Gesang der Geister über den Wassern (Song of the Spirits Over the Waters)
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Run Time: Approx. 12 minutes
Schubert’s Song of the Spirits Over the Waters is based on the 1779 poem of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Schubert set more than 80 of Goethe’s texts during his short life, ultimately creating four different versions of this piece, indicating a deep connection to the text.
The poem, which likens the journey of the human spirit to the cycle of water, reflects the profound impact of the Enlightenment on 18th-century artists. Inspired by a newfound understanding of the water cycle, precipitation, and evaporation, Goethe offers a striking allegory for the cyclical nature of the soul’s descent to earth, humanity’s struggles, the intervention of fate, and the ultimate return to heaven.
Echoing Goethe’s use of metaphor, Schubert masterfully employs his unparalleled gift for musical imagery to bring the poet’s words to life. The music unfolds with three symbolic characters: the water, portrayed through the strings; the spirits, captured by the voices; and the wind, represented by the recurring long-short-short rhythm that opens the piece.
The music mirrors the imagery in the text, beginning with a series of cyclical modulations and unexpected harmonic resolutions as the chorus introduces the premise: “The soul of man is like water.” In the opening verses, the voices descend chromatically on the words “from heaven it comes,” then climb again with “to the heavens it climbs,” only to descend once more (And again downward / To earth it must / Eternally changing), portraying the constant ebb and flow of nature’s forces. The strings, too, weave their way up and down, illustrating the perpetual exchange between the heavenly and the earthly.
As the poem progresses, the music conveys the contrast between the agitated, fallen water and its calm, ethereal evaporation—symbolic of earthly turmoil and the reprieve offered by heaven. The cello’s whirling motion, in particular, evokes the foaming turbulence of a whirlpool, representing the trials and struggles of human life. Yet, even as the turmoil is depicted, the music resolves into a more hopeful mood, and the voices begin to float upward once more.
In his final verses, Goethe introduces the character of the wind, likening it to fate, which forever pulls at the soul of man: “Wind is of the waves / A loveable suitor; / Wind rises from the depths / Foaming billows. / Soul of man, / How you are like the water! / Fate of man, / How you are like the wind!” Unlike Goethe, Schubert introduces “fate” in his very first notes, and the motive—long-short-short, long-short-short—is present throughout the work, in both the strings and vocal parts. A popular subject in 18th-century art, fate permeates nearly every measure of the piece, blowing the water off its course—an inescapable force within the human experience.
Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551, “Jupiter”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Run Time: Approx. 35 minutes
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, affectionately known as “Jupiter” (a nickname given later by violinist Johann Peter Salomon), is his longest and final symphony. Composed in rapid succession with the 39th and 40th symphonies during the summer of 1788, this work represents the pinnacle of Mozart’s symphonic output, bringing it to a close with a resounding exclamation point. Its expansive scale would go on to influence many composers, notably paving the way for Ludwig van Beethoven, who, at 18 years old, was a great fan of Mozart’s music.
Written the year before Goethe composed his Song of the Spirits Over the Water, the scope and emotional depth of the work explore the same grand philosophical questions that so captivated Goethe and Schubert. It serves as a prime example of Sturm und Drang—the popular German art movement that emphasized emotional intensity and the individual experience.
The first movement opens with a bold, assertive statement. Confident and insistent throughout, Mozart appears to be showing off a bit, even quoting an earlier aria as a subtle boast of his unmatched skill.
The second movement paints a picture of serene contentment—an emotion Mozart evokes perhaps better than any other composer. However, Mozart disrupts the calm with episodes of undulating turmoil and longing, as the once-stately accompaniment transforms into a nervous, pulsating heartbeat.
The Minuetto offers a lighthearted dance in triple meter, with the woodwinds waltzing in playful conversation with the strings. The movement occasionally builds to a more energetic and boisterous atmosphere but never loses its levity.
