King Lear, Incidental music to William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Op. 58a (1940)
(Ten Songs of the Fool)

As the Second World War loomed, and the Stalinist regime grew ever more violent and repressive, Shostakovich’s music – even his theatre music – grew darker.

This ‘King Lear’ music, which was written for a 1940 stage production by the famous film-director Grigori Kozintsev, is quite different from the parody and irony of the earlier op.32 ‘Hamlet’ music. In its starkness and sombre drama it perhaps reflects Shostakovich’s recent experience of reorchestrating Musorgsky’s epic opera ‘Boris Godunov’.

In addition to a variety of orchestral numbers, this suite also includes two vocal numbers. One is ‘Cordelia’s ballad’ for mezzo-soprano and orchestra forms the second part of the opening ‘Prelude’ (as the vocal line is doubled by wind-instruments throughout, this number may be done without voice). The other is the miniature cycle of ‘10 Songs of the Fool’, for bass and orchestra, which is fairly frequently given as an effective concert-work in its own right. These bitter-sweet songs make surprising listening to to British and American audiences as Shostakovich has used the well-known tune ‘Jingle Bells’ as the principal melody.

Note by Gerard McBurney

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For mezzo-soprano, baritone and orchestra. Translations by Mikhail Kuzmin, Anna Radlova and Samuil Marshak (‘Ten Songs of the Fool’)

1. Introduction and Cordelia’s Ballad (Andante)
2. Returning from the Hunt (Allegretto)
3. Ten Songs of the Fool
I He who decides … (Allegro) [based on the tune ‘Jingle Bells’]
II Fools had ne’er less grace in a year (Allegretto)
III He that keeps nor crust nor crumb (Allegro)
IV The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long (Moderato)
V Fathers that wear rags … (Allegretto)
VI When priests are more in word than matter (Presto)
VII A fox when one has caught her (Moderato)
VIII The cod piece that will house … (Moderato)
IX He that has a tiny little wit (Allegretto)
X That sir which serves and seeks for gain (Moderato)
4. Finale of Act I (Andante)
5. The Storm is Coming up (Andante)
6. Scene on the Steppe (Moderato)
7. Gloster’s Blinding (Moderato)
8. Military Camp (Andante)
9. March (Allegretto poco moderato)
10. Fanfares I-V (Allegro)