Die schöne Müllerin, Part 2: "Die böse Farbe"

Hello again!

After another large gap in posts which included singing around the Northeast and getting a full-time job in the arts, I've decided to return to blogging. Hopefully this reunion will be far more consistent than my previous returns!

I'd like to follow up on my previous post, which was an analysis of Schubert's "Die liebe Farbe", or "The Beloved Color" from his incredible song cycle Die schöne Müllerin. I'm now going to move onto "Die böse Farbe", or "The Evil Color". "Die böse Farbe" varies greatly both lyrically and harmonically from it's more weighty and depressive counterpart, but it's the combination of the two songs that make the story told by the miller all the more poignant. You can find a short summary of Die schöne Müllerin in the previous post.

Below is a video of the tenor Peter Schreier singing "Die böse Farbe", with Walter Olbertz accompanying.

Here is the German text and English translation, which can be found on recmusic.org:

Ich möchte ziehn in die Welt hinaus, Hinaus in die weite Welt; Wenn's nur so grün, so grün nicht wär, Da draußen in Wald und Feld! Ich möchte die grünen Blätter all Pflücken von jedem Zweig, Ich möchte die grünen Gräser all Weinen ganz totenbleich. Ach Grün, du böse Farbe du, Was siehst mich immer an So stolz, so keck, so schadenfroh, Mich armen weißen Mann? Ich möchte liegen vor ihrer Tür [In]1 Sturm und Regen und Schnee. Und singen ganz leise bei Tag und Nacht Das eine Wörtchen: Ade! Horch, wenn im Wald ein Jagdhorn [ruft]2, Da klingt ihr Fensterlein! Und schaut sie auch nach mir nicht aus, Darf ich doch schauen hinein. O binde von der Stirn dir ab Das grüne, grüne Band; Ade, ade! Und reiche mir Zum Abschied deine Hand!

I'd like to go out into the world, Out into the wide world; If only it weren't so green, so green, Out there in the forest and field! I would like to pluck all the green leaves From every branch, I would like to weep on all the grass Until it is deathly pale. Ah, Green, you hateful color, you, Why do you always look at me, So proud, so bold, so gloating, And me only a poor, flour-covered man? I would like to lay in front of her door, In storm and rain and snow. And sing so sofly by day and by night One little word: farewell! Hark, when in the forest a hunter's horn sounds - Her window clicks! And she looks out, but not for me; Yet I can certainly look in. O do unwind from your brow That green, green ribbon; Farewell, farewell! And give me Your hand in parting!

The score I use can be found here: http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/f/f6/IMSLP03233-Schubert_dsm_em.pdf

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While the piece is far shorter than "Die liebe Farbe", mostly due to the verse-refrain form of the song, "Die böse Farbe" packs quite a punch into its approximately 2+ minute performance time, and requires a different analytical approach. However, since this is part deux of a two-part post, a good place to start analyzing would be to compare the differences between "Die liebe Farbe" and "Die böse Farbe".

So, let's start with texture! "Die liebe Farbe" contained mostly block-chords that served to accentuate the pulse-level of the rhythmic structure , and it also contained that pesky continuous F# ostinato figure! There was also the descant figure in the left hand that appeared throughout the piece.

Even from the first few measures of "Die böse Farbe", we can see that the harmonic texture is far more diverse, as it contains both arpeggiated chords and block-chords. 

In terms of harmonic content, "Die liebe Farbe" was primarily set in B minor, with a brief shift into B major and another brief tonicization of F minor. As we look at "Die böse Farbe, we can see that it also contains some pretty blatant modal mixture, as the accompaniment abruptly shifts from B major to B minor in m. 3, and abruptly shifts back to B major in m. 5.  The striking difference is that, in "Die böse Farbe", the harmonic shifts are dynamically and rhythmically highlighted.

Now that we have a better idea of what we're dealing with here, let's look at the text!

I'd like to go out into the world,

Out into the wide world;
If only it weren't so green, so green,
Out there in the forest and field!

I would like to pluck all the green leaves
From every branch,
I would like to weep on all the grass
Until it is deathly pale.

Ah, Green, you hateful color, you,
Why do you always look at me,
So proud, so bold, so gloating,
And me only a poor, flour-covered man?

I would like to lay in front of her door,
In storm and rain and snow.
And sing so sofly by day and by night
One little word: farewell!

Hark, when in the forest a hunter's horn sounds -
Her window clicks! 
And she looks out, but not for me;
Yet I can certainly look in.

O do unwind from your brow
That green, green ribbon;
Farewell, farewell! And give me
Your hand in parting!

Woah! So now the miller hates green? 

But it does, especially when we look back to the material presented in "Die liebe Farbe"...

When the miller starts singing in m. 5, we've jumped right back into B major from B minor. The text here reads:

I'd like to go out into the world,

Out into the wide world;
If only it weren't so green, so green,
Out there in the forest and field!

I would like to pluck all the green leaves
From every branch,
I would like to weep on all the grass
Until it is deathly pale.

What's so interesting here is that, when the text reflects a happier mood, such as in the first two lines, the music is clearly set in B major. When we text changes to a more hateful tone, the harmonic structure begins to unravel, especially in mm. 17-22, where the miller says that he wants to "weep on all the grass/Until it is deathly pale". There is a stark and concise shift here to B minor, which only solidifies the harmonic and, thus, mental breakdown the miller is experiencing.

These first 22 measures only tonicize various keys, but the once we get to m. 23, things start to change:

Holy pedal tone on B natural! Not only does the pedal tone allow the sequence to occur in mm. 23-28, but the pedal tone also occurs in a group of three, disrupting the rhythmic fabric of the piece as well. And what does the next noun in the text happen to be?

Grün.

You evil rhythmically and harmonically disrupting word!

However, unlike "Die liebe Farbe", green in this piece does not seem to be represented by both a single pitch (F#) and a single rhythmic figure; the rhythmic figure takes wheel as the dominant representation of grün, leading the listener to believe that the trumpet call from the hunter (Jäger) is what the miller perceives as green...

...BUT, if you take a look at mm. 30-31, there is  a WHOLE LOT of love for F#, which the idea being that the piece needs to return to B major. So, grün could absolutely still be F#.

What do you think?

As always, comments are not just appreciated; they make this blog what it is and could be. Stay tuned for the next entry, where I'll be covering some AWESOME English art song...