Der König in Thule
Encyclopedia
Der König in Thule, "The King in Thule", is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
, written in 1774. It was later used by the poet as a brief passage of his masterwork, the tragedy Faust
(Part I, lines 2759-82).
in July 1774. Under Herder
's influence, the setting was changed to the mythical island kingdom Thule
, which was thought to be the northernmost place Greek seafarers ventured in antiquity.
The time of creation of this poem coincides with Goethe's first draft of his Faust — a work he would return to and revise throughout his lifetime. He worked on the first version (Urfaust) around 1772–1775, the next (Faust. Ein Fragment) from 1788 to 1790, Faust, Part I from 1797 to 1805 and finally Faust, Part II from 1825 to 1831, which was completed only a few months before his death at the age of 82 and published posthumously in 1832. The song, composed, like every literary ballad
, in an artificially obsolete poetic language to make it sound like a traditional folk song, is used as Gretchen (Margaret)'s introduction, and provides a context in which to interpret her eventual fate. There are subtle differences of the song between the various versions, reflecting Goethe's progress on the tragedy.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
, written in 1774. It was later used by the poet as a brief passage of his masterwork, the tragedy Faust
Goethe's Faust
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust is a tragic play in two parts: and . Although written as a closet drama, it is the play with the largest audience numbers on German-language stages...
(Part I, lines 2759-82).
History
Goethe wrote a poem entitled "Geistesgruß", regarded as a precursor of "Der König in Thule", whilst travelling along the river LahnLahn
The Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate ....
in July 1774. Under Herder
Johann Gottfried Herder
Johann Gottfried von Herder was a German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic. He is associated with the periods of Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, and Weimar Classicism.-Biography:...
's influence, the setting was changed to the mythical island kingdom Thule
Thule
Thule Greek: Θούλη, Thoulē), also spelled Thula, Thila, or Thyïlea, is, in classical European literature and maps, a region in the far north. Though often considered to be an island in antiquity, modern interpretations of what was meant by Thule often identify it as Norway. Other interpretations...
, which was thought to be the northernmost place Greek seafarers ventured in antiquity.
The time of creation of this poem coincides with Goethe's first draft of his Faust — a work he would return to and revise throughout his lifetime. He worked on the first version (Urfaust) around 1772–1775, the next (Faust. Ein Fragment) from 1788 to 1790, Faust, Part I from 1797 to 1805 and finally Faust, Part II from 1825 to 1831, which was completed only a few months before his death at the age of 82 and published posthumously in 1832. The song, composed, like every literary ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, in an artificially obsolete poetic language to make it sound like a traditional folk song, is used as Gretchen (Margaret)'s introduction, and provides a context in which to interpret her eventual fate. There are subtle differences of the song between the various versions, reflecting Goethe's progress on the tragedy.
Text
| German | English |
|---|---|
Gar treu bis an das Grab, Dem sterbend seine Buhle einen goldnen Becher gab. Es ging ihm nichts darüber, Er leert' ihn jeden Schmaus; Die Augen gingen ihm über, So oft er trank daraus. Und als er kam zu sterben, Zählt' er seine Städt' im Reich, Gönnt' alles seinen Erben, Den Becher nicht zugleich. Er saß beim Königsmahle, Die Ritter um ihn her, Auf hohem Vätersaale, Dort auf dem Schloß am Meer. Dort Stand der alte Zecher, Trank letzte Lebensglut, Und warf den heiligen Becher Hinunter in die Flut. Er sah ihn stürzen, trinken Und sinken tief ins Meer, die Augen täten ihm sinken, Trank nie einen Tropfen mehr. |
So faithful to the grave. His love, when she was dying, a goblet of gold him gave. He used to love it deeply, And always drank from it. His eyes they filled with tears Whenever he emptied it. And when his time to die came He counted all his wealth, And everything gave to his heirs, But only kept that cup. He sat at the royal banquet, With all his knights around, In his forefathers' lofty hall There in his castle by the sea. There stood the old carouser, And drank life's final glow, Then threw the holy goblet far Deep down into the waves. He watched it fall, and drinking it sank deep into the sea. He closed his eyes forever, And never drank a drop more. |
Reception
The poem attained wide popularity, and was set to music by the following composers:- Karl Siegmund von Seckendorff (1782)
- Johann Friedrich ReichardtJohann Friedrich ReichardtJohann Friedrich Reichardt was a German composer, writer and music critic.-Early life:Reichardt was born in Königsberg, East Prussia, to lutenist and Stadtmusiker Johann Reichardt . Johann Friedrich began his musical training, in violin, keyboard, and lute, as a child...
(1809) - Carl Friedrich ZelterCarl Friedrich ZelterCarl Friedrich Zelter was a German composer, conductor and teacher of music.Zelter became friendly with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and his works include settings of Goethe's poems...
(1812) - Franz SchubertFranz SchubertFranz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
(1816), D 367 Song "Der König in Thule", Op. 5, Nr. 5 - Friedrich SilcherFriedrich SilcherPhillipp Friedrich Silcher , was a German composer, mainly known for his lieder , and an important folksong collector.-Life:...
(1823) - Hector BerliozHector BerliozHector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
, Marguerite's aria in the opera La damnation de Faust ("Autrefois un roi de Thulé") - Heinrich MarschnerHeinrich MarschnerHeinrich August Marschner , was the most important composer of German Romantic opera between Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner, and is remembered principally for his operas Hans Heiling , Der Vampyr , and Der Templer und die Jüdin...
- Franz LisztFranz LisztFranz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
(1843) in Buch der Lieder S. 531 - Robert SchumannRobert SchumannRobert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
op. 67, no. 1 (1849) - Charles GounodCharles GounodCharles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
, Marguerite's aria in the 1859 opera Faust ("Il était un roi de Thulé") - Jules MassenetJules MassenetJules Émile Frédéric Massenet was a French composer best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and he ranks as one of the greatest melodists of his era. Soon after his death, Massenet's style went out of fashion, and many of his operas...
, unperformed 1866 opera La coupe du roi de Thulé - Hans von BülowHans von BülowHans Guido Freiherr von Bülow was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. He was one of the most famous conductors of the 19th century, and his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, including Richard...
- Hans Sommer (composer)Hans Sommer (composer)Hans Sommer was a German composer. He was most successful as a composer for the theatre. Several of his operas used librettos based on fairy tales and were first produced at Brunswick: Der Nachtwächter , Loreley , Rübezahl und der Sackpfeifer von Neisse , Riquet mit dem Schopf and Der...
(1920 or 1921) - Faun (band) Faun (band)Faun is a German band formed in 2002 who play pagan folk, darkwave and medieval music. The originality of their music style is that they fall back to "old" instruments, and the singing is always the center of attention. The vocals are performed in a variety of languages, including German, Latin,...
2000's - GrailknightsGrailknightsGrailknights is an epic melodic death metal band, with Viking metal influences, from Hanover.- History :The band was founded at the end of 2002 by musicians from Wunstorf and Hanover as Galactic Grailknights...
on their 2008 album Alliance
External links
- "Der König in Thule", German text (for Zelter's musical setting)
- Text in German, English, Dutch, Italian, Spanish; comprehensive list of musical settings