Composer

:

Hugo Wolf

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song Collection

Compose Date

:

Oct 28, 1889

Average_duration

:

3:01

Hugo Wolf's "Wer sein holdes Lieb verloren" is a song cycle from his "Spanisches Liederbuch" (Spanish Songbook), which was composed between 1889 and 1890. The premiere of the song cycle was in 1891 in Vienna, Austria. The song cycle consists of 44 songs, divided into two volumes. "Wer sein holdes Lieb verloren" is the final song in the second volume. The song cycle is based on Spanish poetry, translated into German by Emanuel Geibel and Paul Heyse. The title of the song translates to "He who has lost his beloved." The song is a lament for lost love, with the narrator expressing his sorrow and longing for his lost love. The song is in a minor key, with a slow and mournful tempo. The piano accompaniment is sparse and melancholic, adding to the overall feeling of sadness. The song is divided into three distinct sections, each with its own character. The first section is slow and mournful, with the narrator expressing his sorrow and longing for his lost love. The second section is more agitated, with the narrator expressing his anger and frustration at the situation. The final section returns to the mournful character of the opening, with the narrator expressing his resignation and acceptance of his loss. Overall, "Wer sein holdes Lieb verloren" is a powerful and emotional song, expressing the universal theme of lost love. The song cycle as a whole is a masterpiece of German lieder, showcasing Wolf's skill as a composer and his ability to capture the essence of Spanish poetry in his music.

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