Song paraphrase for strings

Laurent Menager (1835-1902) is the best-known composer of the 19th century from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. He studied with Ferdinand Hiller in Cologne, then returned to Pfaffenthal, a small district in the lower part of Luxembourg City, where he worked as an organist, music teacher and choirmaster throughout his life. He was instrumental in the founding of the General Luxembourg Music Society (now the Union Grand-Duc Adolphe), of which he became choir director in 1891.

His oeuvre mainly comprises vocal compositions (songs, operettas) and a string quartet as well as a Prière du Soir for violoncello and piano. His songs strengthen the cultural identity of "Lëtzebuergesch", Luxembourg's official national language, which is increasingly giving way to French in everyday life today.

Menagers Paraphrase pour cordes sur la mélodie "Kuck Friêmen op d'Kârt" op. 45 is available as a signed autograph and is published here in a single edition from volume 6 of the critical complete edition of his works. After a short, recitative-like, dramatic introduction in E minor, the cello introduces the song theme in G major. The remaining strings take the lead and continue to modulate the thread until the fast six-eighth note final section in E major with a groovy ending.

The level of difficulty for the performers is medium, even a chamber orchestra instrumentation is conceivable, possibly with solo passages.

This short song paraphrase is certainly an amusing addition to the repertoire! And a cultural excursion into a language area that otherwise appears to us as a blank spot on the musical map. The song text by Michel Lentz, the poet of Luxembourg's national anthem, reads: "

Kuck, Friêmen, op d'Kârt an da fens dû e Land,
'T stêt Letzebur'g driwer geschriwen;
I arrive in the world where I am a child
Méng allerschënst Joere bliwen.

And translates: "Look, stranger, on the map, you'll find a country,/It's got Luxembourg written all over it/That's where I was born and where I stayed as a child/Many beautiful years."

Laurent Menager: Paraphrase pour cordes sur la mélodie "Kuck Friêmen op d'Kârt" op. 45, for 2 violins, viola, violoncello and double bass, score with parts, EM 2632, € 24.90, Merseburger, Kassel