Mozart's Lullaby!

[Dave]

HMV Japan here is listing a new Hayley single for release in Japan on January 21st 2005. It's Mozart's Lullaby and seems to have four different versions on the same CD (unless some other Lullaby is on there as well).

There's a 30 second sample of this song by Tanya Goodman here, it's the nearest I could find to how Hayley might sound. It should suit Hayley's voice perfectly.

What a pity there's now no sign of the "Silent Night" duet being released as a single for the UK Christmas market, as was suggested at one time. It even seems to have got onto Amazon.com with a 13th December release date but now, surely, it must be too late for anything to happen.

[HWI]

I've just listened to that clip and, I have heard Hayley sing it live. And so have you, Dave. It is Wiegenlied, which Hayley sang on this last tour. She explained that it was used as the title music for the Japanese film, Lorelei. But, she sang it in German.

I suggested that she would have to record it and, they are thinking about it. Apparently, however, there would be problems in getting the rights to the song. Don't know why - Mozart is out of copyright.

Keith.

[Dave]

Well yes Keith, now you mention it... Cardiff (etc.)! I vaguely remembered the song but I couldn't place it, the German lyrics and Japanese film dulled my brain lol. Now, of course, I clearly remember Hayley introducing it and I can't wait to hear her sing an English language version (a lullaby in a foreign language doesn't quite work for me!).

Reading up on the film/movie, I discovered this is a big budget fictional drama with a cast to match, due for release in Japan on March 5th 2005. It's about the requisitioning by Japan of a German submarine complete with secret weapon, and their attempt to stop a "third" atomic bomb being dropped on Japan at the end of the Second World War - and it's predicted to be hugely successful there. There's a mention of possibly exporting it overseas - Germany is an obvious place so perhaps that's why Hayley sung for us in German, if she's never sung it in English. Maybe we'll get a subtitled or dubbed version of the movie, and the song in English later on.

I wonder if the rights problem you mentioned is movie rights and Hayley can't release it on CD unless and until the movie is released in each Country? Which begs the question... why do HMV.jp have a release date for the single 6 weeks before the movie will be released? That doesn't make sense unless they are going to use Hayley's recording in advance, for trailers/adverts etc. Hmmm... I want to know more!

[gareth]

I wonder if I am encroaching too much on copyrights - but here is Hayley's Wiegenlied as performed in Cardiff. I captured most of it ....

Enjoy:

www.hayley-westenra-international.net/hwi/clips/zo04/wiegenlied.wmv

It's less than 5 MB - so shouldn't take long to download.

Gerrit

[Dave]

That was a great link Gerrit.. soon, we will be able to hear the recorded version(s). More details are here on Hayley's official Japanese site and here at HMV Japan. Oh, I love the photo of Hayley on her Japan front page. I'm pinching it for my avatar! Well one of the Japanese ones, anyway

[roger]

According to the programme from Hampton Court last night, Wiegenlied was not written by Mozart after all. It says it was written by Flies (formerly attributed to Mozart).

No, I'd never heard of him either so I looked him up and it gets even more intriguing. First of all, if you look up "Flies" in the Penguin Dictionary of Music, it simply says, "see Wiegenlied". When I look up "Wiegenlied" I find the following entry (reproduced here in full):

"Wiegenlied" (Ger.), cradle-song; the one sometimes attributed to Mozart ('Schlafe, mein Prinzchen' - 'Sleep, my little prince') is really by J. Bernard Flies, an amateur composer born about 1770."

What really intrigues me is that the Penguin Dictionary of Music that I have is the 4th edition, published in 1983!

Curiouser and curiouser!

[Just in case I've confused anyone, Hayley had planned to sing Wiegenlied last night, hence its inclusion in the programme but the decision was made to replace it with Pokarekare Ana because of her throat condition.]

Roger

[Dave]

Aaah yes Roger, I've just noticed your message above - which you posted half a day before I said something similar in the 2005 Schedule - HC thread. Perhaps this explains why Hayley, her entourage and Decca always refer to the song as Wiegenlied. "Flies Lullaby" doesn't roll off the tongue quite so easily as "Mozart's Lullaby" i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

PS: Drat proboards and their "invisible" posts in sub-boards - they still don't appear in the "last 10 posts" list - it's very hard to keep up!

[Holger]

Hi folks!


Lothar directed my attention to this highly interesting thread.

Well, there is indeed a debate going on among experts on classical music as to who originated "Wiegenlied". The latest opinion on the matter is that it was most probably composed by Bernhard Flies.

Interestingly, in the booklet to Hayley's "Wiegenlied" single album it says: "Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter / Bernhard Flies (previously attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)" while in the inlay to the booklet to the Japanese version of ODYSSEY Mozart is not mentioned at all anymore.

The "Wiegenlied" continues to be listed in the "Köchel-Verzeichnis" (Köchel listing) though under KV 350.


C U Holger

[grant]

Red Alert Stephany!!

I've just looked on Amazon.co.uk. - They have the Weigenleid/Mozart's Lullaby album at a good price.

They also have the Wuthering Height's CD/Video (2 only!!)

Good luck

Grant

[Stephany]

Grant, thank you so much for the warning!!! I'm going to purchase them at once!! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

[Stephany]

YESSSSSSSS !!
I got my copy of "Wiegenlied". As usual, I don't understand a word but I can tell it's incredibly beautiful simply by listening to Hayley's voice.

[roger]

Hi Stephany,

That arrived very quickly. So, which version do you prefer? Fast, slow, or Japanese?

Roger

[Stephany]

Indeed, I was surprised it arrived so early.
I can't decide yet which one is my favourite but the weirdest (if I may say so) would definitely be the Japanese track, but still, I really enjoy it.

I'm amazed at her gift for languages. Singing in a foreign language can be facilitated if you have learned it at school but singing in Japanese... Wow - bravo to Hayley!

[grant]

Hi Stephany

Delighted you are enjoying Mozart's Lullaby and am also interested to hear which track you prefer.

My favourite is the Japanese version. I think Hayley's voice sounds incredibly beautiful singing in Japanese.

Grant

[Stephany]

Hi everyone,
Just in case you haven't seen this, there is a short video of Hayley recording this track along with "Lorelei" clips on the Japanese Universal Music website. You have to click on Real or VMP at the top of the page. I've made a few screencaps, here :