Ständchen, D 920 (Schubert)

"Ständchen", D 920/921 (also known as "Notturno") is a part song for alto solo, chorus, and piano by Franz Schubert.

He composed it in Vienna in July 1827, setting words by Franz Grillparzer ("Zögernd leise, in des Dunkels nächt'ger Hülle").

The poem which Schubert set was specially commissioned from Franz Grillparzer by Anna Fröhlich, a singing teacher in Vienna, to celebrate the birthday (or name-day) of her pupil Louise Gosmar.

Fröhlich showed Grillparzer's poem to Schubert and asked him to set it to music, who obliged within a few days with the version for mezzo-soprano and men's voices (D. 920 in Otto Deutsch's chronological catalogue).

[5] The title may be Diabelli's own: the extant autograph of D 920 (men's choir version, July 1827) is headed 'Chor mit Alt=Solo / Gedicht von Grillparzer'.