LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE MUSIC WE SING Lesson 5, for April 6 In Goethe’s Vermischte Gedichte (“Assorted Poems,” first published in 1789 but including poems written in the 1770s), Ganymed immediately follows Prometheus. The two poems are generally considered to belong together, the one expressing youthful hopefulness and trust, as the beautiful boy Ganymede is seduced by Zeus who charms the youth with the beauty of spring, the other expressing rebellious creativity, as Prometheus, chained to a boulder, his liver eaten daily by an eagle (the symbol of Zeus), which then grows back overnight, defies the gods in anger. Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity, whom he had created in his own image. For that he suffered eternal punishment. It is often said that these two poems represent Goethe’s view of the human condition. Schubert composed his settings of the two poems in reverse order, Ganymed in 1817, Prometheus in 1819. Both are more like operatic scenes than conventional songs. Ganymede’s Romantic excitement is expressed by an opening swooning figure for the voice(s), spring’s lovely morning breeze by trills and and birdcalls for the piano. At the end of the song, Ganymede expresses his excitement to be carried to heaven by an eagle with exclamations of Aufwärts! (“Upwards!”). In contrast to the songlike character of Ganymed, in Prometheus Schubert expresses majesty, anger, sarcasm, and disdain. Neither setting focuses on the sadness and tragedy of so many of Schubert’s other songs, especially the two great cycles Die Schöne Müllerin (1823) and Winterreise (1827). End of Lesson 5. Click here to continue to Lesson 6, for April 8. Click here to return to the Lesson List.