Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst

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Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst

19 Jul 14 - 04:11 PM (#3643482)
Subject: Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)

The song is by W. Theophil Rothenberg.

The text is: ""Alles ist eitel Du aber bleibst, und wen du ins Buch des Lebens schreibst"

The song was written in 1942. My daughter, who is in Waldorf teacher training, has been told that Rothenberg wrote this while in a concentration camp. All I can find on line is a Wikipedia article in German,
which doesn't say anything about it. Does anyone here know anything about this story?

Listen to it here.

There are English words to this lovely tune, which are completely different.

19 Jul 14 - 09:14 PM (#3643526)
Subject: ADD: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst
From: Joe Offer

Hi, Allison - I'm having trouble finding lyrics for this, but I did find the first verse and chords at http://www.hift-folksongs.de/TexteFolk/a/allesIst.htm
Maybe these are the complete lyrics - it's described as a "Kanon" - the recording Allison linked to has only these lyrics. Here's another recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52INtrMXuj8.
This page says it was published in 1942, words by Gerhard Fritzsche; melody by Theophil Rothenberg. The page says it's in a number of German-language hymnals, but not in any that I have.


  Alles ist eitel
  
   
           
  G     D     Em    H7
  C     G    Am/D   G
  
  
  
  G         D      Em        H7
  Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst,
       C           G   Am   D        G
  Und wen du ins Buch des Lebens schreibst.
   G         D     Em        H7
  Du aber bleibst, du aber bleibst,
  C         G      Am D      G
  Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst.
   G        D       Em       H7
  Du aber bleibst, du aber bleibst,
       C           G       Am D       G
  Und wen du ins Buch des Lebens schreibst.

My translation:

You'll find notation for the song Here: http://www.vrijeschoolliederen.nl/wp-content/uploads/alles-ist-eitel.pdf

I found the lyrics to the English song Allison linked to at http://divineoffice.org/adv-w02-mon-mp/
LONG IS OUR WINTER
(Text by Eleanor Walker, 1922–1979; German melody; Arr. by William Ferris, 1937–2000)

Long is our winter
dark is our night
O come set us free
O saving Light.
O come dwell among us
O saving Light.
Amen.

The English-language song can also be found in Worship in Song: A Friends Hymnal, #138. The hymnal describes the song only as "a traditional round." There's sheet music available here (click).

-Joe-

19 Jul 14 - 09:57 PM (#3643532)
Subject: RE: Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst
From: Joe Offer

This page (click) says the the lyrics were written by Gerhard Fritzsche, born 1911. Fritsche was missing in action as a soldier in the Moldau region in 1944. The melody was written by Theophil Rothenberg (1912-2004), a church musician and songbook publisher. He belonged to the anti-Nazi Confessing Church during the time of the Third Reich, but his Wikipedia page doesn't say anything about a concentration camp. I'm guessing the concentration camp story you heard was wrong.
-Joe-

20 Jul 14 - 12:09 PM (#3643634)
Subject: RE: Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)

Thanks, Joe. Interestingly, the melody with the "Long is our Winter" text can be found in Rounds Galore , attributed to Mozart. I hope to see Sol Weber in a few weeks and will have a little chat with him...

21 Jul 14 - 12:15 AM (#3643766)
Subject: RE: Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst
From: GUEST,leeneia

Thanks for bringing up this delightful round. I've made MIDI's and will send them to Joe, so Mudcatters can hear how it sounds.

The sheet music linked above is in four flats. I'll see if I can change that without affecting the tune much.

Click to play (joeweb) (3 parts)

Click to play (joeweb) (melody)

21 Jul 14 - 01:19 AM (#3643771)
Subject: RE: Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst
From: Joe Offer

Thanks to leeneia for MIDI files. I've posted links in her message above.

-Joe-

21 Jul 14 - 02:42 PM (#3643931)
Subject: RE: Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)

Thank you leeneia!

Grishka, my source that cited Mozart is the book Rounds Galore , published by Sol Weber and very popular in some sing-around circles. Admittedly, the tune has a Mozartian flavour!

21 Jul 14 - 07:12 PM (#3644000)
Subject: RE: Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst
From: GUEST,Grishka

Allison, the website does not say that explicitly. Rather, it says that vol. I contains "two fine Mozart rounds", and there is a table of contents listing "Alleluia (Mozart)" and "Mozart's Drinking Round", obviously the well-known rounds KV 553 and KV 560. "Long is our Winter" is mentioned without a composer's name. Mozartian flavour? Well diluted in a staple of church musician's craftsmanship.

The question of (hidden) comment on Nazism and war is more interesting. The Wiki linked by Joe tells us that membership of the Confessing Church alone did not put anyone in prison, let alone concentration camp.

22 Jul 14 - 03:57 AM (#3644062)
Subject: RE: Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst
From: Joe Offer

Hi, Grishka - "Long Is Our Winter" appears on page 153 of Sol Weber's Rounds Galore! book, attributed to Mozart (?) [question mark his]. Sol's notes:

Less familiar than the "Exultate" (by Mozart) but also exceptional, here's a moving Mozart round uncovered by Dotti Siftar, whose Philadelphia-based round singing family has been "spreading the word" for many years now.

-Joe-

22 Jul 14 - 05:29 AM (#3644085)
Subject: RE: Origins: Alles ist eitel, du aber bleibst
From: GUEST,Grishka

Thanks, Joe. The writers of the web site were wise enough not to reproduce that attribution from "hearsay". (A Philadelphia-based family against hosts of Mozart scholars ...)

Besides, what does the man mean by "Exultate"? Perhaps the theme of the "Alleluia" from Mozart's motet "Exsultate, iubilate", forged into a very mediocre round by an anonymous composer? It was definitely not Mozart either! In contrast, "Alleluia" KV 553 is a highly sophisticated piece of music, difficult to sing, and less funny than Mozart's best-known genuine rounds.

At least "Mozart's Drinking Round" is attributed correctly in the book, though in Mozart's own original lyrics, it was a "Taunting Round". It was bowdlerized already in 19th century German prints.