Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin (Cambridge Music Handbooks) [Paperback]

Susan Youens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 1992 | ISBN-10: 0521422795 | ISBN-13: 978-0521422796

This is a guide to both the music and the poetry of Schubert's much-loved song cycle, set to poems by the Prussian poet Wilhelm MÜller. Composed in 1823, this work is one of the greatest masterpieces of the song repertoire. The genesis of both the poetry and the music, composed soon after Schubert discovered that he had contracted syphilis, is discussed in the first two chapters. A chapter on the poetry considers MÜller's uneasy relationship to the tenets of Romanticism; the influence of Goethe, folk poems, and medieval poetry on Die schöne MÜllerin; and a reading of each of the poems, which are reproduced in German and in English translation. The final chapter provides commentary on each of the twenty songs in the cycle.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

This study is a guide to the music and poetry of Schubert's much-loved song cycle, set to poems by the Prussian poet Wilhelm MÜller. Composed in 1823, the work is one of the greatest masterpieces of the song repertoire.

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (August 28, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521422795
• ISBN-13: 978-0521422796
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,068,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Schubert

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and informative!, June 21, 2004

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Handsome Hue (Lansing, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin (Cambridge Music Handbooks) (Paperback)

This is my first purchase from the Cambridge Music Handbooks series and I'm very impressed. It's been a while since I've gleaned so much from such a brief read. First of all, the author treats the poetry with refreshing seriousness. If you've ever been put off by the apparent insipidity of Mueller's poetry, this may be the book to change your mind. Most of the musical analysis has to with the text-music relationship, which heightens appreciation for the poet and composer alike. I certainly came away with a much more confident sense of the drama and unity of the cycle. Highly recommended. If you are a musician tackling the song cycle for the first time, I would almost say it is indispensible.