Schubert's strophic setting of Ludwig Kosegarten's Die Erscheinung (The Apparition) (D. 229) from July 1815 is charming for one verse, pleasant for two verses, tolerable for three verses, and enough to send one to sleep for all four verses. Kosegarten's poem describes a heavenly vision of beauty and love and Schubert's music catches this wonderfully in music of clear and airy grace. The vocal melody is major-keyed and shot through with luminous light as it wafts gently over the simple and supple piano accompaniment. But four verses is entirely too much of a good thing: even the indefatigable Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau only sang three of the four verses in his 23-disc collection of Schubert's Lieder.

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