Fantasmagorie și nonsens. Poetica lui Christian Morgenstern în muzica Dorei Cojocaru
Phantasmagoria and Nonsense. Christian Morgenstern’s Poetics in the Music of Dora Cojocaru

Summary/Abstract: When Christian Morgenstern’s Galgenlieder (Gallows Songs) were first published in Germany (1905), many readers and critics were puzzled by their style, and the publisher received rather unflattering correspondence. Others, however, laughed, and the critic Julius Bab wrote in the first review: “I feel sorry for those who do not sense the magnificent, subtle humor of the heart behind these fantasies of mad verses.” Between these two groups there was little middle ground. Yet the poems were to have a major impact not only in the literary world but also in other fields, as Morgenstern’s work continued to resonate across various artistic forms. Over time, his verses inspired numerous composers and visual artists. In Romanian music, Dora Cojocaru adapted a series of Morgenstern’s nocturnal poems into ten miniatures that reflect the complex atmosphere of the great German poet’s texts. An imaginary world is presented, inhabited by fantastic characters such as Palmström, von Korf, Lunovis, the Gallows Child, the Midnight Mouse, and the Singing Fish. In this fantastical realm, these figures become puppets that mirror our emotions and feelings, guided by the unpredictable force of creation that brings them to life. In seeking to understand the essence of this phantasmagoria and the experiences lived in the mirror of life, we learn to discover ourselves more deeply. Thus, through an incursion into the world of the characters Palmström and Korf and an understanding of their conflictual situation, one can easily observe how the composer treats their inner states musically: for example, the agitation and nervousness of the two characters are highlighted through a specific rhythmic profile in a fast tempo. Following the text‑music relationship, highly significant moments emerge, with sonic images that vividly convey the message of the text. Throughout the analysis, particularities of musical language and compositional stilemes are highlighted, such as the call‑motif which, after its multiple variations throughout the work, returns to its original form and is further developed in the final miniature, until the ending fades into a niente—a characteristic type of closure in Dora Cojocaru’s music—bringing to a close the Cantata’s approximately twenty minutes of sound and story.

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