This edition was prepared by Robert Urmann — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Der König von Thule, Op. 67, No. 1
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Der König von Thule, Op. 67, No. 1 by Robert Schumann — Lyrics
Es war ein König in Thule
gar treu bis an das Grab,
dem sterbend seine Buhle
einen goldnen Becher gab.
Es ging ihm nichts darüber,
er leert’ ihn jeden Schmaus;
die Augen gingen ihm über,
so oft er trank daraus.
Und als er kam zu sterben,
zählt’ er seine Städt’ im Reich,
gönnt’ alles seinem Erben,
den Becher nicht zugleich.
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About Der König von Thule, Op. 67, No. 1
Robert Schumann’s Der König von Thule opens with a solemn chordal texture, quickly unfolding into richer, imitative passages that capture the narrative of the text. The setting, for SATB choir with a solo tenor, draws on the Goethe poem about a dying king whose most treasured possession is a golden goblet, given to him by his beloved. He drinks from it at every feast, and even on his deathbed, he bequeaths his kingdom to his heir but not the goblet. In a final, poignant act, he casts the sacred cup into the sea, unable to bear parting with it. Schumann masterfully portrays the king's unwavering loyalty and melancholic farewell through the interplay of voices and expressive harmonic language.
