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.

Irrlicht
Franz Schubert Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In die tiefsten Felsengründe
Lockte mich ein Irrlicht hin:
Wie ich einen Ausgang finde
Liegt nicht schwer mir in dem Sinn
Liegt nicht schwer mir in dem Sinn

Bin gewohnt das Irre Gehen
’s führt ja jeder Weg zum Ziel:

Unsre Freuden, unsre Leiden
Alles eines Irrlichts Spiel!
Alles eines Irrlichts Spiel!

Durch des Bergstroms trockne Rinnen
Wind ich ruhig mich hinab
Jeder Strom wird’s Meer gewinnen
Jedes Leiden auch sein Grab

Jeder Strom wird’s Meer gewinnen
Jedes Leiden auch sein Grab

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Franz Schubert's song "Irrlicht" describe the singer's journey through the deepest parts of the rocky terrain. They were lured by a will-o'-the-wisp or "Irrlicht," which is a mysterious natural phenomenon often seen in swamps, marshes, and rocky terrain at night. The singer is aware that they are lost but is calm and resolute in their quest to find a way out. They are accustomed to wandering, and they perceive that even though each path may seem confusing or misguided, eventually, all roads lead to a destination.

The singer finds comfort in the idea that their struggles, successes, joys, and sorrows are all just part of the enigmatic and unpredictable game of the "Irrlicht." As they travel down the mountainside, the singer notices the dry streams and understands that even seemingly impassable obstacles can become a source of strength by redirecting or channeling one's energy. They believe that every stream will eventually lead to the sea, which is an allegory for how every obstacle can ultimately lead to growth or transformation. The singer concludes by asserting that every sorrow, too, must find its grave.

Overall, "Irrlicht" is a poetic and contemplative depiction of the human experience of feeling lost and wandering through the unknown. It encourages the listener to embrace the journey, even if it might seem like the path is uncertain or misguided. It suggests that the external obstacles and the internal emotional struggles we encounter can often become a source of strength if we channel them and move through them.

Line by Line Meaning

In die tiefsten Felsengründe
I was lured into the deepest crevices of the rocks

Lockte mich ein Irrlicht hin:
an Ignis Fatuus (will-o'-the-wisp) attracted my attention

Wie ich einen Ausgang finde
I ponder how to find a way out of here

Liegt nicht schwer mir in dem Sinn
determining the escape route is not difficult for me

Bin gewohnt das Irre Gehen
I am used to aimless wandering

’s führt ja jeder Weg zum Ziel:
because every path leads to an end

Unsre Freuden, unsre Leiden
both our joys and sorrows

Alles eines Irrlichts Spiel!
are all part of the game played by a will-o'-the-wisp

Durch des Bergstroms trockne Rinnen
Wending my way down the dry streams of the mountainside

Wind ich ruhig mich hinab
I go calmly down my path

Jeder Strom wird’s Meer gewinnen
Every stream will join the ocean