The years 1822 and 1823 marked a decisive turning point for Schubert. While the prospects for the talented song composer were still promising at the beginning of 1822, his circumstances deteriorated significantly over the course of the following year. Schubert's health suffered greatly from what was likely syphilitic disease, and he had to spend some time in the hospital. During this period, he composed, among other works, the song cycle "Die schöne Müllerin" (The Fair Maid of the Mill), based on texts by Wilhelm Müller. These songs unfold the tragic story of a young miller's apprentice whose love affair takes an unhappy turn.[5] The poems were frequently recited at literary gatherings, and Schubert's enthusiasm inspired Müller to continue his work. Through Schubert's musical interpretation, the verses acquired their own "breath," bringing them to life. The complete cycle was not premiered in Vienna until 1856, after Müller and his circle had further developed the poems. Critics initially accused the texts of excessive sentimentality, but Schubert's compositions imbued them with new expressiveness. The songs depict love and loss in a rural setting. Schubert enriched the poems with subtle musical nuances that Müller had not originally intended. While Schubert interpreted the cycle as a tragic mythical narrative, Müller significantly shaped the image of the composer as a simple yet highly gifted artist—a notion that has been revised in recent times. "Die schöne Müllerin" (The Fair Maid of the Mill) combines strophic and elaborately crafted songs, in which each melody reflects the miller's apprentice's emotional and intellectual world. In each song of the cycle, Schubert's music conveys a rich emotional range—from exuberant joy to profound despair—thus painting a sensitive portrait of a sentimental artist who is ultimately defeated by harsh reality. Through his settings, Schubert lends Müller's poetry an intense emotional depth and creates a breathtaking musical landscape for the dramatic love story.
