Song Cycle by John Tavener (1944-)

1. Dante

Show Cyrillic (Покажите текст в кириллице)
Note on Transliteration

by Anna Andreyevna Akhmatova (1889-1966) [pseudonym] , "Dante", 1936

On i posle smerti ne vernulsja 
V staruju Florenciju svoju. 
`Etot, ukhodja, ne ogljanulsja, 
`Etomu ja `etu pesn' poju. 
Fakel, noch', posledneje ob"jat'e, 
Za porogom dikij vopl' sud'by... 
On iz ada jej poslal prokljat'e 
I v raju ne mog jejo zabyt', - 
No bosoj, v rubakhe pokajannoj, 
So svechoj zazhzhennoj ne proshel 
Po svoej Florencii zhelannoj, 
Verolomnoj, nizkoj, dolgozhdannoj...

2. Pushkin and Lermontov

Show Cyrillic (Покажите текст в кириллице)
Note on Transliteration

by Anna Andreyevna Akhmatova (1889-1966) [pseudonym]

[--- This text is not currently
in the database but will be added
as soon as we obtain it. ---]

3. Boris Pasternak

Show Cyrillic (Покажите текст в кириллице)
Note on Transliteration

by Anna Andreyevna Akhmatova (1889-1966) [pseudonym] , "Boris Pasternak", 1936

On, sam sebja sravnivshij s konskim glazom, 
Kositsja, smotrit, vidit, uznajet, 
I vot uzhe rasplavlennym almazom 
Sijajut luzhi, iznyvajet led.

V lilovoj mgle pokojatsja zadvorki, 
Platformy, brevna, list'ja, oblaka. 
Svist parovoza, khrust arbuznoj korki, 
V dushistoj lajke robkaja ruka.

Zvenit, gremit, skrezheshchet, b'et pribojem 
I vdrug pritikhnet, - `eto znachit, on 
Puglivo probirajetsja po khvojam, 
Chtob ne spugnut' prostranstva chutkij son.

I `eto znachit, on schitajet zerna
V pustykh kolos'jakh, `eto znachit, on
K plite dar'jal'skoj, prokljatoj i chernoj,
Opjat' prishel s kakikh-to pokhoron.

I snova zhzhet moskovskaja istoma, 
Zvenit vdali smertel'nyj bubenec - 
Kto zabludilsja v dvukh shagakh ot doma, 
Gde sneg po pojas i vsemu konec?..

Za to, chto dym sravnil s Laokoonom,
Kladbishchenskij vospel chertopolokh,
Za to, chto mir napolnil novym zvonom
V prostranstve novom otrazhennykh strof, -

On nagrazhden kakim-to vechnym detstvom, 
Toj shchedrost'ju i zorkost'ju svetil, 
I vsja zemlja byla jego nasledstvom,
A on jejo so vsemi razdelil.

4. Dvustishie

Subtitle: Couplet

Show Cyrillic (Покажите текст в кириллице)
Note on Transliteration

by Anna Andreyevna Akhmatova (1889-1966) [pseudonym] , "Dvustishie", 1931

Ot drugikh mne khvala - chto zola. 
Ot tebja i khula - pokhvala.

5. Muza

Subtitle: The muse

Show Cyrillic (Покажите текст в кириллице)
Note on Transliteration

by Anna Andreyevna Akhmatova (1889-1966) [pseudonym] , "Muza", 1960

See other settings of this text

Available translations (or transliterations, if applicable):

ENG English (Richard Shaw)

Kak i zhit' mne s `etoj obuzoj?
A jeshchjo nazyvajut Muzoj,
Govorjat: «Ty s nej na lugu...»
Govorjat: «Bozhestvennyj lepet...»
Zhjostche, chem likhoradka, ottreplet,
I opjat' ves' god ni gu-gu!

6. Smert'

Show Cyrillic (Покажите текст в кириллице)
Note on Transliteration

by Anna Andreyevna Akhmatova (1889-1966) [pseudonym]

[--- This text is not currently
in the database but will be added
as soon as we obtain it. ---]

Search/Shop for

Sheet music:

  Search sheetmusicplus.com for Akhmatova Songs, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for Akhmatova Songs, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for Akhmatova Songs, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for Akhmatova Songs, art song, Lieder, or chansons

Books:

  The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
  The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
  Search amazon.com for art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for art song, lieder, or chansons

Classical Vocal Repertoire