Mignon

In Goethe’s novel “Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship”, the girl Mignon embodies the longing for Italy. In the novel, she sings the song “Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen blühn” (Do you know the country where the lemon trees flower). Charles Gounod set a free translation of the text by Louis Gallet in 1871. At the appassionato, melodies heavy with longing over a piano part with flowing triplet figurations express the wanderlust for the country where “die Orangen wie Gold glänzen!” (where the oranges shine like gold!). This art song was originally composed not for chamber choir, but for solo voice and piano. Denis Rouger has carefully adapted it to suit the requirements and expressive possibilities offered by a larger ensemble, without losing the any of the qualities of the original in the process. Each part in the choir has a melodic line drawn from the harmonic and rhythmic framework. In the process, the variety and refinement of the choral language combines with an enormous flexibility in form and expression, as French melodies or German art song demand from a soloist and pianist. The songs have been recorded by the figure humaine chamber choir on the CD “Kennst du das Land...” (Carus 83.495).