Winterreise (Winter Journey), D. 911

Quick Facts

• Winterreise [pronunciation] is Schubert’s second and final song cycle for voice and piano, comprising 24 songs set to poetry by Wilhelm Müller (1794-1827).
• Fun fact – Schubert and Müller were almost exact contemporaries.
  1. 1. Gute Nacht
  2. Die Wetterfahne
  3. Gefrorne Tränen
  4. Erstarrung
  5. Der Lindenbaum
  6. Wasserflut
  7. Auf dem Flusse
  8. Rückblick
  9. Irrlicht
  10. Rast
  11. Frühlingstraum
  12. Einsamkeit
  13. Die Post
  14. Der greise Kopf
  15. Die Krähe
  16. Letzte Hoffnung
  17. Im Dorfe
  18. Der stürmische Morgen
  19. Täuschung
  20. Der Wegweiser
  21. Das Wirtshaus
  22. Mut
  23. Die Nebensonnen
  24. Der Leiermann
• Click here to find English translations for all 24 songs.

About the Piece

• Winterreise is a monodrama, of sorts, offering an emotionally nuanced portrait of a lovesick man wandering across a bleak, frozen landscape. The melancholy theme of a lonely wanderer processing his sorrow was popular during the Romantic era.¹
  • While not a “swan song,” this work has an added poignancy, knowing that Schubert approved the final version for publication on his deathbed in 1828.
• Winterreise played an important role in the development of art song in the 19th century. The piano is equal to the vocalist in both emotional and musical importance. Previously, and seen in Schubert’s earlier Lieder, it was typical for the piano to embellish the singer’s text without playing a significant role in the storytelling.²
• Click here to see Schubert’s manuscript for Winterreise.

1. Betsy Schwarm, “Winterreise,” Encyclopedia Britannica (2015), accessed March 6, 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Winterreise.
2. Herbert Glass, “Winterreise,” L. A. Phil, accessed March 6, 2024, https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/4669/winterreise.