Song Cycle Of Wilhelm Schubert's 'Einsamkeit' By Franz Schubert

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“Einsamkeit” is part of a song cycle called Winterreise written by Franz Schubert in 1828. The piece was written for voice and piano. Wilhelm Müller is the author of the poem that is used in the piece. Franz Schubert is known for composing around six-hundred lieder and nine symphonies. When Schubert wrote Winterreise he was coming to the end of his life. He was in the process of reviewing the publisher’s proofs of the cycle just weeks before he passed away. Schubert had performed the songs for a group of friends, but they had not yet reached the public when he passed. The poetry used in the song cycle is based on a young man when he sees the love of his life marry someone else. When the young man sees this, he goes on foot into the deep winter to escape the memories of her. “Einsamkeit” translates to loneliness, which is what is being conveyed through the whole piece. The piano is used to truly emulate the idea of loneliness in the piece. Schubert’s interpretation of the poem is very accurate, however there could be more of a resolution at the end of the piece.
The poem used in this piece is …show more content…

The prelude is setting up the idea of a storm for the listener. This is emulated in the accompaniment by the staccato eighth notes in the first six measures before the text even begins. The tempo marking at the beginning of the piece is Langsam, which means slowly. Slow tempo allows the tension of the storm to build up throughout the piece. In measure 5, there is a forte piano in the accompaniment. The forte piano is a representation of a thunder clap or a strike of lightning. Before the singer opens by describing a storm passing through clear skies, it is already prevalent something dark is happening. This is important because it is showing the listener how dark and unhappy the narrator is. The accompaniment continues this eerie feeling when the vocal line begins and keeps the same eighth notes for several

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