WoO 127 Neue Liebe neues Leben: Herz, mein Herz, was soll das geben?, for voice and piano (first version of op. 75 no. 2)
Agitato
WoO 127 – Neue Liebe neues Leben: “Herz, mein Herz, was soll das geben?”, for voice and piano (first version of op. 75 no. 2), 1798-1799, published in Bonn, Simrock, Drei deutsche Liedern von L. v. Beethoven, 1808, and modernly by W. Hess in the fifth issue of the Supplemente zur GA., 1962. H. 136 – KH. (WoO)127.
The original manuscript is unknown. As reported by cat. KH., had already, before Hess, dealt with this redaction — certainly less elaborate than the definitive one of 1809, op. cit. 75 n. 2 — L. Nohl, publishing sketches, and then Deutsch, Unger and Nottebohm, who also communicated a small sketch. Poetic text by Goethe.
Herz, mein Herz, was soll das geben?
Was bedränget dich so sehr?
Welch ein fremdes neues Leben!
Ich erkenne dich nicht mehr!
Weg ist alles, was du liebtest,
Weg, warum du dich betrübtest,
Weg dein Fleiß und deine Ruh’,
Ach, wie kamst du nur dazu!
Fesselt dich die Jugendblüte,
Diese liebliche Gestalt,
Dieser Blick voll Treu und Güte
Mit unendlicher Gewalt?
Will ich rasch mich ihr entziehen,
Mich ermannen, ihr entfliehen,
Führet mich im Augenblick
Ach, mein Weg zu ihr zurück.
Und an diesem Zauberfädchen,
Das sich nicht zerreissen läßt,
Hält das liebe, lose Mädchen
Mich so wider Willen fest,
Muß in ihrem Zauberkreise
Leben nun auf ihre Weise.
Die Verändrung, ach wie groß!
[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 127 Neue Liebe, neues Leben Song (C major) after a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe for voice and piano Dedication: — NGAXII/1 No. 18 AGA-SBG V/8 (Hess 136)
Creation and publication: Sketched from the end of 1798 and possibly completed in 1799. The first edition, presumably unauthorized, was published by Simrock in Bonn in April 1808. On the one hand, the surviving sketches show the attempts to complete the song, while other sketches suggest the attempt to complete the sung part. The publication of the edition by Simrock, which Beethoven did not authorize, may have prompted the composer to revise the song (see Op. 75 no. 2). In this regard, the question arises as to whether this first version is independent of the second version authorized by Beethoven. A mixed form of both versions of the song was published by Böhme in Hamburg around 1817. As with the other two Lieder contained in the “III Deutsche Lieder” edition, it is unclear how WoO 127 came to Simrock (see WoO 126). Text: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), “Neue Liebe, neues Leben”, published for the first time in 1775 in the magazine Iris edited by Johann Georg Jacobi, then in “Goethe’s Schriften” (Leipzig 1789). First execution unknown.
The sketches will be featured in an article specially created for the Beethovenian Music Research Center, www.lvbeethoven.org
