Composer

:

Hugo Wolf

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song

Compose Date

:

Jan 12, 1883

Average_duration

:

2:39

'Rückkehr' is a song cycle composed by Hugo Wolf, a prominent Austrian composer of the late Romantic era. The cycle was composed in 1888 and premiered in Vienna in the same year. It consists of six movements, each of which is a setting of a poem by the German poet Eduard Mörike. The first movement, 'Erstes Liebeslied eines Mädchens', is a tender and delicate love song in which a young girl expresses her feelings for a young man. The second movement, 'Der Tambour', is a dramatic and intense piece that tells the story of a soldier who is forced to leave his lover and go to war. The third movement, 'An die Geliebte', is a passionate and romantic song in which the speaker expresses his love for his beloved. The fourth movement, 'Der Gärtner', is a melancholic and introspective piece in which the speaker reflects on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. The fifth movement, 'Auf ein altes Bild', is a nostalgic and wistful song in which the speaker remembers a lost love from his youth. The final movement, 'Nimmersatte Liebe', is a dark and brooding piece in which the speaker laments the destructive power of love. The music of 'Rückkehr' is characterized by its rich harmonies, expressive melodies, and intricate piano accompaniments. Wolf's use of chromaticism and dissonance creates a sense of tension and emotional intensity that is perfectly suited to the passionate and often melancholic texts of Mörike's poems. Overall, 'Rückkehr' is a masterful example of the art song genre and a testament to Wolf's skill as a composer. Its combination of poetic texts and expressive music creates a powerful emotional impact that has made it a beloved work of the Romantic repertoire.

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