ABSTRACT
This chapter presents three songs to poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, published by M. J. Leidesdorf on 11 July 1828 and dedicated to Frau Josephine von Franck. The three songs are Der Musensohn; Auf dem See and Geistes-Gruss. This was probably compiled in the autumn or early winter of 1827 before Opus. 88 was published. Schubert composed no more Goethe songs after completing the Mignon set in 1826. Auf dem See was written in 1775 when Goethe was on holiday in Switzerland, where he had gone without saying a word to his fiancee, Lili Schonemann. Geistes-Gruss comes from 1774, the year when Die Leiden des jungen Werthers was published, and Goethe was halfway through his first version of Faust. The 'Storm and Stress' movement which gave rise to Faust characterized Goethe's private life as well as his literary style at the time. Geistes-Gruss implies that he hopes to find tranquillity as the hero in the poem had done.
