How Schubert’s Gretchen Changed Music

In October 1814, 17-year-old Franz Schubert (1797-1828) wrote a lied (an art song with text from a German poem). It might not seem remarkable at first glance, but this composition – called Gretchen am spinnrade – helped change the course of music.

History

One of the first pieces of Romantic-era program music (a piece of music that tells a story or evokes images), Gretchen am spinnrade (“Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel”) tells the story of a young girl pining over a lost love. Schubert took the text from Part One, Scene 18 of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe‘s tragic play Faust. The young composer was so struck by the emotion of the text that he turned it into a song.

Analysis

Schubert masterfully captured Gretchen’s emotions in the music, which is perhaps why Gretchen am spinnrade was such a unique composition for the time. During the Classical era, composers did not (generally) write program music. However, composers like Schubert (and Beethoven) started pushing against those boundaries and writing music to convey emotion. 

With that in mind, the text and the music work together in Gretchen am spinnrade to transport the listener into the scene from the play.

Text

German Lyrics	English Translation
Meine Ruh’ ist hin, Mein Herz ist schwer, Ich finde sie nimmer Und nimmermehr.	My peace is gone, My heart is heavy, I will find it never and never more.
Wo ich ihn nicht hab Ist mir das Grab, Die ganze Welt Ist mir vergällt.	Where I do not have him, That is the grave, The whole world Is bitter to me.
Mein armer Kopf Ist mir verrückt, Mein armer Sinn Ist mir zerstückt.	My poor head Is crazy to me, My poor mind Is torn apart.
Nach ihm nur schau ich  Zum Fenster hinaus, Nach ihm nur geh ich Aus dem Haus.	For him only, I look Out the window Only for him do I go Out of the house.
Sein hoher Gang, Sein’ edle Gestalt, Seine Mundes Lächeln, Seiner Augen Gewalt,	His tall walk, His noble figure, His mouth’s smile, His eyes’ power,
Und seiner Rede Zauberfluß, Sein Händedruck, Und ach, sein Kuß!	And his mouth’s Magic flow, His handclasp, and ah! his kiss!
Meine Ruh’ ist hin, Mein Herz ist schwer, Ich finde sie nimmer Und nimmermehr.	My peace is gone, My heart is heavy, I will find it never and never more.
Mein Busen drängt sich Nach ihm hin. [Ach] dürft ich fassen Und halten ihn,	My bosom urges itself toward him. Ah, might I grasp And hold him!
Und küssen ihn, So wie ich wollt, An seinen Küssen Vergehen sollt!	And kiss him, As I would wish, At his kisses I should die!

Music

Yes, the music tells the story of Gretchen thinking about Faust. The piano accompaniment represents the spin of the wheel as she works: the right hand imitates the continuous motion of the spinning wheel, and the left hand represents the foot lever. 

Listen for the dramatic moment from 2:15 to 2:24. Gretche stops spinning as she sings about his kiss (“Und ach, sein Kuß!” translates to mean “And ah! His kiss!”). She slowly starts spinning again, haltingly at first before returning to the constant rhythm at 2:34.

The Influence of Schubert’s Gretchen

Gretchen am spinnrade was just the beginning. The effect of this little song by the kid composer was twofold: first, the Romantic era embraced emotional writing and program music. Second, the German art song became a serious genre of classical music. Because of this, music was changed forever.