A winter’s tale
A guide to Schubert’s song cycle
Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise (Winter Journey) was written in
1827, towards the end of Schubert’s life as he was dying of syphilis. The piece, therefore, was considered by his friends to be an expression of his inner turmoil because of its emotional depth and the fragile psychological state of the protagonist. The 24 poems were written by Wilhelm Müller (above), who was also the author of Die schöne Müllerin that Schubert set during 1823. Winterreise follows the journey of a rejected lover, who wanders away from his village into a desolate, snow-covered landscape. Nature is shown to be a cruel mistress, unsympathetic and unrelenting to his plight. The young man’s journey is a painful one as he is tortured by memories of his lover – as he passes a cemetery he renounces his faith, overwhelmed as he is with despair. The piece closes with an encounter with a hurdy-gurdy player, an ambiguous ending that leaves us wondering whether the poor chap should venture forth with the mysterious musician or turn back…