SCHUBERT: Part Songs Vol. 1

Bauer, Thomas, Danz, Ingeborg, Eisenlohr, Ulrich, Flaig, Markus, Jakobi, Regina, Rubens, Sibylla, Schäfer, Markus, Schmidl, Marcus, Schwarz, Silke, Ullmann, Marcus

8.570961

Schubert occupied himself with the genre of the mixed-voice part-song throughout the whole of his compositional life; around 130 individual works, from simple canons to straightforward homophonic movements, from elaborate part-songs with piano accompaniment to cantatas in several parts with soloists, chorus and orchestra all testify to that. The German Schubert Song Edition presents, on three single discs, all the songs with piano accompaniment which are to be performed with soloists (i. e. without chorus). Just as the musical forms, as well as the themes of the songs in this genre, are many and diverse, so too are the circumstances of the writing of individual compositions. After his early studies under the tutelage of Antonio Salieri Schubert produced many part-songs, either as works written to commission or as ‘social music’ for performance among his circle of friends or acquaintances: surprise serenades to celebrate birthdays, songs of thanksgiving for recovery from illness, songs for theatrical entertainment, drinking-songs and songs for convivial gatherings. But there are also simple part-songs, written for no particular reason, which merely owe their existence to the inspiration of a poem having been read to the composer. The themes here are the praise of God, death and resurrection, and the contemplation of nature and life.

CD x 1

Naxos

6/2/09

747313096176