Sheet Music: On Wings of Song

TitleOn Wings of Song
Alternate titlesAuf Flügeln des Gesanges
Opus numberOp. 34, No. 2
ComposerFelix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
InstrumentationFlute and Piano
KeyA-flat major
RangeEb4–F5
Time signature6/8
Tempo40 BPM
Performance time3:25
Difficulty leveleasy
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (117 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (2.9 MB)
Play-along accompanimentMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (2.9 MB)
Date added2009-07-09
Last updated2009-07-09
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 2.5 (popular)
Categories
Lieder, Love songs, Romantic

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Thursday 9 July 2009

Tune of the Day: On Wings of Song

by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

This is probably the best known of Mendelssohn's 100 or so songs. Mendelssohn wrote the piece a couple of months after moving to Leipzig to become director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Singakademie. He had just spent a frustrating two years in Düsseldorf trying to conduct somewhat amateur musicians and performing for unappreciative audiences. He found that everything in cosmopolitan, cultured Leipzig was to his liking; his contentment is reflected in this song.

With this song Mendelssohn set to music a German romantic poem by Heinrich Heine. The text tells of melody's power to transport lovers to the most beautiful night garden, with bright and fragrant flowers, gazelles, a murmuring stream, and a palm tree, under which they can dream.