Seven Variations on “Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen” from Die Zauberflöte, WoO 46, by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is arguably the most talked-about composer in Western classical music. His nine symphonies and thirty-two piano sonatas comprise the meat and potatoes of his compositional output. Most historically salient have been the fifth and ninth symphonies. The opening motive of the fifth symphony corresponds to "victory" in morse code and was used by the allied powers in WWII. His ninth symphony included a choir in the final movement, paving the way for voices in subsequent symphonic writing, a technique celebrated by later composers.
Beethoven composed five sonatas for cello and piano, making him the first to write in this genre. The sonatas allow the cello a partnered rather than subordinate role with the piano. Earlier examples of this type of writing for other instruments include Mozart's sonatas for violin and piano. In addition to the five cello sonatas, Beethoven wrote three sets of variations for cello and piano: one on a theme from Händel's oratorio Judas Maccabaeus, and two on themes from Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute).
The programmed set in E-flat major comes from Pamina and Papageno's duet about love from The Magic Flute. The piece opens with a statement of the theme, with the piano in the dominant role. Beethoven, master of development and variation, sends the theme through seven contrasting emotional states before returning to a shortened paraphrase of the original theme. Beethoven had a tormented relationship with the concept of love during his lifetime; perhaps this set of variations expresses his feelings toward the varied emotions love can elicit. For more on Beethoven and love, consider Maynard Soloman's Beethoven for its extensive discussion of Beethoven and the Immortal Beloved.
Here is a performance of the duet from Die Zauberflöte, with Lucia Popp as Pamina and Wolfgang Brendel as Papageno.
Check out my "Basically Beethoven, Minimally Mozart" playlist on Spotify. It has a bunch of Beethoven's music that I think is good and worth listening to. It's by no means exhaustive, but it's a good starting place.
Lyrics to the duet for German speakers:
Pamina:
Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen,
Fehlt auch ein gutes Herze nicht.
Papageno:
Die süßen Triebe mitzufühlen
Ist dann der Weiber erster Pflicht.
Papageno and Pamina
Wir wollen uns der Liebe freun
Wir leben durch die Lieb allein,
Wir leben durch die Lieb allein,
Pamina
Die Lieb versüßet jede Plage,
Ihr opfert jede Kreatur.
Papageno
Sie würzet unsre Lebenstage,
Sie winkt im Kreise der Natur.
Pamina and Papageno
Ihr hoher Zweck zeigt deutlich an,
Nichts edlers sei als Weib und Mann,
Mann und Weib und Weib und Mann,
Mann und Weib und Weib und Mann,
Reichen an die Gottheit an.
Mann und Weib und Weib und Mann,
Reichen an die Gottheit an.
An die Gottheit an, an die Gottheit an.
In men, who feel love
A good heart is not lacking.
To sympathize with the sweet instincts
Is then the wives [sic]
first duty.
We want to be happy with love
We live through love alone,
We live through love alone,
Love sweetens every torment
Every creature offers itself to her.
It seasons our daily lives,
It beckons us in the circles of nature.
Its higher purpose indicates,
Nothing is more
nobel [sic] than wife and man,
Man and wife, and wife and man,
Man and wife, and wife and man,
Reach to the height of Godliness.
Man and wife, and wife and man,
Reach to the height of Godliness.
To Godliness, to Godliness.
Translation of full zingspiel here, by Lea Frey
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