Composer

:

Hugo Wolf

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

Jan 26, 1876

Liebesfrühling, Op. 9/2 is a song cycle composed by Hugo Wolf in 1888. The premiere of the cycle took place in Vienna in 1891. The cycle consists of six songs, each of which is a setting of a poem by Eduard Mörike. The poems are all love poems, and the cycle as a whole is a celebration of the joys and sorrows of love. The first song in the cycle, "Er ist's," is a joyful celebration of the arrival of spring and the awakening of love. The second song, "Gebet," is a prayer for the beloved, asking for her to be protected and blessed. The third song, "An die Geliebte," is a tender love song, expressing the poet's devotion to his beloved. The fourth song, "Der Gärtner," is a tragic tale of unrequited love. The gardener in the poem is in love with a noblewoman who is indifferent to his feelings. The fifth song, "Bei einer Trauung," is a wedding song, celebrating the union of two lovers. The final song, "Ich hab' in Penna," is a bittersweet reflection on the transience of love and the inevitability of parting. The music of Liebesfrühling is characterized by its lyrical beauty and emotional intensity. Wolf's settings of Mörike's poems are masterful, capturing the nuances of the text with great sensitivity and insight. The songs are richly expressive, with soaring melodies and lush harmonies that convey the full range of human emotion. Overall, Liebesfrühling is a masterpiece of the art song genre, and a testament to Hugo Wolf's genius as a composer. Its enduring popularity is a testament to its timeless themes of love, loss, and the beauty of the natural world.

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