Wiegenlied (“Schlafe, mein Prinzchen”) in B♭ major (K. Anh.C 8.48)
par Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The beloved lullaby Wiegenlied (“Schlafe, mein Prinzchen, schlaf ein”, K. Anh.C 8.48) is traditionally associated with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), but modern cataloguing treats the attribution as incorrect and points instead to Bernhard Flies. Its date and place of origin remain uncertain, even as the song’s gentle strophic melody has become one of the most widely circulated “Mozart” tunes.
Background and Context
Although long published and performed under Mozart’s name (often as “K. 350”), Schlafe, mein Prinzchen is now listed among works incorrectly assigned to him (K. Anh.C 8.48), with the transmission pointing to copies and early prints that identify it as a Wiegenlied to a text by Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter, “in Musik gesetzt von Flies” (Bernhard Flies). The surviving record cited in the Mozarteum’s Köchel catalogue includes copies dated broadly to around 1795–1805 and an early print from 1828, rather than an autograph manuscript in Mozart’s hand.[1]
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In practical terms, this means the piece cannot be securely placed within Mozart’s Salzburg or Vienna song output; instead, it belongs to a later lullaby tradition that nevertheless absorbed Mozart’s aura in the 19th century through popular editions and arrangements.[1]
Musical Character
On the page, the song is a simple German strophic lullaby for voice and keyboard, designed so the same music can carry multiple verses.[2] Its manner is intentionally untheatrical: a calm, rocking vocal line with a supportive accompaniment that prioritizes legato singing and clear declamation over display—precisely the kind of domestic Abendlied style that made it easy to disseminate far beyond its original context.[2]
While many modern performances transpose or arrange the lullaby freely, the work’s enduring appeal lies in its directness: short phrases, predictable cadences, and a soothing, cradle-song regularity that invites repetition—qualities that help explain how a modest song could take on an outsized afterlife under a famous name.[2]
Partition
Téléchargez et imprimez la partition de Wiegenlied (“Schlafe, mein Prinzchen”) in B♭ major (K. Anh.C 8.48) sur Virtual Sheet Music®.
[1] Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum (Köchel-Verzeichnis): KV Anh. C 8.48 entry, including authenticity status and transmission notes citing copies and early print identifying Flies.
[2] IMSLP: Schlafe, mein Prinzchen, schlaf ein (Bernhard Flies) — scoring for voice and piano, strophic text/lyrics, and attribution note (formerly attributed to Mozart).