The text of this song was written by Johann Timotheus Hermes (1738-1821), and its dark world of sadness and loneliness is captured most imaginatively here by Mozart. Without doubt, An die Einsamkeit (To Loneliness, or to Isolation) is one of his most compelling song creations. Its lovely, sad melody; sparse keyboard accompaniment; and slow tempo combine to yield a work of great expressive depth, a work that conveys its sadness in almost palpable ways. The song begins in a sort of in media res fashion, its opening melodic phrase sounding as though its front half had been excised. But the music that follows makes perfect sense of this deftly "isolated" phrase. The whole song imparts a feeling of loneliness, a feeling of melancholy and loss. The main theme, while having plenty of rises and falls along its melodic path, conveys a sense of descending sonorities of dispirited feelings. In its slow gait, it seems almost listless at times, but never turns static or sluggish in its languishing beauty and gentle manner. Mozart mavens and listeners interested in serious vocal music will find this a most compelling song.

© All Music Guide