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- Wagner, Richard
- Schmid, Adolf
Duration: 6 minutes
Description: Richard Wagner’s (1813-1883) collection of five songs titled Fünf Gedichte für eine Frauenstimme (Five Poems for a Female Voice), WWV 91, is more commonly known as Wesendonck Lieder after the source of the poems, Mathilde Wesendonck. Mathilde was the wife of Wagner’s patron Otto Wesendonck, and there is some speculation that Wagner and Mathilde had a love affair that inspired the opera Tristan und Isolde (which are referenced in two of the songs, calling them “studies” for Tristan und Isolde), but the idea that these songs were also inspired by the same possible affair is given less attention. They were written originally for female voice and piano between 1857 and 1858, though Wagner did orchestrate No. 5, Träume, for chamber orchestra to be played at Mathilde’s window for her birthday on December 23, 1857. The remaining songs were orchestrated in 1893 by the Wagner conductor Felix Mottl. This edition of No. 5: Träume (Traeume; Dreams) is transcribed by the Adolf Schmid for orchestra alone with no solo voice. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 4.2.3.0: Timp: Hp: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set). Reprint edition.