Richard Strauss

Morgen from Four Songs, Op. 27/4 [composer's transcription in G]

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) wrote Four Lieder (Four Songs), Op. 27 for voice and piano originally in 1894, and they are among his greatest songs, when taken as a set. While the text came from a trio of radical political activists with whom he was friends, Strauss managed to consistently select their love poems over the more rabble-rousing text they might have preferred. The original four songs: 1. Ruhe, meine Seele! (Henckell), 2. Cäcilie (Hart), 3. Heimliche Aufforderung (Mackay), 4. Morgen! (Mackay). While the 1st, 2nd, and 4th were orchestrated at various times by the composer, the Heimliche Aufforderung was not. Morgen! (Morning!) is serenely rapturous and remains one of Strauss' best-known and widely recorded works, with Strauss' 1897 orchestration also remaining very popular over the years. Instrumentation: 0.0.0.0: 3.0.0.0: Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set): Solo Vn: Solo Voice.

The original songs with piano accompaniment are available in Richard Strauss' Collected Songs, Volume 3 (M125591) from LudwigMasters.