Four Songs Op. 27

Among the many works that Richard Strauss wrote for his wife Pauline de Ahna, the Four Songs op. 27 occupy a special position, for the composer gave these “to my beloved Pauline” as a wedding present on 10 September 1894. In contrast to the earlier song cycles, this is not limited to a single poet, but rather Strauss combined here poems by Karl Henckell (Ruhe, meine Seele) and Heinrich Hart (Cäcilie) with two texts by John Henry Mackay (Heimliche Aufforderung and Morgen) into a contrasting bouquet of effusive songs. The first edition of op. 27, published in 1894 for high voice, was followed during the composer's lifetime by transposed versions for middle and low registers, something that was then to become the rule for all of Strauss's songs. Henle has returned to these tried and tested transpositions for its own Urtext edition low voice. It also offers an alternative transposition for “Morgen!” so that each singer can choose the one that suits their voice best.