The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Background:

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (De Zauberlehring) is a symphonic poem* composed by Paul Dukas Composed in 1897, and like many composers of the 19th century, Dukas drew his inspiration from the German Romantic Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Greek satirst named Lucian wrote a very similar frame story called Philopseudes, which was about an Egyptian priest named Pancrates. Dukas' evocative composition went on to inspire Disney's Fantasia and the 2010 motion picture of the same name.

* A Symphonic Poem is a one-movement piece of program music composed for orchestra.

Walt Disney

You may remember this scene below featuring Mickey Mouse from Fantasia. Watch how Disney animates to the music. Is there any difference between the music that Disney used and what Dukas wrote?

 
 

The Poem

Goethe wrote this 14-stanza ballad in 1997. From About.com, below is the complete text of the original German poem alongside an English translation. Listen to a reading of the Goethe poem, both in German and English

Der Zauberlehrling	The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe	Translation by Brigitte Dubiel
Hat der alte Hexenmeister	Good! The sorcerer, my old master
sich doch einmal wegbegeben!	left me here alone today!
Und nun sollen seine Geister	Now his spirits, for a change,
auch nach meinem Willen leben!	my own wishes shall obey!
Seine Wort' und Werke	Having memorized
merkt' ich, und den Brauch,	what to say and do,
und mit Geistesstärke	with my powers of will I can
tu ich Wunder auch.	do some witching, too!
Walle, walle,	Go, I say,
manche Strecke,	Go on your way,
dass zum Zwecke	do not tarry,
Wasser fliesse,	water carry,
und mit reichem, vollem Schwalle	let it flow abundantly,
zu dem Bade sich ergiesse!	and prepare a bath for me!
Und nun komm, du alter Besen!	Come on now, old broom, get dressed,
Nimm die schlechten Lumpenhüllen	these old rags will do just fine!
Bist schon lange Knecht gewesen:	You're a slave in any case,
nun erfülle meinen Willen!	and today you will be mine!
Auf zwei Beinen stehe,	May you have two legs,
oben sei der Kopf,	and a head on top,
eile nun, und gehe	take the bucket, quick
mit dem Wassertopf!	hurry, do not stop!
Walle, walle,	Go, I say,
manche Strecke,	Go on your way,
dass zum Zwecke	do not tarry,
Wasser fliesse,	water carry,
und mit reichem, vollem Schwalle	let it flow abundantly,
zu dem Bade sich ergiesse.	and prepare a bath for me.
Seht, er läuft zum Ufer nieder!	Look, how to the bank he's running!
Wahrlich! ist schon an dem Flusse,	and now he has reached the river,
und mit Blitzesschnelle wieder	he returns, as quick as lightning,
ist er hier mit raschem Gusse.	once more water to deliver.
Schon zum zweiten Male!	Look! The tub already
Wie das Becken schwillt!	is almost filled up!
Wie sich jede Schale	And now he is filling
voll mit Wasser füllt!	every bowl and cup!
Stehe! Stehe!	Stop! Stand still!
Denn wir haben	Heed my will!
deiner Gaben	I've enough
Vollgemessen!	of the stuff!
Ach, ich merk' es! Wehe! Wehe!	I've forgotten - woe is me!
Hab' ich doch das Wort vergessen!	what the magic word may be.
Ach, das Wort, worauf am Ende	Oh, the word to change him back
er das wird, was er gewesen!	into what he was before!
Ach, er läuft und bringt behende!	Oh, he runs, and keeps on going!
Wärst du doch der alte Besen!	Wish you'd be a broom once more!
Immer neue Güsse	He keeps bringing water
bringt er schnell herein,	quickly as can be,
Ach, und hundert Flüsse	and a hundred rivers
stürzen auf mich ein!	he pours down on me!
Nein, nicht länger	No, no longer
kann ich's lassen,	can I let him,
will ihn fassen,	I must get him
das ist Tücke!	with some trick!
Ach, nun wird mir immer bänger!	I'm beginning to feel sick.
Welche Miene! Welche Blicke!	What a look! - and what a face!
O, du Ausgeburt der Hölle!	O, you ugly child of Hades!
Soll das ganze Haus ersaufen?	The entire house will drown!
Seh' ich über jede Schwelle	Everywhere I look, I see
doch schon Wasserströme laufen.	water, water, running down.
Ein verruchter Besen!	Be you damned, old broom,
der nicht hören will!	why won't you obey?
Stock, der du gewesen,	Be a stick once more,
steh doch wieder still!	please, I beg you, stay!
Willst's am Ende	Is the end
gar nicht lassen?	not in sight?
Will dich fassen,	I will grab you,
will dich halten,	hold you tight,
und das alte Holz behende	with my axe I'll split the brittle
mit dem scharfen Beile spalten.	old wood smartly down the middle.
Seht, da kommt er schleppend wieder!	Here he comes again with water!
Wie ich mich nur auf dich werfe,	Now I'll throw myself upon you,
gleich, o Kobold, liegst du nieder!	and the sharpness of my axe
Krachend trifft die glatte Schärfe.	I will test, o spirit, on you.
Wahrlich, brav getroffen!	Well, a perfect hit!
Seht, er ist entzwei!	See how he is split!
Und nun kann ich hoffen,	Now there's hope for me,
und ich atme frei!	and I can breathe free!
Wehe! Wehe!	Woe is me! Both pieces
Beide Teile	come to life anew,
steh'n in Eile	now, to do my bidding
schon als Knechte	I have servants two!
völlig fertig in die Höhe!	Help me, o great powers!
Helft mir, ach ihr hohen Mächte!	Please, I'm begging you!
Und sie laufen! Nass und nässer	And they're running! Wet and wetter
wird's im Saal und auf den Stufen,	get the stairs, the rooms, the hall!
Welch entsetzliches Gewässer!	What a deluge! What a flood!
Herr und Meister, hör' mich rufen!	Lord and master, hear my call!
Ach, da kommt der Meister!	Ah, here comes the master!
Herr, die Not ist groß!	I have need of Thee!
Die ich rief, die Geister,	from the spirits that I called
werd' ich nun nicht los.	Sir, deliver me!
„In die Ecke	“Back now, broom,
Besen, Besen!	into the closet!
Seids gewesen,	Be thou as thou
denn als Geister	wert before!
ruft euch nur zu seinem Zwecke	Until I, the real master
erst hervor der alte Meister!”	call thee forth to serve once more!”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe	Translation Copyright © Brigitte Dubiel

