Samuel will make his NYFOS debut in We’ll Be Together Again, a virtual concert premiering online on September 30, 7pm ET. Register here to view.

1 Comment

  1. Avatar

    I think that your post sums it all up wonderfully.
    I came across this work quite by chance via the sublime performance by Joyce DiDonato [presumably of an ‘Encore’] on this YouTube link.
    Just stunning – so thank goodness I found it!
    A ‘keeper’ for life…
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvsz1wNuZe0

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *