Schubert / Kathleen Battle: The Shepherd on the Rock (der Hirt auf dem Felsen)

Franz Schubert composed the music for this spellbinding opera-like song at the request of one his opera singer friends who wished to showcase her ability to express a wide range of feelings through her voice. He used the words from Wilhelm Muller's two poems and added two verses from Karl August Varnhagen von Ense (and not by Wilhelmina von Chézy as I have shown in the video).
The Shepherd on the Rock (Der Hirt auf dem Felsen) D 965
Voice: Kathleen Battle
Composer: Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Clarinet: Karl Leister
Piano: James Levine
Words by: Wilhelm Müller (1794-1827) and
Karl August Varnhagen von Ense (and not by Helmina von Chézy)
Video clips taken from:
BBC Planet Earth
The ballet Coppelia by The Bolshoi Ballet
Dying Swan by Uliana Lopatkina from the ballet Swan Lake
Kathleen Battle Live from Japan
and two video scenes (the mountain drive and the birds soaring in the blue sky) captured by my camera
German lyrics:
Wilhelm Müller -- Der Berghirt
Wenn auf dem höchsten Fels ich steh',
In's tiefe Tal hernieder seh',
Und singe.
Fern aus dem tiefen dunkeln Tal
Schwingt sich empor der Widerhall
Der Klüfte.
Je weiter meine Stimme dringt,
Je heller sie mir wieder klingt
Von unten.
Mein Liebchen wohnt so weit von mir,
Drum sehn' ich mich so heiß nach ihr
Hinüber.
Varnhagen -- Nächtlicher Schall
In tiefem Gram verzehr ich mich,
Mir ist die Freude hin,
Auf Erden mir die Hoffnung wich,
Ich hier so einsam bin.
So sehnend klang im Wald das Lied,
So sehnend klang es durch die Nacht,
Die Herzen es zum Himmel zieht
Mit wunderbarer Macht.
Wilhelm Müller -- Liebesgedanken
Der Frühling will kommen,
Der Frühling, meine Freud',
Nun mach' ich mich fertig
Zum Wandern bereit
English Translation

When on the highest cliff I stand,
gaze down into the deep valley,
and sing.
The echo floats upward,
from the darker depths
of the ravine.

The further my voice travels,
the clearer it returns to me,
from below.
So far from me does my love dwell
that I yearn for her more ardently,
over there.

With deep grief I am consumed,
my joy is at an end;
all hope on earth has left me;
I am so lonely here.

So longingly sounded the song in the wood,
so longingly it sounded through the night,
drawing hearts heavenwards
with wondrous power.

Spring is coming, Spring, my joy;
now I will prepare for my journey.

[@apandolong1]

Can't get enough of Kathleen Battle and her sublime voice.

[@jameshaynes7062]

The mountain scenes are the perfect visual touch for this piece: it reaches commanding heights.

[@jameshaynes7062]

Of course, since the song is about a shepherd on a mountain, film reel of mountains is entirely appropriate, lol.

[@utudira]

The translation is so beautiful, accompanying the grandeur of the scene. Thanks again.

[@giovanniciafre3139]

Grandioso...elegiaco y conmovedor...¡Que grande fuiste y eres querido Schubert!

[@utudira]

Many many thanks . I just .. love it!!

[@kyungheecho]

So beautiful! Thanks for sharing. 🙏🏻

[@aliciasarramida]

sublime!

[@Chuangtzubutterfly]

splendid!

[@CookieFavorites]

Words fail me. Lovely music by Schubert, sung by the angelic Kathleen Battle, accompanied by an amazing video. "bemused321" - my hat's off to you! I'll be returning to this piece many times. Thank you for this.

Simply ... great vid !!!

[@yongkeykim1395]

Thanks . . . You re artist!

[@jasi4562]

I love all and would lik to go through all of your programme. Thankyou. Jasi Magon

[@marcosPRATA918]

Tudo belo. Excelente edição.

[@TheStandUp1970]

Belíssimo mesmo Marcos, gostaria de ver a tradução da letra. Obrigada!

[@marcosPRATA918]

@@TheStandUp1970 não leio em inglês. (mas trata do pastor que da rocha mais alta canta, esse canto ecoa no vale, ele lembre triste da amada distante, e canta ressoando na floresta. Vem a primavera e ele canta e dança feliz com o coração nas alturas, cheio de amor.

[@sr6154]

I did this for a local music club years ago!

[@alexanderleeart]

for me there is nothing quite like Schubert

[@Orchidoclastie]

Musique magnifique, images ridicules...dommage ! Et Karl Leister apporte tant de douceur...magnifique !

[@slowpainful]

I adore Kathleen Battle's exquisite silvery soprano and always have. OK no chest voice to speak of... and apparently she's a little bit difficult at times.... but, hey. That voice. Also that clarinettist.... I appreciated the translation but could have done without Kathleen in the Wind Machine (if that was in fact her....) and the refugee straggler from Swan Lake. The way the middle section shifts from sorrow to ecstasy ..... TIP: grown up music lovers don't need silly irrelevant visuals, because, you know. MUSIC.

[@JoshJNYC]

you sound fun at parties. You could always, you know, just not watch the video. 🙄

[@ezequielcosta7859]

Maguinífico, att Saubara BA

[@danielsantanna2060]

Muito lindo

[@whenitknocks]

Do you not think the song is good enough, that it needs ballet dancers to distract the audience from what is lacking in the music?

[@sjsimpson6176]

Invasive and very disagreeable ( high volume) publicity right in the middle of a beautiful phrase. Bravo KZbin !

[@이형균-g3g]

배경인 산지가 노래와 어울리지 않는군요.