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.

Schilderung eines Mädchens WoO 107 - An einen Säugling WoO 108 - Der freie Mann (second version) WoO 117 - Urians Reise um die Welt op. 52, 1 - Feuerfarb' (second version) op. 52, 2 - Das Liedchen von der Ruhe op. 52, 3 - Maigesang op. 52, 4 - Mollys Abschied op. 52, 5 - Die Liebe op. 52, 6 - Marmotte op. 52, 7 - Das Blümchen Wunderhold op. 52, 8 - Ich liebe dich, so wie du mich WoO 123 - La partenza WoO 124 - Adelaide op. 46 - Abschiedsgesang an Wiens Bürger WoO 121 - Kriegslied der Österreicher WoO 122 - Opferlied (second version) WoO 126 - Neue Liebe, neues Leben (first version) WoO 127 - La tiranna WoO 125 - Bitten op. 48, 1 - Die Liebe des Nächsten op. 48, 2 - Vom Tode op. 48, 3 - Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur op. 48, 4 - Gottes Macht und Vorsehung op. 48, 5 - Bußlied op. 48, 6 - Lebensglück op. 88 - Der Wachtelschlag WoO 129 - An die Hoffnung (first version) op. 32 - Elegie auf den Tod eines Pudels WoO 110 - Als die Geliebte sich trennen wollte WoO 132 - In questa tomba oscura (second version) WoO 133 - Sehnsucht (4 versions) op. WoO 134 - Andenken WoO 136 - Lied aus der Ferne/Der Jüngling in der Fremde WoO 138 - Gesang aus der Ferne WoO 137 - Der Liebende WoO 139 - Kennst du das Land op. 75, 1 - Neue Liebe, neues Leben (second version) op. 75, 2 - From Goethe's Faust op. 75, 3 - Gretels Warnung (second version) op. 75, 4 - An den fernen Geliebten op. 75, 5 - Der Zufriedene op. 75, 6