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FRAHZ     SCHUBERT 


London.  Longmans  &rC° 


THE    LIFE 


OF 


FKANZ    SCHUBERT 


TRANSLATED    FROM   THE   GERMAN 
OF 

KEEISSLE     VON     HELLBORN 

BY 

ARTHUR     DUKE     COLERIDGE,     M.A. 

LATE  FELLOW  OV  KINO'S  COLLEGE, 
CAMBRIDGE. 


WITH  AN  APPENDIX 

BY 

GEORGE    GROVE,    ESQ. 

IN   TWO    VOLUMES,— VOL.    I. 


LONDON  : 
LONGMANS,     GREEN,     AND     CO. 

1869. 


4/0 

. 


THIS    TRANSLATION    IS    DEDICATED 
TO 

MADAME    JENNY    LIND    GOLDSCHMIDT, 

WITH     PROFOUND      RESPECT     FOR      HER      GENIUS 

AND 
GRATITUDE    FOR    HER    FRIENDSHIP, 

BY 

ABTHUE    DUKE    COLERIDGE,     M.A. 

LATE    FELLOW     OF    KIND'S    COLLEGE, 
CAMBRIDGE. 


PREFACE. 


IT  is  scarcely  an  exaggeration  to  say,  that  Schubert's 
reputation  in  England,  until  very  recently,  rested  upon 
little  more  than  half-a-dozen  songs.  We  are  now 
beginning  to  realise  the  importance  of  his  music; 
and  if  (as  many  believe)  a  great  future  be  in  store 
for  Schubert  in  this  country,  let  us  acknowledge  our 
obligations  to  the  joint  exertions  of  my  friend  Mr. 
George  Grove,  and  that  admirable  musician  Mr. 
Manns,  the  Conductor  of  the  Crystal  Palace  Concerts. 
Mr.  Charles  Halle's  efforts  have  also  powerfully  aided 
the  cause  of  Schubert's  popularity,  and  Mr.  Arthur 
Cbappell,  the  Director  of  the  Monday  Popular  Concerts, 
has  been  indefatigable  in  bringing  forward  his  Quar- 
tetts,  Quintetts,  Octett,  and  others  of  his  splendid 
chamber  compositions.  These  gentlemen  have  done 
much  to  redeem  us  from  that  vexatious  conservatism 
which  persists  in  ignoring  the  claims  of  more  than 
one  great  musician,  and  eliminating  from  our  musical 


viii  PREFACE. 

creeds  such  men  as  Bach,  Cherubini,  and  Schubert. 
It  would  be  impertinent  in  me,  a  humble  worshipper 
of  an  art  I  imperfectly  understand,  to  attempt  to 
ascertain  Schubert's  exact  position  in  the  rank  of  great 
composers.  Ehapsody  is  a  poor  substitute  for  criticism, 
and  silence  is  more  becoming  when  Mendelssohn, 
Schumann,  and  Liszt  have  recorded  their  opinions  of 
the  quality  of  Schubert's  works. 

A  word  of  explanation,  rather  than  apology,  is  due 
from  me  to  Mr.  E.  Wilberforce,  who  has  epitomised 
the  work  I  have  translated,  and  published  a  short  j 
memoir  of  Franz  Schubert.  I  was  not  aware  that 
such  a  work  existed,  until  I  had  more  than  half  com- 
pleted my  translation;  but  it  seems  to  me  that  apart 
from  much  valuable  and  curious  information  contained 
in  the  notes,  a  catalogue  of  Schubert's  works  was  much 
wanted,  and  that  the  biography  in  its  entirety  may 
not  only  be  useful  as  a  book  of  reference  to  musicians, 
but  also  interesting  to  the  general  reader. 

I  wish  to  thank  Mr.  Grove  for  his  valuable  contri- 
bution to  this  volume.1 

A.  D.  C. 

December  1,  1868. 

1  See  Appendix,  p.  297. 


CONTENTS 


OF 


THE    FIKST    VOLUME. 


CHAPTER  I. 

(1797—1813.) 

PAGE 

Schubert's  Family — Franz  Peter  Schubert — Franz  Schubert's  Childhood 
— First  Instruction  in  Music — His  Entrance  into  the  Convict — His 
first  Compositions — Companions  and  Mode  of  Life  in  the  Convict — 
A  Letter  to  his  Brother — Visit  to  the  Theatre — Antonio  Salieri — 
Schubert's  D  major  Symphony,  the  Cantata  '  Zur  Namensfeier ' — • 
Songs — School  Experiences  .  .1 

CHAPTER  II. 

(1814.) 

Schubert  leaves  the  Convict — His  Life  at  Home — Franz  becomes 
Assistant-Teacher — The  Mass  in  F — Therese  Grob — Instrumental 
and  Vocal  Compositions — The  Opera  '  Des  Teufels  Lustschloss ' — 
Johann  Mayrhofer 33 

CHAPTER  III. 

(1815.) 
The  Ballads  '  Minona,'  '  Emma  und  Adelwold,' '  Die  Nonne,'  '  Erlkonig ' 


: 


Vocal  Compositions  for  Mixed  Voices — The  Mass  in  G — Sonatas — 
e  Symphonies  in  B  and  D — The  Operas  '  Der  vierjahrige  Fosten/ 


X  CONTENTS   OP 

PAGE 

'  Fernando,'  '  Claudine  von  Villabella,'  '  Die  beiden  Freunde  von 
Salamanka,'  'Der  Spiegelritter,'  'Der  Minnesanger,'  'Adrast' — 
Schubert's  Capacity  as  an  operatic  Composer 65 

CHAPTER  IV. 

(1816.) 

'  Jubilee  Cantata '  in  honour  of  Salieri — The  Cantata  ' Prometheus ' — 
Cantata  in  honour  of  Josef  Spendou — The  Mass  in  C — The  Second 
Stabat  Mater— Symphonies  in  B  and  C  minor — Amateurs'  Associa- 
tion— The  Opera ' Die  Biirgschaft ' — Part-Songs — Songs — Quotations 
from  Diary — Schubert  applies  for  the  Post  of  Music-Teacher  at 
Laibach — Franz  v.  Schober  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .80 

CHAPTER  V. 

(1817.) 

Johann  Michael  Vogl — Anselm  and  Josef  Hiittenbrenner— Josef  G-ahy 
— Overtures  in  the  Italian  Style — Songs — Part-Songs—Pianoforte 
Sonatas .115!- 

CHAPTER  VI. 

(1818  AND  1824.) 

Schubert  as  Music-Teacher — The  Family  of  Count  Carl  Esterhazy — 
Stay  at  Zelesz — Freiherr  Carl  von  Schonstein — Schubert  and  the 
Countess  Caroline  Esterhazy  —  The  Quartett  '  Grebet  vor  der 
Schlacht ' — The  Divertissement  a  la  Hongroise — The  Fantasia  in  F 
minor— The  Song  '  Die  Forelle '— '  Erste  Walzer  '—The  Sixth  Sym- 
phony (in  C) — A  Letter  of  Ignaz  Schubert,  the  Schoolmaster,  to  his 
Brother  Franz .  .  .13 

CHAPTER  VII. 

(1819.) 
Rossini-Worship  at  Vienna — Schubert  and  the  Italian  Opera — A  Letter 


from  Franz  to  Anselm  Hiittenbrenner — Schubert  in  Upper  Austria — 


THE   FIRST   VOLUME.  xi 

PAGE 

The  Families  of  Paumgartner,  Dornfeld,  Koller,  and  Schellmann  in 
Steyr — A  Letter  of  Schubert's  to  his  Brother  and  to  Mayrhofer — 
The  Pianoforte  Quintett — A  Cantata  in  honour  of  Vogl — Sacred 
and  other  Vocal  Compositions — Franz  Schubert  and  Wolfgang  v. 
Gothe — A  Song  of  Schubert's  given  for  the  first  Time  in  Public — 
Last  Performance  of '  Prometheus '  at  Dr.  v.  Sonnleithner's  .  152 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

(1820.) 

The  Musical  Drama  «  Die  Zwillingsbriider ' — The  Melodrama  '  Die  Zau- 
berharfe ' — The  Easter  Cantata  '  Lazarus ' — The  Opera '  Sakontala ' — 
'  Antifonen '  for  Palm  Sunday — The  Twenty-third  Psalm — Songs  and 
Canzonets — The  Pianoforte  Fantasia  in  C  .  .  ,  .  168 

CHAPTER  IX. 

(1821.) 

Schubert's  Circumstances — Proofs  of  public  Eecognition  of  his  Per- 
formances— Sonnleithner  Family — Cultivation  of  Music — '  Erlkonig ' 
sung  at  the  Karnthnerthor  Theatre  by  Vogl — The  '  Gesang  der 
Geister  iiber  den  Wassern' — 'Das  Dorfchen' — Dedication  of  the 
first  Songs — The  Singers  of  Schubert's  Four-part  Songs — Symphony 
in  E — Dance  Music — Two  Contributions  to  the  Opera  '  Das  Zauber- 
glockchen ' — Schubert's  Intimacy  with  Families  at  Vienna — A  Letter 
of  the  Patriarch  L.  Pyrker — Circle  of  Friends — '  Schubertiaden ' — 
Atzenbruck — Schubert's  Connection  with  the  Family — A  Poem  of 
Kusticocampius  . ,  .  200 

CHAPTER  X. 

(1822.) 

Schubert  and  Von  Schober  in  Ochsenburg — The  Opera  '  Alfonso  und 
Estrella' — A  Letter  of  Schubert's  and  Schober's  to  Josef  Spaun — 
Schubert  and  Carl  Maria  v.  Weber — A  Letter  from  Anna  Milder 


Xll  CONTENTS   OF   THE   FIKST   VOLUME. 

PAGE 

to  Franz — '  Alfonso  und  Estrella '  and'the  Pachler  Family  at  Grata — 
Correspondence  between  Franz  v.  Schober  and  Ferdinand  Schubert 
—The  Opera  is  performed  in  Weimar— Criticism  thereupon — The 
B  minor  Symphony — The  Mass  in  A — Part-Songs — Schubert  and 
Beethoven — Pinterics — The  Variations  dedicated  to  Beethoven — 
Beethoven's  Opinion  of  Schubert — The  Musical  Publishers  opposed 
to  Schubert's  Music — Franz  transfers  the  Property  of  his  first 
Works  to  Diabelli — Sale  of  Schubert's  Compositions — A  Letter  from 
Schober  to  Franz — Efforts  of  Hiittenbrenner  and  Schober  to  sell  the 
Operas — A  Letter  of  Holbein  and  Peters  to  J.  Hiittenbrenner — 
Schubert  wishes  to  be  a  Candidate  for  the  Organistship  at  the 
Chapel  Eoyal — A  Letter  from  the  Bishop  of  St.  Polten  to  Franz — 
Schubert's  Petition  to  be  admitted  as  a  working  Member  of  the 
Amateurs'  Society 229 


CHAPTER  XI. 

(1823.) 

The  Drama  '  Rosamunde'— The  Theatre  'an  der  Wien' — Wilhelm 
Vogel — Helminavon  Chezy — The  Opera  '  Fierrabras' — The  Operetta 
'Die  Versch women' — Castelli  and  Schubert — Performance  of  the 
Operetta  at  Vienna  and  Frankfort — Criticisms — Origin  of  the  first 
4 Miillerlieder ' — 'Der  Zwerg' — Schubert  is  made  Member  of  the 
Musical  Association  at  Linz  .  .284 


ERRATA.    VOL.  I. 

Page  29,  line  6  of  note  ;  56,  line  3  of  heading  ;  80,  line  3  of  heading  ;  303,  line  11  ; 

313,  line  13— for  B  read  B-flat. 

,  128,  note,  for  Josef  A.  read  Josef  H.,  and  for  Heinrich  A.  read  Heinrich  H. 
,  146,  note  2,  line  3,  for  H.  Anselm  read  Anselm  H. 
,  229,  line  8  of  heading,  for  A  read  A-flat. 

,  239,  bottom  line,  for  the  original  copy  read  the  autograph  of  the  Overture. 
,  290,  note,  line  2, /or  Ghost  Chorus  read  Chorus  of  Spirits. 


LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

CHAPTEK   I. 

(1797—1813.) 

SCHUBERT'S  FAMILY — FRANZ  PETER  SCHUBERT — FRANZ  SCHUBERT'S 

CHILDHOOD FIRST  INSTRUCTION  IN  MUSIC HIS  ENTRANCE  INTO  THE 

CONVICT — HIS  FIRST  COMPOSITIONS COMPANIONS  AND  MODE  OF  LIFE 

IN  THE   CONVICT A  LETTER    TO    HIS    BROTHER VISIT    TO    THE 

THEATRE ANTONIO  SALIERI — SCHUBERT'S  D  MAJOR  SYMPHONY,  THE 

CANTATA  'ZUR  NAMENSFEIER  ' SONGS SCHOOL  EXPERIENCES. 

