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DANA CIOCARLIE
This is the case at the end of the
Kinderszenen
. ‘Child Falling Asleep’, the deeply
tender penultimate piece in the cycle, leads into a dreamlike atmosphere with its
nebulous harmonies. Once sleep has set in, the poet takes over to conclude the
work. ‘The Poet Speaks’ prolongs the dream
mezza voce
, lulling us into a gentle
tranquillity before leaving the scene on tiptoe, leaving us to our diffuse reverie in
the ‘happy calm of childhood’ so well described by Hölderlin.