Hymnus an das Leben
Encyclopedia
The Hymn to Life is a musical composition
for mixed chorus
and orchestra
by German
philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche
.
Oft-regarded to be idiosyncratic for a philosopher, Nietzsche accorded to his music that it played a role in the understanding of his philosophical thought. In particular, this was laden upon Hymn to Life. This song's melody was also used earlier in Hymn to Friendship for piano, which was once conducted by Nietzsche at Bayreuth
for the Wagner
s and had, according to Cosima Wagner, led to the first sign of a break with his friend Richard, in 1874. In spite of Nietzsche's intonations about his music, his music has largely been regarded as a biographical curiosity, irrelevant to his philosophical work.
along with an aspect of his "gaya scienza", in Ecce Homo
: "...that Hymn to Life...—a scarcely trivial symptom of my condition during that year when the Yes-saying pathos par excellence, which I call the tragic pathos, was alive in me to the highest degree. The time will come when it will be sung in my memory" (trans. Walter Kaufmann). The composition Hymn to Life was partly done by Nietzsche in August and September 1882, supported by the second stanza of the poem Lebensgebet by Lou Andreas-Salome.
During 1884, Nietzsche wrote to Gast: "This time, 'music' will reach you. I want to have a song made that could also be performed in public in order to seduce people to my philosophy." With this request Lebensgebet was further emended to Friendship and orchestrated by "maestro
Pietro Gasti
", who modestly denied any reference in publication to his alterations of what Nietzsche had done previously. (Some, on the other hand, including Benjamin Moritz, conclude that these changes are significant enough to demerit Life as an unfeigned work by Nietzsche and classify it as a work by Köselitz.) Thereafter it was published under Nietzsche by E. W. Fritzsch in Leipzig
as the first edition amid the summer of 1887, which is Friendship simply put to Andreas-Salome's Lied and with orchestral alterations, entitled Hymnus an das Leben.
In October of the same year, Nietzsche wrote a letter to the German conductor
Felix Mottl
, to whom he expressed about his composition Life that which pertains to its high aesthetical import for his philosophical oeuvre: "I wish that this piece of music may stand as a complement to the word of the philosopher which, in the manner of words, must remain by necessity unclear. The affect of my philosophy finds its expression in this hymn." The following December, he wrote to Georg Brandes a letter in which he commented: "A choral and orchestral work of mine is just being published, a Hymn to Life. It is the one composition of mine that is meant to survive and to be sung one day 'in my memory'...."
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
for mixed chorus
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
and orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
.
Oft-regarded to be idiosyncratic for a philosopher, Nietzsche accorded to his music that it played a role in the understanding of his philosophical thought. In particular, this was laden upon Hymn to Life. This song's melody was also used earlier in Hymn to Friendship for piano, which was once conducted by Nietzsche at Bayreuth
Bayreuth Festspielhaus
The or Bayreuth Festival Theatre is an opera house north of Bayreuth, Germany, dedicated solely to the performance of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner...
for the Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
s and had, according to Cosima Wagner, led to the first sign of a break with his friend Richard, in 1874. In spite of Nietzsche's intonations about his music, his music has largely been regarded as a biographical curiosity, irrelevant to his philosophical work.
Origin
Nietzsche stated, after communicating the main idea of ZarathustraThus Spoke Zarathustra
Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is a philosophical novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, composed in four parts between 1883 and 1885...
along with an aspect of his "gaya scienza", in Ecce Homo
Ecce Homo
Ecce Homo are the Latin words used by Pontius Pilate in the Vulgate translation of the , when he presents a scourged Jesus Christ, bound and crowned with thorns, to a hostile crowd shortly before his Crucifixion. The original Greek is Ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄνθρωπος . The King James Version translates the phrase...
: "...that Hymn to Life...—a scarcely trivial symptom of my condition during that year when the Yes-saying pathos par excellence, which I call the tragic pathos, was alive in me to the highest degree. The time will come when it will be sung in my memory" (trans. Walter Kaufmann). The composition Hymn to Life was partly done by Nietzsche in August and September 1882, supported by the second stanza of the poem Lebensgebet by Lou Andreas-Salome.
During 1884, Nietzsche wrote to Gast: "This time, 'music' will reach you. I want to have a song made that could also be performed in public in order to seduce people to my philosophy." With this request Lebensgebet was further emended to Friendship and orchestrated by "maestro
Maestro
Maestro is a title of extreme respect given to a master musician. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera. This is associated with the ubiquitous use of Italian vocabulary for classical music terms...
Pietro Gasti
Heinrich Köselitz
Johann Heinrich Köselitz was a German author and composer. He is known for his longtime friendship with Friedrich Nietzsche, who gave him the pseudonym Peter Gast.- Life :...
", who modestly denied any reference in publication to his alterations of what Nietzsche had done previously. (Some, on the other hand, including Benjamin Moritz, conclude that these changes are significant enough to demerit Life as an unfeigned work by Nietzsche and classify it as a work by Köselitz.) Thereafter it was published under Nietzsche by E. W. Fritzsch in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
as the first edition amid the summer of 1887, which is Friendship simply put to Andreas-Salome's Lied and with orchestral alterations, entitled Hymnus an das Leben.
In October of the same year, Nietzsche wrote a letter to the German conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Felix Mottl
Felix Mottl
Felix Josef von Mottl was an Austrian conductor and composer. He was regarded as one of the most brilliant conductors of his day. He composed three operas, of which Agnes Bernauer was the most successful, as well as a string quartet and numerous songs and other music...
, to whom he expressed about his composition Life that which pertains to its high aesthetical import for his philosophical oeuvre: "I wish that this piece of music may stand as a complement to the word of the philosopher which, in the manner of words, must remain by necessity unclear. The affect of my philosophy finds its expression in this hymn." The following December, he wrote to Georg Brandes a letter in which he commented: "A choral and orchestral work of mine is just being published, a Hymn to Life. It is the one composition of mine that is meant to survive and to be sung one day 'in my memory'...."
See also
- List of works by Friedrich Nietzsche
- Nietzsche Music ProjectNietzsche Music ProjectThe Nietzsche Music Project is a non-profit interdisciplinary arts organization created in 1990, which is influenced by the ideas of the 19th century German philosopher, and whose purpose is to foster an enhanced understanding and appreciation, by the general public, of Nietzsche's work as...
External links
- Nietzsche Music Project
- John Bell Young's discography, displays of his work on Nietzsche's music are included.
- Customer review by John Bell Young on Nietzsche's music with criticism of the reviewed CD, Lauretta Altman, etc.
- "The Music and Thought of Friedrich Nietzsche"—a dissertation by Ben Moritz (PDF): "the original Hymnus an die Freundschaft is a generally well-written and delightful work, worthy of inclusion in the piano repertoire."
- Nietzsche's music in four volumes.
- Nietzsche as Composer