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.
Frühlingstraum
Franz Schubert Lyrics
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So wie sie wohl blühen im Mai
Ich träumte von grünen Wiesen
Von lustigem Vogelgeschrei
Von lustigem Vogelgeschrei
Und als die Hähne krähten
Da ward mein Auge wach;
Es schrieen die Raben vom Dach
Da war es kalt und finster
Es schrieen die Raben vom Dach
Doch an den Fensterscheiben
Wer malte die Blätter da?
Doch an den Fensterscheiben
Wer malte die Blätter da?
Ihr lacht wohl über den Träumer
Der Blumen im Winter sah?
Der Blumen im Winter sah?
Ich träumte von Lieb und Liebe
Von einer schönen Maid
Von Herzen und von Küssen
Von Wonne und Seligkeit
Von Wonne und Seligkeit
Und als die Hähne krähten
Da ward mein Herze wach;
Nun sitz ich hier alleine
Und denke dem Traume nach
Nun sitz ich hier alleine
Und denke dem Traume nach
Die Augen schließ ich wieder
Noch schlägt das Herz so warm
Die Augen schließ ich wieder
Noch schlägt das Herz so warm
Wann grünt ihr Blätter am Fenster?
Wann halt ich mein Liebchen im Arm?
Wann halt ich mein Liebchen im Arm?
In Franz Schubert's song Frühlingstraum, the singer describes a dream of the colorful beauty of spring, including blooming flowers, green meadows, and birds singing. But when the roosters crowed, the dream ended, and the singer awakens to a cold and dark reality with ravens screeching from the roof. However, the singer notices painted leaves on the window panes, which leads to the realization that the dream might have been influenced by winter's bleakness. The singer's dream shifts to an idyllic image of love, with a beautiful maiden, heart-felt kisses, and boundless happiness. Once again, the roosters crow and the singer awakens to the lonely present, yearning for the spring to arrive and take away the winter's loneliness.
The song's theme relates to the impermanence of life and the power of dreams to transport one to different realities. It also explores the idea that a dream can be influenced by the external world, like the changing seasons, and it reveals the singer's deep longing for love and warmth. Schubert's use of emotions and nature imagery evokes a sense of longing and loss, and the contrast between the dream and reality creates a strong emotional impact.
Line by Line Meaning
Ich träumte von bunten Blumen
So wie sie wohl blühen im Mai
Ich träumte von grünen Wiesen
Von lustigem Vogelgeschrei
Von lustigem Vogelgeschrei
I dreamed of colorful flowers that bloom in May, of green grassy fields and joyful chirping birds
Und als die Hähne krähten
Da ward mein Auge wach;
Da war es kalt und finster
Es schrieen die Raben vom Dach
Da war es kalt und finster
Es schrieen die Raben vom Dach
But when the roosters crowed, I woke up abruptly to a cold, dark and gloomy reality where ravens screamed from the rooftops
Doch an den Fensterscheiben
Wer malte die Blätter da?
Doch an den Fensterscheiben
Wer malte die Blätter da?
Ihr lacht wohl über den Träumer
Der Blumen im Winter sah?
Der Blumen im Winter sah?
But who painted those leaves on my windows? You may laugh at the dreamer who saw flowers in the winter
Ich träumte von Lieb und Liebe
Von einer schönen Maid
Von Herzen und von Küssen
Von Wonne und Seligkeit
Von Wonne und Seligkeit
I also dreamed of love and a beautiful maiden, of hearts and kisses, of joy and ecstasy
Und als die Hähne krähten
Da ward mein Herze wach;
Nun sitz ich hier alleine
Und denke dem Traume nach
Nun sitz ich hier alleine
Und denke dem Traume nach
But when the roosters crowed again, my heart woke up, and now I sit alone, pondering on the dream
Die Augen schließ ich wieder
Noch schlägt das Herz so warm
Die Augen schließ ich wieder
Noch schlägt das Herz so warm
Wann grünt ihr Blätter am Fenster?
Wann halt ich mein Liebchen im Arm?
Wann halt ich mein Liebchen im Arm?
I close my eyes again, my heart still beats with warmth. When will the leaves on my window turn green? When will I hold my beloved in my arms?
Contributed by Scarlett H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.