CLASSICAL MUSIC

Part 2 (c.1750–1820)

1. Ständchen-Serenade, D.957 No. 4 (F. Schubert)

Ständchen (Serenade), D.957 No. 4 is part of Schwanengesang (Swan Song), a collection of 14 songs composed by Franz Schubert in 1828, the year of his death. The collection was published in 1829 by Tobias Haslinger, who titled it Schwanengesang to present it as Schubert’s last testament. Ständchen remains one of Schubert’s most beloved Lieder, celebrated for its lyrical beauty and expressive charm.
 
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2. The Thieving Magpie (G. Rossini)

The Thieving Magpie (La gazza ladra) is an opera semiseria in two acts by Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868), with a libretto by Giovanni Gherardini. It is based on La pie voleuse by Théodore Baudouin d’Aubigny and Louis-Charles Caigniez. The work is especially admired for its energy, charm, and memorable musical themes.
 
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3. March of the Swiss Army (G. Rossini)

The William Tell Overture serves as the opening to Gioachino Rossini’s opera William Tell (Guillaume Tell), which premiered in 1829 as his final opera. The final section, often called the “March of the Swiss Soldiers,” is in E major and features a fast, energetic gallop led by trumpets and full orchestra. It represents the Swiss soldiers’ triumph as they liberate their country from Austrian rule. The overture has become one of Rossini’s most famous and widely recognized orchestral works.
 
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4. Ave Maria (F. Schubert)

“Ellens dritter Gesang” (“Ellen’s Third Song”), D. 839, Op. 52, No. 6, was composed by Franz Schubert (1797–1828) in 1825 as part of his Op. 52, a set of seven songs based on Walter Scott’s narrative poem The Lady of the Lake, translated into German. The song is one of Schubert’s most popular works and is widely known today as Ave Maria, named after its opening words, a prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary. Franz Liszt later arranged the piece in three versions for piano, further increasing its popularity.
 
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