Frülingsglaube, Op.20 No.2
In Schubert’s musical setting the song is given a melancholic undertone in the faith of the spring to come up with new hope. The text is written by Ludwig Uhland.
The vocal part is very melodic, almost hymn like, and flows in smooth legato of the piano part which, like flowing water is distinguished by its sextuplets in the left hand.
Schubert composed the first song in Bb-major but changed key to Ab-major after a two-year-long maturation process before publication. Frülingsglaube was the author Karen Blixen’s favorite song.
Ludwig Uhland (1787–1862)
was a German poet, a literary scholar, a lawyer, and a politician. He represented the tradition in German Volklied whose aesthetic was later exploited by the National Socialists. The Napoleonic Wars brought Uhland national spirit, but he was also inspired by the medieval literary heritage. You could also find political positions in the ”Alte gute Recht”, a defense of the state’s eternal law.
