2020 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770- 1827), surely one of the greatest composers in western music. His vast…
2020 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770- 1827), surely one of the greatest composers in western music. His vast output is still at the very heart of the chamber, vocal, solo and symphonic repertoire today and he was an important link between the Classical era and the Romantic age. Beethoven took the traditions of the past, changed and developed them into music which was ground breaking for his time but which has stood the test of time.
‘Fidelio’ was Beethoven’s only opera, first performed in Vienna in 1805, subsequently revised and newly premiered in 1814. No other work caused him so much frustration and disappointment and he found the difficulties of writing and producing an opera so disagreeable, that he never attempted to compose another. In a letter to Treitschke he said, “I assure you, dear Treitschke, that this opera will win me a martyr’s crown. You have by your co-operation saved what is best from the shipwreck. For all this I shall be eternally grateful to you.”
‘Abscheulicher! wo eilst du hin?…Komm, Hoffnung, lass den letzten Stern’ is a recitative and aria from Act 1 of ‘Fidelio’ and performed by Leonora (soprano). Leonore overhears the Prison Governor talking about killing a prisoner whom she believes is her husband, Florestan. She wonders how he can be so cruel, but soon decided that love will help her overcome his evil plans.
The aria was transcribed for double bass by František Simandl (1840-1912) and first published by C.F. Schmidt (Heilbronn, Germany) as part of his Method for the Double Bass III: Advanced Course (Volume 6) alongside transcriptions by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Domeier and Bach. Simandl was a pioneer of his day and composed, transcribed and commissioned a wealth of music for the double bass when few others were doing so.
Simandl is fairly faithful to the original aria, although he does occasionally embellish the melodic line to create added interest and variety. It transcribes well for the double bass, transposed one tone lower than the original pitch, and this new edition has piano accompaniments for both solo and orchestral tunings.
The aria has been described as ‘one of the most emotionally gripping arias in opera literature’ and the sonorous and dramatic cantabile of the solo double bass adds a new dimension to music of enormous depth and passion.
