Abendstern

"Abenstern" (Evening Star) evokes an enchanting outdoor scene – as the sun goes down over the tree-covered hills of the Bavarian countryside, a single star shines ever more brightly – the Abendstern. A hauntingly beautiful theme in falling thirds embodies the contour of the treetops as they grow darker and murkier, and the theme is heard in lower and lower registers until the very end, where it is intoned by the cellos and basses. At the same time, the star, represented by a sustained E, is heard in higher and higher registers, until we hear its full brightness and aura at the very end, in a shimmering harmony.