(Paul Dukas: born in Paris, October 1, 1865; now living there)
L'Apprenti Sorcier, an "orchestral scherzo," is a paraphrase of Goethe's ballad,Der Zauberlehrling, beginning:
"Hat der alte HexenmeisterSich doch einmal wegbegeben!Und nun sollen seine GeisterAuch nach meinem Willen leben!"
The story upon which the poem is based is contained in a dialogue of Lucian's, "The Lie-fancier." Eucrates, so runs the story, became the disciple of the wizard Pancrates, whom Isis had educated in the art of magic. "When we came to an inn," relates Eucrates, "he would take the wooden bar of the door, or a broom, or the pestle of a wooden mortar, put clothes upon it, and speak a couple of magical words to it. Immediately the broom, or whatever else it was, was taken by all the people for aman like themselves; he went out, drew water, ordered our victuals, and waited upon us in every respect as handily as the completest domestic. When his attendance was no longer necessary, my companion spoke a couple of other words, and the broom was again a broom, the pestle again a pestle, as before. This art, with all I could do, I was never able to learn from him; it was the only secret he would not impart to me; though in other respects he was the most obliging man in the world. At last, however, I found an opportunity to hide me in an obscure corner, and overheard his charm, which I snapped up immediately, as it consisted of only three syllables. After giving his necessary orders to the pestle without observing me, he went out to the market. The following day, when he was gone out about business, I took the pestle, clothed it, pronounced the three syllables, and bid it fetch me some water. He directly brought me a large pitcher full. 'Good,' said I, 'I want no more water; be again a pestle!' He did not, however, mind what I said; but went on fetching water, and continued bringing it, till at length the room was overflowed. Not knowing what to do, for I was afraid lest Pancrates at his return should be angry (as indeed was the case), and having no alternative, I took an axe and split the pestle in two. But this made bad worse; for now each of the halves snatched up a pitcher and fetched water; so that for one water-carrier I now had two. Meantime in came Pancrates; and understanding what had happened,turned them into their pristine form: he, however, privily took himself away, and I have never set eyes on him since."[43]
Goethe's ballad is thus translated by Sir John Bowring:
"I am now,—what joy to hear it!—Of the old magician rid;And henceforth shall ev'ry spiritDo whate'er by me is bid:I have watch'd with rigorAll he used to do,And will now with vigorWork my wonders, too.
"I am now,—what joy to hear it!—
Of the old magician rid;
And henceforth shall ev'ry spirit
Do whate'er by me is bid:
I have watch'd with rigor
All he used to do,
And will now with vigor
Work my wonders, too.
"Wander, wanderOnward lightly,So that rightlyFlow the torrent,And with teeming waters yonderIn the bath discharge its current!
"Wander, wander
Onward lightly,
So that rightly
Flow the torrent,
And with teeming waters yonder
In the bath discharge its current!
"And now come, thou well-born broomAnd thy wretched form bestir;Thou hast ever served as groom,So fulfil my pleasure, sir!On two legs now standWith a head on top;Water pail in hand,Haste and do not stop!"Wander, wanderOnward lightly,So that rightlyFlow the torrent,And with teeming waters yonderIn the bath discharge its current!
"And now come, thou well-born broom
And thy wretched form bestir;
Thou hast ever served as groom,
So fulfil my pleasure, sir!
On two legs now stand
With a head on top;
Water pail in hand,
Haste and do not stop!
"Wander, wander
Onward lightly,
So that rightly
Flow the torrent,
And with teeming waters yonder
In the bath discharge its current!
"See! he's running to the shore,And has now attain'd the pool,And with lightning speed once moreComes here, with his bucket full!Back he then repairs;See how swells the tide!How each pail he bearsStraightway is supplied!
"See! he's running to the shore,
And has now attain'd the pool,
And with lightning speed once more
Comes here, with his bucket full!
Back he then repairs;
See how swells the tide!
How each pail he bears
Straightway is supplied!
"Stop, for, lo!All the measureOf thy treasureNow is right!Ah, I see it! woe, oh, woe!I forget the word of might.
"Stop, for, lo!
All the measure
Of thy treasure
Now is right!
Ah, I see it! woe, oh, woe!
I forget the word of might.
"Ah, the word whose sound can straightMake him what he was before!Ah, he runs with nimble gait!Would thou wert a broom once more!Streams renew'd foreverQuickly bringeth he;River after riverRusheth on poor me!
"Ah, the word whose sound can straight
Make him what he was before!
Ah, he runs with nimble gait!
Would thou wert a broom once more!
Streams renew'd forever
Quickly bringeth he;
River after river
Rusheth on poor me!
"Oh, thou villain child of hell!Shall the house through thee be drown'd?Floods I see that wildly swell,O'er the threshold gaining ground.Wilt thou not obey,O thou broom accurs'd!Be thou still, I pray,As thou wert at first!
"Oh, thou villain child of hell!
Shall the house through thee be drown'd?
Floods I see that wildly swell,
O'er the threshold gaining ground.
Wilt thou not obey,
O thou broom accurs'd!
Be thou still, I pray,
As thou wert at first!
"Will enoughNever please thee?I will seize thee,Hold thee fast,And thy nimble wood so toughWith my sharp axe split at last.
"Will enough
Never please thee?
I will seize thee,
Hold thee fast,
And thy nimble wood so tough
With my sharp axe split at last.
"See, once more he hastens back!Now, O Cobold, thou shalt catch it!I will rush upon his track;Crashing on him falls my hatchet.Bravely done, indeed!See, he's cleft in twain!Now from care I'm freed,And can breathe again.
"See, once more he hastens back!
Now, O Cobold, thou shalt catch it!
I will rush upon his track;
Crashing on him falls my hatchet.
Bravely done, indeed!
See, he's cleft in twain!
Now from care I'm freed,
And can breathe again.
"Woe, oh, woe!Both the parts,Quick as darts,Stand on end,Servants of my dreaded foe!O ye gods, protection send!
"Woe, oh, woe!
Both the parts,
Quick as darts,
Stand on end,
Servants of my dreaded foe!
O ye gods, protection send!
"And they run! and wetter stillGrow the steps and grows the hall.Lord and master, hear me call!Ever seems the flood to fill.Ah, he's coming! see,Great is my dismay!Spirits raised by meVainly would I lay!"'To the sideOf the roomHasten, broom,As of old!Spirits I have ne'er untiedSave to act as they are told.'"
"And they run! and wetter still
Grow the steps and grows the hall.
Lord and master, hear me call!
Ever seems the flood to fill.
Ah, he's coming! see,
Great is my dismay!
Spirits raised by me
Vainly would I lay!
"'To the side
Of the room
Hasten, broom,
As of old!
Spirits I have ne'er untied
Save to act as they are told.'"
FOOTNOTES:[42]Without opus number.[43]Translated by William Tooke ("Lucian of Samatosa": London, 1820).
FOOTNOTES:
FOOTNOTES:
[42]Without opus number.
[42]Without opus number.
[43]Translated by William Tooke ("Lucian of Samatosa": London, 1820).
[43]Translated by William Tooke ("Lucian of Samatosa": London, 1820).