Hugo Wolf - "Der Feuerreiter" (Mörike) Fischer-Dieskau

An exciting ending to my month long tribute to Hugo Wolf, "Der Feuerreiter" is one of 53 songs composed by Wolf in 1888 to texts of the German lyric poet Eduard Mörike (1804-1875). In this song Wolf "shifts the emphasis from melody and harmony towards rhythm and texture, and to a lesser degree, timbre; in this way he avoids the leitmotif idea in favor of rhythmic motives and textures which are more easily combined according to the dramatic interactive requirements of the text. Wolf's use of text-painting is quite intriguing and sophisticated." For example, "the use of the ringing B-pedal in the piano for the firebell, using increasingly distorted and twisted chromaticism at references to the supernatural, the bustling and busy rhythmic idea associated with the crowd, having the piece end by having the music fade, like ashes into nothingness." --- Quotes by John D. Miles from his article, "Hugo Wolfs Der Feuerreiter: Text Painting and Form"

Der Feuerreiter

Sehet ihr am Fensterlein
Dort die rote Mütze wieder?
Nicht geheuer muß es sein,
Denn er geht schon auf und nieder.
Und auf einmal welch Gewühle
Bei der Brücke nach dem Feld!
Horch! das Feuerglöcklein gellt:
Hinterm Berg,
Hinterm Berg
Brennt es in der Mühle!

Schaut, da sprengt er wütend schier
Durch das Tor, der Feuerreiter,
Auf dem rippendürren Tier,
Als auf einer Feuerleiter!
Querfeldein, durch Qualm und Schwüle,
Rennt er schon und ist am Ort!
Drüben schallt es fort und fort:
Hinterm Berg,
Hinterm Berg,
Brennt es in der Mühle!

Der so oft den roten Hahn
Meilenweit von fern gerochen,
Mit des heil'gen Kreuzes Span
Freventlich die Glut besprochen -
Weh! dir grinst vom Dachgestühle
Dort der Feind im Höllenschein.
Gnade Gott der Seele dein!
Hinterm Berg,
Hinterm Berg,
Rast er in der Mühle!

Keine Stunde hielt es an,
Bis die Mühle borst in Trümmer;
Doch den kecken Reitersmann
Sah man von der Stunde nimmer.
Volk und Wagen im Gewühle
Kehren heim von all dem Graus;
Auch das Glöcklein klinget aus:
Hinterm Berg,
Hinterm Berg,
Brennt's! -

Nach der Zeit ein Müller fand
Ein Gerippe samt der Mützen
Aufrecht an der Kellerwand
Auf der beinern Mähre sitzen:
Feuerreiter, wie so kühle
Reitest du in deinem Grab!
Husch! da fällt's in Asche ab.
Ruhe wohl,
Ruhe wohl
Drunten in der Mühle!

Eduard Mörike (1804-1875)

The Fire-Rider

Do you see at the window
there again, that red cap?
Something must be the matter
for it is going up and down.
And what a sudden mob
is now by the bridge near the field!
Hark! the fire-bell is shrilling:
Beyond the hill,
Beyond the hill,
There's a fire in the mill!

Look, there he goes, galloping furiously
through the gate - it's the fire-rider
on his horse, a bony nag
like a fire-ladder!
Across the fields, through the smoke and heat
he plunges, and he's already reached his goal!
Over there the bells are pealing,
Beyond the hill,
Beyond the hill,
There's a fire in the mill!

You who so often smelled fire
from a mile off,
and with a fragment of the holy cross
maliciously conjured the blaze -
Woe! from the rafters there grins
the Enemy of Man in hellish light.
May God have mercy on your soul!
Beyond the hill,
Beyond the hill,
He is raging in the mill!

Not an hour had passed
before the mill was reduced to rubble;
but the bold rider
from that hour was never seen again.
People and wagons in crowds
turn toward home away from all the horror;
and the bell stops ringing:
Beyond the hill,
Beyond the hill,
It's burning!

Later a miller found
a skeleton together with the cap
upright against the wall of the cellar
sitting on the mare of bone:
Fire-rider, how coolly
you ride now to your grave!
Hush! there it falls to ashes.
Rest well,
rest well,
Down there in the mill!

Translation by Emily Ezust

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Gerald Moore (piano)