Born in the Himmelpfortgrund suburb of Vienna, Schubert showed uncommon gifts for music from an early age. His father gave him his first violin lessons and his elder brother gave him piano lessons, but Schubert soon exceeded their abilities. In 1808, at the age of eleven, he became a pupil at the Stadtkonvikt school, where he became acquainted with the orchestral music of Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven. He left the Stadtkonvikt at the end of 1813 and returned home to live with his father, where he began studying to become a schoolteacher. Despite this, he continued his studies in composition with Antonio Salieri and still composed prolifically. In 1821, Schubert was admitted to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde as a performing member, which helped establish his name among the Viennese citizenry. He gave a concert of his works to critical acclaim in March 1828, the only time he did so in his career. He died eight months later at the age of 31, the cause officially attributed to typhoid fever, but believed by some historians to be syphilis.
Appreciation of Schubert's music while he was alive was limited to a relatively small circle of admirers in Vienna, but interest in his work increased greatly in the decades following his death. Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms and other 19th-century composers discovered and championed his works. Today, Schubert is ranked among the greatest composers in the history of Western classical music and his work continues to be admired and widely performed.
An die Musik D. 547
Franz Schubert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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,
Den Himmel beßrer Zeiten mir erschlossen,
Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir dafür,
Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir!
In Franz Schubert's song An die Musik D. 547, the singer addresses music as a personified entity, describing its ability to uplift and transform the soul in times of struggle. He addresses music as a "holy art" that has kindled warm love in his heart and transported him to a better world in the midst of the tumultuous circles of life. Schubert's choice of words is particularly interesting here, as he juxtaposes the "grey hours" of life with the "holy" and "sweet" chords that music can produce, suggesting that music has transformative powers that can elevate one's state of mind and enhance one's perception of the world.
The singer goes on to describe music as a gateway to better times, evoking a sense of optimism and hope. He suggests that music can open the gates to the heavens and bring forth memories of happier times. Finally, the singer concludes by thanking music for its ability to provide solace in a world that can often be fraught with difficulties. In these lyrics, Schubert captures the essence of music's transformative power, highlighting its ability to transport us from the mundane to the sublime and transcend the limitations of our daily lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Du holde Kunst, in wieviel grauen Stunden,
You, lovely art, in how many bleak hours, when life's wild circle envelops me,
Wo mich des Lebens wilder Kreis umstrickt,
when life's wild circle entangles me,
Hast du mein Herz zu warmer Lieb′ entzunden,
you have kindled my heart with warm love,
Hast mich in eine beßre Welt entrückt,
you have transported me to a better world,
In eine beßre Welt entrückt!
to a better world transported!
Oft hat ein Seufzer, deiner Harf' entflossen,
often, a sigh has escaped from your harp,
Ein süßer, heiliger Akkord von dir,
a sweet, holy chord from you,
Den Himmel beßrer Zeiten mir erschlossen,
has opened the heaven of better times to me,
Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir dafür,
you, lovely art, I thank you for this,
Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir!
you, lovely art, I thank you!
Writer(s): Franz Schubert, L. Gerhart
Contributed by Bailey Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@melissaoueslati1235
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
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
@deborahromero6396
Du holde Kunst, in wie viel 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!
Arte meravigliosa, in quante ore grigie,
Quando il vortice selvaggio della vita mi opprime,
hai infiammato il mio cuore di caldo amore,
mi hai trasportato verso un mondo migliore,
trasportato verso un mondo migliore.
Spesso un sospiro uscente dalla tua arpa,
un tuo dolce, divino accordo,
Mi ha schiuso il cielo dei tempi migliori.
Arte meravigliosa te ne sono grato,
Arte meravigliosa, ti ringrazio.
@yoel9094
Schubert, Makes me cry over and over again.
@jm2389
So sweet that in the end there was 'Thank you Schubert!". Well, thank all the people who made this video happen.
@melissaoueslati1235
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
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
@vivaseussonhos
Die Musik ist die einige Dinge, die macht mich glücklich.
@eni6797
Thank you Schubert
@christophergreen3809
One of my favorite Lieder of Schubert
@TdF_101
Everything is just where it needs to be. No note is "wasted". Beautiful.
@melindamills6995
There was something really special about Schubert and his music.
@martyrrt
Beautiful voice. That lower voice is incredible. Well done sir.
@trudix01
Sowohl der Solistin als auch der Frau( Mann) am Gefügel meine herzlichsten Gkückwünsche.Da geht einem das Herz auf.Das kommt direkt aus dem Himmel.