DeannaSorge

MusicianshipII
TheoryAnalysisPaper

IVDanksagungandenBach
FranzPeterSchubertwasamanofmanytalents,hewasbornonJanuary31stinAustria,
andshowedapassionformusicfromanearlyageHisFatherwasaschoolmaster,whilehis
motherwasadomestichousekeeper.Schubertwasabletoobtainagreateducationinmusic
becausehisfatherwasaschoolmaster.Schubertfamilyfosteredhisloveformusicandwerevery
supportive.HisfatherandbrotherarenotedtohavetaughtSchubertwhenhewasjuststarting
outasamusician.Schubertknewhowtoplaytheviolin,piano,andwasalsocreditedforbeing
abletosing.HewasapartofthetheRoyalseminarychoir,andapartoftheimperialchoir.He
unfortunatelyquitthesechoirattheageoffifteenwhenhisvoicechanged.Oneinterestingfact
aboutSchubertisthathewrote
MusicalsoireesknownasSchubertiadsbecamealltherage,
duringwhichSchubertmightsingsomeofhisownsongswhileaccompanyinghimselfatthe
piano.(classicfm,composers)
Hewasveryshy,andwastohavetohavekepttohimself.In1814hebecameassistant
teachertohisfather.Hereachedthepeachofhiscareeraroundthe1820s,butunfortunately
becameillduetosyphilis.Duringthisroughtimeofhislifehewasabletocomposeoneofhis
mostfamouspieces
DieSchneMllerin
(TheFairMillerMaid)whichwaspublishedin
1824.ThepiecewassettoagroupofpoetrywrittenbyWilhelmMllerininthe1820s.

Schubertwasabletotaketwentyoutofthetwentythreepoem,andtransformthemintoa
beautifulsongcycle.IthasbeennotedthatwhenSchubertwrotethishewasexpressinghisown
feelingstowardshisillness,andhealthwhenhewasadmittedintothehospital.(TheFamous
People,p.1)
The20setsongcycletellsastoryofayoungwandererwhoishappilystrollingthrough
natureuntilhecomesacrossamill,whereheluckilyabletofindwork.Whileworkingatthe
millhefallsinlovewiththemillersadaughter,butlaterhashisheartbrokenwhenhefindsout
thatshehasfalleninlovewithahuntsman.Throughoutthesongcycleonefollowsthewanderer
onhisjourneyalongthebrook.Throughoutthecyclehebelievesthathewasmeanttofollowthe
brookspath,andlookstothebrookforguidance.Hespeaksaboutthebrooklikeitisanactual
living,breathingindividual.Heoftenquestionsthebrook,andatsomemomentsusesthebrook
asametaphortoexpressfeelingsforthemillersdaughter.(Franzpeterschubert.com,Song
Cycles)
Thefourthsongofthecycletitled
DanksagungandenBach
(GratitudetotheBrook)
isabouthowthewanderiscontentwithfindingwork,buthasbecomeevenhappierbecausehe
hasfalleninlovewiththemiller'sdaughter.HestartsoffthepiecewiththephraseWaresalso
gemeint,(Wasthisdestinedforme?),whichisveryinterestingsinceheendedthethird
movementwiththesamephrase.Inthethirdmovementheasksthisquestionbecauseheis
referringtothemill,andiswonderingifhewasdestinedtofindworkatthemill.Whenhestates
thisquestioninthefourthmovementheisreferringtothemillersdaughter.Hebelievesthatthe
brookthatheasbeenfollowingallthiswayhasledtohimfindwork,andhistruelove.

