Sonata in F - Wach auf mein's Herzens Schöne

I set this song to music for my daughter and son-in-law, and it was played at the wedding ceremony. Now I have added a broad fugue to the song setting and the trio and the piece has become a sonata in F and is registered as my Opus 10 No 3 (Opus 10 are my sonatas based on melodies of folk songs).

"Wach auf, meins Herzens Schöne" is a love song of unknown origin that was popular in the 16th century. The melody of this so-called Tagelied was also used for other secular and sacred texts at the time. A rewrite by Hans Sachs from 1525 is even the oldest record of this song that can be dated exactly. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Tagelied was hardly noticed. Friedrich Nicolai took it up again in 1778 in the context of the "folksong" debates sparked by Herder and published it with a new melody composed by Johann Friedrich Reichardt. In this version, "Wach auf, meins Herzens Schöne" was popularised by the youth movement at the beginning of the 20th century and is still widespread today.

Here are the first three verses of the 9 stanzas:

1. Strophe

Wach auf, meins Herzens Schöne, Herzallerliebste mein.
Ich hör ein süß Getöne von kleinen Waldvöglein.
Die hör ich so lieblich singen,
ich mein, ich säh des Tages Schein,
vom Orient her dringen.

2. Strophe

Ich hör die Hahnen krähen und spür den Tag dabei;
die kühlen Windlein wehen, die Sternlein leuchten frei.
Singt uns Frau Nachtigalle,
singt uns ein süße Melodei,
sie neut den Tag mit Schalle.

3. Strophe

Der Himmel tut sich färben aus weißer Farb in Blau,
die Wolken tun sich färben aus schwarzer Farb in grau.
Die Morgenröt tut herschleichen.
Wach auf, mein Lieb, und mach mich frei,
die Nacht will uns entweichen.