THE  Schubert  family,  and  the  immediate  ancestors  of 
the  composer,  Franz  Schubert,  came  originally  from 
the  province  of  Zukmantel,  in  Austrian  Silesia.1  Franz 
Schubert's  father  was  the  son  of  a  peasant,  and  local 
magistrate  of  Neudorf  in  Moravia.  In  the  year  1784 
he  came  to  Vienna  to  study,  and  his  brother  Carl,  at 
that  time  a  school-teacher  in  the  Leopoldstadt  suburb, 
Imitted  him  as  an  assistant.  Two  years  afterwards  he 
was  appointed  schoolmaster  in  the  parish  '  Zu  den  heil. 
14  Nothhelfern,'  in  the  Lichtenthal  suburb.2 

1  For  information  respecting  Schubert's  family  and  connections  I  am 
indebted  partly  to  the  written  statements  of  Ferdinand  Schubert,  and 
partly  to  conversations  with  Madame  Therese  Schneider  (the  musician's 
sister)  and  Anton  Schubert. 

2  The  school-house  was  No.  10  (now  No.  12)  in  the  Saulengasse,  on 

B 


2  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

His  reputation  as  an  efficient  teacher  was  consider- 
able, and  Ms  school  was  one  of  the  most  frequented 
amongst  those  set  apart  for  the  poor  of  the  district. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  married  Elisabeth  Fitz,  a 
Silesian,  three  years  older  than  himself,  and  at  that 
time  in  service  at  Vienna  as  a  cook.  The  union  was 
blessed  with  fourteen  children,  of  whom  only  five, 
namely,  Ignaz,  Ferdinand,  Carl,  Franz,  and  Therese 
survived.  A  year  after  his  wife's  death,  in  1812,  Franz 
Schubert  the  elder  married  Anna  Klayenbok,  the 
daughter  of  a  Viennese  artisan,  and  five  children  were 
born  of  this  marriage,  all  of  whom,  with  one  exception, 
survived.  Of  the  children  by  the  first  marriage  Therese, 
widow  of  Mathias  Schneider,  a  teacher  in  the  suburb 
of  St.  Ulrich  in  Vienna,  alone  survives  ;  of  those  by  the 
second,  Andreas,  an  accountant,  and  Anton  (under  the 
ecclesiastical  name  of  Hermann),  a  prebendary  of  the 
Schotten  Chapter  at  Vienna,  are  still  living.1 

the  Himmelpfortgrund.  It  belonged  to  Schubert's  father,  and  is  now 
the  property  of  Georg  and  Therese  Schreder,  dairy-house  keepers. 
The  shape  and  arrangement  of  the  rooms  still  point  to  the  habits  of 
their  former  occupants.  The  elder  Schubert  lived  and  kept  his  school 
there  until  1817  or  1818,  when  he  undertook  the  mastership  of  the 
parish-school  in  the  Eossau. 

1  The  eldest  of  the  brothers,  Ignaz,  a  schoolmaster  in  the  Eossau, 
died  in  the  year  1844;  Ferdinand,  director  of  the  head  preparatory 
school  of  St.  Anna  at  Vienna,  in  1 859  ;  and  Carl,  a  landscape-painter 
and  writing-master,  in  1855.  Franz  Schubert's  half-sisters  Marie  (un- 
married) and  Josefa,  the  wife  of  Bitthan,  a  tutor  at  Vienna,  died,  the 
former  in  1834,  the  latter  in  1861;  his  father  died  on  July  9,  1830,  and 
his  step-mother  in  January  1860.  The  Schubert  family  were  well 


HIS   EARLY   YEARS.  3 

Franz  Peter  Schubert,  the  youngest  of  the  four  sons 
before  alluded  to  as  the  issue  of  the  first  marriage, 
was  born  January  31,  1797,  at  Vienna,  in  the  suburb 
of  Himmelpfortgrund,  in  the  parish  of  Lichtenthal.1 

His  early  years  of  childhood  and  boyhood  were 
passed  at  home,  where  he  remained  until  he  was  eleven 
years  old.  Under  the  eyes  of  his  parents,  and  sur- 
rounded by  his  brothers  and  sisters,2  he  lived  on  in 
the  circumstances,  more  or  less  narrow,  which  are 
usually  incidental  to  the  existence  of  a  schoolmaster 

blessed  with  a  numerous  family. 

/ 

known  as  schoolmasters ;  Franz  himself  did  not  escape  the  hereditary 
role  of  tutor  and  pedagogue.  Several  of  his  younger  relatives  have 
adopted  the  same  course  of  life. 

1  A  baptismal  certificate  bearing  date  January  3,  1827,  and  taken 
from  the  registers  of  the  parish  '  Zu  den  heil.  14  Nothhelfern,'  in  the 
Lichtenthal,  affirms  that  '  Franz  Schubert,  the  lawfully  begotten  son  of 
Franz  Schubert,    schoolmaster,  and  his   wife   Elisabeth,   both   of  the 
Catholic  religion,  was  born  at  Himmelpfortgrund,  No.  72,  and  baptized 
as  a  Catholic  in  this  church  on  February  1,  1797,  by  the  'Cooperator' 
Johann  Wanzka,  in  the   presence  of  Herr  Carl   Schubert,   acting  as 
sponsor.'     The  house  (now  the  property  of  Madame  Barbara  Leithner) 
where  he  was  born  bears  the  sign  of  '  zum  rothen  Krebsen '  (the  Eed 
Crab),  and  is  now  No.  54,  at  the  higher  end  of  the  main  street  leading 
to  the  Nussdorf  lines.     Over  the  entrance-door  there  is  a  memorial 
tablet  of  gray  marble,  bearing  the   inscription  :   '  The  house  in  which 
Franz  Schubert  was  born ; '  on  the  right  side  there  is  a  lyre,  and  on 
the  left  a  wreath  of  laurel,  with  the  date  of  the  birth  in  relief.     The 
inauguration  ceremony  connected  with  this  memorial,   erected  by  the 
'  Mannergesang   Verein '   at    Vienna,    and    executed   by   the   sculptor 
Wasserburger,  took  place  on  October  7,  1858.     A  side  street  leading 
into  the  Nussdorferstrasse  (formerly  called  Brunngasse)  now  bears  the 
name  of  Schubertgasse,  in  honour  of  the  composer. 

2  Of  all  the  family  circle,  Ferdinand,  senior  to  Franz  by  three  years, 

B2 


4  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

His  fondness  for  music  was  remarkable  in  his  very 
earliest  years,  and  needed  but  small  inducements  to 
show  itself.  According  to  his  sister  Therese,  the  boy 
contracted  a  warm  friendship  for  a  joiner's  apprentice, 
a  namesake  and  a  relative,  who  often  took  him  on  a 
visit  to  a  pianoforte  warehouse.  Upon  the  instruments 
in  the  warehouse  and  an  old  worn-out  piano  at  home 
the  child  studied  his  first  exercises  without  any  master 
to  guide  him ;  and  when,  later — at  the  age  of  seven — 
he  began  a  course  of  regular  instruction,  it  soon  became 
evident  that  he  had  anticipated  and  mastered  the 
principles  which  his  master  proposed  to  teach  him. 

The  following  passage  occuis!  in  his  father's  memoirs : 
— c  In  his  fifth  year  I  prepared  him  for  his  elementary 
lessons,  and  in  his  sixth  I  sent  him  to  school,  where 
he  became  distinguished  invariably  as  the  first  of  his 
compeers.  From  early  childhood  he  delighted  in  com- 
panionship, and  was  never  happier  than  when  at  his 
play-hours  in  a  circle  of  merry  schoolfellows.  In  his 
eighth  year  I  taught  him  the  rudiments  of  violin  play- 
was  pre-eminently  the  one  most  closely  attached  to  Franz  in  after  life. 
It  was  Ferdinand  who  closed  his  eyes.  Ferdinand  Schubert,  born  in  1794, 
was  appointed,  in  the  year  1809,  assistant-teacher  at  the  Orphan  Home  in 
Vienna;  actual  teacher  in  1816;  in  1820  precentor  in  Altlerchenfeld ;  in 
1824  master  at  the  preparatory  school  of  St.  Anna  in  Vienna;  and  in 
1851  director  of  that  Institution.  He  was  an  accomplished  musician, 
and  wrote  several  sacred  compositions  for  the  church,  besides  theoretical 
works  on  music.  The  rich  musical  treasures  bequeathed  by  Franz  re- 
mained for  a  long  time  in  his  possession,  and  after  their  owner's  death, 
in  1859,  were  finally  bequeathed  to  his  nephew  Dr.  Eduard  Schneider, 
of  Vienna. 


FIRST   INSTRUCTION   IN   MUSIC.  5 

ing,  and  practised  with  him  till  he  could  play  easy 
duetts  very  tolerably  ;  after  that  I  sent  him  for  singing- 
lessons  to  Michael  Holzer,  choir-master  in  Lichtenthal. 
This  gentleman  assured  me  often,  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  that  he  had  never  had  such  a  pupil.  "  If  ever  I 
wished  to  teach  him  anything  new,"  he  used  to  say,  "  I 
found  he  had  already  mastered  it.  Consequently  I 
cannot  be  said  honestly  to  have  given  him  any  lessons 
at  all;  I  merely  amused  myself,  and  looked  at  my 
pupil  with  mute  astonishment." ' 

When  Holzer  heard  him  extemporise  on  a  given  sub- 
ject, the  master  would  exclaim  in  rapture,  f  He  has 
harmony  at  his  fingers'  ends ! '  Holzer  gave  him  in- 
struction also  in  pianoforte  and  organ  playing  as  well  as 
thorough-bass. 

His  eldest  brother,  Ignaz,  was  very  conscientious  in 
teaching  him  the  elements  of  pianoforte  playing.  ( I  was 
amazed,'  he  says,  '  when  Franz  told  me,  a  few  months 
after  we  began,  that  he  had  no  need  of  any  further 
instruction  from  me,  and  that  for  the  future  he  would 
make  his  own  way.  And  in  truth  his  progress  in  a  short 
period  was  so  great  that  I  was  forced  to  acknowledge 
in  him  a  master  who  had  completely  distanced  and  out- 
stripped me,  and  whom  I  despaired  of  overtaking.' 

Franz  Schubert,  then,  was  one  of  those  highly-favoured 
natures,  on  whose  brow,  at  the  very  threshold  of  life, 
the  genius  of  art  had  imprinted  a  sacred  kiss  ;  and  if  we 
except  Wolfgang  Mozart — a  real  prodigy — at  six  years 

VOL.  I.  *  B  3 


D  LIFE    OF   SCHUBEKT. 

of  age,  the  writer,  or  rather  the  infantine  scrawler,  of  a 
pianoforte  concerto,  and  at  eight  the  composer  of  an 
orchestral  symphony — we  shall  probably  find  that  in 
none  of  the  great  musicians  was  the  creative  power 
awakened  so  early,  or  made  its  way  with  such  irresisti- 
ble power,  as  in  Franz  Schubert.1 

His  brother  Ferdinand  affirms2  that  Schubert's  first 
pianoforte  composition  was  a  Fantasia  for  four  hands, 
written  in  1810,  and  that  in  the  following  year  he 
wrote  f  Klagegesang  der  Hagar,'  his  first  song ;  but  there 
is  no  doubt  he  composed  before  this  period  songs, 
pianoforte  pieces,  and  even  stringed  quartetts,  for  some 
of  his  vocal  pieces,  the  precise  date  of  which  is  not  accu- 
rately known,  must  be  referred,  from  their  comparative 
unimportance,  to  a  very  early  period  of  his  career  as  a 
composer. 

At  eleven  years  of  age,  and  gifted  with  a  fine  soprano 
voice,  Schubert  was  employed  as  a  solo  singer  and 
violin-player  in  the  choir  attached  to  the  parish  church 
of  Lichtenthal.  His  performances,  we  are  assured  by 

1  Mozart's  first  symphony  bears  date  1764.     See  Koch  el's  catalogue. 

2  In  the  essays  on  '  The  Life  of  Franz  Schubert,'  contained  in  the 
'  Neue  Zeitschrift  fur  Musik,'  Numbers  33-36,  vol.  x.,  1839.     They  con- 
tain a  catalogue  which  embraces  all  Schubert's  compositions  at  that 
period  (1839),  either  in  the  possession  of  Ferdinand  Schubert,  or  in  the 
publishing-house  of  Diabelli ;  but  it  does  not  exhaust  the  entire  num- 
ber.    The  value  of  this  catalogue  consists  in  the  fact  that  it  is  a  record 
of  Schubert's  compositions  of  the  earliest  period.     In  the  lapse  of  time 
these  were  lost,  and,  but  for  this  catalogue,  could  no  longer  be  verified 
ty  their  title,  or  kuown  by  name. 


