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.
Der Leiermann
Franz Schubert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steht ein Leiermann,
Und mit starren Fingern
Dreht er, was er kann.
Barfuß auf dem Eise
Wankt er hin und her;
Und sein kleiner Teller
Keiner mag ihn hören,
Keiner sieht ihn an;
Und die Hunde knurren
Um den alten Mann.
Und er läßt es gehen
Alles, wie es will,
Dreht, und seine Leier
Steht ihm nimmer still.
Wunderlicher Alter,
Soll ich mit dir gehn?
Willst zu meinen Liedern
Deine Leier drehn?
The lyrics to Franz Schubert's song "Der Leiermann" depict a poignant scene of a poor old hurdy-gurdy man playing music in the snow while being ignored and disliked by passersby. The portrayal of the leiermann's struggle and isolation evokes a sense of empathy and melancholy, tapping into a universal experience of feeling invisible and unappreciated. The image of the man standing on the frozen ground barefoot with an empty plate further amplifies the hopelessness and despair of his situation. Despite the indifference and hostility of the world around him, the leiermann persists in playing his music and aimlessly turning the wheel of his instrument, perhaps as a way of coping with his hardship or simply out of habit. The haunting question raised in the final stanza, "Wunderlicher Alter, soll ich mit dir gehn?" ("Strange old man, shall I go with you?") perhaps suggests the possibility of an escape from the mundane reality of the singer's world to a more mysterious and symbolic realm represented by the leiermann.
Line by Line Meaning
Drüben hinterm Dorfe
Over yonder the village
Steht ein Leiermann,
Stands a hurdy-gurdy man,
Und mit starren Fingern
And with frozen fingers,
Dreht er, was er kann.
He turns as best he can.
Barfuß auf dem Eise
Barefoot on the ice
Wankt er hin und her;
He staggers to and fro;
Und sein kleiner Teller
And his small plate
Bleibt ihm immer leer.
Always remains empty.
Keiner mag ihn hören,
No one wants to hear him,
Keiner sieht ihn an;
No one sees him;
Und die Hunde knurren
And the dogs growl
Um den alten Mann.
At the old man.
Und er läßt es gehen
And he lets it all go,
Alles, wie es will,
Everything, as it will,
Dreht, und seine Leier
He turns, and his hurdy-gurdy
Steht ihm nimmer still.
Never stands still.
Wunderlicher Alter,
Strange old man,
Soll ich mit dir gehn?
Shall I go with you?
Willst zu meinen Liedern
Do you want to turn your hurdy-gurdy
Deine Leier drehn?
To my songs?
Contributed by Sophia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hermannharlos9944
THE ORGAN GRINDER
Yonder, past the village, stands the organ man,
And, with stiff old fingers, cranks just as he can.
Barefoot on the ice, he stumbles here and there,
And his begging bowl remains forever bare.
No one listens to him, no one looks at him,
Only dogs are barking round the strange old man,
And he lets it go, whichever way it will,
Grinds, his organ never standing still.
Strange mysterious old man, shall I come along?
Will you grind your organ to my song?
@barbaratrehy4742
Over the village there is a lyre man
and with rigid fingers he does what he can.
Barefoot on the ice, he staggers back and forth
and his little plate always stays empty.
Nobody likes to hear him, no one looks at him,
and the dogs are growling around the old man.
And he lets it go all the way it wants
He turns and his lyre never stops.
Whimsical age, should I go with you?
Do you want to turn your lyre to my songs?
@nickless4954
+Nancy517
The Organ-Grinder
Way behind the hamlet
stands an organ man
and with freezing fingers
grinds the best he can.
Barefoot on the snowbank
swaying to and fro -
and his little plate has
ne'er a coin to show.
No-one comes to listen,
no-one comes to greet,
and the dogs are growling
at the old man's feet.
And he lets it happen,
lets it as it will -
cranking - and his organ
never staying still.
Strangest of the Ancients,
must I walk with you?
Will you grind my Lieders
on your organ, too?
@ilkinrustamzadeh
I am human rights activist from Azerbaijan and I was 6 years in prison. When I was in prison I watched film "in Bruges". In this film I heard this song. And after prison, when I released firstly I searched "in Bruges" songs and soundtracks. And I found this fantastic voice.
For fully feeling the film's and song's atmosphere I visited Bruges and I did walking tour in Bruges with listening this song. It was amazaing experience.
I think in this song and voice you can find all of tragedies of Europe. Wars, holocausts, destroying of empires, occupations and others...
@Maatkara1000
My teacher of Arabic is Palestinian, and he was a reporter there. He started reporting against the crimes commited by the Government and by Israel, and he was kidnapped, put in prison and tortured. He still bears the scars of the torture.
It is absolutely horrible how people fighting for human rights suffer so much in so many countries. I wish there was a way to return those 6 years back to you or to rightfully compensate you for your suffering
@user-jz9uq9pd8t
Героям слава!
@fktrcfylhbwey9581
And immigrants
@ilkinrustamzadeh
@@fktrcfylhbwey9581 I am not immigrant. I live in Baku.
@fktrcfylhbwey9581
@@ilkinrustamzadeh no, I'm about tragedy's of Europe
@PaulVanBladel
Maximum expression.
Maximum voice control and technique.
Maximum intelligence.
Simply unparalleled.
@deandro985
Did you see his arms though?
@DerEchteBold
@@deandro985
So?
@DerEchteBold
@@deandro985
Fortunately not (you creep!) but what is your point, other than mocking a handicapped artist?