Der Zwerg (The Dwarf) is a

lied In the Western classical music tradition, ( , ; , ; ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German and Dutch, but among English and French speakers, is often used interchangea ...

(or ballad) for voice and

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...

, written in the mid-1820s on a text by Matthäus von Collin. The poem is in '' terza rima''. In

Otto Erich Deutsch Otto Erich Deutsch (5 September 1883 – 23 November 1967) was an Austrian musicologist. He is known for compiling the first comprehensive catalogue of Franz Schubert's compositions, first published in 1951 in English, with a revised edition pu ...

's catalogue of Schubert's works, it is Op. 22, No. 1, D. 771. The singer sings in three different voices: the Dwarf, his mistress the Queen (whom the Dwarf strangles with a red silk scarf in the song), and the narrator. Recordings are available by several notable singers, including George London,

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (; 28 May 1925 – 18 May 2012) was a German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music. One of the most famous Lieder (art song) performers of the post-war period, he is best known as a singer of Franz Schubert's ...

, Lula Mysz-Gmeiner, Thomas Quasthoff,

Jessye Norman Jessye Mae Norman (September 15, 1945 – September 30, 2019) was an American opera singer and recitalist. She was able to perform dramatic soprano roles, but did not limit herself to that voice type. A commanding presence on operatic, concert ...

, Ian Bostridge,"Franz Schubert: Lieder" Ian Bostridge, Tenor; Julius Drake, Pianist. EMI Classics 56347 and Matthias Goerne.

Song text

References

External links

* Of Dwarves, Perversion, and Patriotism: Schubert's "Der Zwerg," D. 771, by Susan Youens 19th-Century Music © 1997 University of California Press

*
George London sings "Der Zwerg" (YouTube)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zwerg, Der Lieder composed by Franz Schubert 1820s songs Poems in terza rima