Composer

:

Felix Mendelssohn

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

Mar 10, 1840

Publication Date

:

1851

Average_duration

:

1:56

"Der wandernde Musikant, Op. 88/6" is a song composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1848. It was premiered in Leipzig on January 1, 1849, with the composer himself at the piano and the tenor Julius Stockhausen as the soloist. The song is part of a collection of six songs for voice and piano, collectively known as "Sechs Gesänge, Op. 88" (Six Songs, Op. 88). The collection was composed in the last years of Mendelssohn's life and is characterized by its simplicity and directness of expression. "Der wandernde Musikant" is the sixth and final song in the collection. It is a setting of a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which tells the story of a wandering musician who travels from town to town, playing his music and entertaining the people he meets along the way. The song is in A major and is marked "Andante con moto" (moderately slow and with motion). It is divided into three sections, each with its own distinct character. The first section is gentle and lyrical, with the soloist singing of the musician's travels and the beauty of the countryside. The second section is more lively and rhythmic, with the soloist describing the musician's performances and the joy he brings to his audiences. The final section returns to the gentle mood of the opening, with the soloist singing of the musician's eventual departure and the sadness felt by those who have come to know and love him. Overall, "Der wandernde Musikant" is a charming and nostalgic song that captures the spirit of Goethe's poem and showcases Mendelssohn's gift for melody and harmony. It is a fitting conclusion to the composer's final collection of songs and a testament to his enduring legacy as one of the great composers of the Romantic era.

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