Composer

:

Hugo Wolf

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1883 - 1887

Average_duration

:

2:40

Movement_count

:

6

Movement ....

Hugo Wolf's 'Sechs Gedichte von Scheffel, Mörike, Goethe & Kerner' is a song cycle composed for voice and piano. The cycle comprises six songs, each based on a poem by a different German poet. The songs were composed between 1888 and 1889 and were premiered in Vienna in 1890. The first song in the cycle is 'Der Tambour' by Joseph von Scheffel. The song is in a lively 6/8 time signature and features a jaunty piano accompaniment. The vocal line is characterized by its rhythmic energy and its use of syncopation. The song tells the story of a drummer boy who goes off to war and is killed in battle. The second song is 'Das verlassene Mägdlein' by Eduard Mörike. This song is in a slower tempo and features a more melancholy piano accompaniment. The vocal line is characterized by its long, flowing phrases and its use of chromaticism. The song tells the story of a young girl who has been abandoned by her lover and is left to mourn her loss. The third song is 'Ganymed' by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. This song is in a faster tempo and features a more virtuosic piano accompaniment. The vocal line is characterized by its soaring melodies and its use of word painting. The song tells the story of the mythological figure Ganymede, who was taken up to Mount Olympus by Zeus to serve as his cupbearer. The fourth song is 'Auf ein altes Bild' by Justinus Kerner. This song is in a slower tempo and features a more introspective piano accompaniment. The vocal line is characterized by its use of rubato and its expressive use of dynamics. The song tells the story of a man who comes across an old painting and is reminded of a lost love. The fifth song is 'Verborgenheit' by Mörike. This song is in a slower tempo and features a more delicate piano accompaniment. The vocal line is characterized by its use of ornamentation and its expressive use of dynamics. The song tells the story of a person who finds solace in nature and retreats from the world. The final song in the cycle is 'Er ist's' by Mörike. This song is in a faster tempo and features a more playful piano accompaniment. The vocal line is characterized by its use of staccato and its lively rhythms. The song celebrates the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature. Overall, 'Sechs Gedichte von Scheffel, Mörike, Goethe & Kerner' is a diverse and expressive song cycle that showcases Hugo Wolf's mastery of the art song genre. The cycle features a range of moods and styles, from the lively rhythms of 'Der Tambour' to the introspective beauty of 'Verborgenheit'.

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