Das Lied der Trennung K.519

About this work

In Das Lied der Trennung, Mozart sets Klamer Eberhard Karl Schmidt’s poem about the separation of lovers. Completed in Vienna on 23 May 1787, the song begins in F minor with a restrained vocal line and regular accompaniment. Yet each stanza intensifies the same feeling: silences, chromatic inflections and changes of register reveal what the words are still trying to contain.

Mozart begins with a strophic model, departs from it in a long central section, then returns to the opening music. This course allows the tension to rise without producing an expressive photocopy of every verse. The piano is more than a background: its figures maintain the pulse and extend the voice’s suspensions. At cadences, singer and pianist must breathe together so that the words arrive before the effect.

Begin by speaking the poem in rhythm, then place its consonants onto the melodic line. F minor calls for density, not constant vibrato. At the keyboard, keep the accompaniment supple and transparent so that the nuances of the text can live. A separation is complicated enough; the voice and piano need not part company in the second verse as well.


What the document contains

a 5-page score for voice and keyboard;
a PDF and a MIDI file;
a LilyPond archive containing the engraving files.

The text is in German. Prepare a working translation and check the vocal range before choosing the key for performance.