The song cycle originally called “Die schöne Müllerin,” which is translated as “The lovely maid of the mil,” is written by German composer Franz Schubert. The composer was fascinated with folk songs and scenes and tried to reveal and increase their significance in Germany’s culture through this cycle, which imitates folk poetry. The cycle contains twenty themes and describes the journey of a young man who wanders through the countryside, which results in his falling in love with the miller’s daughter. The affection is not successful, and eventually, the despaired man drowns himself in the stream. The piece is usually performed by a pianist and a solo male singer with a tenor or soprano voice.
The song “Das Wandern” or “Wandering” is the first one in the piece and plays a role of an introduction. It begins with a simple melody that creates an optimistic mindset and indicates the presence of folk motives (0:02/0:07). At the end of the song, the idea of the young man’s inner thrust to freedom is clearly evident as his words express the desire to continue the wandering (2:14/2:27).
Leitmotif is a recurring and short musical phrase, melody, rhythm, or chord progression, which is associated with a specific person, event, or idea. It serves the purpose of indicating something of great importance and can contribute to any piece of art by creating the necessary mood for listeners. One instance of the use of leitmotifs is the “Symphonie fantastique” written by Hector Berlioz, where recurring melody represents the object of affection. The other example is the “Imperial March,” which creates an atmosphere of fear during the dark forces’ presence.