Abstract
Coinciding with the centenary of Afrikaans as an official language, and the 120th anniversary of the publication of Eugène Marais’ poem “Winternag” (“Winter’s night”, 1905), this essay investigates the various musical settings based on this well-known poem. Early versions of the poem were probably written before the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) and still bore traces of the then fading knowledge of proper Dutch. The colonially, English-educated Marais – who had published English poetry while at school in Paarl – worked in Pretoria toward replacing poor Dutch with a more developed written language that would become Afrikaans.
The poem was published in 1905 in the struggling Dutch-Afrikaans newspaper Land en Volk. Its editor, Gustav Preller, saw it as his mission to promote the poem as the first example of Afrikaans literature capable of expressing abstract thought. As a result, several generations of Afrikaans-speaking schoolchildren were required to learn it by heart. In this way, the poem became canonised and acquired a unique status in Afrikaans literature. It was often interpreted as a symbolic expression of Boer suffering, a theme also present in contemporary poetry of the time by Jan F.E. Celliers and J.D. du Toit (Totius). Marais himself denied any war-related connotations, instead describing the poem as an example of pure nature lyricism. A nationwide survey in 2012 declared “Winternag” the best-known poem in Afrikaans.
Interestingly, Marais did not consider poetry his first passion. His true interests lay in journalism, law, and the natural sciences. He publicly opposed the corrupt government of President Kruger, and left South Africa to study law in London – the capital of the enemy – where he also dabbled in medicine and the newly discovered practice of hypnosis. After the war, he returned, practised law, and campaigned against Lord Milner’s policy of total anglicisation. His fascination with nature led to acclaimed studies on baboons and ants, which earned him international recognition.
Considering personal tragedies such as his early morphine addiction and the death of his wife during their son’s birth, one may view his poetry as a form of self-therapy. He never took the initiative to publish his poems – this only began in 1925 through the efforts of others. Around 1919, Marais experienced a creative resurgence following his contact with a group of San nomads in his beloved Waterberg region. Their folktales inspired his so-called “Bushman poems”, in which he developed a free-flowing poetic style.
Musical settings of “Winternag” surpass those of any other Afrikaans poem, with over 20 known examples. These range from clumsy high school efforts to amateurish compositions – mere word-and-note alignments with little musical value. However, a select few stand as true works of art, created by experienced and gifted composers.
The origins of the art song (the English equivalent of the German Kunstlied) lie in early 19th-century lyric German poetry, notably that of Goethe. Traditional strophic song – where the same melody is used for all stanzas regardless of textual variation, as in hymns and folk songs – came under scrutiny. Intellectual trends of the time demanded a transformation of song into a higher art form. The through-composed approach (using unique vocal lines for each stanza) partially replaced the strophic model, though thematic references often provided unity. This shift began with Beethoven but achieved lasting success through Schubert’s settings of Goethe, such as The Erl King and Gretchen at the spinning wheel, later followed by Schumann, Brahms, Richard Strauss, and others.
Key elements of the genre include a vocal line that demonstrates a deep understanding of the text and a piano accompaniment that functions as an independent expressive force. The accompaniment may contain illustrative features – such as the spinning wheel or galloping horse in Schubert’s songs.
It is thus unsurprising that the earliest art-song-like Afrikaans settings are also considered Kunstlieder. The first of these was a group of three songs, including “Winternag”, composed in 1908 by Jan Gysbert Bosman (historically also known as Bosman di Ravelli). Bosman, an eccentric figure, studied piano in Europe from 1898, returned in 1905, and left again in 1910. He was the first to propose a national music institute based on indigenous South African music, particularly that of the Zulu, and (erroneously) believed his own compositions embodied this approach.
To illustrate the interaction between verse and song, this essay also briefly discusses musical features such as text metre, musical rhythm, and the traditional four-bar phrase structure, and provides a concise history of Afrikaans songwriting.
Of the 20 known settings, 14 are analysed in detail as representative examples spanning the past 120 years. These settings are discussed in terms of historical significance, aesthetic merit, and the composers’ individual compositional strategies. Both successful and less effective settings are included, with critical commentary provided.
Settings of primarily historical rather than artistic importance include Bosman’s setting, as well as two from the FAK Sangbundel (published by the Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organisations).
Arnold van Wyk’s setting forms the centrepiece of his five-part song cycle Of love and forsakenness, based entirely on Marais’ poetry. The cycle received international acclaim. Van Wyk’s “Winternag” is one of the first truly successful through-composed Afrikaans songs. It evokes a mysterious nocturnal atmosphere, with every bar reflecting a logical extension of the piano introduction. Two adjacent songs in the cycle, both drawn from Marais’ San poems, are particularly notable for incorporating indigenous African musical elements. For this purpose, Van Wyk consulted ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey’s field recordings. Tracey encouraged the incorporation of African music into Western art music and produced a range of mbiras – “thumb pianos” – commercially in Grahamstown. In Heart-of-the-daybreak, the piano accompaniment evokes the tonal qualities of the mbira. Like Bosman before him, Van Wyk envisioned a national music culture grounded in indigenous traditions.
Hubert du Plessis’ setting was composed in 1966, originally for a commissioned work commemorating the fifth anniversary of the South African Republic. It appeared in Suid-Afrika: Nag en Daeraad (South Africa: Night and Dawn), a work for soprano, choir, and orchestra. Here, “Winternag” is framed as a symbol of post-war hope, echoing earlier interpretations of Boer suffering. Du Plessis later adapted the piece for voice and piano; it stands as a model of inspired, disciplined song composition.
Other noteworthy contributors include English-speaking composers such as Sydney Richfield, Leonard Brown, and William Henry Bell, as well as Flemish composer Marinus de Jong. Bell’s setting is a classic example of the through-composed art song.
Recent interest from younger composers is reflected in the settings by Hendrik Hofmeyr and Martin Watt. Hofmeyr’s setting, originally composed in 1977 and reworked in 1982, is a masterful example of declamatory style, treating each syllable with meticulous care, even at the expense of traditional melodic flow. Watt’s setting, by contrast, adopts a transparent vocal line supported by a persistent ostinato in the accompaniment, underlining the poem’s tone of nostalgic loneliness.
Where possible, musical excerpts are included, as well as six sound recordings of settings.
Keywords: Afrikaans art song; Arnold van Wyk; Bosman di Ravelli; Eugène N. Marais; Hendrik Hofmeyr; Hubert du Plessis; musical metre; South African composers; “Winternag”
- This article’s featured image was adapted from Rafa Barros and obtained from Pexels.
Lees die volledige artikel in Afrikaans
Treurige wysies: Eugène N. Marais se “Winternag” as vers en lied (1908–2024)