"Singer/Song of the Day" Month

Last year, I devoted a series of posts to the month of February called "Singer of Day" Month. This year, in keeping with the tradition, I'd like to highlight the Song, Lied and Mélodie. Hopefully, it will yield some great singers, examples of great music from the song repertoire and perhaps some unknown gems.

So far we've had:
February 1: Descúbrase El Pensamiento from Canicones Amatorias (Enrique Granados)
February 2: Bachiana Brasileira No. 5 (Villa-Lobos)
February 3: Du liebst mich nicht (Schubert)
February 4: Havanaise (Viardot)
February 5: Moi genie, moi angel, moi drug (Tchaikovsky)
February 6: Ging heut Morgen übers Feld (Mahler)
February 7: Schäfer's Klagelied (Schubert)
February 8: Non,Je Ne Regrette Rien (Charles Dumont)
February 9: Von Ewiger Liebe (Brahms)
February 10: Haugtussa (Grieg)
February 11: The Sound of Freedom (Moustafa Fahmy, Mohamed Khalifa, and Mohamed Shaker)
February 12: Mutya ng Pasig (Nicanor Aberlando)
February 13: Eri già tutta mia (Monteverdi)
February 14: Lied von der belebenden Wirkung des Geldes (Hanns Eisler)
February 15: Stripsody Cathy Berbarian
February 16: Youkali Kurt Weill
February 17: Berceuses du Chat Stravinksy
February 18: Berceuses du Chat Stravinksy
February 19: Berceuses du Chat Stravinksy
February 20: Berceuses du Chat Stravinksy
February 21: Como quieres que adivine? Guridi

Descúbrase El Pensamiento (Granados)

This is the first of Granados' Canciones Amatorias, Descúbrase el pensamiento, beautifully sung by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.

There is an excellent recording by Bernarda Fink available that includes all the songs. The songs are suitable for a soprano with good low notes or mezzos with a strong upper range.

These pieces are not done as often as the Tonadillas but include some of his finest writing. The folklike melodies are combined with challenging piano and vocal writing and rich harmonies with frequent modulations to distant keys, especially in this first song. The pieces should be done more often. The end is especially daring harmonically!


Descúbrase el pensamiento
Poet: Anoymous
Music by Enrique Granados 1867- 1916

Discover the thought
of my well guarded secret,
and reveal my anguish,
my passionate life.
My passion is not new;
I've already suffered endlessly.
I am servant to a lady
who has forgotten my servitude.
Her beauty made me hers,
Her polished gesture,
is engraved in my soul.
Ah! Woe is me
who gazed on her
only to live in injury,
to weep and lament
glories of times gone by.
Ah! She has forgotten my servitude.

Translated by Milagro Vargas