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''Søvnen'' (''The Sleep''), for chorus and orchestra, Opus 18, is Carl Nielsen's second major choral work. It was first performed at the Music Society (''Musikforeningen'') in Copenhagen on 21 March 1905 under the baton of the composer. ==Background== The idea of writing ''Søvnen'' occurred to Nielsen in Athens shortly after he had composed the Helios Overture in early 1903. He asked Julius Lehmann whether he would like to write the text for the work but Lehmann declined. As a result, Nielsen began to write a text himself. Although he did not get very far with it, the idea behind the work comes across as calm sleep evolves into a nightmare: "The sons of Sleep, the Dreams, and their sisters, the Dream Sisters, rise up sleepily one by one. They are chained under the crown of the balm tree where first lazily, then attentively, they lift their heads and look in front of them... The whole world shakes and everything seems about to explode. Some voices shout for murder and blood."〔Lisbeth Ahlgren Jensen, "The Sleep", Cantatas 1, (Carl Nieslen Edition ), ''Royal Danish Library''. Retrieved 11 November 2010.〕 However, Nielsen had difficulty in advancing with the work. On 26 November 1903, in a letter to his friend Henrik Knudsen, he explains: "Today I have begun work on ‘Sleep’. It is indeed high time I did begin, for tomorrow it is the 28th of November and thus just a year since Saul and David was played for the first time, and in all that time I have only managed to produce the Helios Overture." In his memoirs, Svend Godske-Nielsen tells of how Nielsen appeared to escape from his difficulties when he "managed to write his beautiful melody for the poem ''Sænk kun dit Hoved, du Blomst'' (Lower thy head, o flower)." Johannes Jørgensen, who wrote the text of the song on 8 December 1903, also wrote the text for ''Søvnen'' although it is not clear how closely the two are related.〔 In a letter to Johannes Jørgensen dated 25 July 1903, Nielsen explains:〔(Elly Bruunshuus Petersen, "Carl Nielsen, Søvnen, Opus 18: En musiktekst bliver til" ), ''Fund og Forskning'', Bind 43 (2004). Retrieved 11 November 2010.〕 :I would like to portray sleep in music, a sort of hymn to its glory. Sleep heals all wounds and alleviates all troubles, it is the greatest good for all living creatures and the blissful state where nothing is hard and palpable but everything swims along in a long, golden eternity. Sleep has its dreams, both good and bad, but they must each return to their own quarters: for sleep can probably be disturbed but it never can be killed. (Macbeth). :It might therefore be a kind of poem in three parts. But do not be alarmed: there need not be many words and lines in each part, because unlike the other arts, music has of course the faculty of slowing down and speeding up whenever necessary. Perhaps you find the idea is not poetic or suitable for poetic treatment. But do whatever you can, dear friend, for I assure you that it is musically poetic in the highest degree. :I wish I was talented enough myself. But now permit me to explain what I would have written if I had been in a position to write the poems and shape the piece myself, though I recognize I do not have the slightest ability to do so. Just the raw ingredients, which you obviously should not take too seriously, but they will convey the direction in which I wish to go. I suggest: :I. Quietly and dreamily, the cloud veers off to the west. ::Fluffily, it rolls down below the earth's dark curve ::And the sun's last dark-red glow ::kisses — between long, lingering shadows — ::The green moss on great trees and stones ::And everything opens up and breathes long ::and deep in a tired smiling fight ::For a wealth of balm and manna and joy. :II. But out on the distant horizon ::Come ::- Dreams of bliss ::- Of evil ::- Of terror :::Help! :III. Great inquiring human eyes ::lower two by two ::their soft dull heavy lids ::and close like sleeping calyces ::who have drunk in the sun's bright crimson rays ::a day of dreams ::And sleep's soft wide waters ::flow over the whole world: :And then there might even be a look at the last long slumber. :So, dear John Jorgensen: :I. some words that express the joy of sleep :II.something that disturbs it :III.the first mood with perhaps an allusion to death. :If you would do this for me, I just do not know what I could do for you. You certainly will not regret it, because in addition to your fees, my gratitude and my friendship will certainly make a contribution. Please accept sincere greetings from my wife. She asks me to write to you that she is looking forward to meeting you and your wife in the near future, as we have to tell you about Greece and talk about Rome and many other wonderful places. But a few days later, a second letter from Nielsen to Jørgensen shows that he was not happy with the poet's first attempt. He had to explain that there was a big difference between composing for soloists and for choirs. He said that all he needed was just a few lines, similar to what those in old church compositions such as the Gloria or the Creed. Jørgensen apparently was not offended and on 21 November 1903 provided a new, more suitable text which formed the basis for Nielsen's composition although Nielsen did make a few further changes.〔 Carl Nielsen’s rough draft for the cantata is dated 10 November 1904 while his fair copy is dated 27 November 1904.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Søvnen」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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