Der Lindenbaum by Schubert
Musicology 240
Paper #2
“Der Lindenbaum” is a particular song from Die Winterraise, a song cycle written by Franz Schubert, that focuses on the narrator who has been spurned by his lover and is now traveling on his own. The song cycle uses lyrics from a series of 24 poems by the poet Wilhelm Müller. The piece begins with a piano introduction. The piano is playing fast triplets in a major tonality, and seems to be representing the rustling of leaves. The introduction ends in measures 7 and 8 with a horn call that is then echoed, which links to the importance of nature in this piece. The introduction also hints to a minor key. This minor tonality combined with the horn call seems like a warning to the listener. Even though the main character is happy right now, there is a possibility of melancholy in the future. After the instrumental introduction, the singer begins the first stanza of the poem in measure 9. Here, he is recalling a time where he used to visit a linden tree in the summer and daydream. The music that Schubert provides for this stanza is very simple. The melody does not have many different notes and mainly follows the syllables of the text. In addition, the piano mostly follows the rhythm of the vocal part. Here we can see that because the piano and voice are unified, it seems that Schubert is telling us that the narrator’s mind is healthy. The text hints that the season is summer, which Schubert reflects in the music by using a major tonality. This also reflects the happiness and good mental health of the narrator. The second stanza begins in measure 17, where it continues the memory of the linden tree in the summer. Here, the narrator emphasizes the presence of a lover in his life. He states that the tree is always calling to him, no matter what kind of emotion he was feeling. The tree has become an important fixture in his life, and seems to represent love. Here he is experiencing that emotion, so the tree is alive and providing
Paper #2
“Der Lindenbaum” is a particular song from Die Winterraise, a song cycle written by Franz Schubert, that focuses on the narrator who has been spurned by his lover and is now traveling on his own. The song cycle uses lyrics from a series of 24 poems by the poet Wilhelm Müller. The piece begins with a piano introduction. The piano is playing fast triplets in a major tonality, and seems to be representing the rustling of leaves. The introduction ends in measures 7 and 8 with a horn call that is then echoed, which links to the importance of nature in this piece. The introduction also hints to a minor key. This minor tonality combined with the horn call seems like a warning to the listener. Even though the main character is happy right now, there is a possibility of melancholy in the future. After the instrumental introduction, the singer begins the first stanza of the poem in measure 9. Here, he is recalling a time where he used to visit a linden tree in the summer and daydream. The music that Schubert provides for this stanza is very simple. The melody does not have many different notes and mainly follows the syllables of the text. In addition, the piano mostly follows the rhythm of the vocal part. Here we can see that because the piano and voice are unified, it seems that Schubert is telling us that the narrator’s mind is healthy. The text hints that the season is summer, which Schubert reflects in the music by using a major tonality. This also reflects the happiness and good mental health of the narrator. The second stanza begins in measure 17, where it continues the memory of the linden tree in the summer. Here, the narrator emphasizes the presence of a lover in his life. He states that the tree is always calling to him, no matter what kind of emotion he was feeling. The tree has become an important fixture in his life, and seems to represent love. Here he is experiencing that emotion, so the tree is alive and providing