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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

O Leben Leben, wunderliche Zeit
Language: German (Deutsch) 
O Leben Leben, wunderliche Zeit
von Widerspruch zu Widerspruche reichend
im Gange oft so schlecht so schwer so schleichend
und dann auf einmal, mit unsäglich weit
entspannten Flügeln, einem Engel gleichend:
O unerklärlichste, o Lebenszeit.

Von allen großgewagten Existenzen
kann einer glühender und kühner sein?
Wir stehn und stemmen uns an unsre Grenzen
und reißen ein Unkenntliches herein,
...

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "O Leben Leben, wunderliche Zeit", written 1913/4 [author's text not yet checked 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 Franz Josef Breuer (1914 - 1996), "O Leben, Leben wunderliche Zeit" [ women's chorus ], from Rilke-Lieder, no. 1, Arezzo Musikverlag Gmbh [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Martin Dörnberg (1920 - 2013), "O Leben Leben, wunderliche Zeit", 1999/2000 [ 4 male voices ], from Rainer Maria Rilke-Zyklus , no. 4, Selbstverlag 2000 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Otto Jochum (1898 - 1969), "O Leben Leben, wunderliche Zeit" [ speaker ], from Stufen der Einsamkeit, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Harold C. King (1895 - 1984), "O Leben Leben, wunderliche Zeit", 1983, from O Leben, Leben, wunderliche Zeit, no. 10 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Václav Kučera (1929 - 2017), "O Leben, wunderliche Zeit", 2004 [ soprano, flute and piano ], from Vier Lieder auf Gedichte von Rainer Maria Rilke [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Siegfried Matthus (1934 - 2021), "O Leben, Leben, wunderliche Zeit", published 1995 [ voice and orchestra ], from Wiesen von Liebe, Leben und Tod, no. 6, Breitkopf & Härtl  [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Poul Rovsing Olsen (1922 - 1982), "O Leben, Leben", op. 36 (2 tyske sange) no. 1 (1956) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Friedrich Wilhelm Welter (1900 - 1984), "O Leben, Leben, wunderliche Zeit", op. 27 no. 2, published 1940 [ alto or baritone and piano ], from O Leben, Leben. Gesänge für Alt oder Bariton mit Klavier, no. 2, Berlin-Wilmersdorf : Witte & Co. [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-09-05
Line count: 11
Word count: 58

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