Throughoutthepieceheissingingtothebrook,andquestioningifthebrookbrought
himtothemillforhimtofindlove.Throughoutthesongheexplainshowhewillbecommitted
hiswork,andtolovingthemillersdaughter.HestatesNachArbeitichfrug,Nunhabich
genugFrdieHnde,frsHerzeVollaufgenug!whichcanbetranslatedtoIsoughtafter
work,NowIhaveenough,Formyhands,formyheart,Ihavemorethanenough!(Sigori,p4)At
thispartofthesonghefeelsthatheisverycomplete,andisverycontentbecausehenowhas
bothloveandwork.Heseemstofirmlybelieveinthatifyousearchforthethingsyouwantthey
wanttheywilleventuallycometoyou.
Themovementisstrophic,becausethemelodyinthebasslinerepeatsmultipletime,but
issettodifferenttextto.Themovementstaysinthesamekey,Gmajoranddoesnotmodulateat
all,butitdoestonicizetogminorforaboutameasure.Thisisveryinterestingbecauseinthe
othermovementsthepiecesmodulate.Thispiecedoesntmodulatebecausethewandererhasa
momentrealization,thereforethepiecestaysinamajor.TheformisTernarybecauseitfollows
anABApattern,andifonecomparesAtoBtheperiodisasymmetricalcontrasting.

Thebottombasslineisfullofmovingsixteenthwhichsymbolizesthebrook,andhow

thewaterripples.Schubertusesthistoshowthatthewandererisconfusedabouthisfeelings
towardsthemillersdaughter.andifheshouldgotothemillforwork.Thewaterisrippling,
andsoisthewanderersconfusedmind.ThroughoutthebeginningofthepiecetherealotofIand
Vchords.Schubertdidthisbecausehewantedtoshowhowthewanderer'slifeisgoinggreat
throughthemusic,andchords.Atthispointthewandererfeelsonewithnature,andlookstothe
brookasafriendlycompanion.

Therearemanyaccidentals,andmanysecondarydominantswhenthewandererstarts
singingaboutthemillersdaughter.HesingsZurMllerinhin!SolautetderSinn.Gelt,hab'
ich'sverstanden?ZurMllerinhin!WhenhesingsthisthereareafewV7/IVchords,andV6/4/ii
chords.Thesesecondarydominantssymbolizehisconfusion.Heisperplexedbecausehedoes
notknowifheshouldromanticallypursuethemillersdaughter.Asthechromaticismcontinues,
sodoesthewanderersstateofconfusion.ForexampleheasksDidshesendyoutome?twice,
andduringthistimethereisalotofmodalmixtureandchromaticisminthechordstructure.The
pieceactuallytonicizestogminorforaboutameasure.Thisisrelevantbecausethewanderer
doesnotknowifthemillersdaughterwasbroughttohimbyfate,soheisquestioninghimself,
andthebrookforanswers.
Asthepiececontinuestheaccidentalsandsecondarydominantsstop,becausethe
wandererhasarevelationabouthowhefeelsaboutworkingatthemill,andhisloveforthe
millersdaughter.ThechordstructuregoesbacktohavingalotofI,V,andV7chords.Atthis
pointheissingingabouthowhehisistrulyfulfilledwithhislife.HestatesNachArbeitichfrug,
NunhabichgenugFrdieHnde,frsHerzeVollaufgenug!whichtranslatestoIsoughtafter
work,NowIhaveenough,Formyhands,formyheart,Ihavemorethanenough!.Thepiece
endswithaIVIchordprogression.Thischordprogressionhappensrightafterthewanderer
statesthathehasmorethanenoughinhislife.Heseemstobeveryhappy,andcontentwith
howhislifeisworkingout.Schubertusedthissimplechordprogressiontoendthemovementto
symbolizethewanderershappiness.
Thefourthmovementofthepieceisveryinteresting,andhasalotgoingon.Thepieces
moodchangesdrasticallyduringthispiece.butthemelodiclineisverycalmandslow.This

pieceisareallyimportantpartofthesongcyclebecausethewandererhasarevelationattheend
ofthepiece,andfiguresoutwhattodo.Throughoutthebeginningofthepieceheisconfused
aboutwhatishappening,butbytheendherealizesthepathheshouldfollow.

WorksCited

DanksagunganDenBach.
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<http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/franzpeterschubert386.php>.
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FranzSchubert
.N.p.,n.d.Web.09Dec.2015.
<http://www.franzpeterschubert.com/die_schone_mullerin.html>.
"FranzSchubertLifeandMusic."
ClassicFM
.N.p.,n.d.Web.
<http://www.classicfm.com/composers/schubert/>.
Sgroi,Celia."DieSchneMllerinTranslations."
Goopera.com
.N.p.,n.d.Web.09Dec.2015.
<http://www.gopera.com/lieder/translations/schubert_795>.