Daily Beethoven

Schubert: D. 795-20, Des Baches Wiegenlied

Monday, June 14, 2021

In the last days of his life, Beethoven was absorbed in the study of some sixty of Schubert’s songs, often lingering over them for hours, and he expressed “the utmost wonder” at their content. Among them was the cycle “Die Schöne Müllerin”, which closes with the achingly beautiful “Des Baches Wiegenlied”.

Schubert: D. 795-19, Der Müller und der Bach

Sunday, June 13, 2021

In “Der Müller und der Bach“, the miller is succumbing to despair, and we hear the voice of the brook for the first time, urging the miller to break free from his sorrow.

Schubert: D. 795-18, Trockne Blumen

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Number 18 in “Die Schöne Müllerin” is the lovely song, "Trockne Blumen” (Withered Flowers). Schubert would later compose variations for flute and piano on this theme! (D. 802)

Schubert: D.795-17, Die Böse Farbe

Friday, June 11, 2021

In the hauntingly beautiful song “Die liebe Farbe“ (The Favorite Color) the unhappy miller announces that he wants to die and that everything should be green so the maiden knows it’s her fault.

Schubert: D. 795-16, Die liebe Farbe

Thursday, June 10, 2021

In the hauntingly beautiful song “Die liebe Farbe“ (The Favorite Color) the unhappy miller announces that he wants to die and that everything should be green so the maiden knows it’s her fault.

Schubert: D. 795-15, Eifersucht und Stolz

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

After realizing that his beloved has eyes for another man, our miller instructs the brook to deliver a message to her. Here is an extraordinary 1928 recording of "Eifersucht und Stolz" (Jealousy and Pride).

Schubert: D. 795-14, Der Jäger

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

In song number 14, the miller is confronted with a new development: a hunter has arrived and captured the interest of the beloved maiden. Here are two versions – the first in the original German, and then a fun version in English.

Schubert: D. 795-13- Mit dem grünen Lautenbande

Monday, June 7, 2021

In the thirteenth song of Schubert’s “Die Schöne Müllerin”, a casual remark by the maiden about his green lute-ribbon sends the miller into rhapsodies about the color green.

Schubert: D. 795-12, Pause

Sunday, June 7, 2021

In this 12th song from "Die Schöne Müllerin", the exuberant miller addresses his lute, and reflects that he used to pour out his sorrow in song, but now finds no way to express his overwhelming joy.

Schubert: D. 795-11, Mein!

Saturday, June 5, 2021

In spite of the ambiguous outcome of the miller’s rendezvous with the maiden, related in the previous song, “Tränenregen”, we now find the miller in a state of utter elation . This is song number eleven of Schubert’s “Die Schöne Müllerin”.

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