MUSIC—Follow the Lieder: The Songs of Franz Schubert

Although Franz Schubert (1797–1828) lived a short life in Vienna of only 31 years, he left us a substantial and wonderful treasure chest of music. But his most important legacy rests on his over 600 songs, or lieder—masterpieces of the marriage of text and music, and voice with piano. With a natural gift for melody, he brought a fresh, expressive, and more emotional quality to his works, as the burgeoning 19th-century Romantic trend in the arts developed into the full-fledged movement. The genius lies not so much in how Schubert set a text to music as how he translated the text into the language of music. In this seminar, we will delve into the techniques, process, and results of Schubert’s lieder style, opening eyes and ears to this magical musical world. Exhibiting innocence, passion, sorrow, joy, and playfulness, these songs show us why the Viennese have long claimed that Schubert should be experienced with one eye wet, the other dry.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

“Such is the spell of Schubert’s emotional world, that it very nearly blinds us
to the greatness of his craftsmanship!”

– Franz Liszt