Mystery solved! Sheep, Lambs and J.S. Bach

Caroluna · Post by **Caroluna** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:25 pm

Sheep, Lambs and J.S. Bach

Some musician friends of mine traveled to Germany this past summer to visit relatives. While they were there, they were given a stack of old sheet music that had been found in the attic of an elderly great-aunt. They've been working their way through it, and recently found this

They thought this was very strange because the music is identical with this well-known piece

Here it is on You-Tube if you want to listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VJoEe_zO_Q

The version we are familiar with has the title "Sheep May Safely Graze", but the old sheet music has a title in German that translates "Lambs May Safely Laze". On the back of the page shown are some handwritten notes in German. My friends know some German and haven't completely figured it out, but they said it is in verse form and seems to be lyrics. The verses describe an idyllic pastoral scene with a lamb relaxing in the spring grass-- and the verses go into great detail telling how charming, dainty and utterly delightful the lamb is.

In addition to the mysterious verses, there is also a handwritten inscription on the front

My friends are going to take this sheet music to the local university to have a music historian take a look at it. I thought you guys might be interested in this odd discovery!

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:37 pm

That's a lovely piece--I haven't thought of that one in years.

In college we played it under the title "Sheep May Safely Graze."

Thanks for posting this! That's quite a neat find you have there.

--James

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:57 pm

How funny. For the alternate title "Laemmer könnnen sicher ausspannen" I'd prefer the translation "Lambs can sure take a load off". LOL!

I think the written inscription at the top reads "Mein Liebchen Lämmlein" = "My Dear Little Lamb" (I'm not so good at reading Fraktur handwriting).

The original cantata text by Salomo Franck is here, including Aria No. 9:
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV208-Eng3.htm

I'd translate it more poetically as something like:

Sheep may safely graze beneath
The careful shepherd's watchful eye.
Where rulers rule with gentle hand,
There's peace and calm throughout the land,
Which brings our countries joy.

It sounds like someone reworked the pastoral theme with new lyrics fixated on the sheep. I really don't want to know any more about where that might be going ...

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:58 pm

Wyoming?

Caroluna · Post by **Caroluna** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:55 pm

The mystery has been solved!

My friends took the sheet music to a music historian at the local university today. He was very excited by their find. He said it relates to a very little-known period of Bach's life-- the time between the death of his first wife and the marriage to his second. Apparently during this time Bach was involved with a mysterious woman known only as the Duchess d'Agneau. The professor showed my friends a copy of a painting that had been done during that time.

When the professor read the poem on the back of the sheet music, he said it was rich with erotic imagery, and that it was plain that the Duchess had been a great encouragement to Bach and probably had helped him regain his creativity after the death of his wife.

I can't help but notice that the Dutchess bears a certain resemblance to someone here. Lambchop, could the mysterious duchess have been an ancestress of yours??

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:13 pm

MTGuru wrote:I'd prefer the translation "Lambs can sure take a load off"

In light of this startling new evidence, a better translation is clearly "Lambs Just Wanna Have Fun".

I wonder if my insurance covers terminal laughter?!

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:20 pm

This whole thread was an elaborate set up for this Lambchop gag, wasn't it?

Caroluna · Post by **Caroluna** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:29 pm

I deny everything!

I would never try to pull the wool over your eyes like that!

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:35 pm

Walden wrote:This whole thread was an elaborate set up for this Lambchop gag, wasn't it?

Would you like her to do one for you?

Beethoven?
maybe Tchaikovsky?

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:56 pm

Caroluna wrote:The mystery has been solved!

My friends took the sheet music to a music historian at the local university today. He was very excited by their find. He said it relates to a very little-known period of Bach's life-- the time between the death of his first wife and the marriage to his second. Apparently during this time Bach was involved with a mysterious woman known only as the Duchess d'Agneau. The professor showed my friends a copy of a painting that had been done during that time.

When the professor read the poem on the back of the sheet music, he said it was rich with erotic imagery, and that it was plain that the Duchess had been a great encouragement to Bach and probably had helped him regain his creativity after the death of his wife.

I can't help but notice that the Dutchess bears a certain resemblance to someone here. Lambchop, could the mysterious duchess have been an ancestress of yours??

Oh, my! I'm sorry I missed this earlier. Was at my piano lesson.

Ah, yes! The Duchess! <ahem!> Of course, she's an . . . ancestress . . . of mine, as you put it. A truly fascinating creature!

Lovely painting, isn't it? It's such a good job! That has to be my favorite of her dresses, too. The sleeves were lovely! Got into everything, but lovely. As she said. She was famous for saying that, in fact. "These sleeves just get into everything!"

Gonzo, did you see this?

gonzo914 · Post by **gonzo914** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:15 pm

I'll bet cowtime could make a dress like that for you. You would be the belle of the Bach Festival.

The P.D.Q. Bach Festival, that is, held every year in Hoople, N.D., in February. Attendance is usually sparse.

Genealogists researching Bach and his twenty odd sons strongly suspect that the Duchess may be P.D.Q.'s mother.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:17 pm

Good grief, Lamby! You're the spitting image of her!!!

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:31 pm

Caroluna wrote:The mystery has been solved!

My friends took the sheet music to a music historian at the local university today. He was very excited by their find. He said it relates to a very little-known period of Bach's life-- the time between the death of his first wife and the marriage to his second. Apparently during this time Bach was involved with a mysterious woman known only as the Duchess d'Agneau. The professor showed my friends a copy of a painting that had been done during that time.

When the professor read the poem on the back of the sheet music, he said it was rich with erotic imagery, and that it was plain that the Duchess had been a great encouragement to Bach and probably had helped him regain his creativity after the death of his wife.

I can't help but notice that the Dutchess bears a certain resemblance to someone here. Lambchop, could the mysterious duchess have been an ancestress of yours??

Are we sure this is not P.D.Q????? rather than J.S.???

Behavior such as this would be typical of ole P.D.Q.

And yes, I made a Robe a l'Angalise like that just a few months ago so it could be done.

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:44 pm

izzarina wrote:Good grief, Lamby! You're the spitting image of her!!!

Yes, but you'll notice I'm much smaller.

Caroluna · Post by **Caroluna** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:44 pm

izzarina wrote:Good grief, Lamby! You're the spitting image of her!!!

.....or....could the portrait possibly be of our very own Lambchop? who traveled through time to inspire the great composer at the time he needed it most?