Angel Blue - STRAUSS Heimliche Aufforderung

Heimliche Aufforderung, Op. 27 No. 3, is one of a set of four songs composed by Richard Strauss in 1894. It was originally for voice and piano, and not orchestrated by Strauss until 1948, a year before his death. The text is from a poem in German by John Henry Mackay.

The song has English titles "The Secret Invitation" or "The Lover's Pledge".

The first phrase of the song is "Auf, hebe die funkelnde Schale" (In English: "Up, raise the sparkling cup").

 

Strauss composed the song in 1894 and gave it as a wedding present to his wife the soprano Pauline de Ahna.

Opus 27

The other songs of Strauss' Opus 27:

• Op. 27 No. 1 "Ruhe, meine Seele!" (Nicht ein Lüftchen regt sich leise)
• Op. 27 No. 2 "Cäcilie" (Wenn du es wüßtest)
• Op. 27 No. 4 "Morgen!" (Und morgen wird die Sonne wieder scheinen)