Do Not Look into My Songs!
Text by Friedrich Rückert
Do not look into my songs!
My eyes I lower,
as if I've been caught in an evil deed.
I can't even trust myself
to watch them grow.
Your curiosity is a betrayal.
Bees, when they build their cells,
also don’t let anyone observe them;
even themselves.
When the rich honeycombs
are brought out to the light of day,
then you shall taste them before everyone else!
One of Friedrich Rückert’s poems argues for privacy during the creative process. No wonder the lyrics resonated with Gustav Mahler, who was inspired to create “Do Not Look Into My Songs.”
Guests include:
• Thomas Hampson, Foremost Baritone & Opera Star
• Marilyn McCoy, Columbia University, New York
Music used in Episode 3. All titles used with permission.
Rückert Lieder: Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder
By Gustav Mahler
Piano arrangement and embellishment
Written and performed by D.D. Jackson
Rückert Lieder: Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder
By Gustav Mahler
Sung by Christine Schäfer, accompanied by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.
Capriccio (C5101)
The Tale of Tsar Saltan: Flight of the Bumblebee
By Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Performed by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Schwartz
Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.
Naxos (8.572693)
© 2020 Aaron Cohen