Wagner-Liszt: "O du, mein holder Abendstern"

Wagner-Liszt's "O du, mein holder Abendstern" is based on Wolfram's sad yet beautiful baritone aria, one of the most popular scenes in Tannhäuser, from Act 3, Scene 2, where he, holding a lyre, makes a wish to the evening star. It was completed in 1849, around the same time as Liszt's first Wagner arrangement, the Tannhäuser Overture. Liszt had been serving as Kapellmeister at the Weimar court for a year prior, and this arrangement was dedicated to his employer, Karl Alexander (1818-1901, reigned 1853-1901), Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. While the Tannhäuser Overture is known as an extremely difficult arrangement to perform, Liszt informed Wagner that "O du, mein holder Abendstern" was at a level that "second-rank players could easily perform" (letter dated February 26, 1849).

Structural and Melodic Fidelity

Liszt expanded the original 4-bar prelude to 10 bars and added another 12 bars to the postlude. However, the rest of the piece largely follows the aria's melodic line without significant alteration, and the score includes the lyrics. This indicates that Liszt's arrangement aligns with the original melodic line where the lyrics are placed; indeed, "O du, mein holder Abendstern" contains very few original bar additions or ornamental expansions by Liszt.

Key Transposition and Its Implications

Amidst these aspects, the most decisive difference between this arrangement and the original lies in the choice of key. In the original, the recitative section is in B-flat major and the aria in G major, but Liszt transposed the former to B major and the latter to A-flat major. He also gave the aria section the familiar name "Romanze," signifying a cantabile and straightforward instrumental piece. The key relationship between the recitative and aria in the original, B-flat to G (a minor third), and Liszt's B to A-flat (an augmented second), are enharmonically equivalent intervals. Why did Liszt undertake such a transposition, which he did not do in his other Wagner arrangements? The transposition to B major, requiring five sharps, was likely not solely out of consideration for making it easier for "second-rank performers." Did he aim for a dramatic, distant modulation of an augmented second from a sharp key (B major) to a flat key (A-flat major), rather than a minor third modulation? Or did he seek the lyrical and sweet sonorities inherent in these two keys, B major and A-flat major? The reason remains unknown.

Orchestration and Timbre Adaptation

In the latter half of the original, the words cease, and the cello plays the same melody as the aria. However, Liszt uses the soprano register there instead of the cello's range. Since the piano cannot reproduce the timbral differences between a voice (baritone) and a cello, he likely sought to achieve a change in color by altering the register.

Publication and Reception

The first edition was published in 1849 by Kistner in Leipzig under the title O du, mein holder Abendstern / aus R. Wagner's Tannhäuser / Recitativ und Romanze, and subsequently reissued twice by the same publisher with new engravings. Given that it was also published in Paris, London, and Moscow, it is presumed that this arrangement gained popularity throughout Europe.