Ludwig van Beethoven Fantaisie pour piano, chœur et orchestre

Soft and sweet thro' ether winging,
sound the harmonies of life,
their immortal flowers springing
where the soul is free from strife.

Peace and joy are sweetly blended
like the waves' alternate play;
what for masterly contended
learns to yield and to obey.

When on music's mighty pinion
souls of men to heaven rise,
then doth vanish earth's dominion,
man is native to the skies,

calm without, and joy within us
is the bliss for which we long.
If of art the magic win us,
joy and calm are turn'd to song.

With its tide of joy unbroken,
music's flood our life surrounds,
what a mastermind hath spoken
thro' eternity resounds.

Oh receive, ye joy invited,
all its blessings without guile,
when to love is pow'r united,
then the Gods approving smile.

English version by Natalia Macfarren

Schmeichelnd hold und lieblich klingen
unsers Lebens Harmonien,
und dem Schönheitssinn entschwingen
Blumen sich, die ewig blühn,

Fried und Freude gleiten freundlich
wie der Wellen Wechselspiel.
Was sich drängte rauh und feindlich,
ordnet sich zu Hochgefühl.

Wenn der Töne Zauber walten
und des Wortes Weihe spricht,
muss sich Herrliches gestalten,
Nacht und Stürme werden Licht,

äußre Ruhe, inn’re Wonne,
herrschen für den Glücklichen.
Doch der Künste Frühlingssonne
lässt aus Leiden Licht entsteh’n.

Großes, das ins Herz gedrungen,
blüht dann neu und schön empor,
hat ein Geist sich aufgeschwungen,
hallt ihm stets ein Geisterchor.

Nehmt denn hin, ihr schönen Seelen,
froh die Gaben schöner Kunst.
Wenn sich Lieb und Kraft vermählen,
lohnt dem Menschen Göttergunst.

Foreword of the Edition Carus 10.394

Ulrich Leisinger

Translation: Gudrun and David Kosviner

The Fantasie für das Pianoforte mit Begleitung des ganzen Orchesters und Chor [Fantasy for the Pianoforte with the Accompaniment of full Orchestra and Choir], as the German first edition of Ludwig van Beethoven’s op. 80 of 1811 is called, leads a peculiar shadowy existence that neither does justice to its musical quality nor to its significance in music history. Undoubtedly, the very title of the work is a paradox, for a fantasy for ensemble contradicts the idea of an entity shaped by improvisation. In a way, “Introduction and Theme with Variations for Piano, Orchestra, Soloists and Choir” would probably be the more accurate title. At first glance, the combination of orchestra, piano and singing voices also seems unusual. But around 1800, Wolfgang Amadé Mozart’s Scena and Rondo Ch’io mi scordi di te – Non temer amato bene K. 505 from 1786, for example, was an extraordinarily popular concert piece. The by now predominantly negative evaluation of the lyrics, which “only” came from an amateur poet, as well as some misleading statements by Beethoven about the work and its premiere have contributed to the