Die Winterreise Of Franz Schubert; A Study Of The Relationship Of Music To Poetry.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is not to pass judgment upon the worth of a poet's work not upon the reason Schubert may have had in selecting these poems to set to music. We will attempt to discover what Schubert felt about the particular lyrics at hand. An effort has been made to look at this monumental composition through the eyes of one who wishes to perform the work intelligently and with the emotion sympathetic with Schubert's intention.

The background material is brought in merely to set the stage for the composition itself; therefore no attempt has been made to go in to detail in Chapter One as many excellent books are available in this area.

All song examples quoted appear in Schubert's original keys. The translations suggested for the texts are not literal but are meant rather for use in program notes.