Composer

:

Hugo Wolf

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

Jun 16, 1883

Average_duration

:

2:59

'Zur Ruh, zur Ruh! (Sechs Gedichte)' is a song cycle composed by Hugo Wolf in 1888. The premiere of the cycle took place on January 27, 1889, in Vienna. The cycle consists of six songs, each based on a poem by Eduard Mörike. The poems are centered around the theme of death and the afterlife, and Wolf's music captures the melancholic and introspective mood of the texts. The first song, "Er ist's," is a gentle and lyrical piece that celebrates the arrival of spring. The second song, "Nimmersatte Liebe," is a more passionate and dramatic piece that explores the theme of unrequited love. The third song, "Verborgenheit," is a contemplative and introspective piece that reflects on the beauty of nature and the transience of life. The fourth song, "Das verlassene Mägdlein," is a haunting and melancholic piece that tells the story of a young girl who has been abandoned by her lover. The fifth song, "Auf eine Christblume II," is a delicate and ethereal piece that celebrates the beauty of a Christmas flower. The final song, "Zur Ruh, zur Ruh," is a somber and introspective piece that reflects on the inevitability of death and the hope of eternal rest. Wolf's music for 'Zur Ruh, zur Ruh! (Sechs Gedichte)' is characterized by its sensitivity to the text and its ability to capture the emotional nuances of the poems. The music is often introspective and melancholic, reflecting the themes of death and the afterlife that are central to the cycle. Wolf's use of chromatic harmonies and subtle shifts in tonality create a sense of unease and uncertainty that is appropriate to the subject matter. Overall, 'Zur Ruh, zur Ruh! (Sechs Gedichte)' is a powerful and moving song cycle that showcases Wolf's skill as a composer and his ability to capture the emotional depth of the texts he set to music.

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