But, who is Sacontala? Kalidasa the great Indian poet (4th or 5th century) wrote one of the finest plays in world literature, “Abhijnaana Sakuntalam”, “The Recognition of Sakuntala”. In 1825 Franz Schubert finished his drafts for a grand opera based on a libretto written on a translation of this play. In 2002 the Danish composer Karl Aage Rasmussen reconstructed the work by our initiative and commission. The fine reconstruction, now called Sakontala, is published by Edition Wilhelm Hansen, Copenhagen and had its concert world premiere in Germany 2006. This performance is available on CD by Carus Verlag.

Franz Schubert called his opera’s the heroine “Sacontala”, and wrote it on the top of the draft score. Whether or not we call her Sakontala, Sacontala or Sakuntala –  or Shakuntala, what may be the correct transliteration from Sanskrite -  she was and remains an incarnation of genuine beauty, spiritually and naturally. The short but fullest explanation for this is to be found in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s verse from 1792:

"Willst du die Blüte des frühen, die Früchte des späteren Jahres,
Willst du, was reizt und entzückt, willst du, was sättigt und nährt,
Willst du den Himmel. die Erde mit Einem Namen begreifen,
Nenn' ich, Sakontala, dich, und so ist alles gesagt."

This verse could be translated to:

”Wouldst thou the blossoms of spring, as well as the fruits of the autumn,
Wouldst thou what charms and delights, wouldst thou what plenteously, feeds,
Wouldst thou include both Heaven and earth in one designation,
All that is needed is done, when I Sakontala name.”

Even if it is a risky business to translate, what the most honorable and able literate Goethe also may have thought when writing his verse. It is told that he had found his literary competence insufficient for translating Sakontala into German.

Our books may either be of that literal value of what Kalidasa reached in Sakontala, but there in and behind our books and sheet music can be found persons with the same categorical demands for true artistry, the genuine beauty.