Prometheus (art song)

Music#

The was written for bass voice in the key of B major, but the key moves repeatedly through various major to minor tonalities, ending in C major. Goethe’s dramatic declamation by Prometheus would be set again, with very different effect, by Hugo Wolf, “with his alternations of ariosos and recitatives, Schubert created a miniature oratorio”, observes Edward F. Kravitt. Among many other by Schubert, Max Reger also created an orchestration for “Prometheus”.

Recordings#

;Voice and piano :Schubert: Goethe-Lieder, Thomas Quasthoff (bass-baritone), Charles Spencer (piano), RCA Records, 1995 :Schubert: Goethe-Lieder, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), Jörg Demus (piano), Deutsche Grammophon, 1999 :Schubert: Goethe-Lieder, Vol. 1, Ulf Bästlein (bass-baritone), Stefan Laux (piano), Naxos Records, 2000 ;Voice and orchestra (Max Reger) :Schubert arranged by Reger: Songs, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Dennis Russell Davies (conductor), Dietrich Henschel (baritone), MD&G Records, 1998 :Schubert arr. Reger: Orchestral Songs, Klaus Mertens (baritone), Camilla Nylund (soprano), NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Werner Andreas Albert (conductor), cpo Records, 1998 :Schubert: Lieder With Orchestra, Thomas Quasthoff (bass-baritone), Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano), Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Claudio Abbado (conductor), Deutsche Grammophon, 2003

External links#

• , Matthias Goerne (baritone), Andreas Haefliger (piano)
• , Thomas Quasthoff, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Claudio Abbado
• “Rhetoric, form, and sovereignty in Schubert’s ‘Prometheus’ D. 674” thesis by Erica Brady Angert to Louisiana State University (57 pages, 515 KB)
• “Prometheus” – Art song by Schubert, Franz D. 674, orchestration by Carl Nielsen