Composer

:

Hugo Wolf

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

Jan 7, 1889

Average_duration

:

2:42

'Königlich Gebet (Goethe Lieder)' is a song cycle composed by Hugo Wolf in 1888. The premiere of the cycle took place in Vienna in 1890. The cycle consists of six songs, each of which is based on a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The first song, 'Gebet', is a prayer in which the speaker asks for God's guidance and protection. The second song, 'Gleich und Gleich', is a dialogue between two lovers who are perfectly matched. The third song, 'Röselein, Röselein!', is a playful and flirtatious song in which the speaker compares his lover to a rose. The fourth song, 'Anakreons Grab', is a melancholy reflection on the transience of life. The fifth song, 'Der Rattenfänger', is a humorous retelling of the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The final song, 'Gesang Weylas', is a meditation on the nature of art and the artist's role in society. The characteristics of the cycle include Wolf's use of chromaticism and dissonance to create a sense of tension and unease. The songs are also notable for their use of word painting, in which the music reflects the meaning of the text. For example, in 'Röselein, Röselein!', the music becomes more florid and ornate as the speaker describes the beauty of the rose. Overall, 'Königlich Gebet (Goethe Lieder)' is a masterful example of Wolf's skill as a composer of lieder. The cycle showcases his ability to capture the emotional depth and complexity of Goethe's poetry through music.

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