Erstellt am: 22. 2. 2009 - 15:00 Uhr

I am an unusual thing

Das Wesen der Kunst. Michael Nyman vertont Mozart.

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Der Text des Liedes "I am an unusal thing" von Michael Nyman, erschienen 1991 auf seinem "Songbook", setzt sich einerseits aus einem der letzten Mozartbriefe, den er im Winter 1787 in Wien verfasste, und einem Mozart-Zitat (nach Constanze Mozart und V. Novello) zusammen.

Nachfolgend der Text und eine Interpretation von William George und dem Motyl Chamber Ensemble aus New York. Das Original, gesungen von Ute Lemper, sei explizit empfohlen.

I am an unusual thing

I am an unusual thing.
I have no soul and no body.
One cannot see me
but can hear me.
I do not exist for me alone.
Only a human beeing can give me life
as often as he wishes.
And my life is only of short duration,
for I die almost at the moment I am born.

And so, according to man's caprice,
I may live and die untold times a day.
To those who give me life I do nothing,
but those on whose account I am born
I leave with painful sensations
for the short duration of my life;
of my life till I depart.

I am appointed to a situation
which will afford me
leisure to write music
just to please myself.
And I feel capable of doing something
worthy of the fame I've acquired.
But instead, I must die.