Opera Daily 🎶 — Marietta's Lied

This week's Opera Daily features a soprano aria from Act 1 of the German opera, Die Tote Stadt by Erich Wolfgang Korngold

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Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)

Today we’re listening to…

“Glück, das mir verblieb” (popularly known as “Marietta's Lied”) a soprano aria from Act 1 of the German opera, Die Tote Stadt (Dee-TOE-teh-shtaht) by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

If you’ve seen the movie The Big Lebowski, you might have heard this piece.

Renée Fleming is singing the role of Marietta here and every time I hear her sing it, I don’t have words that describe how it makes me feel. Her singing is warm, pure and effortless.

🎧 Listen here (6 minute listen): Renée Fleming singing “Glück, das mir verblieb” (popularly known as “Marietta's Lied”) a soprano aria from Act 1 of the German opera, Die Tote Stadt by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, The Met 125th Anniversary Gala, 2009

Die Tote Stadt (German for “The Dead City”) is the story of Paul who greatly misses his wife, Marie, who recently died, but finds himself attracted to Marietta, who resembles her. When Marietta and Paul meet for the first time, Marietta sings “Marietta's Lied’ to him which is about lost love. The opera delves deeply into themes of memory, mourning, and illusion, reflecting the complexities of human emotions and relationships.

Come to me, my true love. 
Night sinks into the grove. 
You are my light and day. 
Anxiously beats heart on heart. 
Hope itself soars heavenward.

Want more?

• Korngold composed this opera at 22 (he also composed a ballet at 11 years old!). He was considered a musical prodigy, much like Mozart. By the age of 10, he had already composed original music for piano and had orchestrated and conducted these works.

• While Die Tote Stadt features prominently in The Big Lebowski, the opera itself has a cinematic feel, which is no surprise since Erich Wolfgang Korngold later became one of the pioneers of film music. He won two Academy Awards for his scores and was instrumental in the development of the lush, symphonic sound that characterizes so much of Hollywood film music.

• Korngold's score for Die Tote Stadt is notable for its use of leitmotifs (recurring musical themes associated with a particular person, place, or idea, much like those used by Wagner). Korngold’s use of this technique helps to create a dense, tapestry of sound that enhances the opera’s dream-like, sometimes surreal quality.

Grateful for your time and ears,

Michele

PS. Missed our last edition? We featured a tenor aria from the French opera La Fille du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti.

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