• alto/pf
  • also available for alto and ensemble
  • 33 min
  • Paul Celan
  • German

Programme Note

This cycle of settings of poems by Paul Celan was written between May and July 1990 for Ute Lemper. The texts are taken from the following collections: 'Chanson einer Dame im Schatten' and 'Corona' from Mohn und Gedachtnis (1952), 'Nachtlich geschurzt' from Von Schwelle zu Schwelle (1955), 'Blume' from Sprachgitter (1959), and 'Es war Erde in ihnen' and 'Psalm' from Die Niemandsrose of 1963.

The settings of 'Corona' and 'Blume' both introduce an eight-bar chord sequence derived from Chopin's Mazurka in A minor, Op.17 No.4 (the introduction to which was used by Gorecki in his Symphony No.3). During the writing of 'Blume', on 7th June 1990, my mother died, and the cycle is dedicated to her memory.

© Michael Nyman

Media

Six Celan Songs (Paul Celan): 1. Chanson einer Dame im Schatten
Six Celan Songs (Paul Celan): 2. Es war Erde in ihnen
Six Celan Songs (Paul Celan): 3. Psalm
Six Celan Songs (Paul Celan): 4. Corona
Six Celan Songs (Paul Celan): 5. Nächtlich geschürzt
Six Celan Songs (Paul Celan): 6. Blume

Scores

Score Sample

Discography

Songbook

Songbook
  • Label
    London, Argo
  • Ensemble
    Michael Nyman Band
  • Soloist
    Michael Nyman and Ute Lemper
  • Released
    10th March 1992
Title Unavailable
  • Label
    MN Records
  • Catalogue Number
    MNRCD108
  • Conductor
    Michael Nyman
  • Ensemble
    Michael Nyman Band / Michael Nyman String Quartet
  • Soloist
    Hilary Summers, alto; Sarah Leonard, soprano

More Info