Composer

:

Franz Schubert

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song: Art Song

Compose Date

:

Aug 1825

Average_duration

:

3:25

Auf der Bruck, D. 853, Op. 93/2 is a Lied composed by Franz Schubert in 1825. It is the second song in his song cycle "Die schöne Müllerin" (The Beautiful Miller's Wife), which is based on a collection of poems by Wilhelm Müller. The song cycle tells the story of a young miller who falls in love with the miller's daughter, but ultimately loses her to a hunter. The premiere of "Die schöne Müllerin" took place on January 19, 1824, at the home of Schubert's friend, the singer Johann Michael Vogl. The cycle was well-received, and Schubert went on to compose several more song cycles based on Müller's poetry. "Auf der Bruck" is a song of longing and despair. The miller is standing on a bridge, looking out at the rushing water below, and thinking about his lost love. The song is in A minor and has a slow, mournful tempo. It is divided into three sections, each with its own distinct melody and mood. The first section begins with a simple, repetitive melody in the piano, which sets the mood of the song. The miller sings of his longing for his lost love, and the music is full of yearning and sadness. The second section is more agitated, with a faster tempo and more complex piano accompaniment. The miller sings of his despair and his fear that he will never find love again. The final section returns to the slow, mournful melody of the first section, as the miller resigns himself to his fate. One of the most striking features of "Auf der Bruck" is the way Schubert uses the piano to create a sense of the rushing water below the bridge. The piano accompaniment is full of arpeggios and runs, which suggest the movement of the water. The melody of the song is also full of rising and falling phrases, which create a sense of the miller's emotions rising and falling with the water. Overall, "Auf der Bruck" is a powerful and moving song that captures the miller's sense of loss and despair. It is a testament to Schubert's skill as a composer of Lieder, and to his ability to capture the emotional depth of Müller's poetry.

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