BECOMES    CHORISTER   AT   THE    CHAPEL    ROYAL.  7 

listeners  who  are  still  amongst  us,  were  marked  by  cor- 
rect and  delicate  expression.  The  father  soon  succeeded 
in  getting  his  boy  a  situation  in  the  Emperor's  Chapel, 
and  he  became  in  consequence  a  pupil  in  the  Convict 
of  the  town.  It  was  in  October  1808  that  Franz  was 
called  on  to  give  a  proof  of  his  ability  before  the  two 
Court  Capellmeisters  of  the  period,  Salieri  and  Eybler,1 
as  well  as  the  singing-master  Korner. 

When  the  other  candidates  saw  the  diminutive  Schu- 
bert— who,  after  the  fashion  of  the  time,  appeared  in 
a  kind  of  gray  or  whitish  suit — they  thought  him  a 
miller's  son,  and  that  he  must  succeed  as  a  matter  of 
course. 

Schubert's  singing  on  the  occasion  of  his  trial  asto- 
nished, as  might  have  been  anticipated,  his  examiners ; 
he  explained  any  musical  problem  put  before  him  so 
triumphantly,  that  his  admission  as  a  chorister  in 
the  Chapel  Eoyal,  and  as  a  pupil  in  the  Convict,  fol- 
lowed as  a  matter  of  course.  The  bravery  of  a  gold- 
bordered  uniform — to  the  dazzling  effect  of  which 
Schubert  was  by  no  means  insensible — may  have  helped 
to  neutralise  the  pain  of  separation  from  home,  for  the 
lad  was  now  forced  to  take  a  long  leave  of  all  those 
who  had  hitherto  been  so  closely  connected  with  him. 

1  Josef  Eybler,  born  in  1764  at  Schwechat,  near  Vienna,  a  pupil  of 
Albrechtsberger,  was  appointed  a  '  regens  chori '  in  the  church  of  the 
Carmelites  at  Vienna  ;  in  1801  Imperial  Music-teacher;  in  1804  Vice-, 
and  in  1825  full  Capellmeister.  He  died  at  Vienna  in  1846. 


8  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

He  was  now  a  chorister-boy  in  the  Chapel  Royal ; 
and  having  acquired  fair  proficiency  as  a  violin-player, 
became  a  member  of  the  school  band,  made  up  of 
the  lower  boys  at  the  Convict,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
study  daily,  and  to  execute  the  great  Symphonies  of 
Haydn  and  Mozart,  and  subsequently  Beethoven's  works, 
which  were  still  regarded  suspiciously  as  curiosities.  Of 
these  orchestral  works  we  may  cite  more  particularly 
some  Adagios  from  Haydn's  Symphonies  and  the  Gr 
minor  Symphony  of  Mozart,1  as  having  made  a  deep 
impression  on  a  lad  whose  great  depth  and  earnestness 
of  character  inspired  him  with  no  very  friendly  feelings 
towards  his  ordinary  associates,  and  this  impression  rose 
to  enthusiasm  when  he  heard  Beethoven's  Symphonies. 
His  predilection  for  Beethoven  was  already  very  con- 
spicuous ;  to  Schubert,  above  all  other  artists,  was  the 
lot  assigned  of  emulating  and  soaring  after  that  mighty 
master,  whom  he  regarded  ever  after  as  his  bright  ideal, 
without  forfeiting  his  artistic  self-dependence. 

The  Symphonies  of  Krommer,2  which,  from  their 
brightness  and  cheerfulness,  were  favourites  at  the  time 

1  '  One  can  hear  the  angels  singing  in  that  symphony,'  -he  used  to 
say.     (From  Josef  Spaun's  '  Memoirs.') 

2  Krommer  (Franz),  born  in  the  year  1759,  at  Kamenitz,  in  Moravia, 
was  a  favourite  composer  at  the  beginning  of  this  century.    His  teacher 
was   his  uncle,  a  '  regens  chori '   in  Turas,  who   educated  him  as  an 
organist ;  the  rest  of  his  musical  education  was  the  result  of  his  own 
industry  and  zeal.     On  the  strength  of  a  good  reputation  as  a  violin- 
player,  he  was  admitted  as  choral  director  to  Count  Agrum,  at  Simon- 
thurn  in  Hungary ;  afterwards  he  became  chorus-master  at  Fiinfkirchen, 
then  Capellmeister  of  the  Caroly  Regiment,  finally,  the  Prince  Gi-rassal- 


HIS   SKILL   AS   VIOLINIST.  V 

we  are  speaking  of,  found  small  favour  with  Schubert ; 
but  those  of  Kozeluch,1  although  musicians  ran  down 
his  antiquated  style,  he  would  warmly  defend  in  oppo- 
sition to  Krommer's  works.  His  favourite  overtures 
were  Mehul's  and  those  to  the  '  Zauberflote,'  and 
e  Figaro's  Hochzeit '  of  Mozart. 

Schubert,  who  was  soon  advanced  to  the  post  of  first 
violin  in  the  small  orchestra,  exercised  a  considerable 
influence  over  the  band  by  virtue  of  his  eminent 
artistic  gifts  and  earnestness,  so  that  the  leadership  of 
the  orchestra,  on  occasions  when  the  director  Ruczizka 
could  not  be  present,  devolved  on  the  first  violin  as 
deputy-conductor. 

About  this  time,  when  Schubert  was  thirteen  years 
old,  his  genius  for  composition  awoke  with  irresistible 
strength ;  and  he  confided  to  his  comrades,  under  the 

kowitz  took  him  to  Vienna,  and  made  him  director.  After  his  patron's 
death  he  retired  into  private  life,  and,  partly  by  teaching,  partly  by  the 
sale  of  his  most  popular  compositions,  realised  a  fair  competency.  After 
Kozeluch's  death  (1814)  he  became  Kammercompositeur,  and  died  in 
Vienna  on  January  8,  1831,  having  long  outlived  his  reputation.  He 
wrote  a  great  deal  of  music,  and  aimed  at  a  cheerful  and  simple  style. 

1  Kozeluch  (Leopold),  born  in  the  year  1753  at  Wellwarn,  died  at 
Vienna  in  the  year  1814.  He  was  originally  intended  for  a  lawyer,  but 
gave  up  all  idea  of  such  a  profession  in  order  to  devote  himself  exclu- 
sively to  music.  In  1778  he  settled  in  Vienna,  where  he  was  highly 
esteemed  as  a  music-teacher,  and  taught  several  members  of  the  Court 
and  aristocracy.  In  1792  he  succeeded  Mozart  as  Imperial  Kammer- 
compositeur. He  wrote  a  great  deal  of  music  in  various  styles,  but 
his  works  are  now  all  forgotten.  His  daughter  Katharina,  afterwards 
Madame  Cibbini,  and  woman  of  the  bedchamber  in  the  royal  household, 
was  famous  for  her  pianoforte  playing. 


10  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

promise  of  secrecy,  that  he  frequently  put  his  thoughts 
upon  paper.  These  musical  fancies  flowed  from  him  in 
abundance,  and  for  want  of  music-paper  he  was  fre- 
quently unable  to  preserve  them.  Schubert's  means 
were  not  adequate  to  purchase  this  luxury :  a  friendly 
hand  supplied  him,1  and  the  consumption  was  some- 
thing extraordinary. 

Sonatas,  masses,  songs,  operas — nay,  even  symphonies 
— are  vouched  for  as  having  been  finished  at  this  period, 
and  the  majority  of  these  works  he  discarded  as  mere 
sketches  and  exercises. 

We  have  already  stated  that,  in  the  April  of  the  year 
1810,  Franz  wrote  a  grand  Fantasia  for  four  hands 
(the  so-called  c  Corpse  Fantasia ').  This  was  followed 
in  1811  and  1813  by  two  other  less  ambitious  fan- 
tasias. The  first-mentioned  work  is  extended  over 
thirty- two  closely-written  sides,  and  contains  a  dozen 
pieces  differing  in  character  from  one  another,  and 
each  of  them  ending  in  a  different  key  from  that  in 
which  the  piece  opens.  The  pianoforte  variations 
which  he  played  to  his  father  as  the  first  specimen  of 
his  composition  already  bore  the  stamp  of  individuality.2 
In  the  year  1811  he  wrote  the  songs  '  Hagar's  Klage,' 
<Der  Vatermorder,'  several  instrumental  pieces,3  aod 
the  second  Fantasia  for  the  pianoforte. 

1  No  doubt  that  of  Josef  Spaun. 

2  Ferdinand  Schubert.     '  From  Franz  Schubert's  Life,'  1839. 

3  According  to  Ferdinand  Schubert's  catalogue,  a  quintett  overture 
composed  for  Ferdinand  Schubert,  and  a  stringed  quartett. 


'HAGAR'S  KLAGE.'  11 

'Hagar's  Klage'  is  noticeable  as  being  the  first  song 
of  importance  that  Schubert  composed.1 

He  wrote  this  song  at  the  age  of  fourteen  (whilst 
still  at  the  Convict),  on  March  30,  1811,  and  attracted 
Salieri's  attention  to  such  a  degree  that  the  master  at 
once  secured  the  further  development  of  the  boy's  rare 
gifts  by  getting  him  instruction  in  thorough-bass.  This 
lengthy  and  plaintive  composition  is  extended  over  no 
less  than  twenty- eight  pages,  and  is  divided  into  several 
parts  entirely  distinct  from  one  another  in  key  and 
rhythm.  It  contains  two  short  recitatives.  This  work 
certainly  suffers  from  its  fragmentary  character ;  the 
vocal  intervals  are  at  times  forced,  the  sequences  harsh, 
and  the  pianoforte  accompaniment  here  and  there  re- 
minding the  hearer  of  Zumsteg  and  Mozart.  Still,  the 
work  viewed  as  a  whole  has  a  value  of  its  own,  and 
never  fails  to  make  an  impression  when  well  executed 
by  competent  singers.  There  are  some  passages  which 
breathe  unmistakably  the  spirit  of  Schubert,  and  from 
these  one  catches,  almost  imperceptibly,  the  rustling 
of  the  wings  of  his  genius.  This  song  has  never  been 
engraved.2 

1  This  song  begins  with  a  Largo  in  E-flat  major  |,  to  the  words : — 

Hier  am  Hiigel  heissen  Sandes  sitz'  ich, 

Und  mir  gegeniiber  liegt  mein  sterbend  Kind,  &c. 

2  Copies  of  'Hagar's  Klage,'  and  all  the  songs  and  part-songs  that 
followed,  are,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  in  the  "Witteczek  collection 
(now  in  the  possession  of  Herr  Hofrath  Freiherr  Josef  von  Spaun,  in 
Vienna),  and,  generally  speaking,  bear  the  date  of  their  origin. 


12  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

The  second  vocal  composition  bears  the  name  of  '  Der 
Vatermorder,'  a  parable1  (author  anonymous).  It  bears 
date  December  26,  1811.  This,  too,  viewed  as  a  whole,  is 
a  remarkable  effort;  but (  Hagar's  Klage'  is  the  larger, 
more  ambitious,  and  more  valuable  work  of  the  two. 

It  is  curious  that  in  the  list  of  songs  there  is  but 
a  single  one  the  date  of  which  can  be  ascribed  to  the 
year  1812.  This  is  the  'Klagelied'2  by  Eochlitz,  a 
slight  and  commonplace  work.  But  church  and  in- 
strumental music  are  all  the  more  numerously  repre- 
sented.3 

In  considering  these  active  mental  efforts  of  a  lad 
just  entering  his  fifteenth  year,  we  may  fairly  conjecture 
that  in  and  out  of  school-hours  he  was  more  engaged 
in  filling  sheets  of  paper  with  musical  sketches  than 
in  annotating  the  lectures  of  the  professors  and  working 

1  Herr  Spina,  of  Vienna,  possesses  the  MSS. 

2  This  is  contained  in  Op.  131.     Schubert  certainly  composed  several 
songs  in  this  year ;  the  originals  of  these  would  give,  like  all  his  other 
compositions,  the  month  and  day  on  which  he  wrote  them :  he  used  to  make 
a  note  on  his  larger  works  of  the  exact  time  he  began  and  ended  them. 

3  These   are  chronicled  in  Ferdinand   Schubert's   catalogue  thus : — 
A  Salve  Eegina  and  Kyrie  (engraved) ;  a  Sonata  for  pianoforte,  violin, 
and  cello  ;  two  stringed  Quartetts  (in  B-flat  and  C) ;  a  Quartett  Over- 
ture (in  B-flat) ;  Andante  and  Variations  (in  E-flat) ;  an  Orchestral  Over- 
ture (in  D);  and  thirty  Minuetts  and  Trios,  composed  for  his  brother 
Ignaz,  which  were  so  much  admired  by  Dr.  Anton  Schmidt,  a  friend  of 
Mozart,  and  a  first-rate  violinist,  that  he  exclaimed,  'If  these  works 
are  written  by  a  mere  child,  there's  the  stuff  in  him  to  make  a  master 
such  as  few  have  been.'     These  minuetts  were  lent  about  to  people  and 
lost,  and  Schubert,  spite   of  oft-repeated  entreaties,  could   never  be 
prevailed  on  to  write  them  down  again  from  memory. 


