Lied is a German word simply meaning ΓÇ£songΓÇ¥. Lieder means ΓÇ£songsΓÇ¥. In classical music, Lieder refers to a specific type of composition that developed in Germany during the Romantic period. It has its roots in Germanic folk-song and domestic music-making, but its chief characteristic is the setting to music of an existing poem. The poem itself is the inspiration for the musical and spiritual substance of the Lied. Lieder are usually associated with imaginative piano accompaniment, as in the great song-cycles of Schubert and Schumann. These can be described as duets for voice and piano. They explore the possibilities of interaction between voice, text and instrument and, like the string quartets of the same period, allow scope for interpretation by performers.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the possibilities of orchestrally accompanied Lieder were developed, most notably by Gustav Mahler. Even on this larger scale, the Lied provides us with the most intimate and profound examples of the combination of craft and spirit in German Romantic music, and the best opportunities for personal expression by the classical singer.
