# Schubert song cycle "Muellerin"



## Animato (Dec 5, 2013)

Hi friends of classical music,

I’m quite new in this Forum (I’m participating from Germany) and this is my first thread:

Is anybody familiar with the song-cycle “Die schoene Muellerin” by Schubert? Did anybody of you already have played the piano part?

Currently I’m working on the piano-part and practice the song-cycle together with a friend who performs the voice part (baritone – medium voice). We did already about 12 songs out of 20. I even succeeded with some of the difficult songs (as far as the piano part is concerned) like “Feierabend” (Rest at the End of the day), “Mein” (Mine) and “Eifersucht und Stolz” (Jealousy and pride). But I still have difficulties with “Ungeduld” (Impatience). I don’t like to play this song too fast. I think the details of the score are destroyed when you play it very fast. But the singer likes it very fast (like it is performed in all the recordings I know).

Do you have any ideas or recommendations how to perform this song-cycle?

The story, which is told by these songs, is a typical romantic love-story: a young man (the Wanderer) arrives at a mill where he finds work and falls into love with the daughter of the miller. He hardly had won her heart when a hunter arrives and distracts the attention of the miller’s daughter from the wanderer to himself. The wanderer falls into distress and – according to some interpretations – drowns himself in the brook.

looking forward to your replies 
Animato


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

I quite love it.

I'm not a performer, so I can't offer any particularly specific advice, but perhaps you and your singer could record _Ungeduld_ at various tempi and see if the playback offers any insights. There's also the option of getting a few recordings of it and seeing what the greats do about the tempo. Jonas Kaufmann's recent recording is excellent. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's is also a classic.

<--- Unfortunately, I don't think it was ever recorded by this guy.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Essential reading; Gerald Moore's "The Schubert Song Cycles: With Thoughts on Performance". London: Hamish Hamilton. 1975. ISBN 0241890829.

Also try to listen to as many recorded versions of her as possible, Hubert Giesen with Frtiz Wunderlich is essential!

/ptr


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Animato said:


> The wanderer falls into distress and - according to some interpretations - drowns himself in the brook.


He has to die, otherwise the overall point would be lost, I think. The point being that the yearning of the true Romantic cannot be satisfied by anything this material world has to offer - he has to take refuge in the Infinite.


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## Animato (Dec 5, 2013)

Hi Xaltotun,

thank you for your very convincing reply ! I mean it! You are right: it is very simple to find the reason why the wanderer has to die in this context. May I ask you some further questions with regard to this song cycle and your opinion? (all others may reply as well - for sure)

Why is the wanderer so easily exhausted while working in the Mill? Because he played only the Laute before that and is not used to hard work? (quote "Ach wie ist mein Arm so schwach, jeder Knappe tut's mir nach."

Do you think, that the poet (Wilhelm Mueller) applied some irony in his poems? May we take the whole history of the wanderer seriously - or is there some exaggeration in the story?

bye Animato


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