("Springtime, how good and faithful you are"), WAB 58 is a lied composed by Anton Bruckner in 1856 on a text of Oskar von Redwitz.
History Bruckner composed the lied on five strophes of Oskar von Redwitz' .Oskar von Redwitz, Amaranth (29. Auflage), Franz Kirchheim, Mainz, 1874, pp. 72-74 He dedicated the work to Friedrich Mayer, prelate of the St. Florian Abbey.C. Van Zwol, p. 716U. Harten, p. 49
Two original manuscripts are stored in the and by the editor Anton Böhn & Sohn in Augsburg. The lied was first published in 1902 by Max Marschalk in Die Musik, Band 1, No. 17. The first public performance occurred during a concert of the Wiener Akademischer Wagner-Verein on 5 February 1903 by Gisella Seehofer, who then also premiered Bruckner's Ave Maria, WAB 7 and Im April.C. van Zwol, p. 718
In 1930, a facsimile of it was published in Band III/2, pp. 184–188 of the Göllerich/Auer biography. The song is issued in Band XXIII/1, No. 2 of the .Gesamtausgabe – Lieder für Gesang und Klavier
Text
The song uses strophes 1, 2, 3, 8 & 9 of Oskar von Redwitz' Amaranths Waldeslieder. Springtime, how good and faithful you are, That you never come with empty hands! You bring new leaves to the tree, And a colourful robe to the little flower!
You bring the song to the little bird, By you, the sky laughs so blue! You bring the sunshine to the world. But, what have you brought to me?
Little forest bird! How kindly you sing Today, as never before! A little bird might for pure delight fly upwards high to God!
Dear little birds, keep ever singing, As long as your little chest is able! Sing of the spring's splendour, Sing of the spring's love and lust!
If you would you sing for ever, Day and night for thousands of years, You could never sing enough! God made the world so beautiful!
Music The 102-bar long work in G major is scored for solo voice and piano.
Discography There are two recordings of Wie bist du Frühling, gut und treu: Robert Holzer (bass), Thomas Kerbl (piano), Anton Bruckner Lieder/Magnificat – CD: LIVA 046, 2011. NB: Transposed in E major. Elisabeth Wimmer (soprano), Daniel Linton-France (piano) in "Bruckner, Anton – Böck liest Bruckner I" – CD – Gramola 99195, 3 October 2018 (in 3 parts)
References
Sources August Göllerich, Anton Bruckner. Ein Lebens- und Schaffens-Bild, – posthumous edited by Max Auer by G. Bosse, Regensburg, 1932 Anton Bruckner – Sämtliche Werke, Band XXIII/1: Lieder für Gesang und Klavier (1851–1882), Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Angela Pachovsky (Editor), Vienna, 1997 Cornelis van Zwol, Anton Bruckner 1824–1896 – Leven en werken, uitg. Thoth, Bussum, Netherlands, 2012. Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. , Salzburg, 1996. .
External links
Amaranths Waldeslieder G-Dur, WAB 58 – Critical discography by Hans Roelofs Rüdiger Büll (baritone), Ulrike Zeitler (piano): first item of Anton Bruckner -- Wie bist du Frühling WAB58 + Mein Herz und deine Stimme WAB79 - transposed in E major