Beethoven’s importance as the creator of monumental orchestral works and of substantial chamber music and solo sonatas is so great that his rich song oeuvre is often hardly even noticed. But his Lieder offer a highly entertaining repertoire in which love songs and humorous songs alternate with serious pieces of philosophical or religious subject matter. Goethe, Claudius, Herder, Lessing, Gellert and Rousseau are among the authors whose poems he set. In this way, we are offered a panorama of the waning 18th and incipient 19th centuries with a specific blend of feeling for nature, Enlightenment thought and religious sensibility. This Henle Urtext edition in two volumes, which is based on the Beethoven Complete Edition, also contains those songs which were rediscovered long after Beethoven’s death and were therefore hardly known for a long time. A detailed preface on the history and source situation of Beethoven’s art songs rounds off this edition.

Dimmi, ben mio, che m'ami (second version) op. 82, 1 - T'intendo sì, mio cor op. 82, 2 - L'amante impaziente (Arietta buffa) op. 82, 3 - L'amante impaziente (Arietta assai seriosa) op. 82, 4 - Odi l'aura che dolce sospira (duet) op. 82, 5 - Wonne der Wehmut (second version) op. 83, 1 - Sehnsucht op. 83, 2 - Mit einem gemalten Band op. 83, 3 - An die Geliebte (first version) - An die Geliebte (third version) WoO 140 - Der Bardengeist WoO 142 - Des Kriegers Abschied WoO 143 - Merkenstein (first version) WoO 144 - Merkenstein (second version) op. 100 - Das Geheimnis, Liebe und Wahrheit WoO 145 - An die Hoffnung (second version) op. 94 - Sehnsucht (Die stille Nacht umdunkelt) WoO 146 - An die ferne Geliebte op. 98 - Der Mann vom Wort op. 99 - Ruf vom Berge WoO 147 - So oder so WoO 148 - Resignation WoO 149 - Abendlied unterm gestirnten Himmel WoO 150 - Ariette (Der Kuß) op. 128 - Klage (second version) WoO 113 - Erhebt das Glas mit froher Hand WoO 109 - Punschlied WoO 111 - An Laura WoO 112 - Ein Selbstgespräch WoO 114 - Oh care selve, oh cara WoO 119 - Seufzer eines Ungeliebten/Gegenliebe WoO 118 - Romance WoO 128 - Man strebt, die Flamme zu verhehlen WoO 120 - Freudvoll und leidvoll (second vocal score) op. 84, 4 - An die Geliebte (second version) WoO 140 - Der Gesang der Nachtigall WoO 141 - Die laute Klage (second version) WoO 135 - Auf, Freunde, singt dem Gott der Ehen (first version) WoO 105 - Gedenke mein! WoO 130