James Joyce, 1915
James Joyce (1882-1941) is one of Ireland’s most influential and celebrated writers. Chamber Music is a collection of thirty-six love lyrics first published in London in 1907. This was his first collection of poems.
Luciano Berio wrote in 1953 his piece Chamber Music, a setting of three poems from Joyce’s Chamber Music.
I
Strings in the earth and air
Make music sweet;
Strings by the river where
The willows meet.
There’s music along the river
For love wanders there,
Pale flowers on his mantle,
Dark leaves on his hair.
All softly playing,
With head to the music bent,
And fingers straying
Upon an instrument.
XXXV
All day I hear the noise of waters
Making moan,
Sad as the sea-bird is when, going
Forth alone,
He hears the winds cry to the water’s
Monotone.
The grey winds, the cold winds are blowing
Where I go.
I hear the noise of many waters
Far below.
All day, all night, I hear them flowing
To and fro.
IX
Winds of May, that dance on the sea,
Dancing a ring-around in glee
From furrow to furrow, while overhead
The foam flies up to be garlanded,
In silvery arches spanning the air,
Saw you my true love anywhere?
Welladay! Welladay!
For the winds of May!
Love is unhappy when love is away!
For Helena van Heel the Dutch composer Max Knigge wrote the wonderful cycle Chamber Music for mezzo-soprano and String Quartet, using the first nine poems in Joyce’s collection Chamber Music.
In 2018 the Swedish composer Thomas Jennefelt wrote ‘XXXIV’ for Helena van Heel and the Rietveld Ensemble, on text of Chamber Music.
XXXIV
Sleep now, O sleep now,
O you unquiet heart!
A voice crying ‘Sleep now’
Is heard in my heart.
The voice of the winter
is heard at the door.
O sleep, for the winter
Is crying ‘Sleep no more!’
My kiss will give peace now
And quiet to your heart –
Sleep on in peace now,
O you unquiet heart!
