Jagdlied, Op. 84, No. 3

Felix Mendelssohn’s Jagdlied is a spirited and energetic setting of a German secular text. Sung by four male voices, it captures the excitement of a hunt and the pursuit of love. The music opens with a lively, imitative texture that evokes the thrill of the chase, gradually building in intensity. The text describes a joyful ride through a green forest where the singer hears three birds singing, but soon likens them to three fair maidens. The chase continues into the evening, with the singer eagerly waiting for nightfall. He then blows his hunting horn, and the song concludes with his triumphant claim over the third maiden, who shall be his own.