German Folk Songs

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: alanabit
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 01:13 AM

Strange that, isn't it? Germany is famous for its white whines, but it produces many good red ones too. We are quite keen on Dornfelder. Sorry about the thread drift folks!

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: Wolfgang
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 03:51 AM

There is not enough information to answer the question unambiguously.

Two more candidates:

Ein schöner Tag (to the tune of either Amazing grace or Should ould aquaintance)
Ein schöner Tag (popsong by Lena Valeitis (sp?))

Andy, how you can prefer Guinness to wine undistinctively is a puzzle to me. The Irish Guinness tastes great to me, the same name brew they sell in Britain and in most Irish pubs in Germany is far worse.

As for German wines, I think there should be a law to forbid wine growing in Germany north of what in France is Alsace, at least not to be used for human consumption.

And in the very same law they should forbid beer production South of that line, but now I better run off (grin)

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: MudGuard
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 04:11 AM

I wrote:
I am not a beer drinker at all (except when there is a good Guinness around...) - I usually prefer (red) wine ;-)

Wolfgang wrote:
Andy, how you can prefer Guinness to wine undistinctively is a puzzle to me.

1. "good Guinness" is not undistinctively.
2. I did not say anything about my preference of (good) Guinness over wine. I said that I don't drink beer unless it is good Guinness.
3. I said that I usually prefer wine.

How can you construct from these that I undistinctively prefer Guinness to wine? THAT puzzles me! ;-)


Wolfgang wrote:
the same name brew they sell [...] in most Irish pubs in Germany is far worse.

In most Irish pubs in Germany I have visited you only get bottled or canned Guinness...


Wolfgang wrote:
As for German wines, I think there should be a law to forbid wine growing in Germany north of what in France is Alsace, at least not to be used for human consumption.

Objection - vinegar is for human consumption... ;-)

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From:
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 09:38 PM

Can't thank you enough! That's the one, So ein Tag, so wunderschon wie heute! Now...where can i order that CD?! ...(i have it on a Medley but would prefer a clearer version...aka not Oktoberfest recording...)

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 21 Jun 04 - 03:01 AM

ksimon - this song was made known all over the Republic by the yearly transmissions of the Combined Carnival Session in Mainz. There the song is sung by the "Mainzer Hofsänger" (the Mainz Court Singers) at the end of the session.
So you find it at the end of two CDs from Mainz:

The choir version:Mainzer Carneval-Verein
--> Service --> Musiktitel
Die Mainzer Hofsänger ... nur vom Feinsten (online order possible) € 15.-

A solo version by the late famous singer Ernst Neger, also from the MCV:
http://www.artistindex.de/artist/201006/ES/1
NEGER, ERNST
GROSSE STIMMUNGSPARADE
EAN/UPC : 4007192603930
Fecha de salida : 07.05.1998
Artistindex Identnr: 264287-1-201006-NEGER, ERNST GROSSE STIMMUNGSPARADE

There are some other CDs, but mostly popular versions (not folk!) by singers like Freddy Quinn, Heino, an edition from the Hofbräuhaus (Oktoberfest style!), songs of the mountains (!) and else.

Having heard the song performed in Mainz during my long gone student days in Mainz, and having knonwn some of the artists, I should not recommend any other version than these two.

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 21 Jun 04 - 09:21 AM

Both CDs ara also available from amazon's German Branch (amazon.de):

Mainzer Hofsänger € 16,99

Ernst Neger € 6.99

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: Wolfgang
Date: 22 Jun 04 - 11:22 AM

Mainzer Hofsänger it has to be! Only them did the real version.
Ernst Neger is known for other songs and him singing this doesn't feel right.

But E. Neger is still a better choice than all others mentioned.

Wolfgang

Subject: Das Wandern ist des Muellers Lust Text
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jul 04 - 11:11 AM

Subject: ADD: Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jul 04 - 12:25 PM

               Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust

Text: Wilhelm Müller                         Musik: Karl Friedrich Zöllner

Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust,
das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust, das Wandern.
Das muß ein schlechter Müller sein,
dem niemals fiel das Wandern ein,
dem niemals fiel das Wandern ein, das Wandern.
 
Vom Wasser haben wir's gelernt,
vom Wasser haben wir's gelernt, vom Wasser.
Das hat nicht Ruh' [Rast] bei Tag und Nacht,
ist stets auf Wanderschaft bedacht,
ist stets auf Wanderschaft bedacht, das Wasser.
 
Das sehn wir auch den Rädern ab,
Das sehn wir auch den Rädern ab, den Rädern!
Die gar nicht gerne stille stehn,
die sich bei Tag nicht müde drehn,
die sich bei Tag nicht müde drehn, die Räder.
 
Die Steine selbst, so schwer sie sind,
die Steine selbst, so schwer sie sind, die Steine.
Sie tanzen mit den muntern Reihn,
und wollen gar noch schneller sein,
und wollen gar noch schneller sein, die Steine.
 
