(1) Franz Schubert composed Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel) in 1814, when he was only seventeen. The song is sung by a soprano and the only accompaniment for the voice is a piano playing a constant rhythmic pattern (“OnMusic”).(2) Schubert was one of the most important composers of the Romantic era. He was the first composer to live only on the money he made from composing. He wrote many compositions during his short life, especially art songs (“OnMusic”).(3) In the Romantic era, compositions were very expressive and creative. Romantic composers experimented with existing forms and dramatic expressiveness. This arose from the improvement of newly invented instruments and genres (Britannica). The limits in musical composition were pushed with great contrast in the music. There were tempo changes in the music, differences in dynamics ranging from pppp to ffff, gradual or sudden, for great emotional effect. Chromatic harmony was a new and popular way of creating dissonance and unstable chords, prolonging the resolution of dissonance, using the tones of the chromatic scale to create tension and unpredictability in music ("OnMusic"). Other traits of the Romantic musical style were individualism and self-expression. Therefore it is possible to hear who the author of the song is (An Appreciation 257, 259). The compositions could be absolute, meaning the music was not based on a story or text, or they could be programmed, meaning the music was based on a story or text. During the Romantic era, composers especially preferred program music. Nationalism and exoticism in music were also common. The composers used common dances and rhythms… in the middle of the paper… of Messianic Judaism and Platonism” (Britannica). The Christian worldview states that God has a plan for everyone. Matthew 6:33 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Bible). Works Cited"Franz Schubert". Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online AcademicEdition. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 12 April 2014. Kamien, Roger. Music: an appreciation. 10th edition. New York: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc, 2011. Print.---. “OnMusic Appreciation”. Connect For Education Inc., 2012. Web. 12 April 2014. Malvini, Brenda. “Gretchen am Spinnrade.” Bloggers. Network. April 19, 2014. Robert Winter, et al. "Schubert, Franz." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Network. 12 April 2014. The Holy Bible. Press. New International Vers.