This is one of a series of posts about books used as source material for Art Song Central.
Book Title: German, French and Italian Song Classics (Volumes 1-4)
Editor: Horatio Parker (1863-1919)
Publisher: The John Church Company
Copyright: 1912, The John Church Company.
The following preface appears in each volume:
Art-Song and Folk-Song both make a well-nigh universal appeal to music lovers irrespective of the people or language to which they owe their birth, and, however rich in each kind the musical literature of any country may be, the songs of other nations are always welcome.
French songs have long gone far beyond the boundaries of France, those of Russia are used everywhere, German songs are indespensible to singers in every country, and English speaking singers are perhaps peculiarly dependent upon songs in other languages if they are to gain the breadth of view and degree of versatility which are expected from true artists.
This collection of the most notable lyrics in German, Italian and French has been prepared to meet the needs of our large and ever increasing class of earnest aspirants to true artistry. The songs are presented always with the original text in order that their full flavor and significance may be preserved and because a poem which does not suffer by translation is a thing hardly conceivable.
It is true that in the Italian opera music which was so widely used for study in Victorian days, the text is frequently unimportant to the point of being practically negligible. To cite a single instance: except for those who know it on the stage, the music of the Mad Scene, from Lucia, is nearly impersonal. The text might be pastoral or amatory without being noticeably inappropriate to the music. But in the best art-lyrics text and music are inextricably interwoven, and of such is this collection.
Knowledge and use of the three languages in which such lyrics are commonest is needful to our singers for a proper knowledge and use of their own native tongue in singing. It is therefore not in response to the fashion of singing in foreign languages but in recognition of every singer’s need of broader culture than singing in English alone can give that the original text is uniformly retained.
German songs are most numerous, as is natural in view of the high development and universal appeal of the German Lied. French songs claim a welcome by virtue of a lightness and grace all their own. Modern Italian songs of artistic importance are not easliy found but the old Italian composers have left models for all time in Pergolesi’s Nina, Lotti’s Pur Dicesti and many similar gems which seem to embody all admirable and lasting qualities which songs may possess.
Students, and teachers as well, should remember that of these noble songs each is an earnest of like treasures which will reward any diligent seeker in the fields represented by the collection now offered for their use and guidance.
Horatio Parker
Volume 1 (soprano) contents:
- Adam Cantique de Noël
- Bach Bist du bei mir
- Beethoven Adelaide
- Beethoven Ich liebe dich
- Bizet Vieille Chanson
- Brahms Meine Liebe ist grün – PDF
- Brahms Minnelied
- Brahms Wie bist du meine Königin
- Caccini Amarilli
- Caldara Come raggio di sol
- Carissimi Vittoria, Vittoria!
- Cesti Intorno all’idol mio
- Chaminade Si j’étais Jardinier
- Delibes Bonjour, Suzon!
