Dear Karen,
The sources I consulted seem to indicate that Tchaikovsky set Mey's
translation of Goethe's text, "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt," as
opposed to the German original.
In my copy from Classical Vocal Reprints, which is taken from an
unspecified Russian edition, it says in Russian at the top of the
piece, "Words by L. A. Mey (after Goethe)."
The Lied and Song Texts Page (http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/) lists
the song as:
"Pesn' Min'ony: Net, tolko tot, kto znal (Mignon's song: Only one who
knows loneliness. Text by Lev Aleksandrovich Mey (1822-1862), after
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). . . Also set in the original
German by other composers. "
http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/v/various/tchaik6.6.html
Herbert Weinstock writes on p. 71 of his book "Tchaikovsky," (NY: Da
Capo Press, 1980)(reprint of NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1943):
"Early in December 1869 . . . [Tchaikovsky] had finished the first
group of songs he was to publish. Of the half-dozen in opus 6 . . .
two are settings of translated German poems, Heine's 'Warum [sind
denn die Rosen so blass]' ["Otchevo", Op. 6, #5]and Goethe's 'Nur wer
die Sehnsucht kennt' ['Nyet, tolko tot know znal,' or 'None but the
Lonely Heart,' Op. 6, #6]."
In the list of works on p. 425 of Anthony Holden's
book, "Tchaikovsky," Holden lists Op. 6, #6 as "None but the lonely
heart (Mey, after Goethe)."
In his list of Tchaikovsky's works, Holden lists two other
translations of German poems set by Tchaikovsky: "I should like in a
single word" ["Khotel by, v yedinoye slovo"], which is Mey's
translation of Heine's "Ich wollt, meine Schmerzen ergoessen"(WoO,
1875) and "Mignon's Song," Tyutchev's translation of Goethe's "Kennst
du das Land," "Ti znaesh krai," (Op. 25, #3: 1874). Tchaikovsky's
Six Romances, Op. 65, however, are listed as being settings of
original French texts.
Hope this helps.
Celeste Emmons Jamerson
www.CelesteJamerson.com
--- In vocalist-temporary@y..., Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...> wrote:
> I know where the
> lyric for Tchaikovsky's "None but the lonely heart" came from - it's
> Mignon's song from Goethe's novel WILHELM MEISTER'S APPRENTICESHIP.
>
> What I'm finding difficult to learn is whether the song is more
> appropriately performed in German or in Russian.
>
>
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