WoO 108 An einen Säugling: Noch weisst du nicht, for Voice and Piano
Arioso
WoO 108 – An einen Säugling: “Noch weisst du nicht”, for voice and piano, 1783, published in Speyer, Bossler, Neue Blumenlese für Klavierliebhaber, 1784, II, p. 44. GA. no. 229 (series 23/15) – Boett. 1/2 – B. 230 – KH. (WoO) 108 – N. p. 176 – P. 9 – Sch. p. 170/8 – T. 5.
Written, like the previous no. 7, on only two lines, the words below the first. The original is lost. The poetic text, by J. von Döhring, and not by Wirths (or Worths), as Thayer and Nottebohm believed, is preserved in the Musen Almanach in Göttingen; four stanzas, of which the printed score shows only the first. The document:
Noch weißt du nicht wes Kind du bist,
Wer dir die Windeln schenket,
Wer um dich wacht, und wer sie ist,
Die erwärmt und tränket.
Geneuß indes mit frommem Sinn,
Geneuß! Nach wenig Jahren
Wird sich in deiner Pflegerin
Die Mutter offenbaren.
So hegt und pflegt uns alle hier,
Auf gleich verborgne Weise,
Ein Geber, Dank sei ihm dafür!
Mit Gütern, Trank und Speise.
Zwar faßt ihn nicht mein dunkler Sinn,
Allein nach wenig Jahren wird,
Wenn ich fromm und gläubig bin,
Er mir sich offenbaren.
[By Biamonti Giovanni – Catalogo cronologico e tematico delle opere di Beethoven comprese quelle inedite e gli abbozzi non utilizzati, Torino, ILTE 1968]
Official title: WoO 108 An einen Säugling Lied (A-dur) nach einem Gedicht von Johann von Döring für Singstimme und Klavier Widmung: – NGA XII/1 Nr. 2 AGA 229 = Series 23/15 Beiname: Schlummerlied (nach der Berliner Ausgabe 1850).
Creation and publication: Lied created in 1783/84 in Bonn. The original edition was published by Boßler in Speyer in September 1784. Only the original pressing of the song has survived, appearing in Boßler’s weekly “Neue Blumenlese für Klavierlibehaber” in the 37th week of 1784 (= 11th week of the 2nd part). As in the previous year (cf. WoO 48 and 107), Beethoven published a song and a piano piece (WoO 49) for Boßler in 1784. In the absence of other sources, the date of publication of the press is the only clue to date the song. Text: Johann von Döring (1741-1818), probably the first printing of the poem in the Göttinger Musen-Almanach of 1779 (p. 56), four stanzas, with the author’s name “Ws.”. The abbreviation “Ws.” was used by Döring, as well as the pseudonym “Wirths”. The four stanzas are also found in the separately published textbook for the “Neuen Blumenlese” (“Lieder zur neuen Blumenlese für Klavierliebhaber”, Zweiter Theil, [Speyer] 1784). First execution unknown.
The Sketches will be discussed in an article specifically created for Centro Ricerche Musicali www.lvbeethoven.org
“Notes in the Dark” – suggestions and comparisons for quality Beethoven listening
With a slide of the recordings mentioned in the article – By the YouTube channel SecondAVitA
