An art song is a vocal music composition, usually written for one singer and often with piano accompaniment. The distinction between an art song and any other type of song (such as a folk song or aria) is that it is written purely for the sake of art, whether the composer's intention was beauty of sound, a philosophical statement, or simple contemplation. An art song can be in any language, although English (as in Benjamin Britten's "The Salley Gardens") and German are perhaps the most common. The lieder of Franz Schubert are generally classified as art songs, including "Die Forelle" and many others.

Music genres