Swan Song

work by Schubert

Also known as: “Schwanengesang”

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July 17, 2026

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Swan Song (Schwanengesang), D. 957, is a collection of 14 songs for voice and piano by Austrian composer Franz Schubert. It was published in 1829, the year after his death, and is considered one of his last works. The songs are settings of poems by Ludwig Rellstab, Heinrich Heine, and Johann Gabriel Seidl.1

Schubert composed these songs in the final months of his life, during August and September 1828. The collection is often referred to as Schubert's "swan song" because it was published posthumously and represents a culmination of his Lieder (art song) compositions. The cycle explores themes of love, loss, and longing, characteristic of the Romantic era. Schubert's masterful use of melody and harmony perfectly captures the emotional depth of the poetry.12

While Swan Song is a significant work, Schubert is also celebrated for other compositions like the song cycle Winterreise and his symphonies, including the Unfinished Symphony and the Great Symphony. His music bridges the Classical and Romantic periods, noted for its lyrical quality and harmonic richness.231

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Franz Schubert
Last years of Franz Schubert
…together as the Schwanengesang (Swan Song). In September and early October the succession was concluded by the last three piano sonatas, in C Minor, A Major, and B-flat Major, and the great String Quintet in C Major—the swan song of the Classical era in music.
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…together as the Schwanengesang (Swan Song). In September and early October the succession was concluded by the last three piano sonatas, in C Minor, A Major, and B-flat Major, and the great String Quintet in C Major—the swan song of the Classical era in music.
Read More