The “Jupiter” Symphony is most remarkable for its finale, a fiery Fugato that presents perhaps the grandest of all Mozart’s symphonic conclusions. Mozart bases his main theme on a plainchant melody of unknown origin, dating back at least to the 13th century. He was fond of this theme and used it in several works, including his very first symphony, composed at the age of eight. Did Mozart intend this to be his final symphony? Perhaps he was deliberately bringing closure to his symphonic catalog. This question will go unanswered, as Mozart died in 1791 at the age of 35. However, all records indicate that he did not attempt any further symphonies during the last three and a half years of his life. Regardless, more than 200 years later, the “Jupiter” Symphony remains one of the crowning achievements of the symphonic repertoire, a lasting testament to Mozart’s genius.
La Damoiselle élue (The Blessed Damozel)
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Run Time: Approx. 20 minutes
Composed in 1887-1888, La Damoiselle Élue (The Blessed Damozel) is a cantata for soprano and contralto soloists, female chorus, and orchestra, that sets text by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Debussy was an Impressionist composer with a strong interest in the French Symbolist movement. Debussy’s cantata provides both a musical snapshot of the melancholy princess, and a visceral depiction of the emotions surrounding grief. Nearly 100 years after Schubert composed his Song of the Spirits Over the Waters, Debussy offers a further examination of the connection between earth and heaven.
The poem, originally in English, was partially inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, in which a lover, mourning the loss of his beloved, struggles with the painful realization that he can never forget her. Rossetti offers the opposite perspective: the damozel (an archaic form of “damsel”) gazes down from heaven at the love she has left behind, unable to find peace in her divine surroundings, knowing she will never see him again.
La Damoiselle Élue was written during a time in Debussy’s life when he was deeply influenced by the groundbreaking music of Richard Wagner. One of Wagner’s most significant contributions to music was his creation of the leitmotif — a short, recurring musical theme that represents a specific character or idea. One modern composer who makes great use of this technique is John Williams. The ominous Darth Vader theme from Star Wars, or the famous two-note shark theme from Jaws are both fine examples. Debussy incorporates leitmotifs throughout his cantata, but in keeping with his Symbolist tendencies, these motifs—with one exception—represent abstract ideas rather than characters.
Debussy uses four main leitmotifs to convey the story:
The Circling Charm Motive: A cyclical chordal pattern that opens the piece, this motif recurs throughout the cantata. It ultimately shapes the narrator’s phrase, “out of the circling charm,” and brings the piece to a close, completing the musical circle.
The Hope Theme: Introduced first by a chorus of strings, this rising motif expresses the damozel’s hope that she will one day be reunited with her love.
The Damozel’s Theme: Introduced first by a solo flute towards the end of the orchestral prelude, this motif represents the damozel gazing down from her perch in heaven. The high, airy pitch of the flute floating above the orchestra evokes the damozel’s distance, unreachable by earth and her lost love. The theme is echoed by the horn, perhaps symbolizing her lover on earth, calling back to her.
The Wish: Late in the text, the damozel vows to beg Christ to reunite her and her love. The musical representation of this wish, first heard in the opening words of the damozel (soprano), is based on a descending diminished arpeggio — a dark, ominous sounding progression that conveys her melancholy longing. It appears throughout the damozel’s song, but finally resolves at the end, suggesting that Debussy imagined the lovers finally reunited in heaven.
“Polovtsian Dances” from Prince Igor
Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)
Run Time: Approx. 12 minutes
Alexander Borodin was a true Renaissance man: By day, he was a respected chemist, contributing more than 40 papers to the field. By night, he was, along with Mily Balakirev, César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, a member of the “Mighty Handful,” a group of composers dedicated to creating a distinct Russian sound. He often referred to himself as a “Sunday composer” because of the limited time he had for composition. Despite this, Borodin authored some of Russia’s most beloved music, including his opera, Prince Igor.
Prince Igor tells the story of the titular character, a Russian prince who, along with his son, embarks on a military campaign against the Polovtsians, a nomadic Turkic people from southern Russia. They are eventually captured and imprisoned by Khan Konchak, the leader of the Polovtsians.
In the Opera’s second act, the recently captured Prince Igor is deeply depressed. The Kahn, fascinated by the man he has imprisoned, calls upon his slaves to provide entertainment. Their stories begin as mournful recollections of their lost homelands, but their nostalgia slowly begins to evoke happy memories. They gradually overcome their sorrow, and the music transforms into a lively and whirling dance.
– Valerie Sly, 2025