Dimitri Mitropoulos "Erwartung" Schoenberg

"Erwartung" from Arnold Schoenberg Dorothy Dow, soprano New York Philharmonic Dimitri Mitropoulos, conductor 1951 Time: Night Place: A forest A woman is in an apprehensive state as she searches for her lover. In the darkness, she comes across what she first thinks is a body, but then realises is a tree-trunk. She is frightened and becomes more anxious as she cannot find the man she is looking for. She then finds a dead body, and sees that it is her lover. She calls out for assistance, but there is no response. She tries to revive him, and addresses him as if he were still alive, angrily charging him with being unfaithful to her. She then asks herself what she is to do with her life, as her lover is now dead. Finally, she wanders off alone into the night. Es ist Nacht. Das Bild zeigt drei Wege im Mondlicht, umsäumt von hohen, dichten Bäumen. Wir sehen eine junge Frau, die auf der Suche nach ihrem Geliebten verzweifelt durch den Wald irrt. Dabei durchlebt sie alle seelischen Empfindungen; Angst und Hoffnung korrespondieren miteinander in rascher Folge. Als sie mit dem Fuß an eine Leiche stößt, muss sie entsetzt feststellen, dass es die ihres Geliebten ist.