leonardcohenforum.com

I got myself the "Essentials of Leonard Cohen" album and I liked it very much. I was totally blown away by "Take this waltz" Do you have information about who is the woman who sings along LC? I really loved her voice and would like to know who she was.

Voel a.k.a Terry Volanis

It's Jennifer Warnes.

Is my favourite song of LC of all time based on a poem by Lorca and is a monotone moonshine of imagry. The backing vocals make the hypnotic effect of the song.
Georges

I like live version even more:-)

I have a live copy from Zurich (bootleg), the quality is very good (think it was done from a radio broadcast). It was performed superbly. I also heard it live in Dublin 1988, myself.

People...you sure it's Jenifer Warnes doing the back-up vocals in "Take this waltz"? I thought that she was with LC in the begining and since then their roads parted. Is she the same woman singing with LC in "Dance me to the end of love"?


Terry

Yes, she is.
She also sings some background vocals on "The Future" album...

Hi Voel,
I don't have a copy of this CD yet, but I understand it's all previously released material, as opposed to current renditions of them.

Does the CD give any information as to the year or from which CD it was taken? Because if it's a studio version it's nearly certain it's Jennifer Warnes on Take This Waltz. However, if it's a Live version (do you hear any applause, etc.), it's nearly certain it's Julie Christensen and Perla Batalla.

On Dance Me to the End of Love, same thing. Studio version, probably Jennifer Warnes. Live version, it's either Julie and Perla or Anjani Thomas.

So for the folks who like the live versions better, they're probably not hearing Jennifer Warnes. Bob

Yeah...you are probably right. The "Waltz" is a studio recording and "Dance me" is obviously live. The voices of the girls are different as well. Thanks for the help, folks

Terry

The Waltz is my favourite song of all time
and an essencial....................Georges

I agree. This is one of my favourites. I saw Leonard do this in 88 and 93. Both times at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Both great concerts!

Does anybody know where I can get a copy of the Lorca poem on which this is based? I'm afraid I'd need an English translation, although I would be interested in seeing the original too.

Howdy Stranger~

Here is the poem by Lorca. This song inspired me to purchase some of Lorca's books of poetry. Hope it inspires others to do the same:

Little Viennese Waltz (Federico Garcia Lorca)

In Vienna there are ten little girls,
a shoulder for death to cry on,
and a forest of dried pigeons.
There is a fragment of the morning
in the museum of winter frost.
There is a thousand-windowed dance hall.

Ay, ay, ay, ay!
Take this close-mouthed waltz.

Little waltz, little waltz, little waltz,
of itself, of death, and of brandy
that dips its tail in the sea.

I love you, I love you, I love you,
with the armchair and the book of death,
down the melancholy hallway,
in the iris's darkened garret,
in our bed that is the moon's bed,
and in that dance the turtle dreams of.

Ay, ay, ay, ay!
Take this broken-waisted waltz.

In Vienna there are four mirrors
in which your mouth and the echoes play.
There is a death for piano
that paints the little boys blue.
There are beggars on the roof.
There are fresh garlands of tears.

Ay, ay, ay, ay!
Take this waltz that dies in my arms.

Because I love you, I love you, my love,
in the attic where the children play,
dreaming ancient lights of Hungary
through the noise, the balmy afternoon,
seeing sheep and lilies of snow
through the dark silence of your forehead.

Ay, ay, ay, ay!
Take this "I will always love you" waltz.

In Vienna I will dance with you
In a costume with
a river's head.
See how the hyacinths line my banks!
I will leaeve my mouth between your legs,
my soul in photographs and lilies,
and in the dark wake of your footsteps,
my love, my love, I want to leave
violin and grave, the ribbon of the waltz.

Thanks for providing the poem.................beautiful..............you can see the foundation for Leonard.
Georges

Many thanks for posting the poem.

I wonder if Leonard has any manuscripts for this similar to others posted on Jarkko's site. It would be very interesting to follow the development from the initial inspiration to the final song.

Thanks again!

As far as I know, Cohen used Lorca's Spanish poem, and would have stay very close to the original, although he worked on it for a long time, finding difficult to tune Spanish poetry with English words. Of course I'm bewitched, and then, partial, but Cohen version of Take this Watz is far over this one up there. And I don't even stress what we can say about the music. Charlene Diehl-Jones did it.