THE LIBRARY | SONGS

This lovely song is simple enough on the surface, but per usual with Schubert, the small details reveal a wealth of emotional nuances. The lilting 6/8 gives the song a dance-like quality, but also captures the natural sway of the ocean. In the middle stanza the song modulates to the exquisitely Schubertian key of C-flat Major (Schubert loved keys with lots of flats). The vocal line becomes noticeably more angular during the phrase “wilden Meer”(turbulent sea). But ultimately the song never strays too far from its cheerful mood and returns back to the home key for the final verse to create a clear ABA form.