author
Ludwig Rellstab
1799–1860
A Berlin writer who moved easily between poetry, journalism, and music criticism, he is remembered both for his own literary work and for his close ties to the musical life of the Romantic era. His poems later reached many listeners through famous song settings, especially by Franz Schubert.
2 Audiobooks
Henriette, oder die schöne Sängerin: Eine Geschichte unserer Tage
by Ludwig Rellstab
1812: Historische roman
by Ludwig Rellstab
About the author
Born in Berlin on April 13, 1799, Ludwig Rellstab grew up in a musical household: his father, Johann Carl Friedrich Rellstab, was a music publisher, composer, and critic. He became known as a German poet and music critic, and he was also active as a journalist and pianist.
Rellstab wrote for major periodicals, including the liberal Vossische Zeitung, and founded the music journal Iris im Gebiete der Tonkunst. His criticism made him an influential voice in 19th-century German musical life, while his poems and other literary works helped build his reputation beyond journalism.
He is especially remembered today because several of his poems were set to music by Franz Schubert in the posthumously assembled collection now known as Schwanengesang. Rellstab died in Berlin on November 27, 1860, leaving behind a career that connected literature, criticism, and the world of Romantic music.