Ewig war ich

Martha Mödl (March 22, 1912, in Nuremberg – December 17, 2001, in Stuttgart) was a German soprano, and later a mezzo-soprano. She specialized in large dramatic roles such as Isolde, Brünnhilde, and particularly Kundry, and is considered, along with Astrid Varnay and Birgit Nilsson, one of the three major postwar Wagner sopranos. She was among the preeminent Wagner sopranos—and most compelling singing actresses—of the twentieth century. Mödl was celebrated for her highly individualized interpretations, exceptional acting ability, intense stage presence, and "rich, sexy voice." Her career peaked in the early and mid 1950s, which included her Brünnhilde in Wilhelm Furtwängler's 1953 recording of Der Ring des Nibelungen, along with the title role from Fidelio of the same conductor and year, and Isolde in Herbert von Karajan's 1952 Tristan und Isolde, live from Bayreuth. There have been fully ten recordings of her Kundry released commercially, most associated with the Bayreuth Festival, all from 1949-59. Although she is most known for her portrayals of Wagner's major heroines from 1951-5, her continuous performing career (as mezzo-soprano after the 1950s) lasted in excess of half a century, well into the singer's eighties, through which her acting abilities remained intact...

Lyrics & English Translation

I always was,
I always am,
always in sweet
yearning bliss,
always anxious for your welfare.
O Siegfried! Glorious being!
Wealth of the world!
Life of the earth!
Laughing hero!
Leave me,
oh leave me in peace.
Do not come to me,
inflamed by nearness!
Do not overcome me
with your overwhelming force,
do not destroy your beloved!
Have you seen your reflection
in the clear stream?
Did it not gladden your gaze?
Had you stirred the water
into waves,
the smooth surface of the stream
would have been disturbed
and you would have seen yourself mirrored no more,
only the rocking movement of the waters.
So do not touch me,
do not upset me!
Ever bright and happy
will you then smile
out of my eyes into yours,
a cheerful and joyous hero!
O Siegfried!
Radiant youth!
Love yourself
and let me be:
do not destroy what is your own!


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I send my kind and warm regards,