Death and the Maiden (song)

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This article refers to the 1817 composition by Franz Schubert. For the Verlaines song, please see Death and the Maiden (Verlaines song).

Death and the Maiden (German: Der Tod und das Mädchen) is an 1817 lied (art song) composed by Franz Schubert. The lyrics, which are German, are derived from a poem written by Matthias Claudius. The song is set for one voice with piano accompaniment.

Contents 1 Composition 2 Text 3 MIDI File 4 See also

[edit] Composition

The piece begins with an introduction in D-minor; the first eight bars in the time signature 2/2. Both hands are playing chords; the left hand plays two notes at a time, the right, three. At four points in the opening bars, the left hand acts as a pedal. The section is quiet (pianissimo), and slow ("moderate", mäßig), and presents the musical theme of Death.

The Maiden enters in the ninth bar on an anacrusis. This section is more agited than the first; it is marked piano and "somewhat faster" (etwas geschwinder). The melody gradually increases in pitch, chromatically at points. The piano accompaniment is syncopated, playing chords of quavers alternating in the left and right hand. A diminished chord in the first bar of the third line (ich bin noch jung) creates an eerie mood. In the eighth bar of the maidens song, on the word rühre (touch), the quavers stop and the rythm of the opening section returns. Then an imperfect cadence leads to a rest with fermata. This brings the second section to a total of 13 bars in length.

The third and final section is Death's song. The music returns to the tempo and dynamics of the introduction. The melody of Death is almost one note. In this section, the key modulates to F-major, the relative major of D-minor. With the last syllable of Death's song, the key changes into D-major. The coda is almost a repeat of the introduction, except it is shortened by one bar and is now in the major key.

[edit] Text

Original German	English Translation
Das Mädchen: Vorüber! Ach, vorüber! Geh, wilder Knochenmann! Ich bin noch jung, geh Lieber! Und rühre mich nicht an. Der Tod: Gib deine Hand, du schön und zart Gebild! Bin Freund, und komme nicht, zu strafen. Sei gutes Muts! ich bin nicht wild, Sollst sanft in meinen Armen schlafen!	The Maiden: Pass by! Oh, pass by! Go away, fierce man of bone! I am still young, go my dear! And do not touch me. Death: Give me your hand, you beautiful and delicate form! I am a friend, and am not come to punish. Be of good cheer! I am not savage, You will sleep softly in my arms!

[edit] MIDI File

Listen to "Death and the Maiden"

[edit] See also

• The piano accompaniment from this song was used as the theme in the second movement (a theme and variations) of the Death and the Maiden Quartet in 1824.
• The play and film versions of Death and the Maiden take their titles from the song.
• German heavy metal band Rage, on their latest album Speak of the Dead, has an 8-song orchestrated suite called "Suite Lingua Mortis", whose lyrics are largely inspired by Schubert's composition.