1° place – Femfestival 2022
“Mondspiel” is a reimagining of two famous German evening songs for Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Viola and Cello. The texts for “Der Mond is aufgegangen” and “Verstohlen geht der Mond auf” have inspired many composers throughout western music history, including Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms.
I grew up with the folk melodies as well as the art songs and choral settings. As I sat down with the poems, I found new ways of reimagining what a melody in my own compositional voice would sound like, yet with the goal to capture the essence of a folk song. For “Der Mond ist aufgegangen” a through-composed idea for two stanzas emerged that for me expressed the nuanced differences in the meaning. My version of “Verstohlen geht der Mond auf” is a lively and playful setting that harkens back to its origin as a festive harvest song.
“Mondspiel” was commissioned by the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble as companion songs to Luciano Berio’s “Folk Songs” and uses a subset of the instrumentation.
I. Der Mond ist aufgegangen
Text: Matthias Claudius (1740 -1815) , Translation: Ingrid Stölzel
The moon has risen,
the golden stars shine
Bright and clear in the sky;
The forest stands black and silent,
And from the meadows rises
a white marvelous fog.
Do you see the moon up there?
You can only see half of it
and yet it is round and beautiful.
So are perhaps some things
that we confidently laugh at,
because our eyes do not see them.
II. Verstohlen geht der Mond auf
Text: von Zuccalmaglio (1803–1869), Translation: Ingrid Stölzel
Surreptitiously the moon rises,
Blue, blue little flower!
Through silvery clouds leads his path;
Roses in the valley, girl in the hall,
Oh most beautiful Rosa!
Oh moon, look through the small window;
Blue, blue little flower!
Entice beautiful Trude with your glow;
Roses in the valley, girl in the hall,
Oh most beautiful Rosa!
Ingrid Stölzel
Composer Ingrid Stölzel has been described as having “a gift for melody” (San Francisco Classical Voice) and creating work that is “downright beautiful.” (American Record Guide). Stölzel’s compositions have been commissioned by leading soloists and ensembles, and performed in concert halls and festivals worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Kennedy Center, Seoul Arts Center, Thailand International Composition Festival, Festival Osmose (Belgium), Vox Feminae Festival (Israel), Dot the Line Festival (South Korea), Ritornello Chamber Music Festival (Canada), Festival of New Music at Florida State (USA), Beijing Modern Music Festival (China), Festival of New American Music (USA), and SoundOn Festival of Modern Music (USA).
Her music has been recognized in numerous competitions, among them the Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Composer’s Award, Red Note Composition Competition, the Robert Avalon International Competition for Composers, and the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra Competition. Stölzel is Associate Professor of Composition at the University of Kansas School of Music.
- Website: www.ingridstolzel.com
