Beethoven- In questa tomba oscura, WoO 133 (1807)

Singer: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Most German songwriters and opera composers of the Classical/Romantic eras had written at least a few canzoni; Schubert wrote a nice little set of them in 1820 (D. 688), and so did Mozart (although with Mozart, most of his vocal works are in Italian anyway). We even see some with the mature Beethoven.
In questa tomba oscura was written by a poet named Giuseppe Carpani in 1807. Similar to the genesis of the Diabelli variations, the canzone was the result of a large-scale commission; Carpani tasked many different composers of Vienna to set the text to music, including Beethoven, Cherubini, Salieri, Zingarelli, Czerny, and Joseph Weigl. Only those by Salieri and Beethoven are vaguely known to the musical public today.
Beethoven's canzone itself is chilling in its pathos, but not completely melodramatic. It is very similar to Schubert's "night songs," subtle in expression, no minor keys, but we can feel all the deep impressions of melancholy and submission.
My Italian opera projects are coming along. Stay tuned.

[@gergelybuday7433]

What an interesting piece!

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