Beethoven’s song “Der Kuss” (“The Kiss”) contains instructions that it should be sung “scherzend” (jokingly) and “lächelnd” (smiling). For the humor-challenged vocalist, Beethoven has crafted the music for optimal comic emphasis and timing.
The text of “Der Kuss” may not be quite acceptable to modern audiences, but it's still funny. The poet is Christian Felix Weisse, published in his 1758 collection Scherzhafte Lieder (Light-Hearted Poems). Here’s Paul Reid’s translation from “The Beethoven Song Companion”:
I was all alone with Chloe
And wanted to kiss her;
But she said she would scream,
And I was wasting my time.
I risked it nevertheless, and kissed her,
Despite her resistance.
And didn’t she scream? Oh yes, she screamed,
But only long afterwards.
Although Beethoven’s manuscript of “Der Kuss” is dated December 1822, extensive sketches for the song date from 1798. “Der Kuss” is not exactly Beethoven’s last song, but it was the last one that was published in his lifetime.
Beethoven described “Der Kuss” as “a rather elaborate arietta” (Letters No. 1137). Not only is it through-composed, but it also has several tempo changes and strategic fermatas that make it seem more like a short aria than a song.
The first edition of “Der Kuss” does not include that title. Instead, the cover page describes it as an “Ariette” with the first line: “Ich war bei Cloen ganz allein.”
#Beethoven250 Day 331
“Der Kuss” (Opus 128), 1822
Of the many performances of this song on YouTube, the comic commitment of Korean baritone Bahk Heung-U is a standout.
On 20 December 1822, Beethoven wrote to his friend Ferdinand Ries in London concerning Ries’s long-standing request for a new symphony:
If only I were in London, how many works would I compose for the Philharmonic Society! For, thank God, Beethoven can compose — but, I admit, that is all he is able to do in this world. If God will only restore my health, which has improved at any rate, then I shall be able to comply with all the offers from all the countries of Europe, nay, even of North America; and in that case I might yet make a success of my life. (Beethoven Letters, No. 1110)