O Wandern, Wandern, meine Lust!
O Wandern, Wandern, meine Lust! O Wandern.
Herr Meister und Frau Meisterin,
laßt mich in Frieden weiter ziehn,
laßt mich in Frieden weiter ziehn, und wandern.

This was one of the first German songs I learned. The teacher's name was Müller, and he really liked this song. He was also head of the music department in my high school, so we learned lots of songs from him. There's a musical setting of "Wandern" by Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) , "Das Wandern" , op. 25 no. 1, D. 795 no. 1 (1823), from Die schöne Müllerin, no. 1.

---

I found a translation here (click), so I don't have to work on it...

Wandering is the miller's joy,
Wandering!
He must be a miserable miller,
Who never likes to wander.
Wandering!
   
We've learned this from the water,
From the water!
It does not rest by day or night,
It's always thinking of its journey,
The water.
   
We see this also with the wheels,
With the wheels!
They don't like to stand still,
And turn all day without tiring.
The wheels.
   
The stones themselves, heavy though they are,
The stones!
They join in the cheerful dance,
And want to go yet faster.
The stones!
   
Oh, wandering, wandering, my joy,
Oh, wandering!
Oh, Master and Mistress,
Let me continue in peace,
And wander!

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: Leadbelly
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 01:43 PM

This older thread seems to be timeless because of its topic and therefore try this
home.earthlink.net/~hldettling/songs.htm (how to make this "blue"? Need your help, Joe)
and you'll find at least 14 popular good, old german songs called Volksmusik plus some drinking songs.

Here's one example only:

Zogen einst fünf wilde Schwäne

Zogen einst fünf wilde Schwäne
Schwäne leuchtend weiß und schön.
|: Sing, sing, was geschah?
Keiner ward mehr gesehen, ja! :|
Wuchsen einst fünf junge Birken
grün und frisch am Bachesrand.
|: Sing, sing, was geschah?
Keine in Blüten stand. :|
Zogen einst fünf junge Burschen
stolz und kühn zum Kampf hinaus.
|: Sing, sing, was geschah?
Keiner kehrt nach Haus. :|
Wuchsen einst fünf junge Mädchen
schlank und schön am Memelstrand.
|: Sing, sing, was geschah?
Keines den Brautkranz wand. :|

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 15 Feb 08 - 07:41 PM

Deutsche Lieder - German Songs

What a mixture! Any page containing the word 'Brauchtum' is suspect as far as I am concerned.

However, I found I remember about 90 per cent of the songs listed from childhood and am still perfectly able to sing them.

Incidentally, the song Manfred quotes above is the German version of what Pete Seeger turned into his great song 'Where have all the flowers gone'. Both go back to a Cossack song quoted in Sholokhov's 'Quiet Flows the Don'.

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: Leadbelly
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 05:34 AM

Susanne, agreed, because I don't like the term "Brauchtum", too. This addition simply was to offer some well known german songs to people interested in this music.

Manfred

Subject: Grad' aus dem Wirthshaus
From: keberoxu
Date: 25 Apr 17 - 07:01 PM

Well, after considering where to post this, I'm going to choose this thread.

Now, this is a curious case.

The lyrics came first, and they were published in 1842 in a book of poems.
The poet is Heinrich von Mühler.

To make a long murky story short and sweet:
this is one of the better-known Oktoberfest Oom - pah - pah tunes.
But the little tune is of Spanish origin, by many accounts, anonymous/folk tune.
Anyway, somebody got the bright idea to fit von Mühler's poem to the Spanish melody, and there you are.

Von Mühler's original title for the poem was:

BEDENKLICHKEITEN

Grad' aus dem Wirthshaus komm' ich heraus,
Straße, wie wunderlich siehst du mir aus!
Rechter Hand, linker Hand, beides vertauscht --
Straße, ich merke wohl, du bist berauscht.

Was für ein schief Gesicht, Mond, machst denn du?
Ein Auge hat er auf, eins hat er zu.
Du wirst betrunken sein, das seh' ich hell:
Schäme dich, schäme dich, alter Gesell!

Und die Laternen erst, was muß ich sehn!
Die können alle nicht grade mehr stehn.
Wackeln und fackeln die Kreuz und die Quer:
Scheinen betrunken mir allesammt schwer.

Alles im Sturme rings, großes und klein,
Wag' ich darunter mich, nüchtern allein?
Das scheint bedenklich mir, ein Wagestück --
Da geh' ich lieber ins Wirthshaus zurück.