HIS   PASSION    FOR    COMPOSITION.  13 

at  his  themes  and  exercises.  This  was  the  case.  He 
composed  secretly  during  school-hours,  and  wrote  for 
the  Thursday  concerts  given  by  the  pupils  orchestral 
overtures  and  symphonies,  which  were  played  then  and 
there  as  opportunity  offered.  The  attention  of  the 
higher  powers  was  drawn  to  this  diversion  of  Schubert's 
in  the  written  reports  made  by  the  masters  to  the  visit- 
ing committee,  and  as  his  musical  progress  was  specially 
commended,  it  was  accompanied  by  a  more  qualified 
account  of  his  improvement  in  the  ordinary  branches 
of  learning.1 

Here,  by  way  of  preface,  we  may  mention  the  names 
of  some  persons  who,  although  of  a  different  age  to 
Schubert,  were  his  contemporaries  in  the  Convict,  and 
several  of  whom,  in  after  times,  continued  on  intimate 
terms  with  their  friend,  who  had  become  since  their 

1  Schubert  is  said  to  have  received  good  testimonials  only  in  his  first 
year's  course  at  school;  in  the  following  years  he  was  obliged  to 
submit  to  re-examinations.  The  curator  of  the  Institution  at  that 
time  was  Josef  Carl  Count  Dietrichstein  ;  regularly  ordained  priests, 
of  the  Order  of  the  Piarists,  gave  lectures ;  the  director  was  In- 
nocenz  Lang,  a  doctor  by  diploma,  and  rector  of  the  Academic  church  ; 
the  vice-directorship  was  filled  (from  the  year  1811)  by  Franz  Schon- 
berger.  The  preachers  were  Markus  Haas,  Andreas  Platzer  (1812), 
and  Georg  Kugelmann  (1813) ;  catechist  Egid  Weber  and  Josef 
Tranz  (from  1811).  Pius  Strauch  and  Mathias  Rebel  taught  the  two 
lower  classes,  Alois  Vorsix  the  upper.  The  other  professors  were  Vin- 
cenz  Kritsch  and  Benedikt  Lamb  (poetry),  Amadaus  Brizzi  and  Josef 
Walch  (mathematics),  Benedikt  Rittmannsberger  (geography  and  his- 
tory), Josef  Lehr  (writing),  Leopold  Bailie  and  Carl  Bernard  (French), 
Carl  von  Molira  (Italian),  Johann  Votter  and  Bottner  (drawing).  Gott- 
fried Kerschbaumer  officiated  as  inspector. 


14  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

old  school-days  an  illustrious  composer.  These  Convict 
contemporaries,  if  not  actually  e  form-fellows,'  were 
Josef  Spaun,  Josef  Kenner,1  Leopold  Ebner,2  Josef 
Kleindl,3  Max  Weisse,4  Franz  Milliner,  Carl  Kues- 
kafer,5  the  poet  Johann  Senn,  Benedict  Randhartinger,6 
Johann  Baptist  Wisgrill,7  Anton  Holzapfel,  and  Albert 
Stadler.  Of  these  gentlemen  we  may  cite  Spaun, 
Stadler,  Senn,  and  Holzapfel  as  being  more  intimate 
with  Schubert  than  the  others. 

Josef  Spaun  (at  the  present  time  Frh.  v.  Spaun) 
was,  in  the  early  and  latter  days  of  Schubert's  life,  one 
of  the  musician's  truest  and  most  disinterested  friends. 
Schubert  was  his  junior  by  nine  years,  and  was  indebted 
to  his  older  schoolfellow  for  presents  of  music-paper 
and  many  acts  of  kindness.8 

1  Kenner,  who  in  the    year  1816  left  the  Convict,  became  subse- 
quently Magistratsrath  at  Linz,  and  in  1854  a  district  overseer  at  Ischl, 
where  he  now  enjoys  his  pension.     He  was  also  versed  in  the  belles- 
lettres,  and  Schubert  set  several  of  his  songs  to  music. 

2  Ebner  still  lives  as  Cameralrath  in  Innsbruck. 

3  Kleindl,  Rath  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  Vienna. 

4  "Weisse,  the  present  professor  and  advocate. 

5  Carl   Eueskafer,    Under-Secretary    of    State,    now   Eeichsrath    in 
Vienna. 

6  Kandhartinger,  born  at  Euprechtshofen  in  the  year  1802,  a  fellow- 
pupil  with  Schubert  and  pupil  of  Salieri,  became,  in  1832,  chief  tenor 
in  the  Chapel  Eoyal.    He  was  made  Vice-Hofcapellmeister  in  1844,  and 
succeeded  Assmayer  in  1862  as  Hofcapellmeister  at  Vienna. 

7  Wisgrill,  afterwards  a  doctor  and  professor,  died  1851. 

8  The  following  passage  is  taken  from  a  memorandum  of  Spaun's : — - 
'  Schubert,  at  that  time  poor  and  neglected,  was  for  weeks  and  months 
supported  by  a  friend  at  a  small  taverp.     This  friend  often  shared  his 


HIS   EABLY   SCHOOL-FRIENDS.  15 

During  his  musical  career,  and  when  separated  by 
long  distances,  his  early  school-friend  Spaun  repeatedly 
showed  proofs  of  his  sincere  regard  and  esteem  for 
the  musician  whose  artistic  powers  had  developed  so 
wonderfully,  and  the  two  friends  kept  up  an  animated 
and  constant  correspondence  until  the  musician's  death. 
There  are  many  proofs  existing  of  Schubert's  great 
affection  for  Spaun.1 

Albert  Stadler,  (born  in  Steyr  in  the  year  1794), 
now  member  of  the  Town  Council,  and  living  on  a 
pension  in  Vienna,  migrated  in  the  year  1812  from  the 
Kremsmiinsterstift  to  the  Convict,  where  he  remained 
up  to  1815,  and  in  1817  finished  the  course  of  his 
studies  in  jurisprudence.  He  was  fond  of  music  and 
poetry,2  was  a  pianoforte-player  and  composer,  and 
witnessed  the  origin  and  progress  of  nearly  all  the  com- 
positions written  by  Schubert  at  this  period,  and  these 
works  he  was  in  the  habit  of  copying  for  himself  as 
quickly  as  possible.  After  finishing  his  studies,  Stadler 
practised  as  a  provincial  barrister  in  Steyr,  and  in 
the  Easter  of  1821  was  appointed  a  legal  adviser  to  the 
magistrates  at  Linz.  When  Schubert,  in  1819  and 

room  and  bed  with  him.'     Spaun  himself  is,  without  doubt,  the  friend 
here  referred  to. 

-  '  Schubert  dedicated    to    him    the    Sonata   Op.   78,   and    several 
songs. 

2  Of  Stadler' s  poems,  Schubert  set  to  music  a  dramatic  interlude, 
'Fernando'  (1815),  the  song  '  Lieb  Minna '  (1816),  a  second  song  for 
Josefine  Koller  (1820),  and  a  Cantata  in  honour  of  Vogl  (1819). 


16  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

1825,  visited  Upper  Austria,  the  two  old  school-com- 
rades met  at  Steyr  and  Steyeregg,  where  they  passed  a 
happy  time  together  at  the  houses  of  the  Kollers  and 
Paumgartners,  as  well  as  at  the  castle  of  Count  Weis- 
senwolf  in  Steyeregg. 

Anton  Holzapfel  was  already  installed  at  the  Convict 
when  Stadler  first  entered  there,  and  they  finished 
their  course  of  studies  in  jurisprudence  at  the  same 
time.  Like  Schubert,  he  was  originally  placed  on  the 
foundation  in  the  Convict  after  leaving  the  Emperor 
Ferdinand's  school  for  'chorister-boys,  which  was  called 
6  am  Hof.'  Holzapfel  could  boast  of  being  the  oldest 
of  Schubert's  school-friends,  and  it  was  he  who,  in  all 
the  ardour  of  grateful  enthusiasm,  took  possession  of 
those  early  songs,  which  had  as  yet  advanced  no  farther 
in  the  world  than  the  threshold  of  the  Convict.  He 
was  reputed  a  sound  musician  and  violoncello-player, 
and  had,  in  addition,  a  fine  tenor  voice.  He  was  a 
sincere  and  lasting  friend  to  Schubert.1 

Johann  Michael  Senn  (born  April  1, 1795,  at  Pfunds, 
in  the  Tyrol)  was,  like  several  other  sons  of  Tyrolese 
guides,  a  contemporary  of  Schubert  at  the  Convict. 
He  was  a  gifted,  impetuous  lad.2  In  the  year  1814 


1  After  finishing  his  studies  he  began  an  official  life  in  the  courts  of 
justice  at  Vienna  (his  native  place) ;  he  became  subsequently  Magis- 
tratsrath,  and  has  for  several  years  past  been  living  on  a  pension  at  the 
castle  of  Aistersheim,  near  Wels. 

2  Kupelwieser's  portrait  of  Senn  gives  him  a  very  attractive  head 


HIS   EARLY   SCHOOL-FRIENDS.  17 

or  1815,  having  made  himself  conspicuous  as  a  ring- 
leader in  an  emeute,  which  broke  out  in  the  school,  in 
revenge  for  an  imprisonment  inflicted  on  one  of  his 
comrades,  he  forfeited  his  place  as  a  foundation  mem- 
her.  Of  an  obstinate,  unyielding  disposition,  and  satis- 
fied of  the  injustice  of  the  punishment,  he  preferred 
dismissal  from  the  school  rather  than  do  penance  for 
his  fault.  In  the  year  1823,  Senn  devoted  himself  to 
the  profession  of  arms,  and  became  an  officer  in  the 
regiment  '  Tirol er  Kaiserjager.'  In  later  years  his  life 
took  a  more  melancholy  turn.  At  war  with  circum- 
stances, with  everything  about  him,  and  the  censors  of 
the  press,  an  embittered  misanthrope,  without  friends 
or  support,  he  at  last  took  to  drinking,  and  died  in 
1857,  alone  and  forgotten,  in  the  military  hospital 
at  Innsbruck.  Of  his  poems  (which  were  published  by 
Wagner  in  1838)  Schubert  set  the  '  Schwanenlied.' 
Senn  dedicated  to  his  friend  a  sonnet  headed  'To  S., 
the  Tone-poet,'  and  to  the  poet  J.  Mayerhofer,  of  whose 
connection  with  Schubert  we  shall  speak  hereafter,  two 
sonnets  headed  '  In  Memory  of  M.,  the  Poet.'  It  seems 
that  Senn  did  not  become  intimately  acquainted  with 
Schubert  at  the  Convict,  but  in  later  years  under 
Spaun's  or  Schober's  roof. 

There  was  unusual  musical  zeal  and  vitality  in  the 
Convict  at  that  time.      Dr.  Josef  Hauer  (Surgeon  to 

and  delicate  features.  Senn  was  for  some  time  tutor  to  Eduard  von 
Sonnleithner,  and  also  instructor  in  Dr.  Gredler's  family  at  Vienna. 

C 


18  LIFE   OP   SCHUBERT. 

the  Factory  '  at  the  Oed '),  who  became  a  member  in 
the  year  1816,  speaks  in  the  following  language  on  the 
subject  in  a  letter  written  to  me : — f  I  did  not  become 
personally  acquainted  with  Schubert  until  the  year 
1825,  and  we  grew  very  much  attached  to  each  other. 
I  am  at  a  loss  whether  I  should  ascribe  our  sympathy 
to  any  musical  capacities  of  my  own,  or  to  a  more 
probable  cause — the  fact  of  my  having  received,  like 
Schubert,  my  education  as  a  chorister-boy  in  the 
Convict.  Here  was  a  practical  school  for  Schubert. 
Every  evening  we  had  performances  of  symphonies, 
quartetts,  and  vocal  pieces.  Besides  this,  his  taking  a 
part  in  classical  church  music  was  not  without  practical 
results.  I  remember  meeting  with  overtures  and  sym- 
phonies by  Schubert,  which  we  tried  to  perform,  and 
the  separate  parts  were  put  before  me  as  Schubert's 
handwriting.  I  myself  copied  a  volume  of  his  songs, 
and  some  of  these  I  never  found,  in  later  years,  either 
in  print  or  manuscript.  Unhappily,  I  have  lost  all 
these  treasures.' 

