Figure 1.

1 Text and Translation of Goethe's Poem

Meine Ruh' ist hin,
Mein Herz ist schwer;
Ich finde sie nimmer
Und nimmermehr.

My peace is gone,
My heart is heavy;
I shall find it never,
Never again.

Wo ich ihn nicht hab

Ist mir das Grab,
Die ganze Welt
Ist mir vergllt.

Where I do not have him,

It is like the grave to me,
The whole world
Is bitter.

Mein armer Kopf

Ist mir verrckt,
Mein armer Sinn
Ist mir zerstckt.

My poor head
Is deranged,
My poor mind
Is distracted.

Meine Ruh' ist hin,

Mein Herz ist schwer,
Ich finde sie nimmer
Und nimmermehr.

My peace is gone,
My heart is heavy;
I shall find it never,
Never again.

Nach ihm nur schau ich

Zum Fenster hinaus;
Nach ihm nur geh ich
Aus dem Haus.

Only for him

I look out of the window;
Only for him I
Leave the house.

Sein hoher Gang,

Sein' edle Gestalt,
Seine Mundes Lcheln,
Seiner Augen Gewalt,

His fine bearing,

His noble form,
The smile of his lips,
The power of his eyes,

Und seiner Rede

Zauberflu,
Sein Hndedruck,
Und ach, sein Ku!

And the magic flow

Of his talk,
The clasp of his hands,
And ah, his kiss!

Meine Ruh' ist hin,

Mein Herz ist schwer,
Ich finde sie nimmer
Und nimmermehr.

My peace is gone,
My heart is heavy;
I shall find it never,
Never again.

Mein Busen drngt sich

Nach ihm hin.
Ach drft ich fassen
Und halten ihn,

My bosom yearns
for him.
Ah, could I grasp him
And hold him,

Und kssen ihn,

So wie ich wollt,
An seinen Kssen
Vergehen sollt!

And kiss him,

To my heart's content,
Under his kisses
To swoon!

Philip L. Miller, The Ring of Words: An Anthology of Song Texts, (New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 1906), 74-5.

Meine Ruh ist hin

Text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
from Part 1, Scene 15 of Faust
Composer

Schubert

Loewe

General

Gretchen am Spinnrade
1814
D. 118, Op. 2
D Minor
6/8
Written for soprano

Meine Ruh' ist hin

1822
Op. 9, III, No. 2
B Minor
9/8 12/8 9/8
Written for alto/mezzo-soprano

Melody

Mostly step-wise with leaps on

climaxes

Triadic leaps that resolve by steps

Simple minor in A and B sections

Modulation to relative major mode
in C section working through circle
of fifths ending on German
augmented sixth chord
More complex harmonies in D

Simple minor in A sections

Modulation to parallel major mode in
B and C section with high amounts of
chromaticism ending on German
augmented sixth chord
More complex harmonies in D

Ostinato in right and left hands of

piano until climax

Ostinato in right and left hands of

piano until climax

Harmony

Rhythm

Accompaniment Constant rhythmic figures

Does not match the melody

Constant rhythmic figures

Doubles the melody occasionally

Text

Heavy amount of text painting

Text highlighted by use of tonality

Form

ABACADA1

ABACADA1

Bibliography
Carl Loewe: Meine Ruh' ist hin (Gretchen am Spinnrade) - Brigitte Fassbaender. Uploaded
January 11, 2012. Video Clip. Accessed March 1, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=hMm38MkKVTk.
Dorsett, Thomas. An Analysis of Two Schubert Lieder. October 25, 2014. Accessed March 1,
2015. http://thomasdorsett.blogspot.com/2014/10/an-analysis-of-two-schubertlieder.html.
'Gretchen am Spinnrade' Franz Schubert. Uploaded May 24, 2009. Video Clip. Accessed
March 1, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gotjnjJz8zw.
Hallmark, Rufus. German Lieder in the Nineteenth Century. New York: Routledge, 2009.
Loewe, Carl. Goethe und Loewe - Lieder und Balladen. Piano/Vocal Score. Leipzig: Breitkopf &
Hrtel, 1901. Accessed March 1, 2015. International Scores Music Library Project.
http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/7/76/IMSLP84572-PMLP172209Loewe_Werke_Band_XI_Breitkopf_VA1811.pdf.
Miller, Philip L. The Ring of Words: An Anthology of Song Texts. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 1906.
Schubert, Franz. Gretchen am Spinnrade. Piano/Vocal Score. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hrtel, 189495. Accessed March 1, 2015. International Scores Music Library Project.
http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/c/ce/IMSLP13971SchubertD118_Gretchen_Am_Spinnrade.pdf.
Sternfield, F.W. Faust. In Grove Music Online. Accessed March 1, 2015. Oxford Music Online.
Weller, Philip. Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. In Grove Music Online. Accessed March 1,
2015. Oxford Music Online.
West, Ewan. Loewe, (Johann) Carl (Gottfried). In Grove Music Online. Accessed March 1,
2015. Oxford Music Online.
Winter, Robert. Schubert, Franz (Peter). In Grove Music Online. Accessed March 1, 2015.
Oxford Music Online.

Figure 2.1 Schubert's Setting of the Climax

Franz, Schubert, Gretchen am Spinnrade, Piano/Vocal Score, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hrtel, 1894- 95, Accessed
March 1, 2015, International Scores Music Library Project,
http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/c/ce/IMSLP13971-SchubertD118_Gretchen_Am_Spinnrade.pdf.

Figure 2.2 Loewe's Setting of the Climax

Loewe, Carl, Goethe und Loewe - Lieder und Balladen, Piano/Vocal Score, Leipzig: Breitkopf &
1901, Accessed March 1, 2015, International Scores Music Library Project.
http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/7/76/IMSLP84572-PMLP172209Loewe_Werke_Band_XI_Breitkopf_VA1811.pdf.

Hrtel,