"Du bist die Ruh' " (You are rest and peace),[1]D. 776; Op. 59, No. 3 is aLied composed byFranz Schubert in 1823.[1] The text is from a set of poems by the German poetFriedrich Rückert (1788–1866).[2] It is the third poem in a set of four. This song is set for solovoice andpiano.[3]
Rückert's poem was originally untitled. Schubert used the poem's first line as the title of the song. Rückert later titled his poem "Kehr ein bei mir" (Stay with me).
Franz Liszt transcribed many of Schubert's songs for piano, including "Du bist die Ruh" (S. 558/3). The melody and harmonies are all Schubert's but with the addition of Liszt's own interpretation, while still staying true to the original meaning of Rückert's poem.
The piece is intriple meter (3
8) and is markedlarghetto (fairly slow) andpianissimo (very soft). The piece is inbar form and its original key isE-flat major. It starts with both hands playing broken triads softly and slowly in treble clef.
The simplicity of the melody makes this piece that much more difficult to sing as it requires perfectlegato and breath control. Any inconsistencies in the sound can disrupt the 'peace' of the poem. Schubert sets tender and gentle themes to Rückert's words, and the simplicity of the piano line further enhances the meaning of the song. The progression of the harmonies repeat with the bar form, always establishing the key of the piece. With a pianissimo and larghetto marking and the piano part light intexture, Schubert sets up the poem for the first few lines, "You are the calm, the mild peace", in the introduction.
The piece has fivestanzas. The first and second verses are almost exactly identical to the third and fourth, with the exception of one note. The fifth (and final) verse is the start of the B section ("Dies Augenzelt, von deinem Glanz allein erhellt, o füll es ganz!"). Both the piano and the voice have a marking of pianissimo up until measure 57, when there is finally acrescendo. This is in the first few bars of the B section. In measure 59, Schubert marksforte. Here is the climax as well as the highest note of the piece along with adecrescendo.[4] There is then a bar of rest and Schubert marks the next entrance at pianissimo once again. Perhaps this is to reinforce the mood of the song. "What could be more restful than silence?"[5] Schubert repeats this text, thereby creating a sixth verse. He then ends the vocal line on the dominant (B-flat), which leaves the piano to resolve the harmony. Throughout the piece, Schubert sets words like "joy" on the tonic, and words like "pain" on the dominant harmonies.[4]
Du bist die Ruh',
der Friede mild,
die Sehnsucht du,
und was sie stillt.
Ich weihe dir
voll Lust und Schmerz
zur Wohnung hier
mein Aug' und Herz.
Kehr' ein bei mir,
und schließe du
still hinter dir
die Pforten zu.
Treib' andern Schmerz
aus dieser Brust!
Voll sei dies Herz
von deiner Lust.
Dies Augenzelt,
von deinem Glanz
allein erhellt,
O füll es ganz!
You are the calm,
the mild peace,
you my longing
and what stills it.
I consecrate to you
full of joy and grief
to dwell here
my eye and heart.
Come in to me,
and softly close
the gates
behind you.
Drive other pain
from this breast.
Full be my heart
of your joy.
The canopy of my eyes
by your splendour
alone is lit,
O, fill it completely!
"Du bist die Ruh" was also set to music byFanny Mendelssohn inher Opus 7 in 1839.
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