Composer

:

Arnold Schoenberg

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song

Compose Date

:

1922

Average_duration

:

13:08

Arnold Schoenberg's "Lied der Waldtaube" is a composition for voice and orchestra, which was composed in 1913. The piece was premiered on December 13, 1913, in Vienna, Austria, with the composer conducting. The text of the piece is taken from a poem by Albert Giraud, which was translated into German by Otto Erich Hartleben. The composition is part of Schoenberg's larger work, "Gurre-Lieder," which is a cycle of songs and choruses based on poems by Jens Peter Jacobsen. "Lied der Waldtaube" is the fifth of the seven songs in the cycle and is sung by a mezzo-soprano. The piece is characterized by its use of atonality, which was a hallmark of Schoenberg's style at the time. The orchestra is used to create a dense, complex texture, with the voice often blending in with the instrumental lines. The vocal part is also highly expressive, with the mezzo-soprano conveying a sense of longing and sadness. The piece is divided into three sections, with the first section featuring a mournful melody played by the orchestra. The vocal part enters with the words "Weh mir, unglückhaftem Mann" ("Woe is me, unhappy man"), which are repeated several times throughout the piece. The second section features a more agitated, frenzied melody, with the orchestra and voice building to a climax. The final section returns to the mournful melody of the first section, with the voice fading away into silence. Overall, "Lied der Waldtaube" is a powerful and emotionally charged composition that showcases Schoenberg's innovative approach to music. Its use of atonality and complex orchestration make it a challenging piece for performers and listeners alike, but its expressive power and beauty make it a masterpiece of 20th-century music.

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