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So... what can I say about these? It's Random's last complete composition, a song cycle, all written on January the fifth; the last day any of us heard from him. I only found them recently and I thought that I would perform them for him. He already recorded the lute part, as he often did, so it's him playing that. I'm singing over it. Originally the songs were written for him to sing, but I have transposed them to my range, and changed the poems to have a female persona rather than a male one (I don't think he intended these to be his last songs...). They literally broke me to tears, which is why my voice is so rough here. They're heartbreaking texts... I don't know whether he wrote them or not, but they are what they are... Something more uncharacteristic of him, I've never seen he was always so optimistic and full of life... It's almost as if he gave up.
The music starts off with a short prelude and then the songs begin, none of them are titled and they are all in French, I have translated them, the square brackets just 'define' the vague terms (and so are not sung).
---
(-Prelude-)
-
Black Forests, Sombre houses,
Where the sun seldom shines,
I am glad to have some of your shadows!
They compliment the complaints of a lover!
Since the day that my cruel wit
let my mind realize the arrest of my death,
The clarity [light of day?] was lethal to me,
Yet the Flame and the Day had more charms.
-
Ah! Forget these dangerous woods, --->(actual lyrics 'this dangerous place')
these green shadows,
these sweet shores...
Where the Tircis has [have?] shown me so much love,
Where the Moon drew me a hundred times,
But my heart rebels against my designs
And cannot forget this cruel memory:
Alack! This infidel [heart]
makes me love this place,
And despite my detours,
I always return.
-
Brook, you who nourish these woods,
these brilliant arrays of thousands and thousands of flowers,
I come to you for the last time
To talk to you about my fickleness,
I've received her [death's] message.
Jealous, rendered hopeless by such an obvious insult,
I will no longer disturb your waters with my tears,
Alack! Alack! Because I am dying.
-
Do you want to see me die, contemptible spectre?
Come and give your eyes that horrid pleasure!
The excess of my love, and he [life] of your hate,
Go away for a moment, contain your desire.
But remember this, you horrid being,
Even if I die unhappy, I will have lived with joy.
-(Epilogue)-
I arrived in these woods alone and fearless.
Without shuddering, there I saw Lachesis.
Ah! Is there nothing I can be cautious of?
How is this unfeeling young heart to be pitied!?
I don't seek danger,
But I would at least like to fear it.
-
This last song is actually built over an interesting bass figure (ostinato) from n old piece called the chaconne of life... take that as you will. It is an ironic touch; he's gone... but life isn't, ach...
I doubt I've done the songs justice... but I have tried my best. Only listening to them makes me break into tears...
Hopefully you will enjoy them.
The music starts off with a short prelude and then the songs begin, none of them are titled and they are all in French, I have translated them, the square brackets just 'define' the vague terms (and so are not sung).
---
(-Prelude-)
-
Black Forests, Sombre houses,
Where the sun seldom shines,
I am glad to have some of your shadows!
They compliment the complaints of a lover!
Since the day that my cruel wit
let my mind realize the arrest of my death,
The clarity [light of day?] was lethal to me,
Yet the Flame and the Day had more charms.
-
Ah! Forget these dangerous woods, --->(actual lyrics 'this dangerous place')
these green shadows,
these sweet shores...
Where the Tircis has [have?] shown me so much love,
Where the Moon drew me a hundred times,
But my heart rebels against my designs
And cannot forget this cruel memory:
Alack! This infidel [heart]
makes me love this place,
And despite my detours,
I always return.
-
Brook, you who nourish these woods,
these brilliant arrays of thousands and thousands of flowers,
I come to you for the last time
To talk to you about my fickleness,
I've received her [death's] message.
Jealous, rendered hopeless by such an obvious insult,
I will no longer disturb your waters with my tears,
Alack! Alack! Because I am dying.
-
Do you want to see me die, contemptible spectre?
Come and give your eyes that horrid pleasure!
The excess of my love, and he [life] of your hate,
Go away for a moment, contain your desire.
But remember this, you horrid being,
Even if I die unhappy, I will have lived with joy.
-(Epilogue)-
I arrived in these woods alone and fearless.
Without shuddering, there I saw Lachesis.
Ah! Is there nothing I can be cautious of?
How is this unfeeling young heart to be pitied!?
I don't seek danger,
But I would at least like to fear it.
-
This last song is actually built over an interesting bass figure (ostinato) from n old piece called the chaconne of life... take that as you will. It is an ironic touch; he's gone... but life isn't, ach...
I doubt I've done the songs justice... but I have tried my best. Only listening to them makes me break into tears...
Hopefully you will enjoy them.
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Thank you very much, I am happy that I've managed to make something pleasant, We've known each other since we were three, so the interest is inherit... ech, the words are just so... unlike him.
I am glad you think so... I tried my best, and though nothing will ever really be enough to thank him for what he did for me... ach, better than nothing, I guess...
Ach, I guess that I will never know... But I am sure of one thing, I would have liked it much more if I could have been with him in those last few moments...
This is beautiful, Your voice is amazing.
Thank you for creating and posting this.
Thank you very much, I am happy you find it so, I'm always worried that no-one will ever like my 'operatic' voice unless they're some opera nut, heh. As for it being beautiful, well, he had a way with music. :)
And really, it is a pleasure to put his work here, he liked this place tonnes, and surely, had this horrible thing not happened, he would have done it himself. After all the music was written for him to sing, not me. The lyrics here will be a mystery, as they are uncharacteristic of him... but I guess that learning of one's own... demise affects one for certain.
