When you think of beautiful songs, the first composer that comes to mind is often Franz Schubert. What guitarists of today might not be aware of is that some of Schubert's gorgeous lieder (art song) were transcribed for guitar during his lifetime.
These particular lieder were transcribed for guitar by Anton Diabelli, who was and is perhaps most well known as a music publisher. Diabelli is also very well known in the general classical music world for Beethoven's 'Diabelli Variations'. Diabelli's publications were generally aimed at the amateur market, so his transcriptions are not too much of a handful! In my opinion, Diabelli has done a great job of adapting the piano part onto the guitar, making it very playable and natural for the instrument. If you can't find a singer, these would at least make for wonderful sight reading practice. Study them too, as it's always of great benefit to study music of great composers. This collection presents a nice variety of pieces, some slow and contemplative, others fast and playful. I believe most, if not all songs are from the cycle Die schöne Mullerin (The Lovely Mill-Maiden). NOTE: There are pages missing from the song Wohin. My apologies! They are not in the original scan I found. |
Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert, in full Franz Peter Schubert, (born January 31, 1797, Himmelpfortgrund, near Vienna [Austria]—died November 19, 1828, Vienna), Austrian composer who bridged the worlds of Classical and Romantic music, noted for the melody and harmony in his songs (lieder) and chamber music. Among other works are Symphony No. 9 in C Major (The Great; 1828), Symphony in B Minor (Unfinished; 1822), masses, and piano works.
--- Britannica
--- Britannica
Anton Diabelli
Anton Diabelli, (born Sept. 6, 1781, Mattsee, near Salzburg, Archbishopric of Salzburg, Austrian Habsburg domain [now in Austria]—died April 7, 1858, Vienna), Austrian music publisher and composer best known for his waltz, or Ländler, on which Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his 33 variations for piano (Diabelli Variations, 1823).
--- Britannica
--- Britannica
Two of the pieces performed on flute and guitar by my wife Marla and I
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Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust
(The miller's joy is wandering)
(The miller's joy is wandering)
Text Translation:
The miller's joy is wandering,
Is wandering!
A miller surely loses face
When staying at the same old place,
Not wandering!
The water teaches us to move,
The water!
It does not rest by night or day
Continuously on its way,
The water!
We see this also with the wheels,
The mill-wheels!
They never think of standing still
And turn around with tireless will,
The mill-wheels!
The mill-stones, heavy though they are,
The mill-stones!
They like to join the merry reel
And want to turn much faster still,
The mill-stones!
Oh wandering, wandering, my delight,
Oh wandering!
Oh, Master and dear Mistress, too,
In peace I'll take my leave of you
And wander!
The miller's joy is wandering,
Is wandering!
A miller surely loses face
When staying at the same old place,
Not wandering!
The water teaches us to move,
The water!
It does not rest by night or day
Continuously on its way,
The water!
We see this also with the wheels,
The mill-wheels!
They never think of standing still
And turn around with tireless will,
The mill-wheels!
The mill-stones, heavy though they are,
The mill-stones!
They like to join the merry reel
And want to turn much faster still,
The mill-stones!
Oh wandering, wandering, my delight,
Oh wandering!
Oh, Master and dear Mistress, too,
In peace I'll take my leave of you
And wander!
Frühlingsglaube (Faith in Spring)
Text Translation:
The gentle winds are awakened,
They murmur and waft
day and night,
They create in every corner.
Oh fresh scent, oh new sound!
Now, poor dear [heart], fear not!
Now everything, everything must change.
The world becomes more beautiful
with each day,
One does not know
what may yet happen,
The blooming doesn't want to end.
The farthest, deepest valley blooms:
Now, poor dear, forget the pain!
Now everything, everything must change.
The gentle winds are awakened,
They murmur and waft
day and night,
They create in every corner.
Oh fresh scent, oh new sound!
Now, poor dear [heart], fear not!
Now everything, everything must change.
The world becomes more beautiful
with each day,
One does not know
what may yet happen,
The blooming doesn't want to end.
The farthest, deepest valley blooms:
Now, poor dear, forget the pain!
Now everything, everything must change.
Morgengruss (Morning Greetings)
Text Translation:
Good morning, beautiful millermaid!
Why do you so promptly turn your little head,
As if something has happened to you?
Do you dislike my greetings so profoundly?
Does my glance disturb you so much?
Then I must go on again.
O let me only stand from afar,
Watching your dear window,
From afar, from quite far away!
Your blonde little head, come out!
Come out from your round gate,
You blue morning stars!
You slumber-drunk little eyes,
You flowers, troubled with dew,
Why do you shy from the sun?
Has night been so good to you
That you close and bow and weep
for her quiet joy?
