And now for a little culture

I am asked so often how I ended up being a singer and there are many reasons and answers to this, but in the end there is one reason that overrides all others and that is the sheer beauty of some music and the feeling you get when you perform it.

This is the beautiful Renee Flemming singing the 3rd song in the cycle  of 4 last songs by Richard Strauss (1864-1949). The words are beautiful by themselves and when the music is added for me it is sublime.

BEIM SCHLAFENGEHEN

Nun der Tag mich müd gemacht,
soll mein sehnliches Verlangen
freundlich die gestirnte Nacht
wie ein müdes Kind empfangen. 

Hände, laßt von allem Tun,
Stirn, vergiß du alles Denken,
alle meine Sinne nun
wollen sich in Schlummer senken. 

Und die Seele unbewacht
will in freien Flügen schweben,
um im Zauberkreis der Nacht
tief und tausendfach zu leben.

WHILE GOING TO SLEEP

Now that the day has made me so tired,
my dearest longings shall
be accepted kindly by the starry night
like a weary child.
 
Hands, cease your activity,
head, forget all of your thoughts;
all my senses now
will sink into slumber.
 
And my soul, unobserved,
will float about on untrammeled wings
in the enchanted circle of the night,
living a thousandfold more deeply.

This pretty much sums up how I feel today so there is nothing to add.