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Leadbelly
Date: 26 Apr 17 - 11:20 AM

That's a poem about a drunk man leaving his pub and walked around. In the end he returns to his pub again. Manfred

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Eddie1 (Cookie lost forever)
Date: 27 Apr 17 - 05:42 AM

I like Bettina Wegner http://www.contraermusik.de/kuenstler/wegner/ .
Wolfgang - you mentioned "Die Gedanken Sind Frei". Hate to try to tell you this and not trying to be clever but it is actually a Swiss song although admittedly Deutsch is one of the languages of the Swiss.
Eddie

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Apr 17 - 02:22 PM

From the nineteenth century -- and thus, in the public domain --
an English translation of "Grad' aus dem Wirthshaus."

THE TOPER'S DILEMMA.

Just from the inn my departure I took;
Street, thou hast surely a marvelous look!
Right side and left side are both out of place;
Street, thou art tipsy! -- a very clear case.

Moon, what a comical face thou dost make,
One of thine eyes asleep, t' other awake!
Thou, too, art tipsy, I plainly can see;
Shame, my old comrade, oh shame upon thee!

Look at the lampposts too, here is a sight,
Not one among them can now stand upright;   
Flickering and flackering to right and to left,
Sure they all seem of their sense bereft.

All things around me are whirling about,
One sober man alone, dare I come out?
That seems too venturesome, almost a sin --
Think I had better go back to the inn.

English translation by Henry William Dulcken.   Pages 113 - 114,
The Book of German Songs.

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: Max
Date: 21 Nov 17 - 10:34 PM

Hey Joe:

Bläck Fööß

ß
¾
®
©
£

I think I figured it out. Special characters are back in play.

Subject: RE: Quiz: Sugar and spice . . .
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Nov 17 - 10:42 PM

;-)

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Nov 17 - 02:20 AM

Thank you very much, Max. Umlauts are very important to me.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 22 Nov 17 - 12:28 PM

I'm gonna stick with hypertext markup language code, thanks.

---

That's always the best way to do it (and it's what I do 😉), but it's too difficult for many.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 22 Nov 17 - 11:36 PM

But, Joe, if I can do it, anybody can ...

---

Don't put yourself down, keberoxu. You're smarter than the average bear. 😄
-Joe-

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 23 Nov 17 - 02:45 PM

The problem of non-English characters has been discussed here for many years ("ad nauseam", to quote Artful Codger). The current "solution" has some advantages and drawbacks, as stated many times. If it is guaranteed to be in force till the end of our days, postings in German, French, Spanish and Italian are safe.

Most other languages miss out, even if based on Latin characters such as Polish. Their users are not any worse off than they used to be, though, if they do the right thing using HTML escapes. However, those who sinned earlier will now no longer be able to read their own old postings correctly, and those of their compatriots (in terms of codepage).

The same applies to genuinely "special" characters such as ♫. (I produced this by entering "♫"; if I enter the character directly it still results in: ?.) This notably includes the automatically prettified apostrophes from some "smart"phones. From this point of view, switching to UTF-8 (as Max tried out and rejected before) was a better idea.

For other ideas see those old threads such as 135626.

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 23 Nov 17 - 04:12 PM

Max, I just researched about "accept-charset" (- as you noticed, I am not an expert). It may well work as you expect, and indeed seems to do so within the Preview page, but not from the normal thread page. With some more twisting of the script, you may succeed after all! Good luck!

Subject: RE: German Folk Songs
From: DaveRo
Date: 23 Nov 17 - 04:17 PM

There are currently differences between the way the thread page and the preview page work with non-ASCII characters. I let Max know earlier today.

Subject: Lyr Add: Sie können es nehmen, wie sie wollen
From: keberoxu
Date: 11 Mar 18 - 12:19 PM

Well, I don't know of a tune for this one.
But it comes from the venerable anthology,
"Des Knaben Wunderhorn."

We have satirical/nonsense lyrics like this in English on the Mudcat,
but how many German lyrics do we have in this vein?
Anybody want to work out an English translation to this one,
be my guest.

SIE KÖNNEN ES NEHMEN, WIE SIE WOLLEN

Ein Mägdlein jung gefällt mir wohl,
Von Jahren alt, weiß wie ein Kohl,
Schön wie ein Rab ihr gelbes Haar,
Tiefdunkel sind ihr Äuglein klar.

Die Stirn rund wie ein Falten Rock,
Feist ausgedörrt die Bäcklein schmuck.
Blauroth ist ihr das Mündlein weiß,
Schön häßlich ich sie schelt und preis.

Schneeweiß sind ihre schwarze Händ',
Wie eine Schneck ihr Gang behend,
Wie ein Kettenhund sie freundlich redt,
Sauhöflich, wenn sie geht und steht.

Ein solches Mägdlein hätt ich gern,
Nah bei ihr zu sein sehr weit und fern,
Sie oft zu herzen nimmermehr,
Gott nehm sie bald! ist mein Begehr.

bibliography:
attributed to
Nikolaus Rosthius' liebliche Galliarden, published 1593.
and reprinted in

Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Alte deutsche Lieder gesammelt von L. Achim v. Arnim und Clemens Brentano, zweiter Band, zweiter Auflage. Berlin, 1876.