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König Stephan
Cantata by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Translated to:
English — King Stephan
Notes provided by Laura Prichard: In July 1811, Beethoven accepted a commission to provide incidental music for two dramatic pieces that were being created for the inauguration of the new Hungarian Theatre in Pest (becoming the left bank of Budapest in 1872): König Stephan: oder Ungarns erster Wohltäter (King Stephen: or Hungary’s First Benefactor) as a prologue (Vorspiel) and Die Ruinen von Athen (The Ruins of Athens) as an epilogue (Nachspiel). Beethoven composed the music at the spa in Teplitz, Bohemia, where he was taking a cure; he sent the scores to Pest on September 13, but was able to make further changes, as the premiere was pushed back to February 9–11, 1812. The Bonn Beethoven-Haus features some of these changes in his sketches here [external site, beethoven.de] Both German plays were authored by August von Kotzebue, a German lawyer who wrote prolifically (politics plays, magazine editorials, and cultural journalism). The full play of King Stephen includes four spoken monologues, two spoken dialogues, and five spoken melodrama movements, included on the Turku Philharmonic recording (Naxos, 2020, full spoken and sung texts here [external site, naxos.com] ). Kotzebue was assassinated in Mannheim in 1819 by a theology student who suspected him of being a Russian spy after serving as a government official in Estonia. King Stephen focused on the medieval founder of modern Hungary, and The Ruins of Athens presented Pest as a successor to ancient Athens.
1. Ouvertüre
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2. Ruhend von seinen Taten  [sung text checked 1 time]
Männerchor Ruhend von seinen Taten hat uns der Fürst berufen, an des Thrones Stufen Heil der Völker zu beraten; und im dichten Kreise sammelte uns der Held nach der Väter Weise auf diesem freien Feld.
Authorship:
- by August von Kotzebue (1761 - 1819)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
3. Auf dunklem Irrweg in finstern Hainen  [sung text checked 1 time]
Männerchor Auf dunklem Irrweg in finstern Hainen wandelten wir am trüben Quell, Da sahen wir plötzlich ein Licht erscheinen, es dämmerte, es wurde hell! Und siehe! Es schwanden die falschen Götter, dem Tage wich die alte Nacht; Heil deinem Vater! Unserm Retter! Der uns Glauben und Hoffnung gebracht.
Authorship:
- by August von Kotzebue (1761 - 1819)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
4. Siegesmarsch
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5. Wo die Unschuld Blumen streute  [sung text checked 1 time]
Frauenchor Wo die Unschuld Blumen streute, wo sich Liebe den Tempel erbaut, da bringen wir im treuen Geleite dem frommen Helden die fromme Braut.
Authorship:
- by August von Kotzebue (1761 - 1819)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
6. Melodram
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7. Eine neue strahlende Sonne  [sung text checked 1 time]
Chor Eine neue strahlende Sonne lieblich aus dem Gewölke bricht; Süße Freude! Selige Wonne! Wenn die Myrthe den Lorbeer umflicht.
Authorship:
- by August von Kotzebue (1761 - 1819)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
8. Melodram
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9. Heil unserm Könige! Heil dem Könige!  [sung text not yet checked]
Melodram mit Chor Heil unserm Könige! Heil dem Könige!
Authorship:
- by August von Kotzebue (1761 - 1819)
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]10. Schlusschor  [sung text checked 1 time]
Chor Heil unsern Enkeln, sie werden schauen, was der prophetische Geist erkannt! Es wird ihr kindliches Vertrauen der Krone schönster Diamant! Wohltaten spendend, täglich neue, vergilt der König in ferner Zeit, die unwandelbare Treue, die sein Volk ihm dankbar weiht!
Authorship:
- by August von Kotzebue (1761 - 1819)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Closing Chorus", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission