What are Lieder?


          A lied (plural: lieder) is a German art song, usually 3 to 5 minutes long, usually for one 
          voice and piano, but sometimes one voice and an orchestra.  Art songs go back to the
          Late Middle Ages, but they flourished in the Romantic era.  Although there are art songs
          in other languages, they are not called lieder.  19th century lieder were usually set to poems
          by popular romantic poets. 

          A Liederkries (song cycle) is a collection of lieder meant to be played together.  The 
          numerous lieder in the song cycle almost always have a common theme.


      Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg  (1760 - 1802)  Influential ballads


      Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  (1756 - 1791)

           Mozart - The Complete Lieder  (1 hour, 43 minutes, play)


      Ludwig van Beethoven  (1770 - 1827)  

           An die ferne Geliebte (to a distant beloved), Op. 98  (1816)

               →  This is the first liederkries (song cycle) by a famous composer

            Performed by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone, and Gerald Moore, piano  (14 min, play)


      Carl Loewe  (1796 - 1869)  "The Northern Schubert"  (loewe is not famous today)


  Great 19th century lieder composers after Schubert:

           Robert Schumann  (1810 - 1856)

            Johannes Brahms  (1833 - 1897)

           Hugo Wolf  (1860 - 1903)

           Gustave Mahler  (1860 - 1911)  (lieder for voice and orchestra)


                     A list of 100 popular art songs and song cycles






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