Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the spinning wheel), D. 118

Composer: SCHUBERT, Franz
  • Written in 1814, “Gretchen am Spinnrade” (Gretchen at the spinning wheel), D. 118 is considered to be not only Schubert’s first masterpiece in songwriting (he was just 17 years old) but also a historical benchmark for the art song genre going forward… so much so, that the term “Lieder” is nearly synonymous with the name “Schubert.” 
  • Using text from Johann von Goethe’s play, Faust, the music instantly sets the scene with the incessant rhythmic movement of the spinning wheel underneath Gretchen’s tormented inner dialogue.1 
  • Read an English translation here.

Sources

  1. Carol Kimball, Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature (Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 2005), 53.

Cut IDs

20539 26488 48607