The Music of Winter Words: Schubert, Schumann, and Strauss

Reflect on these pieces by three musical masters as you stay warm by the fire.

"Winter in the Country," circa 1858, George Henry Durrie. Public Domain

Winter is more than a period of darkness and cold. Things appear to draw into themselves, but in truth they gestate and germinate out of our sight. Hard seeds begin to force roots through cold ground, and branches hold in their tight fists the blossoms they will release in good season.

It’s easy to forget how closely aligned we are with nature’s cycles. We too are inclined to draw inward at this time, harbor the forces gathering inside us, and prepare for the renewed life that lies, for the moment, just beyond our grasp.

We must respect winter’s might, its raging elements that could in a moment crush us. But we can look beyond this and sense, as well, its transcendent beauty and the infinite power lying behind it.

A Hymn

A portrait of Franz Schubert, 1875, by Wilhelm August Rieder. Public Domain

Austrian composer Franz Schubert’s “Hymn to the Eternal One” is such a look beyond. In his 18th year, he set to music the poet Friedrich Schiller’s words: “In the midst of the storm You have made for me a refuge; the clouds thunder, the lightning flutters about me, and I think of You, Eternal One.”

The work is monumental in scope, intended for four solo voices rather than a chorus, reflecting, perhaps, man’s frailty before nature. Somber harmonies create an atmosphere of wonder at such strength and such splendor.

A Folk Melody

A lithograph of Robert Schumann, 1839, by Joseph Kreihuber. Public Domain

The world without is indeed volatile, sometimes stormy, sometimes beautiful, but the world within is a different matter. It does its best work quietly, taking in life’s events, translating them into thought and emotion.

Friedrich Rückert wrote “I Have Absorbed the Spring,” a description of this mysterious alchemy: “Here, in my heart are the blue skies, here the green fields, here the flowers and their fragrance.” These things remained with him although winter had come.

Within the poet’s mind, spring, with its gladness of heart, is reborn through words. The words, gathered into verse, weave themselves into the fabric of others’ minds and hearts, no matter the season; spring lives on, a marvel and a mystery. Robert Schumann set the poetry to “Ich hab in mich gesogen,” a beautiful, folk-like melody and sweet, simple harmony so that the words aren’t only thoughts but feelings too.

A Song

German Romantic composer Richard Strauss. New York Public Library Archives. PD-US

Winter is a symbol as well as a season. One recalls “The winter of our discontent,” or “The winter of our days.” At the end of the 19th century, our great artists, who were prophets and seers as well, knew that the years to come would be dark, turbulent, violent. Revolutions would come, great wars were imminent, people were losing their faith and abandoning their traditions.

Such foreboding inspired Richard Strauss in 1900 to set the lyrics of Karl Henckell’s “Winter Dedication” to music:

“In these winter days, now that the light grows dim, let us confide to one another the light we carry in our hearts. The wheel of time may roll, we cannot interfere, but day and night, in our union with one another, we shall keep love’s promise.”

In “Winterweihe,“ a broad, graceful vocal line bears the words with calm assurance, words that almost everyone wishes or has wished to say to someone at some time. The music, with its sustained strings and the distant call of a horn, paints a snowy landscape, silent and spacious. This innocent song stands among the sublime works in our age-old musical tradition. It’s a look into the depths of our soul, an assurance that this soul within us has more power than the world without.

And so, year after year, nature continues to tell her story, keep her promise. “The trumpet of a prophesy!” Shelly writes. “If winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

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