Lied der Doina (Doina Song)

Published in 1966, Lied der Doina (Doina Song) by the German-speaking composer and music historian Georg Ritter von Onciul (1904–1981), a native of Bukovina, takes up one of the most significant and well-known forms of Romanian music. The doina is a form of song, which probably originated in the Middle East. It can be considered the southeastern European equivalent of the Afro-American blues or even the Portuguese fado. As a rule, a doina is an improvised solo song, rich in elaborate ornamentation and free rhythms, which develops an enormously expressive, lyrical character.

In terms of content, doina often revolves around emotionally charged themes such as longing, death, sadness, closeness to nature, the adversities of life, or even the plea for divine assistance. In addition to its solo form as a Romanian shepherd song, doina melodies were also played by Romanian shepherds on flutes as purely instrumental pieces.

The doina has also become an integral part of klezmer music. This developed from the 15th century out of the folk music of Ashkenazi Jewries living in Eastern Europe and became famous around the world as hundreds of thousands of Jews emigrated to the USA from 1881 on. Although klezmer music can be traced back to religious origins, it is itself secular in character and adapted musical forms from the regions in which klezmer musicians live – including the Romanian doina. At Jewish weddings, the doina is often played as the beginning of a multi-movement klezmer suite. In contrast to the Romanian model, typical klezmer instruments such as the violin, the clarinet or the dulcimer are used. However, an improvisational and elegiac mood always prevails. Georg Ritter von Onciul impressively implements this in his Lied der Doina in the vocal part and the piano accompaniment. The text also captures the mood and character of the doina congenially.

Mia Jakob was born in Zagreb, Croatia, where she completed her master's degree in music education at the Academy of Music in 2014. In 2017, she began a master's degree in voice at the Leopold Mozart Center in Augsburg, Germany, graduating in 2021. In addition to her pedagogical work and artistic activities as an opera singer, her focus is on combining film with opera and song.
<www.miajakob.com>{#2609}

Denise Maurer is currently completing her Master's degree in "Klavier" (piano) at the Leopold Mozart Center in Augsburg. Together with the singer Mia Jakob, she has on several occasions provided the musical framework for events organized by the Bukovina Institute in Augsburg. Maurer graduated from the University of Music in Munich with a bachelor's degree in artistic-pedagogical piano and a master's degree in music journalism. In addition to her pedagogical and artistic activities, she is a freelance journalist for the Neue Musikzeitung as well as BR-Klassik.

English translation: William Connor