Sacred Songs op. 89

The four Sacred songs op. 89 for high voice, violin and organ were composed in 1895, when Heinrich von Herzogenberg was Professor of Composition at the Berlin Conservatory. They are dedicated to Anna Schulze, who was a colleague of Herzogenberg at the Conservatory which was headed by Joseph Joachim. Perhaps Herzogenberg’s choice of instruments for these songs was guided by his personal connection with both of his colleagues. In the religious sphere he achieved a unique transformation of the art song, represented not only by the organ accompaniment but also by the older, symbolic connotation of the violin as an angel’s instrument.