A heartfelt hymn to the art of music, An die Musik is one of Franz Schubert’s most beloved songs. Composed in March 1817 for solo voice and piano, it sets to music a poem by his close friend Franz von Schober.
The song embodies the Romantic ideal that art can serve as a refuge and transport us to a better world. For Schubert and his intimate circle of friends, this belief was deeply held. Schubert himself “lived solely for art and for a small circle of friends,” and An die Musik beautifully reflects this cultural and personal ethos.
Throughout his short life, Franz Schubert (1797-1828) composed over 600 songs, beginning at the age of 14 and continuing until his untimely death at 31 in November 1828. Among them, An die Musik stands out for its exquisite melody and poignant lyrics, celebrating music’s power to “kindle the heart to warm love” and elevate us beyond the challenges of life.
Schubert wrote two versions of the song, with the autograph manuscript of the second version now preserved in the British Library.
At Museuphoria Nights, you will hear a transcription of An die Musik for cello and piano, arranged in 2019 by Dora Bakopoulos and Christophor Miroshnikov. This arrangement, which has been performed on numerous occasions, offers another perspective on Schubert’s timeless masterpiece.
Poem
Du holde Kunst, in wieviel grauen Stunden
Wo mich des Lebens wilder Kreis umstrickt
Hast du mein Herz zu warmer Lieb entzunden
Hast mich in eine beßre Welt entrückt
In eine beßre Welt entrückt
Oft hat ein Seufzer, deiner Harf entflossen
Ein süßer, heiliger Akkord von dir
Den Himmel beßrer Zeiten mir erschlossen
Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir dafür
Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir.
—
Beloved art, in how many a bleak hour,
when I am enmeshed in life’s tumultuous round,
have you kindled my heart to the warmth of love,
and borne me away to a better world!
Often a sigh, escaping from your harp,
a sweet, celestial chord
has revealed to me a heaven of happier times.
Beloved art, for this I thank you!
English translation by Richard Wigmore
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