What is particularly outstanding is that he integrated poetry, melody and accompaniment, which made the ancient German art songs glow with new vitality and reached a brand-new realm. Therefore, it is known as "the king of art songs".
Schubert wrote more than 600 artistic songs in his life, including Devil, Wild Rose, Trout, Wanderer, Serenade, Lullaby, Ode to Notre Dame, as well as vocal divertimento Beautiful Mill Girl, Winter Journey, Swan Song and so on. His artistic songs have unique charm, the melody is the natural expression of the connotation of the lyrics, and the accompaniment carries the contents that are difficult to express in the singing melody. Through the color changes of tonality, range and harmony, artistic songs are endowed with new life, which is romantic, lyrical and biographical.
Generally speaking, Schubert's artistic songs have two characteristics:
First, the structure is simple?
1. Schubert's artistic songs are commonly used in three forms, one is sectional music, the other is actually a kind of sectional music, called changing sectional music. ?
2. The so-called segmented song means that a song sings two or more lyrics with one melody. Bar songs are common forms of German and Austrian songs, including folk songs. Schubert created wild roses, lullabies and other works in this form. The lyrics of Wild Rose are selected from Goethe's poem of the same name, which is a kind and peaceful Austrian folk song in Song Like. A melody of 16 is simple and fresh. The melody of 16 has three different lyrics (two piano interludes in the middle), which tells the romantic feelings of Schubert.
3. Schubert's artistic songs are most commonly used to change the form of segmented songs. As the name implies, changing a song is to change the harmony, tonality, piano texture and speed of this melody when repeating the same melody. At that time, German and Austrian composers had realized the limitations of folk songs and wanted to change this fixed segmented song. Schubert also stood in the ranks.
Second, the content is substantial?
1.？ Some of Schubert's artistic songs praise nature, such as To Spring and Listen to the Lark, some praise art and love, such as To the Messenger of Music and Love, some describe immortals and human beings, such as Ode to Our Lady, Land Gong and Foreign Land, and some express their inner anguish, sadness and loneliness, such as City.
2. These songs with different emotional meanings are directly, simply and profoundly expressed through vocal music and piano, which is also the characteristic of Schubert's artistic songs. Piano accompaniment and vocal music combine wonderfully and perfectly, and complement each other. Usually, vocal music expresses various scenes and artistic conception, while piano accompaniment depicts bright spring, cold wind and boundless winter snow, such as Devil and piano accompaniment.
3. In Schubert's artistic songs, the melody has always been lyrical, simple, simple and folk. As an improviser, his endless inspiration never seems to know what decoration and deliberation are. Because Schubert has been living in the haze of the city, his music sounds a little sensitive, excitable and sad, which is related to Schubert's own frustration and loneliness.
4. Schubert fully tapped the potential of art songs, making them perfect forms of expression. Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, including Wagner's songs, all followed the path initiated by Schubert.