We return to Richard Dehmel's poetry, following the eerie excursion into the dark with Dehmel's 'Notturno' on Day 3. 'Waldseligkeit' was an immensely popular poem at the turn of the last century and it was set by Alma Mahler, Joseph Marx – whose songs are the feature of a
new series at Wigmore Hall starting this Sunday – Reger and Strauss. The latter two both wrote their settings in 1901. Dehmel's text slowly reveals a night of sexual rapture within a forest, quite different from the upsetting revelations in 'Verklärte Nacht'. Strauss provides a luscious, lulling evocation of the nighttime scene, intensified by the chromatic surprises at 'Als ob sie selig lauschen' and 'Berühren'. The score is marked ‘Meiner lieben Frau gewidmet’ (dedicated to my dear wife) and there is no doubt that this sensual, sylvan scene was written with her vocal gifts in mind.
Click here to listen to Diana Damrau's recent recording of the song.
The painting is 'Spaziergängerin am Waldrand' by Ferdinand Hodler.
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