In  a  treatise  by  Kenner,1  there  is  a  passage  referring 
to  the  same  fact.  It  runs  thus  : — e  In  the  instrumental 
practice-room,  during  leisure  hours  after  dinner,  Albert 
Stadler,  a  composer,  and  Anton  Holzapfel,  his  form- 
fellow,  used  to  play  Beethoven's  and  Zumsteg's  works, 
and  on  such  occasions  I  represented  the  audience.  The 
room  was  never  heated,  and  the  cold  fearful.  Occa- 

1  Herr  Stadler  is  my  authority  for  this  paragraph. 


LETTEK    TO    HIS   BROTHER.  19 

sionally  Spaun  joined  the  party,  and  Schubert  also, 
after  he  left  the  Convict.  Stadler  played  the  piano- 
forte, Holzapfel  sang ;  occasionally  Schubert  sat  down 
at  the  piano.'  Leopold  Ebner  did  not  become  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  Schubert  until  after  the  latter 
had  left  the  Convict;  for  Schubert,  off  and  on  for  a 
couple  of  years,  used  to  visit  his  friends  at  the  Institute, 
and  run  through  with  them  his  latest  songs  and  piano- 
forte works.' 

Holzapfel  and  Stadler  often  assisted  at  the  social 
music  in  the  elder  Schubert's  house.  In  the  orchestra 
of  the  Convict,  Holzapfel  played  the  violoncello, 
Kleindl  and  Spaun  violins,  Senn  blew  the  horn,  and 
Eandhartinger  beat  the  drum. 

It  is  plain  from  the  following  extract  from  a  letter 
written  to  his  brother  (most  likely  Ferdinand),  and 
dated  November  24,  1812,  that  Franz,  during  his  novi- 
ciate at  the  Convict,  was,  in  the  matter  of  the  common 
necessaries  of  life,  by  no  means  on  a  bed  of  roses.1 
The  language  of  this  letter,  plain-spoken  but  good 
tempered  withal,  shows  the  peculiarities  of  the  lad  now 
entering  his  sixteenth  year.  The  poor  pupil  at  the 
Convict  pours  out  his  heart  in  the  following  petition  : — • 

'  I'll  come  at  once  to  the  point,  and  unburthen  my 
heart's  secret,  and  not  detain  you  by  beating  about  the 
bush  or  circuitous  talk.  I've  been  thinking  a  good  long 

1  Taken  from  an  essay  of  Ferdinand  Schubert's  for  the  '  Neue  Zeit- 
sschrift  fur  Musik,'  1839,  and  headed  '  Relics.' 

c  2, 


20  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

time  about  my  position,  and  found  that  it's  very  well 
on  the  whole,  but  that  in  some  respects  it  can  be  im- 
proved ;  you  know  from  experience  that  one  can  often 
enjoy  eating  a  roll  and  an  apple  or  two,  and  all  the  more 
when  one  must  wait  eight  hours  and  a  half  after  a  poor 
dinner  for  a  meagre  supper.  This  wish  has  haunted 
me  so  often  and  so  perseveringly  that  at  last,  nolens 
volens,  I  must  make  a  change.  The  few  groschen  my 
father  gave  me  are  all  gone  to  the  devil; — what  am 
I  to  do  the  rest  of  the  time  ? 

6 "  They  that  hope  in  Thee  shall  not  be  ashamed  " 
(Matt.  ii.  4).  So  I  thought.  Supposing  you  advance 
me  monthly  a  few  kreuzers.  You  would  never  miss  it, 
whilst  I  should  shut  myself  up  in  my  cell  and  be  quite 
happy.  As  I  said,  I  rely  on  the  words  of  the  Apostle 
Matthew,  who  says :  "  Let  him  that  hath  two  coats 
give  one  to  the  pocr."  Meanwhile  I  trust  you  will 
listen  to  the  voice,  which  unceasingly  appeals  to  you  to 
remember  your  loving,  hoping,  poverty-stricken — and 
once  again  I  repeat  poverty-stricken — brother  Franz.' 

During  his  school-days  at  the  Convict,  Schubert  was 
often  at  his  father's  house,  for  on  holidays  his  stringed 
quartetts  (taken  scarcely  dry  from  his  desk)  were 
played  off-hand  at  the  meetings  which  were  held  usually 
on  Sunday  afternoons  for  quartett  practice.  Schubert 
the  elder  played  the  violoncello,  Ferdinand  the  first, 
Ignaz  the  second  violin,  and  Franz  the  tenor.  The 
most  sensitive  performer  of  the  party  was  the  youngest. 


VISITS    TO   THE   THEATRE.  21 

If  the  smallest  mistake  was  made,  he  looked  at  the 
offender  sometimes  smilingly,  sometimes  sternly;  if 
the  father  made  a  blunder,  he  passed  over  the  mistake 
the  first  time,  but  if  it  occurred  again,  he  would  smile 
and  say  quite  timidly,  'Father,  there  must  be  a 
mistake  somewhere' — a  hint  always  accepted  without 
contradiction.  These  practices  were  a  great  delight  to 
the  performers,  and  gave  the  composer  the  advantage 
of  satisfying  himself  of  the  effect  produced  by  his  own 
compositions  on  players  and  listeners. 

During  the  holidays  Franz  used  to  go  to  the  theatre. 
Of  the  operas  given  in  those  days  one  especially  in- 
terested him,  the  '  Schweizerfamilie,'  by  Weigl.  It  was 
the  first  he  ever  heard  given  in  its  entirety,  and  Vogl 
and  Milder  both  sang  in  it.1  Cherubini's  'Medea,' 

1  Anna  Milder  was  born  on  December  31,  1785,  at  Constantinople, 
where  her  father  (Felix),  a  native  of  Salzburg,  was  in  service  as  con- 
fectioner to  the  Austrian  ambassador,  Baron  Herbert.  In  1790  the 
family  left  Constantinople,  and  withdrew  to  Bucharest ;  afterwards,  on 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war  between  Austria  and  the  Porte,  they  went 
to  Pesth,  and  finally  to  Vienna.  Anna  received  her  first  instructions  in 
singing  from  Tull,  a  village  schoolmaster  in  Hiitteldorf;  afterwards 
S.  Neukomm  (of  Salzburg)  gave  her  lessons,  and  introduced  her  to  his 
master,  J.  Haydn.  Intrbdxiced  to  the  stage  by  Shikaneder,  she  made 
her  first  appearance,  in  1803,  in  the  part  of  Juno  in  Siissmayer's 
'  Spiegel  von  Arkadien,'  and  was  received  with  great  applause.  It  was 
for  her  that  Cherubini  wrote  his  'Faniska,'  and  Beethoven  his 
'  Fidelio,'  Weigl  the  '  Waisenhaus '  and  the  '  Schweizerfamilie.'  In 
the  year  1810  she  became  the  wife  of  Hauptmann,  a  jeweller  at 
Munich;  in  1812  she  made  her  first  artistic  tour,  and  in  1816  concluded 
an  engagement  at  Berlin,  which  lasted  up  to  1829.  From  that  period 
she  only  appeared  at  concerts  given  in  the  great  cities  ;  at  Vienna,  for 


22  LIFE    OF   SCHUBEKT. 

Boildieu's  '  Johann  von  Paris,'  Isouard's  ( Aschenbrodl,' 
were  all  favourites  with  him ;  and  he  delighted  in 
(rluck's  'Iphigenia  auf  Tauris,'  in  which  Milder  and 
Vogl  played  the  chief  parts.  This  last-mentioned  opera 
always  delighted  him,  and  on  account  of  its  grand 
simplicity  and  elevation  of  style,  he  preferred  it  to  all 
other  works  of  the  operatic  school. 

These  visits  to  the  theatre  explain  to  some  extent  the 
fact  of  Schubert's  extraordinary  self-reliance,  in  apply- 
ing himself  at  a  very  early  period  to  musical  efforts  of 
a  dramatic  kind ;  for  as  early  as  the  year  1813  we  find 
him  taking  in  hand  a  setting  of  Kotzebue's  magic 
opera  '  Des  Teufels  Lustschloss,'  a  work  he  completed 
in  the  following  year.  In  the  year  1815  he  wrote 
several  dramatic  works  and  cantatas,  to  which  we  shall 
refer  in  the  proper  place. 

Of  those  musicians  who  influenced  Schubert's  mu- 
sical education  (if  in  reality  anyone  but  Beethoven 
can  strictly  be  said  to  have  had  any  influence  at  all), 
Anton  Salieri,  the  Court  Capellmeister  in  Schubert's 
youthful  days,  has  a  claim  to  the  very  first  rank  amongst 
Schubert's  early  advisers,  for  it  was  Salieri  who  first 
recognised  the  rare  gifts  of  the  young  pupil,  and  who 

instance,  as  late  as  the  year  1836,  she  sang  Schubert's  'Hermann  und 
Thusnelda.'  During  her  residence  in  Berlin  she  kept  up  a  correspon- 
dence with  Schubert,  and  to  this  reference  will  be  made  hereafter. 
'  Suleika's  (second)  Song'  is  dedicated  to  her,  as  well  as  'Der  Hirt  auf 
dem  Felsen,'  composed  by  Schubert  at  her  own  suggestion.  Milder  died 
at  Berlin  in  the  year  1838. 


ANTONIO   SALIERI.  23 

for  a  period  of  several  years  gave  him  lessons  in  the 
art  of  composition.  His  attention  having  been  roused 
by  the  '  Hagar'sKIage  '  and  some  stringed  quartetts,  he 
handed  the  young  composer  over  to  Ruczizka  for 
lessons  in  thorough-bass.  But  when  the  lessons  be- 
gan, the  old  farce  was  once  again  re-enacted,  for  the 
master  pronounced  his  pupil  omniscient.  'He  has 
learned  everything,'  said  he,  'and  Grod  has  been  his 
teacher.'  The  result  of  this  report  was  that  Salieri  took 
to  Schubert  more  warmly  than  ever,  and  made  himself 
responsible  for  the  further  development  of  these  rare 
gifts.  As  Salieri  plays  a  prominent  part  in  the  days 
of  Schubert's  pupilage,  we  may  here  give  a  short  ab- 
stract of  his  life,  which  will  throw  light  on  his  intimate 
connection  with  Schubert. 

Salieri  (Antonio),  born  in  the  year  1750,  atLegnago, 
a  fortified  town  in  the  Venetian  territory,  was  the  son 
of  a  well-to-do  merchant,  who  had  him  early  instructed 
in  Latin  arid  in  music  by  his  eldest  son  Franz.1  At  the 
age  of  sixteen,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  both  his 
parents.  A  friend  of  his  family,  Giovanni  Mocenigo, 
took  him  to  Venice,  where  he  applied  himself  with 
increased  zeal  to  the  studies  he  had  already  begun. 
Florian  Gassmann,2  a  Court  Capellrneister,  who  had 

1  See  'Life  of  Salieri,'  by  Mosel. 

2  Gassmann  (Florian  Leopold),  born  at  Briix  in  Bohemia,  in  1729, 
played  the  harp,  and  sang  exceedingly  well,  when  only  a  boy  of  twelve 
years  old.     To  escape  being  apprenticed  to  a  trade,  for  which  his  father 
intended  him,  he  ran  away  from  home  when  he  was  but  thirteen  years 


24  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

come  to  Venice  to  write  an  opera  for  the  Fenice  Theatre, 
happened  to  meet  him,  treated  him  like  an  adopted 
child,  and  continued  his  friend  and  benefactor  for  the 
remainder  of  his  days. 

In  June  1766,  Salieri,  accompanied  by  Grassmann, 
came  to  Vienna,  where,  nearly  six  decades  later,  he  was 
destined  to  find  his  last  resting-place.  His  industry 
at  this  time  was  unremitting.  Grassmann  read  with  him 
the  contrapuntal  studies  in  Fux's  (  Grradus  ad  Parnas- 
sum  ; ' l  another  master  taught  him  French  and  Grer- 
man,  but  with  indifferent  success  ;  his  other  subjects 
were  Latin  and  Italian  poetry,  elocution  and  verse 
writing.  Thus  prepared,  he  was  introduced  to  the 
Emperor  Joseph  II.,  for  whose  chamber  concerts  he 
worked  at  vocal  and  instrumental  compositions,  besides 
sacred  music  of  all  kinds.  In  1770  he  composed  his 

old,  and  fled  to  Carlsbad,  where  he  made  a  good  deal  of  money  by  his 
music.  From  Carlsbad  he  went  to  Venice,  to  study  under  Father 
Martini.  Two  years  afterwards  he  became  organist  at  a  convent,  and 
his  church  and  stage  compositions  were  soon  in  fashion.  In  1763  he 
accepted  an  invitation  to  Vienna,  as  ballet-composer.  In  1766  he  was 
once  more  in  Venice,  by  consent  of  the  Emperor,  who  had  nominated 
him  Court  and  private  organist.  He  wished  to  bring  out  at  Venice 
and  in  Milan  his  own  operas.  From  Venice  he  took  the  young  Salieri 
with  him  to  Vienna.  In  1771  (after  Renter's  death)  he  became  Court 
Capellmeister,  and  in  1772  founded  the  still-existing  Institution  for  the 
support  of  widows  of  native  musicians.  Gassmann  died  in  1772,  from 
the  effects  of  a  fall  from  a  carriage.  Mozart  himself  used  to  speak  with 
admiration  of  his  church  compositions. 

