Franz Peter Schubert (31 January 1797 – 19 November 1828) was an Austrian c… Read Full Bio ↴Franz Peter Schubert (31 January 1797 – 19 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a vast oeuvre, including more than 600 secular vocal works (mainly lieder), seven complete symphonies, sacred music, operas, incidental music, and a large body of piano and chamber music. His major works include the art songs Erlkönig, Gretchen am Spinnrade, Ave Maria; the Trout Quintet, the unfinished Symphony No. 8 in B minor, the "Great" Symphony No. 9 in C major, the String Quartet No. 14 "Death and the Maiden", a String Quintet, the two sets of Impromptus for solo piano, the three last piano sonatas, the Fantasia in F minor for piano four hands, the opera Fierrabras, the incidental music to the play Rosamunde, and the song cycles Die schöne Müllerin, Winterreise and Schwanengesang.

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.

Die greise Kopf
Franz Schubert Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Der Reif hat einen weißen Schein
Mir übers Haar gestreuet
Da glaubt’ ich schon ein Greis zu sein
Und hab mich sehr gefreuet

Doch bald ist er hinweggetaut
Hab wieder schwarze Haare
Dass mir’s vor meiner Jugend graut -

Wie weit noch bis zur Bahre!
Wie weit noch bis zur Bahre!

Vom Abendrot zum Morgenlicht
Ward mancher Kopf zum Greise
Wer glaubt’s? und meiner ward es nicht

Auf dieser ganzen Reise!
Auf dieser ganzen Reise!

Overall Meaning

In Franz Schubert's song "Die greise Kopf," the singer reflects on the passage of time and the inevitable process of aging. The first verse describes how the singer sees frost on their hair, mistaking it for signs of old age. However, the frost soon melts away, and the singer once again has black hair. This transition from white to black causes the singer to reflect on their youth, and they begin to fear how close they may be to their final resting place, the grave.

The second verse explores the idea that while many people's hair turns gray as they age, the singer's hair has remained black throughout their journey. This revelation is surprising to the singer, as they question why they have not aged like others. It emphasizes the contrasting experiences of different individuals on their life journeys.

Overall, "Die greise Kopf" expresses the universal human experience of confronting the reality of aging and the eventual approach of death. The lyrics convey a sense of melancholy and reflection, as the singer contemplates the passing of time and their own mortality.

Line by Line Meaning

Der Reif hat einen weißen Schein
The frost has a white appearance

Mir übers Haar gestreuet
Spread over my hair

Da glaubt’ ich schon ein Greis zu sein
Then I believed to be an old man already

Und hab mich sehr gefreuet
And was very pleased

Doch bald ist er hinweggetaut
But soon it melted away

Hab wieder schwarze Haare
I had black hair again

Dass mir’s vor meiner Jugend graut
That my youth scares me

Wie weit noch bis zur Bahre!
How far is it still to the bier!

Vom Abendrot zum Morgenlicht
From sunset to morning light

Ward mancher Kopf zum Greise
Many a head became old

Wer glaubt’s? und meiner ward es nicht
Who would believe it? And mine did not become old