Five Songs, Op. 9 (Pfitzner)

Five Songs
by Hans Pfitzner
Opus9
Composed1894-95
DedicationAnton Sistermans
Published1898 - Leipzig
PublisherMax Brockhaus
Movements5
ScoringVoice and piano

Five Songs, Op. 9, is a song cycle written by German composer Hans Pfitzner. Composed after poems by Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, it was written between 1894 and 1895

Background

The Five Songs were written in 1894-95 and dedicated to Anton Sistermans. It marks Hans Pfitzner’s first settings of poems by Joseph von Eichendorff, a poet with whom he maintained a close association throughout his career, later culminating in the cantata Von deutscher Seele.[1] The set was published in Leipzig in 1898, by Max Brockhaus.[2] Pfitzner's fondness of the first two songs in this set was apparent insofar as he recorded them at the piano with baritone Gerhard Hüsch at Electrola Studios on February 10, 1939, in Cologne,[3] and he arranged them for violin and piano in a set of arrangements published in 1940, also by Max Brockhaus in Leipzig.[4]

Structure

Five Songs was written for low voice and piano. The text presented in the original publication was in German, even though John Bernhoff provided English translations for both the text in the songs and the titles.[2] The movement list is as follows:[5]

  1. Der Gärtner ("The Gardener"). Langsam
  2. Die Einsame ("The Soul of Solitude"). Äusserst langsam und zart
  3. Im Herbst ("Autumn"). Schwermütig, jedoch nicht langsam, etwas aufgeregt
  4. Der Kühne ("The Bold Hunter"). Sehr rhythmisch zu spielen und zu singen, im Romanzenton
  5. Abschied ("Farewell"). Sehr langsam, leise

Recordings

Pfitzner's Op. 9 has frequently been recorded in excerpts, especially at recitals. Pfitzner himself recorded only songs Nos. 1 and 2. The following is a list of complete performances of Five Songs, Op. 9:

Recordings of Pfitzner's Five Songs, Op. 9
Voice Piano Date of recording Place of recording Label
Uwe Schenker-Primus Klaus Simon 2021 — Naxos[6]

References

  1. ^ Schmidt, Brigit. "About This Recording - Hans Pfitzner (1869–1949) - Complete Songs • 4". www.naxos.com. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
  2. ^ a b Pfitzner, Hans (1898). 5 Lieder, Op. 9. Leipzig: Max Brockhaus.
  3. ^ "Hans Pfitzner Accompanies & Conducts". Gramophone. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
  4. ^ Pfitzner, Hans (1940). Venus mater/Ich hör' ein Vöglein locken/Sehnsucht/Die Einsame/Der Gärtner nach den gleichnamigen Liedern aus op. 2, 9, 10 und 11 für Violine und Klavier (in German). Leipzig: Max Brockhaus.
  5. ^ "Fünf Lieder für mittlere Stimme und Klavier nach Gedichten von Joseph von Eichendorff | H. Pfitzner | LiederNet". www.lieder.net. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
  6. ^ "PFITZNER, H.: Lieder (Complete), Vol. 4 (Schenker-.. - 8.573082 | Discover more releases from Naxos". www.naxos.com. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
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