1  Fux,  born  in  the  year  1660,  in  Upper  Steiermark,  became  Court  Ca- 
pellmeister in  1715.  He  wrote  music  for  the  church,  chamber,  and  stage, 
and  compiled  the  '  G-radus  ad  Parnassum.'  He  died  in  Vienna  in  1741. 


SALIERI'S    OPERATIC    AND    DRAMATIC    WORKS.  25 

first  opera,  '  Le  Donne  letterate,'  which,  won  him  great 
applause.  This  was  followed  in  the  course  of  the  next 
six  years  by  a  dozen  operas  and  operettas.  In  1778  he 
passed  some  time  in  Italy,  where  he  launched  five 
operas  for  the  theatres  at  Venice,  Milan,  and  Rome. 
In  1781  he  was  commissioned  by  the  Emperor  to  write 
the  German  opera  f  Der  Rauchfangkehrer,'  which  was 
received  with  great  applause.  By  Grluck's  recommenda- 
tion he  wrote  several  dramatic  works  for  Paris,  and 
conducted  them  himself  in  the  French  capital.  Of 
these  works  the  (  Tarare '  of  Beaumarchais,  afterwards 
called  ( Axur,  King  of  Ormus,'  arranged  for  the  Italian 
stage,  and  soon  afterwards  a  boasted  ornament  of  the 
Grerman  theatres,  was  reckoned  his  masterpiece.  It  was 
this  very  opera  which  Schubert  himself  applauded. 

After  the  death  of  the  Court  Capellmeister  Bono,1 
Salieri  succeeded  to  the  place,  the  duties  of  which  he 
discharged  with  the  greatest  zeal  for  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  In  the  year  1789,  the  Emperor  Leopold  II. 
relieved  him  of  his  conductorship  at  the  Opera,  which 
fell  into  the  hands  of  Capellmeister  Weigl.  He  then 
applied  himself  with  increased  industry  to  the  compo- 
sition of  operas,  cantatas,  songs,  symphonies,  &c.  On 
June  16,  1816,  he  celebrated  his  fiftieth  year's  service. 
Franz  Schubert  took  part  in  the  jubilee,  of  which  we 
shall  speak  in  detail. 

From  this  period  he  ceased  to  appear  in  public  as  a 

1  Born  in  1710  at  Vienna,  where  he  died  in  1788. 


26  LIFE   OF    SCHUBERT. 

composer,  for  he  felt  that  the  taste  of  the  time  had 
deviated  far  from  what  he  considered  to  be  the 
orthodox  standard.  In  his  capacity  as  Vice-president 
of  the  Institute  of  Artists,1  and  afterwards  as  head  of 
the  Academy,  from  which  society  originated  the  Na- 
tional Conservatory,  he  had  always  a  wide  field  of 
activity  before  him,  and  he  found  an  agreeable  relief  in 
employing  much  of  his  spare  time  during  the  week  in 
giving  lessons  gratuitously  to  pupils  of  both  sexes. 
These  lessons  were  in  singing,  thorough-bass,  and  the 
art  of  composition. 

His  strength  failed  him  after  he  had  attained  his 
seventieth  year :  in  1824  he  asked  for  his  pension,  and 
died  on  May  7,  1825,  at  Vienna,  where  he  was  buried. 

Salieri's  reputation  amongst  his  contemporaries  was 
not  merely  that  of  a  deep-thinking  and  prolific  com- 
poser, with  a  considerable  gift  of  melody  and  inven- 
tion, but  he  was  highly  esteemed  as  a  kind  and  amiable 
man.2  Friendly,  cheerful,  humorous,  full  of  anecdote, 
a  handsome  man  with  expressive  eyes,  a  quick  temper, 
but  very  easily  reconciled,  such  is  the  sketch  given  of 
him  by  Friedrich  v.  Eochlitz,3  who  accompanied  him 

1  In  the  year  1824  Eybler,  who  succeeded  Salieri  as  Hofcapellmeister, 
was  Secretary  of  the  Institute,  of  which  Count  Kuefstein,  afterwards 
Count  Moriz  Dietrichstein,  was  President  in  the  year  1818. 

2  He  wrote  some  forty  operas,  twelve  oratorios,  cantatas,  masses,  a  re- 
quiem, four  concertos  for  different  instruments,  a  symphony  (1776),  over- 
tures, serenades,  ballet  music,  and  dramatic  music  in  ever}7  variety  of  style. 

3  In  a  work  headed  '  To  the  Lovers  of  Music,'  Leipsic,  1832,  vol.  iv. 


SALIERl's   APPRECIATION    OF   SCHUBERT.  27 

to  Vienna  in  the  year  1822.  He  never  learnt  the 
Grerman  language,  and  in  the  hurry  of  conversation 
would  interlard  his  talk  with  French  and  Italian  words, 
alleging  as  an  excuse  for  his  ignorance  that  he  had 
only  lived  in  Grermany  half  a  century. 

Salieri  lived  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  at  a  house  of  his 
own  in  the  Seilergasse.  Thither  (from  the  year  1813  to 
1817)  young  Schubert  used  to  come,  with  his  musical 
exercises  in  a  roll  under  his  arm,  to  submit  his  work  to 
his  master's  eye,  and  receive  instructions  how  to  write, 
if  he  would  aspire  to  a  good  position  as  a  composer.1 

Salieri  did  not  agree  with  Schubert's  method  of  com- 
posing, much  less  with  the  selections  of  poetry  which 
he  chose  for  setting  to  music ;  he  required  of  Franz  to 
give  over  attempting  to  set  Gothe's  and  Schiller's  verses, 
to  husband  his  resources  of  melody  until  they  were 
riper,  and  adopt  the  '  stanze '  of  the  Italian  writers  for 
his  usual  practice ; 2  still  he  fully  acknowledged  the 
rare  talents  of  his  pupil,  and  on  one  occasion,  when 
Schubert  surprised  him  by  a  variety  of  compositions, 
he  exclaimed,  *  That  fellow  is  up  to  everything ;  Ije  is 

Towards  Mozart,  whose  superiority  Salieri  instinctively  felt,  he  be- 
haved in  a  low  intriguing  manner,  with  the  hope  of  hindering  his 
popularity.  (0.  Jahn,  'Mozart,'  vol.  iii.  p.  61.) 

1  At  that  time  the  genial  jovial  Schubert  might  be  seen  stealing  into 
a  wine-shop  near  Salieri's  lodgings  after  the  lesson  was  over.     There  he 
would  sip  his  glass,  and  chat  for  hours  with  his  old  comrade  Franz 
Doppler  (who  told  me  the  story). 

2  A.  Stadler,  of  Vienna,  has  one  of  these  exercises,  bearing  date  1813. 


28  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

a  genius  !  It  doesn't  matter  what  it  is,  songs,  masses, 
operas,  stringed  quartetts,  he  can  compose  in  all  styles.' 
His  pride  and  delight  in  Schubert's  first  Mass  (in  F) 
we  shall  have  occasion  to  allude  to  hereafter.1 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Schubert  derived  from 
Salieri's  teaching  those  advantages  which  every  able 
pupil  would  receive  from  the  practical  hints  of  an 
artist,  able  and  self-reliant,  whose  experience  of  his 
profession  ranged  over  half  a  century.  But  the  intel- 
lectual bent  and  taste  of  a  teacher  who  clung  ob- 
stinately to  the  traditions  of  the  old  Italian  school 
were  entirely  at  variance  with  those  of  Schubert,  whose 
winged  fancy  hurried  him  along  through  the  realms  of 
German  romanticism,  and  spurned  all  artificial  checks 
and  impediments.  That  these  two  men  should  run  in 
couples  for  a  long  time  together  was  not  to  be  thought 
of.  Schubert  was  already  self-reliant;  his  path  lay 
clear  before  him  and  the  mission  he  was  to  fulfil. 
From  Salieri  he  had  as  little  more  to  learn  as  Beet- 
hoveu  had  before  Schubert's  time,  for  Beethoven  too 
had.  for  some  time  been  to  school  for  the  study  of 
dramatic  music.2 


1  Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner  told  me  a   curious  story  of  Schubert, 
who,  when  Salieri  told  him  that  he  was  competent  to  write  an  opera, 
stayed  away  from  his  lessons  for  several  weeks,  and  then  begged  his 
astonished  master  to  examine  the  entire  score  of  'Des  Teufels  Lust- 
schloss'  (1813-1814),  which  he  placed  before  him. 

2  It  is   well  known   that  Albrechtsberger,   Beethoven's  teacher  in 
thorough-bass,  and  Salieri,  his  teacher  in  operatic  composition,  said  of 


HIS    D    MAJOR    SYMPHONY.  29 

We  are  not  concerned  to  know  the  particular  motives 
assigned  by  Schubert's  contemporaries  for  his  abrupt 
departure  from  his  old  master ; l  the  separation  was 
unavoidable,  and  the  gigantic  strides  of  Schubert's 
musical  development  were  the  natural  consequence  of 
this  emancipation.  The  pupil's  gratitude  and  respect 
for  his  master's  memory  was  lifelong,  as  we  gather  from 
passages  in  his  diary,  and  the  fact  of  Schubert  setting 
to  music  the  ode  written  in  honour  of  Salieri's  jubilee 
festival.  With  regard  to  Schubert's  musical  activity  in 
the  year  1813,  we  must  refer  to  the  sketches  of  a  partly 
written  opera,  besides  a  symphony,  a  cantata,  some  songs, 
and  an  unusually  large  number  of  part-songs  and  canons 

The  Symphony  in  D  (the  first  of  the  eight  entire 
or  partly  finished  symphonies  by  Schubert)2  was  writ- 
ten in  honour  either  of  the  birth  or  baptismal  day 
festival  of  Innocenz  Lang,  the  Convict  Director,  and 
was  performed  by  the  pupils  of  the  Institute.  It  con- 

their  pupil,  that  he  would  learn  to  his  cost  hereafter  what  his  disbelief 
in  their  teaching  led  him  to  discredit. 

1  For  example,  Herr  Doppler  (foreman  in  the  musical  warehouse  of 
Herr  Spina)  declares  Schubert's  chief  reason  for  breaking  with  Salieri 
to  have  arisen  from  the  fact  that  the  latter  cut  out  and  corrected  al 
those  passages  in  Schubert's  Mass  in  B  which  reminded  him  of  Haydn 
or  Mozart.     Schubert,  he  says,  came  to  him  (Doppler)  with  the  altered 
Mass,  and  flung  it  down  on  the  table  in  a  passion,  declaring  he  would 
have  nothing  more  to  do  with  Salieri  as  a  teacher.     Others,  on  the 
contrary,  are  of  opinion  that  Salieri's  proposals  to  Schubert  to  write 
music  for  the  Italian  '  stanze '  induced  him  to  quit  his  master. 

2  Ferdinand  Schubert  mentions  the  sketch  of  a  ninth,  which  he  gave 
to  Mendelssohn  in  1846. 


30  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

sists  of  four  movements,1  and  is  written  unmistakably 
on  the  model  of  the  old  masters.  The  Cantata  con- 
tains only  one  terzett  (for  two  tenors  and  a  bass) — c  In 
honour  of  the  father's  name-day  festival.  The  words, 
with  guitar  obligato  accompaniment,  composed  by 
F.  Schubert,  on  September  27,  1813.'  The  terzett,  a 
simple  tuneful  melody,  begins  with  a  short  Andante 
(A  major  y  )  and  ends  with  a  lively  Allegretto  (-|),  ex- 
pressive of  the  son's  happiness  and  congratulations.2 

1  Introduction  (Adagio)  and  Allegro  vivace  |,  Andante  G-  major  |, 
Minuett  and  Trio  (Allegro  D  major),  Finale  Allegro  vivace  D  major  |. 
The  manuscript,  dated  October  28,  1813,  is  in  the  possession  of  Dr. 
Schneider,  at  Vienna.    At'the  end  of  the  score  are  the  words,  '  Finis  et 
Fine.' 

2  Schubert's  poem  runs  thus  : — 

(Andante)     Erto'ne  Leyer 

Zur  Festesfeier. 
Apollo  steig  hernieder, 
Begeistre  unsere  Lieder. 

(Allegretto)     Lange  lebe  unser  Vater  Franz, 
Lange  wahre  seiner  Tage  Chor 
Und  in  ewig  schonem  Flor 
Bliihe  seines  Lebens  Kranz. 

