Traum

In the 1840s, Fanny Hensel (née Mendelssohn) wrote songs to words by the poet Joseph von Eichendorff. One of his numerous poems dealing with the world of dreams and the night formed the basis for “Traum” (Dream): On a quiet moonlit night, the lyrical narrator expresses a longing for home and family. The music reflects this yearning in the persistent, throbbing quarter-note rhythm in the accompaniment as well as in the vocal part’s heartfelt cantilenas. This art song was originally conceived for solo voice and piano rather than chamber choir. In his arrangement, Denis Rouger has carefully adapted it to the needs and expressive capabilities of a larger ensemble while at the same time preserving the character and qualities of the original. Each vocal part enjoys its own melodic line extracted from the harmonic and rhythmic framework. The variety and sophistication of this choral arrangement takes full account of the enormous flexibility in interpretation and expression demanded of soloist and pianist by French mélodies or German Lieder. The song was recorded by figure humaine kammerchor on the CD “Rencontre – Begegnung” (Carus 83.537).