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Der Seufzer
Last updated: 02.02.24
Der Seufzer (The Sigher - one who emits long, deep audible breaths expressing sadness, relief or tiredness) is an ironic poem written by Christian Morgenstern and set to music as an SATB choral work by Heinz Lemmermann.
It tells the grotesque tale of a sigher ice-skating at night while dreaming of love and happiness. When he (it only be a he!) came to the snow-white gleaming city wall, he started thinking about a girl and glowed while rooted to the spot. He did this to such an extent that the ice beneath him melted whereupon he fell through the ice and was never seen again. And the moral of the tale? Well that is up to you dear surfer.
I was tasked with singing the bass part by when auditioning to join a small mixed Bremen group [Christian, Henner, Maja, Marlene] after my time in the Collegium Musicum Bremen. It was amongst 15 other SATB quartet pieces.
Der Seufzer is one of five similar pieces by Morgenstein/Meyer which may be found in Carmina curiosa published by Edition Eres.
     Title Performer Composer
       
youtube15.jpg Der Seufzer (1:19) Enno Kraus/René Pöhler