Wonnelachend  umschwebe  die  Freude 
Seines  ziirnenden  Gliickes  Lauf, 
Immer  getrennt  vom  trauerndem  Leide 
Nehm'  ihn  Elisiums  Schatten  auf. 
Endlos  wiedertone  holde  Leyer — 
Bringt  des  Jahres  Eaum  die  Zeit  zuriick — 
Sanft  und  schon  an  dieses  Tages  Feier 
Ewig  wahre  Vater  Franzen's  Gliick. 

The  MS.,  which  bears  this  heading,  '  Auf  die  Namensfeier  meines 
Vaters,  September  27.  181 3,'  is  in  the  possession  of  Dr.  Schneider,  with  at 


SCHOOL    EXPERIENCES.  31 

The  canons,  for  the  most  part  set  to  fragments  of 
Schiller's  poetry,  are  studies  in  that  form  of  composition, 
and  were  very  likely  written  for  Schiller's  schoolfellows 
in  the  Convict.1  They  are  nearly  all  of  them  writ- 
ten for  three  men's  voices.  Holty's  '  Todtengraberlied ' 
was  beautifully  set  as  a  trio  (for  two  sopranos  and  one 
bass).  Some  stringed  quartetts,  three  Kyries,  three  mi- 
nuetts  with  trio  for  orchestra,  a  third  pianoforte  fan- 
tasia, a  pianoforte  fugue,2  and  an  octett 3  for  wind  in- 
struments, belong  to  this  period. 

Here  we  close  the  first  period  of  Schubert's  artistic 
career,  brief  in  number  of  years,  but  fruitful  in  the 
production  of  artistic  works.  It  was  a  period  of  incesr 
sant,  almost  unconscious,  creative  power,  during  which 
the  boy,  scarce  ripened  into  early  manhood,  gave  on  the 
one  side  full  play  to  the  riches  of  his  inexhaustible 
fancy,  and  on  the  other  hand  still  adhered  to  the  forms 
of  the  masterpieces  by  the  great  men  who  preceded 
him.  In  his  instrumental  compositions  these  forms 

second  Namensfeier  (September  27,  1815),  consisting  of  one  vocal  piece, 
«  Du  Erhabener'  (an  Adagio  in  E-flat  major). 

1  The  great  number  of  canons  following  one  after  another  in  rapid 
succession  reminds  on«  of  Mozart,  who  in  one  day  (September  2,  1788) 
wrote  ten,  one  after  another.    (Jahn,  '  Mozart,'  vol.  iii.)     Schiller's  poem 
'  Elisium '  is  set  in  this  style,  particularly  the  first,  second,  fourth,  and 
last  strophes. 

2  The  MS.  is  in  the  hands  of  Josef  Hiittenbrenner,  at  Vienna. 

3  The  octett  (dated  September  19)  is  written  for  clarionet,  bassoon, 
trumpets,  and  horn,  and  is  marked  in  Ferdinand  Schubert's  catalogue 
as  *  Franz  Schubert's  Leichenfeier.'     Perhaps   it   has  reference   to   the 
funeral  of  Schubert's  mother.     I  have  never  seen  this  composition. 


32  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

were  crude  and  misshapen  to  some  extent,  although 
evidencing  rare  powers,  whilst  the  individuality  and 
character  of  some  of  his  songs  showed  the  amazing 
fertility  of  his  genius. 

The  succeeding  years  may  be  entitled  '  Schubert's 
probationary  period  as  learner,'  being  the  time  when 
he  underwent  a  course  of  systematic  teaching  under 
Salieri,  and  showed  his  usual  mental  activity  as  a 
creative  artist  in  the  most  opposite  and  Varied  styles 
of  music.  This  educational  period  cannot  certainly  be 
said  to  resemble  the  strong  discipline  to  which  other 
great  masters — Mozart  and  Mendelssohn,  for  example 
— submitted,  and  in  return  for  which  their  powers 
harmoniously  developed  themselves  in  a  continued  and 
ever  well-regulated  scale  of  progress.  Schubert's  won- 
derfully quick  development  reminds  one  much  more 
closely  of  the  impetuous  career  of  spirits  more  allied 
to  his  nature,  such  as  Beethoven  and  Schumann  ;  on 
the  other  hand,  the  well-authenticated  fact  that  Schu- 
bert in  his  early  days,  and  by  his  own  confession  in 
a  later  period  of  his  life,  applied  himself  zealously 
to  the  study  of  acknowledged  masterpieces  in  instru- 
mental music,  disproves  a  widely-spread  belief,  that  in 
truth  he  never  learned  anything  thoroughly,  and  can  be 
only  regarded  as  a  genial  and  '  naturalistic '  composer. 
At  all  events,  his  earliest  efforts  in  song  revealed  such  a 
masterly  and  original  power,  that  in  this  branch  of  art 
he  may  be  regarded  as  a  phenomenon  hitherto  unique, 
and  certainly  without  a  rival. 


SCHUBERT   LEAVES   THE   CONVICT.  33 


CHAPTER    II. 

(1814.) 

SCHUBERT  LEAVES  THE  CONVICT — HIS  LIFE  AT  HOME — FRANZ  BECOMES 
ASSISTANT-TEACHER THE  MASS  IN  F THERESE  GROB  —  INSTRU- 
MENTAL AND  VOCAL  COMPOSITIONS THE  OPERA  '  DBS  TEUFELS 

LUSTSCHLOSS  ' JOHANN   MAYRHOFER. 

SCHUBERT'S  residence  at  the  Convict  lasted  from  the 
October  of  1808  to  the  end  of  the  same  month  in  1813, 
a  period  of  full  five  years.  He  was  now  approaching 
his  seventeenth  year,  an  age  when  the  ( childish 
treble'  usually  breaks,  so  that  his  employment  as  a 
chorister-boy  necessarily  came  to  an  end.  Franz  was 
at  liberty,  if  he  had  so  chosen,  to  continue  his  studies 
in  the  higher  branches  of  the  classics,  for  the  Emperor, 
who  was  minutely  informed  of  the  progress  of  the 
students,  permitted  him  to  remain  at  the  Institute.1 
But  he  was  not  anxious  to  continue  his  studies,  espe- 

1  This  was  in  consequence  of  a  resolution  framed  on  October  21,  1813, 
which  stipulated  that  during  the  vacation  Schubert  was  to  improve  his 
studies  in  the  highest  form  or  class,  and  consequently  go  through 
another  examination.  Assuming  he  did  this,  a  place  on  the  so-called 
'  Merveldt '  foundation  was  to  be  given  him.  (This  was  told  me  by 
Herr  Ferd.  Luib.)  An  intimate  friend  of  Schubert's  affirmed  that  he 
ran  away  from  the  Convict,  but  this  story  is  pronounced  a  myth  by 
others  of  Schubert's  contemporaries,  and  particularly  A.  Stadler. 
VOL.  I.  *  D 


34  LIFE    OF   SCHUBEBT.  , 

cially  as  he  would  have  been  obliged  to  submit  to 
another  examination,  and  he  left  the  Institution  to  re- 
turn once  more  to  his  father's  house. 

According  to  Ferdinand  Schubert,1  he  was  summoned 
on  military  duty ;  by  another  version  of  the  story,  his 
father  tried  to  break  him  of  the  habit  of  composing,  with 
a  view  to  his  adopting  other  than  musical  pursuits ;  and 
both  these  reasons  have  been  assigned  for  his  devotion 
for  a  considerable  period  to  the  art  of  teaching.  During 
the  educational  term,  1813—14,  he  studied  at  the  school 
of  St.  Anna,  with  a  view  to  qualify  himself  as  a  tutor, 
and  afterwards  became  assistant  to  the  lowest,  the  ABC 
class,  in  his  father's  school.  With  a  cordial  dislike  to 
his  duties,  but  a  zealous  and  conscientious  discharge  of 
them,  he  stuck  to  his  post  for  three  long  years.  It  is 
said  that  he  was  impatient  and  choleric  if  he  had  to  deal 
with  an  obstinate  child.2  Considering  the  claims  made 
upon  his  time  during  this  ( Dominie  Sampson '  period, 
in  1815,  his  musical  fertility  seems  all  the  more  re- 
markable. At  the  very  outset  of  his  tutorial  career, 
he  found  an  opportunity  of  distinguishing  himself  by 
writing  a  sacred  composition  which  spread  his  fame  far 
and  wide,  and  commanded  the  high  respect  of  his 
musical  friends,  and  notably  that  of  his  former  master, 

1  The  day  of  his  leaving  the  Convict  was  some  time  between  Octo- 
ber 26  and  November  6,  1813. 

2  His  sister  Therese  told  me  that  Franz  was  strict  and  ill-tempered 
as  a  teacher,  and  that  he  often  kept  his  hands  in  practice  on  the  chil- 
dren's ears. 


THE   MASS    IN    F.  35 

Salieri.  This  was  the  Mass  in  F,  written  for  the 
centenary  festival  of  the  parish  church  of  Lichtenthal, 
the  performance  of  which  he  conducted  in  person  on 
the  first  Sunday  after  the  festival  of  Saint  Theresa, 
Mayseder  playing  the  first  violin.  The  soprano  part 
was  sung  by  Therese  Grrob,1  a  singer  much  admired 

1  Therese  Grob  was  the  daughter  of  Heinrich  Grob  and  his  wife 
Therese.  Heinrich  at  that  time  (1814)  was  dead,  and  his  widow  had  a 
silk  factory  in  the  Lichtenthal.  Schubert  came  to  this  house  after 
leaving  the  Convict,  attracted  doubtless  by  the  lovely  voice  of  the  youth- 
ful Therese  (then  about  fifteen  years  old)  and  the  musical  talents  of 
her  brother  Heinrich,  a  capital  player  on  the  violoncello  and  piano.  For 
Therese,  whose  bell-like  voice  ranged  to  the  upper  D,  Schubert  wrote 
a  '  Tantum  Ergo '  and  a  '  Salve  Eegina.'  Heinrich  Grob,  during  Schu- 
bert's lifetime  (and  even  later),  directed,  jointly  with  the  composer,  the 
church  music  of  the  Lichtenthal  choir ;  Schubert  generally  contenting 
himself  with  remaining  in  the  nave,  in  order  to  hear  the  music  to 
greater  advantage.  In  this  very  intelligent  artistic  family  music  was 
much  cultivated,  and  Schubert's  Masses  specially  were  often  rehearsed 
previous  to  the  performances  in  Lichtenthal,  Grinzing,  Heiligenstadt,&c., 
under  the  composer's  own  direction.  Schubert,  who  was  like  an  adopted 
son  in  the  house,  often  brought  his  songs  there  (the  first  Therese  ever 
saw  was  'Siisse  heilige  Natur'),  and  besides  this,  he  wrote  for  his 
friend  Heinrich  Grob,  in  the  October  of  1816,  an  Adagio  and  Eondo 
Concertant  for  the  pianoforte,  with  violin,  viola,  and  cello  accompani- 
ments (in  the  possession  of  Herr  Spina).  His  intimacy  with  the  Grob 
family  lasted  until  about  the  year  1820,  when  Therese  married,  and  the 
musician  was  drawn  into  other  social  circles.  About  the  year  1837  Hein- 
rich Grob  changed  his  place  of  business  nearer  to  the  centre  of  the 
city,  where,  since  his  death  in  1855,  his  widow  and  two  sons  have  still 
carried  on  the  firm.  Therese,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  these  de- 
tails, lives  still  at  Vienna,  hale  and  hearty,  for  more  than  twenty  years 
the  widow  of  Herr  Bergmann.  The  family  of  Grob  are  said  to  possess 
compositions  of  Schubert  unknown  to  the  public,  but  I  have  never  been 
able  to  get  a  sight  of  them. 

