Standchen-D-Moll, No.4 Aus Schwanengesang, D.957 (LHS)

Viennese composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828) left a vast oeuvre spanning various genres. Lieder represent the majority of his output with over 600 compositions. Schubert was the first to elevate the Lied from a melody with a simple accompaniment to a complex art form, making the text as important as the music itself, while keeping the music independent at the same time. “[…] melodies that accompany me through life, eventful and calm, unsteady and mysterious, gloomy and bright, like life itself” (Johann Mayrhofer: Erinnerungen an Franz Schubert, 1829) “Ständchen” (Serenade), composed in 1828, is one of Franz Schubert’s most renowned compositions and has been transcribed for various instruments, most famously by Franz Liszt for piano solo. “Ständchen” was published posthumously, as part of the song cycle “Schwanengesang” (Swan Song), created by the publisher.
This transcription is based on Liszt’s version, which adds a fourth verse to the original three. In the 2nd stanza the melody is set one octave lower, while in the third an echo effect is used. Here (mm. 71-90) it was possible to maintain the accompaniment as written by Schubert, whereas Liszt was forced to change it for the piano version. It is advisable to seek a different sound for the accompaniment (e.g. staccato), to make it easier to differentiate it from the melody, especially in the 2nd stanza.

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