Now shake off the gauze of dreams
And rise, fresh and free
in God's bright morning!
The lark warbles in the sky;
And from the heart's depths,
Love calls away suffering and worries.
Good morning, beautiful millermaid!
Why do you so promptly turn your little head,
As if something has happened to you?
Do you dislike my greetings so profoundly?
Does my glance disturb you so much?
Then I must go on again.
O let me only stand from afar,
Watching your dear window,
From afar, from quite far away!
Your blonde little head, come out!
Come out from your round gate,
You blue morning stars!
You slumber-drunk little eyes,
You flowers, troubled with dew,
Why do you shy from the sun?
Has night been so good to you
That you close and bow and weep
for her quiet joy?
Now shake off the gauze of dreams
And rise, fresh and free
in God's bright morning!
The lark warbles in the sky;
And from the heart's depths,
Love calls away suffering and worries.
Nacht Und Traume (Night and Dreams)
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Text Translation:
Holy night, you sink down
The dreams flow down, too
Like your moonlight through the rooms
Through the people's silent chests
They listen softly with desire
They call, when day awakens
Come back, holy night
Sweet dreams, come back!
Holy night, you sink down
The dreams flow down, too
Like your moonlight through the rooms
Through the people's silent chests
They listen softly with desire
They call, when day awakens
Come back, holy night
Sweet dreams, come back!
Wohin (Where To?)
Original scans are missing pages!!
Original scans are missing pages!!
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Text Translation:
I hear a brooklet rushing
Right out of the rock's spring,
Down there to the valley it rushes,
So fresh and wondrously bright..
I know not, how I felt this,
Nor did I know who gave me advice;
I must go down
With my wanderer's staff.
Down and always farther,
And always the brook follows after;
And always rushing crisply,
And always bright is the brook.
Is this then my road?
O, brooklet, speak! where to?
You have with your rushing
Entirely intoxicated my senses.
But why do I speak of rushing?
That can't really be rushing:
Perhaps the water-nymphs
are singing rounds down there in the deep.
Let it sing, my friend, let it rush,
And wander joyously after!
Mill-wheels turn
In each clear brook.
I hear a brooklet rushing
Right out of the rock's spring,
Down there to the valley it rushes,
So fresh and wondrously bright..
I know not, how I felt this,
Nor did I know who gave me advice;
I must go down
With my wanderer's staff.
Down and always farther,
And always the brook follows after;
And always rushing crisply,
And always bright is the brook.
Is this then my road?
O, brooklet, speak! where to?
You have with your rushing
Entirely intoxicated my senses.
But why do I speak of rushing?
That can't really be rushing:
Perhaps the water-nymphs
are singing rounds down there in the deep.
Let it sing, my friend, let it rush,
And wander joyously after!
Mill-wheels turn
In each clear brook.
Ungeduld (Impatience)
Text Translation:
I should like to carve it in the bark of every tree,
I should like to inscribe it on every pebble,
sow it in every fresh plot
with cress seed that would quickly reveal it;
I should like to write it on every scrap of white paper:
my heart is yours, and shall ever remain so.
I should like to train a young starling
until it spoke the words, pure and clear;
until it spoke with the sound of my voice,
with my heart’s full, ardent yearning.
then it would sing brightly at her window:
my heart is yours, and shall ever remain so.
I should like to breathe it to the morning winds,
and whisper it through the rustling grove.
If only it shone from every flower; if only fragrant
scents could bear it to her from near and far.
Waves, can you drive only mill-wheels?
My heart is yours, and shall ever remain so.
I should have thought it would show in my eyes,
could be seen burning on my cheeks,
could be read on my silent lips; I should have
thought my every breath would proclaim it to her;
but she notices none of these anxious signs:
my heart is yours, and shall ever remain so.
I should like to carve it in the bark of every tree,
I should like to inscribe it on every pebble,
sow it in every fresh plot
with cress seed that would quickly reveal it;
I should like to write it on every scrap of white paper:
my heart is yours, and shall ever remain so.
I should like to train a young starling
until it spoke the words, pure and clear;
until it spoke with the sound of my voice,
with my heart’s full, ardent yearning.
then it would sing brightly at her window:
my heart is yours, and shall ever remain so.
I should like to breathe it to the morning winds,
and whisper it through the rustling grove.
If only it shone from every flower; if only fragrant
scents could bear it to her from near and far.
Waves, can you drive only mill-wheels?
My heart is yours, and shall ever remain so.
I should have thought it would show in my eyes,
could be seen burning on my cheeks,
could be read on my silent lips; I should have
thought my every breath would proclaim it to her;
but she notices none of these anxious signs:
my heart is yours, and shall ever remain so.