Here is a very helpful excerpt from program notes for a youth concert by the Makato Symphony Orchestra:

Paul Dukas was a gifted composer, music critic and teacher at the Paris Conservatory. Dukas was very self-critical of his work, publishing only a small number of his best pieces and destroying the rest. He also edited the works of Beethoven, Rameau, Couperin, and Scarlatti for publication. Dukas’ mother was a gifted pianist who sadly died when Paul was only five years old. However, the composer had a close relationship with his father and older brother, both of whom were bankers. Dukas started to study music when he was very young, but did not show particular talent until he was a teenager. At 16, he entered the Paris Conservatory to study harmony and composition, where he also played timpani in the conservatory orchestra.

In 1889 he took a break from music and served in the military for a little over a year, ultimately to return to composing. In addition to teaching and composing, Dukas was inspector of the provincial conservatories in 1912, which enabled him to travel throughout France. After about a year of that, he returned to the Paris Conservatory. He married in 1915 at age 50 shortly after his father died and had one
daughter.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Scherzo after a Ballade by Goethe was written in 1897. The work is an outstanding example of “program music” or a piece of music that tells a story in musical form. Program music is often inspired by places, images or literature. Dukas’ piece was popular from the beginning, but was made very famous by Walt Disney in his 1940 film Fantasia which stars Mickey
Mouse as an unlucky apprentice battling a mishap with brooms and water.

The story actually goes back to ancient Egypt and was retold in ancient Greece by Lucianes of Samosta. In the older story, the sorcerer is a priest in the temple of Isis and the broom is a pestle used with a mortar to grind spices or chemicals. There is a little difference in the possible moral of the story, as well. In Goethe’s story, one is told that you should not start something you cannot finish correctly. In the ancient story Lucianes simply pokes fun of “tall tales.” The 18th century German writer Johann Wolfgang Goethe wrote his version of the story in 1782 as a poem. Dukas placed a French translation of Goethe’s poem in the front of the score as his musical interpretation of the story.

Sorcerer’s Apprentice/Story summary:

An old sorcerer leaves his workshop assigning his apprentice some chores, one of which is to fetch water in a bucket to fill a big tank. The apprentice gets tired of his work and remembers the sorcerer’s spell to magically enable the broom do the work. The magic words work and the broom follows his command to fetch water. Soon the tank is full, but the broom keeps bringing more water. The apprentice cannot remember the words to undo the magic and in his worry and frustration hits the broom- which breaks into two pieces. And now both brooms start carrying water! Soon the whole room is flooded with water swirling everywhere. The sorcerer returns, sees what has happened and returns the situation back to

normal while scolding the naughty young apprentice.

Sorcerer’s Apprentice: A listening guideIntroduction: Dukas’ music opens softly and mystically. “Water” theme, Fragment of “broomstick” theme, Fragment of

“ladder” theme, “Master” theme (the apprentice casts spell in imitation of his master while he is away)

Exposition and development: Prelude (The spell is cast) “Broomstick” theme (played by bassoons), “Water” theme (the volume of water increases), “Broomstick” theme (broomstick begins to move on its own), “Apprentice” theme, followed by the repeat and development of “broomstick” and “apprentice” themes. (Continuing increase in volume of water) “Master” theme and “water” theme. (The apprentice has forgotten the spell that is
needed to stop the water and broomstick; none of his attempts work) Climax based on fragment of “broomstick” theme. (Apprentice hits the broomstick with an axe.)

Recapitulation: Broomstick stops for a moment, but then begins to move again with appearance of “broomstick” theme. Recapitulation and development of “apprentice” theme (with “broomstick” theme as counter subject), “Master” theme (apprentice says the spell again but it does not work), repetition and development of “broomstick” theme. (Broomsticks continue to bring more water.) Stretta based on “water” and “broomstick” theme. (The apprentice panics as he sees the volume of water increase.) “Master” theme. (The master arrives back and says the spell.)

Coda: Fragments of soft “water” theme, fragments of “broomstick” theme and “apprentice “ theme as everything returns to normal. Piece closes as it opened.

Suggested Connections and Directions for your Research:

• Romantic Literature
• Goethe
• Sorcerer's Apprentice in Modern Pop Culture
• History of Film Animation
• Sorcery and Witchcraft

Related Links:

• The Sorcerer’s Apprentice By Scott Horton, Harper's Magazine
• Check out this video from 1962 of an artist drawing to the music
• What is a frame story?
• Official film site of the 2010 film Sorcerer’s Apprentice The Goethe Institute
• The Scientist and the Poet by Paul A. Cantor from The New Atlantis