Composer

:

Carl Loewe

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song

Average_duration

:

6:19

Carl Loewe's "Ballads, Treuröschen, Op. 2/1" is a collection of six songs for voice and piano, composed in 1824. The premiere of the work took place in Berlin in the same year. The six movements of the collection are titled "Edward," "Die wandelnde Glocke," "Der untreue Knabe," "Die verfallene Mühle," "Die Uhr," and "Der Fischer." The first movement, "Edward," is a ballad based on a Scottish folk tale. It tells the story of a young man who kills his lover and is haunted by her ghost. The second movement, "Die wandelnde Glocke," is also a ballad, but this time based on a German legend. It tells the story of a bell that walks on its own and brings bad luck to those who hear it. The third movement, "Der untreue Knabe," is a melancholic song about a young man who leaves his lover for another woman, only to realize his mistake too late. The fourth movement, "Die verfallene Mühle," is a ballad about a deserted mill that is haunted by the ghosts of its former inhabitants. The fifth movement, "Die Uhr," is a song about the passing of time and the inevitability of death. The final movement, "Der Fischer," is a ballad about a fisherman who catches a mermaid and falls in love with her, only to lose her when she returns to the sea. Overall, "Ballads, Treuröschen, Op. 2/1" showcases Loewe's skill in setting dramatic and haunting texts to music. The collection is characterized by its use of folk tales and legends, as well as its exploration of themes such as love, death, and the supernatural. Loewe's use of chromaticism and dissonance also adds to the eerie and haunting atmosphere of the songs.

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