H. Birtwistle sets stanza 4 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
H. Birtwistle sets line 3-4 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

• by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Die Sonette an Orpheus 2, no. 29 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

• by Holger Arden (b. 1946), "Sonett XXIX Teil 2", 2022 [ tenor, mixed chorus, hand bells, 2 lyres, clarinet and piano ], from Die Orpheus Sonetten, no. 3, NB noter [sung text not yet checked]
• by Bruce Christian Bennett (b. 1968), "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen", from Two Lieder, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Harrison Birtwistle, Sir (1934 - 2022), "Elegy 26, Sonnet II, 29", 2003-04, stanza 4 [ oboe, harp and countertenor ], from Orpheus elegies, no. 10, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Harrison Birtwistle, Sir (1934 - 2022), "Elegy 22, Sonnet II, 29", 2003-04, first performed 2004, line 3-4 [ oboe, harp and countertenor ], from Orpheus elegies, no. 19, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Nicolas Bolens (b. 1963), "Wie dein Atem" [ mixed chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Joachim Brackx (b. 1975), "Stiller Freund", 2010, first performed 2010 [ mixed chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Robert Edler (1912 - 1986), "Sonett 29 b (Sprecher, Solo und Chor)", op. 59 no. 16 [ tenor, speaker, chorus and orchestra ], from Sonette an Orpheus, no. 16 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Annachiara Gedda (b. 1986), "Ich rinne, Ich bin", first performed 2017 [ soprano and instrumental ensemble ], Universal Edition [sung text not yet checked]
• by Francesc Xavier Gelabert i Muntaner (b. 1976), "Stiller Freund", 2011 [ soprano, male voice, flute, and percussion ], from Die Stille vor Stille, no. 1, revised 2017; Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
• by Francesc Xavier Gelabert i Muntaner (b. 1976), "Stiller Freund", 2011 [ soprano, male voice, flute, and percussion ], from Die Stille vor Stille, no. 7, revised 2017; Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
• by Peter Michael Hamel (b. 1947), "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen, fühle", 2016, published 2017 [ medium voice and piano ], from Vier Sonette an Orpheus, no. 4, Berlin, Verlag Neue Musik [sung text not yet checked]
• by Lukas Haselböck , "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen", 1997 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Zwei Lieder nach Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by John Hawkins (b. 1944), "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen", 1997, first performed 1998 [ tenor and piano ], from Drei Sonette an Orpheus, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Gérard Hilpipre (b. 1959), "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen...", 2014 [ voice and orchestra ], from Rilke-Lieder, no. 4, Editions Delatour [sung text not yet checked]
• by Willy Kehrer (1902 - 1976), "Stiller Freund", op. 126 no. 4 (1950), first performed 1952 [ soprano, baritone, women's chorus, string quartet and piano ], from 28 Orpheus-Madrigale in vier Teilen, no. 4, Willy-Kehrer-Archiv Schmölln [sung text not yet checked]
• by Peter Lieberson (1946 - 2011), "Stiller Freund" [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Five Rilke Songs, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Robert Manno (b. 1944), "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen" [ soprano, violin and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini (b. 1971), "Siegel", 2007, copyright © 2007 [ soprano and orchestra ], Kassel : Bärenreiter-Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
• by Josef Tal (1910 - 2008), "Sonett an Orpheus", 2000 [ baritone ], Israel Music Institute [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in English, a translation by Darrel Hale , copyright © 2018 ; composed by Jenni Brandon.
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• Also set in English, a translation by Stephen Mitchell (b. 1943) , copyright © ; composed by Richard Danielpour, Eric Moe.
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• Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anita Barrows , "Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower", copyright © and by Joanna Macy , "Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower", copyright © ; composed by Gemma Peacocke.
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• Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Greinem Izrailevich Ratgauz (1934 - 2011) , no title, copyright © ; composed by Vladislav Mikhailovich Lebedev.
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , no title, copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 85