In the same way, George's uniquely backward-looking modernism caused him no end of pain. Both artists felt torn, but at the same time compelled to move forward, and perhaps it is for that reason that Webern felt George's poems could safely guide him towards a new style, a new future. The fifth and final song in Webern's Op. This song cycle was Webern's first published work and appeared in 1912 in the famed Blaue Reiter , edited by Kandinsky and Marc. The song is remarkable in several ways, not least because it stands out even from the other four songs of the cycle in its pleasantly melodic texture and interesting rhythmic patterns.
Repetition is avoided almost completely, with a few notable exceptions to be discussed below.
Accompanying textures are stripped to the bare essentials, a process which helps to convey the feeling of winter cold and sparseness embodied in the text. As is prevalent in the other four songs as well, both the melody and the accompaniment are suffused with minor seconds, which may also serve to set a melancholy or contemplative mood for the piece. Overall, the piece strives to avoid extreme climactic states, and leaves the impression of being somewhat understated, as the poem itself does as well. There are twelve lines in the poem, and in essence twelve main phrases in the song, too. As previously mentioned, the vocal line avoids large movements in pitch, and consists mostly of small steps, mostly minor seconds.