Role

:

Composer Performer

Birth

:

October 7, 1794 in Dessau, Germany

Death

:

September 30, 1827 in Dessau, Germany

Period

:

Romantic

Genre

:

Vocal

 

Wilhelm Müller was a German poet and lyricist who lived from 1794 to 1827. He is best known for his contributions to the art song genre, particularly his collaborations with composer Franz Schubert. Müller was born on October 7, 1794, in Dessau, Germany. His father was a court musician, and Müller showed an early interest in music and poetry. He studied law at the University of Berlin, but his true passion was writing. He published his first collection of poems, entitled "Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten" (Poems from the Posthumous Papers of a Traveling Horn Player), in 1821. Müller's poetry was characterized by its romantic themes and its focus on nature and the supernatural. His work was heavily influenced by the German Romantic movement, which emphasized emotion, individualism, and the power of the imagination. Müller's poems often dealt with themes of love, loss, and death, and he was known for his ability to evoke powerful emotions in his readers. In 1822, Müller began collaborating with Franz Schubert, a composer who was also a prominent figure in the German Romantic movement. Schubert set many of Müller's poems to music, creating a new genre of art song known as the "Schubertlied." The Schubertlied was characterized by its simple, lyrical melodies and its emphasis on the text of the poem. Schubert's settings of Müller's poems are considered some of the greatest achievements of the art song genre. One of Müller's most famous works is the cycle of poems known as "Die Winterreise" (The Winter Journey). The cycle consists of 24 poems that tell the story of a young man who leaves his home and wanders through a winter landscape, experiencing feelings of loneliness, despair, and longing. Schubert set the entire cycle to music, creating one of the most powerful and moving works in the art song repertoire. Müller's collaboration with Schubert was cut short by his untimely death in 1827. He died at the age of 32 from a lung disease, leaving behind a legacy of poetry that continues to inspire musicians and artists to this day. Despite his short life, Müller's contributions to the art song genre were significant. His poetry provided a rich source of inspiration for composers like Schubert, and his work helped to establish the art song as a major form of musical expression. Today, Müller is remembered as one of the greatest lyric poets of the German Romantic movement, and his collaborations with Schubert continue to be celebrated as some of the most beautiful and moving works in the classical music repertoire.

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