Lieder Volume 5, Medium Voice & Piano

Schubert Lieder Volume 5, Medium Voice & Piano

Schubert lieder for discerning musicians.  The New Schubert Edition is the only scholarly-critical edition that will, once completed, include Franz Schubert's lieder in their entirety.  In response to the rising expectations of performers and listeners alike, all the lieder will be published over the next few years in performing editions containing the text of Walther Dürr, the eminent Schubert scholar and former Managing Editor of the New Schubert Edition.

As a continuation of the new Urtext edition of the Schubert lieder, Walther Dürr has now edited volume five for high, medium and low voices. Volumes 1 to 4 of this edition contain mainly lieder which Schubert himself saw into print (in his own choice and order) and in the fourth volume works from the last two years of his life are included. The lieder in volume 5 onwards are strictly presented in the order of Deutsch’s Thematic Catalogue which means that in principle they are arranged chronologically.

The lieder in volume five were composed in the years 1811 to 1814. The first – "Hagars Klage" (D 5), dated 30 March 1811 – is also his first complete surviving song. The first eleven lieder are evidence of his early studies (1811–1813/14). During this period Schubert immersed himself in Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg’s ballads and lieder and wrote Italian arias during his composition lessons with Antonio Salieri. He also composed a single strophic song ("Klaglied", D 23), which – the only one of these songs – was published shortly after his death in November 1830 as op. 131, 3. His apprentice work, as it were, was the major ballade "Der Taucher" (D 77) which was composed between 1813 and roughly the beginning of 1815. Probably not by chance, his first complete opera ("Des Teufels Lustschloss", D 84) was written at the same time. He also set fourteen poems by Friedrich von Matthisson exploring the principle of the strophic lied.

- Includes the definitive musical text from the New Schubert Edition

- Newly engraved with a spacious appearance and larger format (23 x 30 cm)

- Ideal page turns

- Editorial decisions and conflicting readings from main sources are now identified in this performing edition

- Alternative versions are reproduced in the appendix

- Introduction by Walther Dürr focuses on peculiarities in the genesis and performance history of each lied and provides solid information on performance practice

- Adopts straightforward ordering principle from the New Schubert Edition: first by opus number, then in chronological order

- Complete transposition into three vocal registers finally allows every singer to work with the latest findings of Schubert scholarship

- Includes English translations of the lieder texts by Richard Wigmore

The edition is scheduled to consists of 13 volumes. Each volume will appear in three editions; one for high voice, one for middle voice and one for low voice.