An die ferne Geliebte (To the distant beloved) is an important song cycle, not just for its musical value, but because it stands as a significant turning point in Beethoven's style and career. It is a work which carved out a new path in many respects for the composer: the heroism and splendor of the past are missing here; the extroverted persona becomes muted, giving way to a more ponderous, inward expressiveness; and, on a personal level, the music symbolized Beethoven's realization that he would likely never marry, and that his youth, with all its bitter disappointments, had passed. Yet, the music, while reflecting the composer's pain, never suggests any self-pity; in fact, the mood remains rather sober, even bright in mood at times, and always accepting of fate. "Yearning," rather than "suffering," would actually be a better word to associate with these six songs, composed to texts by Alois Jeitteles, then a medical student, who seems to have written the words especially for these settings. This song cycle is also important because it was the first major effort written in a through-composed style, eventually exerting a great influence on the lieder of Schumann and many later composers. The individual songs share some thematic relationships and are linked via the piano accompaniment, which delivers a sort of connecting interlude between songs. Beethoven thus excludes the option of performing just one song or a selection from the entire work. The first song, "Auf dem Hügel sitz ich spähend" (On the hill sit I, peering), features subdued music that is rather bright, considering the longing and yearning for the "beloved" mentioned in the text. Clearly, this is music expressing the composer's acceptance of sorrow and loss. The next song, "Wo die Berge so blau" (Where the mountains so blue), is a bit darker and more somber in mood, but the yearning remains. "Leichte Segler in den Höhen" (Light veils in the heights) is quite playful at the outset, departing from the more melancholy atmosphere of the previous songs. The ensuing item, "Diese Wolken in den Höhen" (These clouds in the heights) is also somewhat cheerful, but, like the last song, seems essentially dominated by a mood of longing. In fact, while these middle songs seem brighter, their apparent lightness brings the underlying sense of loss into sharper focus. The penultimate song, "Es kehret der Maien, es blühet die Au" (May returns, the meadow blooms), maintains an animated mood. The touching "Nimm sie hin denn, diese Lieder" (Take, then, these songs), which powerfully closes the cycle, includes a nostalgic reiteration of the first song's melody.

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