Composer

:

Franz Schubert

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song: Art Song

Compose Date

:

1828

Average_duration

:

2:18

"Das Fischermädchen" is a Lied composed by Franz Schubert in 1828, as part of his song cycle "Schwanengesang" (Swan Song), which was published posthumously. The premiere of the song cycle was in Vienna in 1829, with the singer Johann Michael Vogl and the composer himself at the piano. "Das Fischermädchen" is the tenth song of the cycle and is set to a poem by Heinrich Heine. The song tells the story of a fisherman who falls in love with a mermaid he sees while fishing. He tries to catch her, but she disappears into the waves. The fisherman is left alone, longing for the mermaid and the sea. The song is in A minor and has a slow tempo. It is divided into three sections, each with a different melody and mood. The first section is in a minor key and has a melancholic and introspective character. The second section is in a major key and has a more hopeful and romantic mood. The third section returns to the minor key and has a sense of resignation and sadness. The piano accompaniment is simple and repetitive, imitating the rhythm of the waves. The vocal line is expressive and lyrical, with long phrases and subtle changes in dynamics and tempo. The song requires a singer with a wide range and a sensitive interpretation of the text. "Das Fischermädchen" is a typical example of Schubert's Lieder, which combine poetry and music in a highly emotional and intimate way. The song reflects the Romantic ideal of nature as a source of inspiration and beauty, but also as a symbol of the human condition, with its joys and sorrows, hopes and fears.

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