Schubert’s Death and the Maiden

At Church in the Forest

Works for a String Quartet
Death and the Maiden is one of Franz Schubert’s most gripping and emotional works, written during a time of personal turmoil. The quartet’s name is inspired by Schubert’s earlier song in which a young woman pleads with Death to spare her life. Death responds with a chilling calmness, assuring her that he is a friend who will bring peace. Through its dramatic contrasts, haunting melodies, and moments of tenderness, the quartet captures the tension between fear and acceptance, making it a profound meditation on mortality and the human condition.