Schubert's setting of Martin Prandstetter's Die Frohlichkeit (Gaiety) (D. 262) is a brightly bouncy little ditty whose unsophisticated philosophy—the little things in life are those which bring the greatest happiness—is matched by its unpretentious music—a laughing major-key vocal melody over a piano accompaniment which seems to caper and dance. However, cheerful and good-hearted as it is, 12 verses of Die Frohlichkeit might be more than anyone could bear to listen to and, so far, it has proven more than any singer cares to sing: Ian Bostridge sings two verses of the song in his recording and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau sings only one verse in his recording.

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