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Ah, ritorna ete felice, Quando accanto del mio bene, Non conosci queste pene, Quando a me fu fido ancor, Ah se volgo gliocchi intorno Mi rammento, sempre il giorno, Che riccoi la sua fe, Quel tenero arboscello! Quel limpido ruscello, Par la me del suo amor. In van, invano, non ve contento Senza tormento nel amor E pur la memoria del giorni d’amore L’amaro dolore puo sol consolar. SYMPHONIC POEM, “LES PRELUDES,” ERNST HELD . Liszt (D’apres Lamartine) 'T'HIS work, the third of Liszt’s “Symphonie Poems,” was begun at Marseilles in 1845, and finished at Weimar five years later. Its first performance took place also at Weimar in 1854. As their generic name implies, all Liszt’s compo- sitions of the present dass have an avowed poetic basis. That of the work now to be played is found in a passage from Lamartine’s “Meditations Poetiques,” placed by the composer himself at the head of bis score. The passage in question may be rendered into English thus “What is our life but a series of preludes to that unknown song of which death intones the first solemn note? Love constitutes the enchanting dawn of all exist- ence; but where is an experience in which the first sensations of happiness are not disturbed by sorne storm, the deadly breath of which dispels its fond illusions, while blasting lightning burns up its altar? What cruelly wounded soul, when one of these tempests has passed away, does not seek to lull its memories in the sweet calm of country life? Nevertheless man cannot long resign himself to the benefi- cent insipidity which at first charmed him in the bosom of nature, and when the trumpet gives the signal alarm he runs to the post of peril, whatever be the war that calls him to the ranks, so that he may recover in combat full consciousness of himself and entire possession of his powers.” With regard to the themes of “ Les Preludes ” and their treatment, it must suffice to state that the principal subject to be metamorphosed appears in the open- ing andante. This is developed in the andante maestoso, which also contains the second subject. The remaining sections deal variously with the themes thus set forth, ringing upon them ingenious changes which will sufficiently exercise the hearer’s powers of attention. THE VOICE OF FATE Berwald Chorus Floating on the moonlit lake’s soft billows, ’Neath the hanging branches of the willows, Two fond lovers, led by evening star, Float for yon fair isle beyond the bar.