- Dubois Par le Sentier – PDF
- Fauré Lydia
- Franck La Procession – PDF
- Franz Für Musik – PDF
- Franz Marie – PDF
- Giordani Caro mio ben
- Godard Embarquez-vous – PDF
- Grieg Die Prinzessin – PDF
- Grieg Lauf der Welt – PDF
- Grieg Zur Johannisnacht – PDF
- Handel (?) Frag’ ob die Rose – PDF
- Haydn Liebes Mädchen hör mir zu – PDF
- Haydn Stets barg die Liebe sie
- Jensen Margreth am Thore – PDF
- Legrenzi Che fiero costume
- Loewe Edward – PDF
- Lotti Pur dicesti, o bocca bella
- Machault Douce dame jolie
- Massenet Ouvre tes yeux bleus – PDF
- Mendelssohn Auf Flügeln des Gesanges – PDF
- Mililotti Una Stella – PDF
- Pergolese Tre giorni son che Nina
- Raff Immer bei dir – PDF
- Saint-Saëns Les Pas d’Armes du Roi Jean – PDF
- Schubert Ständchen (Horch, horch die Lerch)
- Schubert Ständchen (Leise flehen)
- Schubert Ungeduld
- Schubert Was ist Sylvia
- Schumann Blondel’s Lied – PDF
- Schumann Frühlingsnacht – PDF
- Schumann Wanderlied – PDF
- Strauss Ständchen – PDF
- Tosti Ti Rapirei – PDF
- Weckerlin Bergère Légère – PDF
- Weckerlin Jeunes Fillettes – PDF
- Wolf Auf ein altes Bild
- Wolf Der Freund – PDF
Volume 2 (Mezzo-Soprano) contents:
- Bach Vergiss mein nicht
- Beethoven Busslied
- Bemberg Chant Hindou
- Bizet Ma vie a son secret
- Brahms Feldeinsamkeit
- Brahms Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer
- Caccini Amarilli
- Caldara Come raggio di sol
- Cavalli Dell’ antro magico
- Chaminade Chanson slave – PDF
- Chaminade L’Anneau d’Argent
- Delibes O Mer, Ouvre-toi – PDF
- Durante Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile
- Fauré Les Roses d’Ispahan
- Franck Le Mariage des Roses – PDF
- Franz Aus meinen grossen Schmerzen – PDF
- Franz Für Musik – PDF
- Gounod Le Calvaire – PDF
- Grieg Guten Morgen – PDF
- Grieg Mit einer Primula veris – PDF
- Hahn Mai
- Holmès L’Appel du Printemps – PDF
- Jensen Am Ufer des Flusses des Manzanares – PDF
- Legrenzi Che fiero costume
- Liszt Die drei Zigeuner – PDF
- Loewe Niemand hat’s gesehen – PDF
- Loewe O süsse Mutter – PDF
- Luzzi Ave Maria – PDF
- Massenet Élégie – PDF
- Mendelssohn Das erste Veilchen – PDF
- Mendelssohn Lieblingsplätzchen – PDF
- Mililotti Cade la sera – PDF
- Mozart Das Veilchen
- Pergolesi Se tu m’ami, se sospiri
- Raff Sei still – PDF
- Ries Die blauen Frühlingsaugen – PDF
- Saint-Saëns La Brise – PDF
- Saint-Saëns La Cloche – PDF
- Scarlatti O Cessate di Piagarmi
- Scarlatti Le Violette – PDF
- Schubert Die Allmacht – PDF
- Schubert Der Tod und das Mädchen
- Schubert Die Junge Nonne
- Schubert Du bist die Ruh’
- Schubert Ungeduld
- Schumann Er, der Herrlichste von Allen
- Schumann In der Fremde – PDF
- Schumann Widmung
- Thomé Sonnet d’Amour – PDF
- Tosti Preghiera – PDF
- Wagner Schlaf’ holdes Kind – PDF
- Wagner Träume – PDF
- Widor Nuit d’Étoiles – PDF
- Wolf Alle gingen, Herz, zur Ruh – PDF
- Wolf Heimweh – PDF
Volume 3 (tenor) contents: (The tenor volume appears to be identical in content to the soprano volume)
- Adam Cantique de Noël – PDF
- Bach Bist du bei mir – PDF
- Beethoven Adelaide – PDF
- Beethoven Ich liebe dich – PDF
- Bizet Vieille Chanson – PDF
- Brahms Meine Liebe ist grün – PDF
- Brahms Minnelied – PDF
- Brahms Wie bist du meine Königin – PDF
- Caccini Amarilli – PDF
- Caldara Come raggio di sol – PDF
- Carissimi Vittoria, Vittoria! – PDF
- Cesti Interno all’idol mio – PDF