I wonder if he ever intended to sing the part, after reading a couple comments above. It sounds like he knew, but either didn't want you to know or never got around to it.
I may have only just discovered this, and never met the guy, but I'm sure wherever he is, he is very proud of you.
This was a truly moving and heartfelt piece.
Really gives meaning to the phrase "Life is beautiful."
May his gifted soul rest in peace.
I'm sure he would be, maybe not proud, but at least happy with it, he was always extremely supportive of everything I did. :)
Ech, yes, the words are really weird, on one side there's his acceptance (and annoyance, maybe a slight hate) of death, but still holds life as a wonderful thing. I'll need a french literature professor to analyze the poetry, that's for sure, heh.
I'm sure it is, if it exists... I know he certainly had no regrets over how he lived.
Thank you.
This is simply beautiful, I thank you so much for posting this, I'm sure he is very proud of you, up there lookin' down on you, you know? :)
My condolences to you, I'm sure its tough.
R.I.P.
Thank you so much for completing these and sharing the lyrics and story behind it.
You performed beautifully Vera...
V.
I mean, we all die but knowing that (assuming nothing unnatural happens) that one will die before all your friends must really afflict one's mind...
Its heart wrenching to hear and haunting. I am still having a hard
time trying to finish it to its end.
He may be gone physically but its as if I can feel his presence, and he is very
much alive. Thank you kindly for sharing. You have my silences and
condolences. You've done a very great job.
To Vera: I cannot imagine how hard this must have been for you to sing. But I am glad you did. It's beautiful...and simply amazing...and is going in my favorites after I type this. Your voice is so beautiful it did more than just simple "justice" to this piece. I hope you find yourself well, as I know what happened happened a decent amount of time ago now. But I just wish, as a new finder of this corner of FA, to tell you that even though I have never spoken to you before, I wish you all the best and hope that someday, when you listen to these pieces, instead of tears, they bring you joy and happy smiles in your memories.
Take care~
Your voice is beautiful, Vera. This is just an amazing composition.
RIP whoever you may be randomonlooker.
Random was one of the first people to comment on anything I ever did on this site, I was only active on here for a short time and his kind words were what kept me on here for as long as I was. He gave me great advice and I thank him for every word he wrote to me. I feel awful coming back years later to hear of his death and not being able to thank him for his input, for they gave me purpose and exposed me to the fantastic world of his music.
It really breaks my heart to hear these songs, I'm crying for the first time in years and I only exchanged 3 or 4 comments with him on a furry website.
I know I'll remember him through his music for the rest of my life.
He deserved more time.
And again thank you, I don't think my heart can take so much praise. XP
My aim in life is to bring discomfort to people's life and so, after reading that you are unwell after hearing the music, I now have a fantastic sense of schadenfreude. Ah, ignore that. I've got no sense of humour. =P
But this piece was very difficult for me to sing, it was like looking back at one's life once one had finished it all, with the melancholy that accompanies it. It's a strange bit of music, heh. There's a funny story about it that I recently uncovered, but that's for private conversation.
As for live shows, eh, I used to, I've taken a bit of a break - I don't have an active online presence anywhere of my knowledge, I was in Vienna for the New Year's Concert, but I'm going to go to Thailand to meet up again with AntiUp, my accompanist, maybe we'll play there a few times. :)
I hear your pain, I was confronting with a lot of loss during the past years and one of them was very recently, so I do know... some things are hard to be picked up, the things that hurt us and remind us of the ones that aren't here to hold our hands anymore, but it's where our biggest strength lays - in ability to do such wonderful things in their honor and remembrance! It takes a lot of courage and self control to do so, and you did it wonderfully! If you do ever feel like talking to someone, I am always there, you can always note me.
Aww, Thailand is way too far for me, I am afraid! :P But I hope to hear that you are in Vienna, that would be wonderful! :)
My condolences... I guess that's true, my life sort of collapsed after his passing, our old quintet separated soon after the funeral, and I did not have many friends due to my lifestyle... eh, but I guess that it's true. Thank you again for the reassuring words. :)
And I just might, even if only to know you better - you seem pretty cool, heh!
I'll be sure to tell you when I'm playing publicly in Europe again! I've never been to Serbia, I might pop by and just give whoever wants to listen a private recital, haha! Still, now's the best time to come to Thailand - it's not too hot. XP
Life is fickle and time flies too quickly.
Very beautiful, but painful. These brought me to tears.
I am so sorry for your loss.
1. Noires Forêts by Antoine Boësset
2. Ah! fuyons ce dangereux séjour by Sébastien Le Camus
3. Ruisseau, qui nourrit dans ses bois by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
4. Me veux-tu voir mourir by Antoine Boësset
5. Sans frayeur dans ces bois by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
I couldn't identify the prélude for now; that might've been Random's original recording but I'm not sure yet.
There is also an album (L'Esprit Galant) with all the five vocal pieces in the audio file (The timbres of the voice also match the album); which was sung by Johannette Zomer and the theorbo played by Fred Jacobs (who is still alive as in 2024!)
If my research is true, I'll be truly disappointed at you, Vera.