Heinrich Heine
Tchaikovsky Research
German poet, journalist, essayist, and literary critic (b. 13 December 1797 [N.S.] at Düsseldorf; d. 17 February 1856 [N.S.] in Paris), born Christian Johann Heinrich Heine.
Tchaikovsky's Settings of Works by Heine
Tchaikovsky used Heine's poems in three of his song settings:
- Warum sind denn die Rosen so blaß? (1822), in a Russian translation by Lev Mey (1822–1862), as Why? (Отчего?), No. 5 of the Six Romances, Op. 6 (1869).
- Die blauen Frühlingsaugen (1831), in a Russian translation by Mikhail Mikhaylov (1829–1865), as Blue Eyes of Spring (Глазки весны голубые), No. 2 of the Two Songs (1873).
- Ich wollt', meine Schmerzen ergössen, from the cycle Die Heimkehr (1824), in a Russian translation by Lev Mey (1822–1862), as I Should Like in a Single Word (Хотел бы в единое слово), No. 1 of the Two Songs (1875).
Tchaikovsky also made Russian translations of two German songs which Anton Rubinstein had set to Heine's texts:
- Der Asra (Rubinstein's Op. 32, No. 6) — as Azra (Азра) (1871).
- Frühlingslied (Rubinstein's Op. 32, No. 1) — as Spring Song (Весенняя песея) (1872).