- Chaminade Si j’étais Jardinier – PDF
- Delibes Bonjour, Suzon! – PDF
- Dubois Par le Sentier – PDF
- Fauré Lydia – PDF
- Franck La Procession – PDF
- Franz Für Musik – PDF
- Franz Marie – PDF
- Giordani Caro mio ben – PDF
- Godard Embarquez-vous – PDF
- Grieg Die Prinzessin – PDF
- Grieg Lauf der Welt – PDF
- Grieg Zur Johannisnacht – PDF
- Handel Frag’ ob die Rose – PDF
- Haydn Liebes Mädchen, hör mir zu (Dearest maiden, hear my song) – PDF
- Haydn Stets barg die Liebe sie (She never told her love) – PDF
- Jensen Margreth am Thore – PDF
- Legrenzi Che fiero costume – PDF
- Loewe Edward – PDF
- Lotti Pur dicesti, o bocca bella – PDF
- Machault Douce dame jolie – PDF
- Massenet Ouvre tes yeux bleus – PDF
- Mendelssohn Auf Flügeln des Gesanges – PDF
- Mililotti Una Stella – PDF
- Pergolese Tre giorni son che Nina – PDF
- Raff Immer bei dir – PDF
- Saint-Saëns Les Pas d’Armes du Roi Jean – PDF
- Schubert Ständchen (Horch, horch, die Lerch) – PDF
- Schubert Ständchen (Leise flehen) – PDF
- Schubert Ungeduld – PDF
- Schubert Was ist Sylvia – PDF
- Schumann Blondel’s Lied – PDF
- Schumann Frühlingsnacht – PDF
- Schumann Wanderlied – PDF
- Strauss Ständchen – PDF
- Tosti Ti Rapirei – PDF
- Weckerlin Bergère Légère – PDF
- Weckerlin Jeunes Fillettes – PDF
- Wolf Auf ein altes Bild – PDF
- Wolf Der Freund – PDF
Volume 4 (bass) contents:
- Beethoven Der Kuss – PDF
- Beethoven Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur – PDF
- Bizet Sérénade – PDF
- Brahms Ruhe, süssliebchen
- Brahms Wie bist du meine Königin
- Caldara Come raggio di sol
- Campana Dal profondo dell’ obblio – PDF
- Carissimi Vittoria, Vittoria!
- Delibes Bonjour, Suzon!
- Franz Auf dem Meere – PDF
- Franz Im Herbst – PDF
- Giordani Caro mio ben
- Godard Embarquez-vous – PDF
- Gounod Chantez Riez et Dormez – PDF
- Gounod Le Vallon – PDF
- Grieg Ein Schwan – PDF
- Grieg Epilog – PDF
- Grieg Lauf der Welt – PDF
- Haydn Liebes Mädchen hör’ mir zu – PDF
- Jensen Waldesgespräch
- Legrenzi Che fiero costume
- Loewe Erlkönig
- Lotti Pur dicesti, o bocca bella
- Marcello Il mio bel foco
- Massenet Nuit d’Espagne – PDF
- Mendelssohn Auf Flügeln des Gesanges – PDF
- Mendelssohn Gruss – PDF
- Mililotti Povero Marinar – PDF
- Pergolese Tre giorni son che Nina
- Pierné Le sais-tu bien – PDF
- Raff Ständchen
- Ries Am Rhein und beim Wein – PDF
- Rosa Star vicino
- Rubinstein Es blinkt der Thau – PDF
- Saint-Saëns La Cloche – PDF
- Sarti Lungi dal caro bene
- Scarlatti Se tu della mia morte
- Schubert Der Tod und das Mädchen
- Schubert Der Wanderer – PDF
- Schubert Erlkönig
- Schubert Wohin? – PDF
- Schumann Die beiden Grenadiere
- Schumann Ich grolle nicht
- Schumann Schöne Wiege
- Strauss Allerseelen
- Widor Invocation – PDF
- Wolf Anakreon’s Grab
- Wolf Der Freund
- Wolf Gesang Weyla’s
Notes:
This is an unusually good selection for books from this era, and songs in this collection which have fallen out of the mainstream repertoire are worth extra attention. In particular, the songs of Raff and Jensen are quite excellent.
The editorial quality of these volumes is generally high, though there are bound to be some errors.
Songs from these volumes will be uploaded as song posts are created for them. If you would like me to give priority to a song that is not yet posted, please let me know via the contact page.