When composer Franz Schubert died at age 31, he left us with several symphonies, a lot of chamber music, Sonatas for piano and for violin, Ballets, and more.
We are also fortunate that he left us more than 600 songs and song cycles.
In one of these songs Schubert set to music the poem by Franz von Schober titled “An die Music” (translation: “to Music”).
In today’s post, you can listen to the amazing soprano Lucia Popp sing this song. And immediately below is a translation of the original German text:
An die Musik
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!
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!
To Music
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!
…………..
Enjoy…
