Zdeněk Fibich (1850-1900)

Patero písní z ‘Večerních písní’ (Five Songs from ‘Evening Songs’), Op. 5 (1871)

V. Přilítlo jaro z daleka (Spring Came Flying From Afar)

Zdeněk Fibich is regarded as the heir to predecessors Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák, though his Czech authenticity is often challenged. After his early musical studies in Prague, he studied in popular European musical hubs — namely Vienna, Leipzig, Paris, and Mannheim — before returning to his homeland. Upon his return, he began writing songs and even an opera, but much of the texts were to existing German poetry. Fibich was particularly taken with Heine and Goethe, so much so that over half of his 200 songs are in German. In addition to his songs and operas, he is remembered for his piano and orchestral music.

Patero písní was composed upon Fibich’s return to Prague, at the tender age of 21. Here, one may be able to understand the question of Fibich’s “Czechness”, as this song, though in Czech, conjures the image of a German Lied. Additionally, this was also Fibich’s 30th vocal work and, from what I can gather, his first attempt at setting the Czech language. I have been unable to find sheet music for this set, so this analysis is based on aural perecptions. The accompaniment evokes the earth’s welcoming of spring, with a near constant triplet ostinato figure in both the right and left hands. The imagery in the accompaniment is so strong that I cannot help but hear the influence of Schubert and Schumann. There is also a great marrying of text and poetry, and I can imagine the finches fleeing their nests, the sound of children’s laughter, and the blooming of new spring flowers. The ostinato figure changes to a duple figure when the text speaks of new, budding love. This would be an excellent set to pair with Smetana and Dvořák’s respective settings of Večerní písně. Fibich’s later vocal works, especially his operas and melodramas, are much more harmonically complex.

Enjoy Adam Plachetka’s rendition, which was released this week on his new album, appropriately titled Evening Songs.

Spring came flying from afar,

the world was filled with yearning;

a dream so long was dreamed then,

all things to the sun were turning.

Finches flew out from their nests,

and children from their homes;

the brightest flowers on the meadow

breathed their sweet aromas.

A leaf emerges from the branch

as bird song echoes out;

and from the young and tender hearts,

the bud of love doth sprout.

*While I do not own the rights to the audio or photography, I did purchase this album through Presto Classical.