Elend bringt schwere pein

Leonhard Lechner, a significant composer of the late Renaissance, created this SATTB setting of a German secular Lied. The music opens with a sense of gentle sorrow, reflecting the text's lament that hardship brings great pain. The four voices weave together in a homophonic texture, with melodic lines often moving in parallel motion. As the text shifts to the solace found in wine and good company, the music becomes more animated and optimistic. The composer skillfully depicts the relief from suffering, describing how sorrow is drowned in cool wine and the joy of conviviality. The final lines suggest the composer's wry humour, as domestic chatter provides little distraction from his troubles.