D  2 


36  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

by  Schubert,  and  the  member  of  a  family  to  which 
Schubert  was  very  fondly  attached  up  to  the  year 
1820.  Salieri,  in  great  delight  with  his  pupil's  work, 
embraced  him  after  the  performance  was  over,  ex- 
claiming, '  Franz,  you  are  my  pupil,  and  will  do  me 
great  honour.' 1  The  Mass 2  was  soon  afterwards  re- 
peated in  the  church  of  the  Augustins,  under  circum- 
stances which  gave  the  performance  the  character  of  a 
family  festival:  Franz  conducted;  his  brother  Ferdinand 
played  the  organ ;  Therese  Grrob  again  sang  the  sopra- 
no part,  and  the  other  parts  were  distributed  amongst 
friends  and  acquaintances  ;  Michael  Holzer  officiated  as 
(  regens  chori.'  After  the  festival  Franz  was  presented 
by  his  father  with  a  five-octave  piano.3  To  this  period 
belong  a  '  Salve  Regina ' 4  for  tenor ;  a  song,  '  Wer  1st 
wohl  gross,'  with  chorus  and  band  accompaniment;  five 
Minuetts  and  six  ' Allemandes '  set  for  stringed  quar- 
tetts  and  French  horns  ;  three  stringed  quartetts  ;  and  a 
good  number  of  songs  (ten  of  them  set  to  Mathisson's 

1  Herr  Doppler,  who  was  present  at  the  performance,  is  my  authority. 

2  According  to  the  MSS.  in  the  hands  of  Dr.  Schneider,  at  Vienna, 
Schubert  wrote  this  Mass  between  May  17  and  July  22,  1814.     The 
Kyrie   is  dated    May  17   and  18,  the    Gloria    May  21    and    22,  the 
Gratias  May  25  to  28,  the  Quoniam  May  28,   the  Credo  May  30  to 
June  22,  the  Sanctus   and   Benedictus   July  2  and  3,  the  Agnus  Dei 
July  7,  and  the  Dona  Nobis  July  15  to  22.     The  Mass  in  F  has  never 
been  engraved. 

8  Such  is  Ferdinand  Schubert's  story.  Therese  Grob  cannot  remem- 
ber this  second  performance. 

4  Dr.  Schneider  has  the  original  manuscript  The  '  Salve  Regina'  is 
accompanied  by  violins,  viola,  hautboy,  bassoon,  horn,  and  double  bass. 


THE   OPERA   '  DES   TEUFELS   LUSTSCHLOSS.'  37 

poems).1  Amongst  the  latter  there  is  a  song  with  the 
title  'Auf  den  Sieg  der  Deutschen,'  a  trivial  light 
composition  of  the  dance  order  with  stringed  accom- 
paniments, written  no  doubt  as  an  occasional  compo- 
sition with  reference  to  the  happy  issue  of  the  war 
against  France,  and  most  probably  performed  by  a 
circle  of  friends.  The  list  ends  with  a  grand  Sonata 
in  C  minor,  for  four  hands,  but  it  was  left  unfinished.2 

On  May  15,  1814,  Franz  finished  the  magic  Opera 
of  '  Des  Teufels  Lustschloss,'  a  work  in  three  acts,  by 
Kotzebue,  which  the  composer  had  taken  in  hand  in 
the  preceding  year.3  The  piece,  as  regards  the  musical 
part  of  it,  is  written  to  iambics  in  rhyme,  but  there  is 
a  great  deal  of  spoken  dialogue  besides. 

The  following  is  the  plot : — Oswald  secretly  carries 
off  from  the  castle  of  her  uncle,  the  Count  von  Schwarz- 
berg,  his  niece  Luitgarde,  and  marries  her.  After 
a  long  absence  he  returns  home  with  her,  to  settle  on 
his  property.  (Here  the  music  begins.)  The  scene 
represents  a  desolate  heath;  the  knight's  carriage  is 
broken  in  two  in  the  bad  roads  ;  attendants  are  looking 

1  The  Quartetts  are  in  B-flat  and  D  major  and  C  minor.  The  first 
was  given,  in  the  year  1862,  at  Hellmesberger's  Quartett  meetings,  but 
in  an  abbreviated  form,  and  with  passages  in  other  quartetts  interpolated. 
The  parts  have  quite  recently  been  engraved  by  Spina,  who  has  the 
original  manuscript. 

'  2  This  composition  consists  of  an  Adagio,  an  Andante  amoroso  in  B-flat, 
an  Allegro  in  B-flat,  and  an  Adagio  in  D-flat.  The  MS.  of  this  rather 
obscure  work  is  in  the  possession  of  Herr  Albert  Stadler,  of  Vienna. 

3  Dr.  Schneider  has  the  score. 

VOL.  i.  *  D  3 


38  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

after  Luitgarde,  and  Eobert,  Oswald's  faithful  com- 
panion, is  busy  looking  out  for  accommodation  for  her 
and  the  whole  party.  He  finds  it  at  an  inn  hard  by, 
and  thither  Oswald  and  Luitgarde  follow  him.  The 
hostess  greets  both  the  strangers,  and  engages  them  in 
conversation.  A  peasant  then  enters,  who  tells  the 
knight  that  the  whole  neighbourhood  is  bewitched  by 
an  enchanted  castle,  which,  judging  by  the  nightly 
apparitions,  can  only  be  the  Teufel's  Schloss.  Oswald 
determines,  spite  of  all  warning,  to  break  the  spell,  and 
hurries  off  with  Eobert  to  the  castle.  They  enter  an 
apartment  fantastically  furnished  with  statues  and  a 
cenotaph.  The  ghost  then  appears.  A  gigantic  hand 
emerges  from  the  ground,  gives  Eobert  a  blow,  and 
vanishes,  whereat  he  knocks  one  of  the  statues  down, 
and  Oswald  tries  to  do  the  same  with  the  other.  But 
the  second  statue  throws  a  glove  at  his  feet,  which 
Oswald  takes  up  and  begins  a  combat,  in  which  four 
other  statues,  brandishing  drawn  swords,  take  part.  Dur- 
ing the  fight  an  Amazon,  dressed  in  black,  arises  from 
the  cenotaph  and  offers  her  hand  and  heart  to  the 
knight,  intimating  that  his  death  is  certain  if  he  re- 
fuses. Oswald,  mindful  of  his  Luitgarde,  refuses  the 
offer,  whereupon  a  cage  emerges  from  the  ground,  and, 
after  enclosing  Oswald,  disappears  again.  In  the  second 
act  we  find  Eobert  lying  on  the  earth,  and  bemoaning 
and  calling  for  his  master ;  Luitgarde,  in  search  of  her 
lover,  joins  him.  Judgment  of  death  awaits  Eobert, 


THE   OPERA   'DBS   TEUFELS   LUSTSCHLOSS.'  39 

who  has  disappeared  in  a  gloomy  cavern.  A  Turkish 
march  is  heard,  followed  by  a  chorus  of  virgins.  The 
Amazon  tries  once  more  to  persuade  the  knight,  but 
even  now  he  withstands  her  allurements.  The  cry  of 
vengeance  is  heard;  Oswald  is  to  be  hurled  from  the 
rock.  The  death-bell  tolls,  a  funeral  march  is  played, 
and  the  bier  brought  forward.  Men  and  virgins  join  in 
chorus.  An  attendant  calls  on  Oswald  to  forget  his 
bride,  a  slave  whispers  to  him  to  pretend  to  give  in 
to  the  wish  of  the  Amazon,  and  thus  to  save  his  life. 
But  the  slave's  treachery  is  discovered,  and  the  knight 
ordered,  as  a  sign  of  his  love  for  the  princess,  to  run 
through  the  slave  with  the  sword.  He  refuses  to  do 
this,  and  with  the  weapon  in  his  hand,  cuts  his  way 
through  every  one,  until  he  gains  the  summit  of  a 
precipice.  There,  attacked  on  all  sides,  and  no  longer 
able  to  defend  himself,  he  throws  the  sword  from  him, 
and  leaps  into  the  gulf  below. 

In  the  third  act  Luitgarde  appears,  bemoaning  the 
loss  of  her  husband.  Robert  advances  to  meet  her. 
The  suit  of  armour  worn  by  Oswald  comes  up  from 
beneath  in  the  shape  of  a  trophy.  Luitgarde  rushes  to 
seize  it,  and  the  armour  disappears.  Despairing  of  saving 
her  lover,  she  orders  Robert  to  return  to  his  home, 
and  leave  her  to  die.  Robert,  however,  determines  to 
stay  with  her ;  and,  to  show  his  courage,  he  rushes  at  a 
great  gate  against  an  old  wall  in  the  background,  and 
gives  it  some  violent  blows.  This  gate  falls  with  a 


40  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

crash,  the  walls  also,  and  an  executioner  is  discovered, 
axe  in  hand,  and  near  him  the  fatal  block.  A  second 
attendant  announces  to  the  disconsolate  Luitgarde  that 
Oswald  has  been  executed  an  hour  ago.  Determined 
on  following  her  lover  to  the  grave,  she  climbs  the 
rock,  lays  her  head  on  the  block,  and  awaits  the  fatal 
stroke. 

Oswald  is  then  brought  on  the  scene  in  chains,  with 
his  eyes  bound.  The  bandage  is  withdrawn,  and  when 
he  sees  Luitgarde  he  tears  himself  from  the  custody  of 
his  guards,  rushes  to  the  rock,  seizes  the  executioner, 
hurls  him  into  the  abyss,  and  clasps  his  wife  in  his 
arms.  The  lovers,  saved  with  such  difficulty,  are  now 
exposed  to  fresh  danger.  Floods  of  water,  descending 
on  all  sides,  threaten  everything  with  destruction.  The 
thunder  roars,  the  rocks  are  rent,  and  in  their  place  beds 
of  roses  appear,  the  waters  recede.  Count  Schwarz- 
berg  now  appears  on  the  scene  with  his  attendants,  and 
comforts  the  awe-stricken  lovers  with  the  assurance 
that  the  whole  enchantment — made  up  of  machinery, 
trap-doors,  masks  used  by  his  own  servants,  &c. — was 
his  own  device,  and  was  used  for  the  purpose  of  proving 
Oswald's  fidelity  to  the  wife  of  his  bosom.  As  he  has 
proved  himself  so  brilliant  a  knight,  she  receives  her 
uncle's  pardon. 

An  overture  precedes  the  Opera1 — a  stirring,  charac- 

1  This  overture  was  played,  probably  for  the  first  time  in  public,  on 
March  1,  1861,  as  an  introduction  to  Schubert's  Operetta,  'Der  haus- 


THE    OPERA    (  DES    TEUFELS    LTTSTSCHLOSS.'  41 

teristic  musical  episode,  written  in  the  true  Schubert 
vein. 

The  first  act  begins  with  an  introduction,  during 
which  Kobert  and  the  servants  are  busy  on  the  stage. 
After  an  interval,  they  are  joined  by  some  peasants, 
and  we  have  a  brilliant  musical  ensemble.  The 
second  number,  written  in  the  strophe  form,  is  a 
drinking-song  for  Robert,  followed  by  a  duett  between 
Oswald  and  Luitgarde,  an  air  for  the  latter,  a  quartett 
(Oswald,  Robert,  a  peasant,  and  the  hostess  of  the  inn), 
a  bass  air  for  a  peasant,  a  trio  (Oswald,  Robert,  and  the 
hostess),  an  air  for  the  hostess,  and  a  song  for  Oswald. 
Then  comes  the  incantation  scene  and  an  ensemble,  in 
which  Oswald,  Robert,  an  Amazon,  and  four  statues 
take  part.1  The  scene  changes  to  an  ancient  temple, 
with  the  cenotaph,  and  the  first  act  concludes  with  an 
air  for  Robert.2 

The  second  act  opens  with  a  grave  and  appropriate 
introduction  (D  minor  |).  A  chain  of  recitatives  for 
Robert  and  Luitgarde,  with  an  air  for  the  former, 
precedes  some  soft  music  heard  in  the  distance,3  and 
this  gradually  swells  into  a  full  and  sonorous  march  of 
Turkish  music.  Virgins  appear  with  lutes,  flutes,  and 

liche  Krieg,'  at  a  concert  given  at  Vienna,  and  is  the  only  single  piece 
of  this  opera  that  has  hitherto  been  given  in  public. 

1  The  advance  of  the  statues  is  accompanied  by  horns  and  trumpets. 

2  This  act  was  completed  on  January  11,  1814. 

s  Andante  con  moto,  F  major,  with  hautboys,  clarionet,  horn,  and 
bassoon  accompaniments. 


42  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

cymbals,  accompanying  their  own  chorus.  The  situa- 
tion is  soon  changed  ;  a  funeral  march  is  substituted  for 
the  triumphal  one,  and  in  this  the  men  and  women 
both  join.  A  finale  (Oswald,  the  attendant,  the  bride, 
the  slave,  and  the  chorus)  completes  this  act.1 

The  third  act  only  contains  two  pieces — a  trio 
(Oswald,  Kobert,  Luitgarde)  and  a  final  chorus.  The 
Opera  was  finished  on  the  14th  of  May,  1814.  It  has 
never  been  given  in  public.  In  the  same  year  Schu- 
bert reset  this  curious  story,  and  his  second  arrange- 
ment of  the  work  is  said  to  have  been  that  with 
which  he  astonished  his  master,  Salieri.2 

Of  the  three  acts,  only  the  first  and  last  survive,  the 
second  has  been  lost.3 

Towards  the  end  of  the  December  of  1814,  Schubert 
made  the  acquaintance  of  a  person  with  whom,  the  dis- 
tinctive characters  of  both  men  being  taken  into  con- 
sideration, he  was  to  be  associated  by  circumstances  of 
a  very  peculiar  kind.  This  person  was  the  poet  Mayr- 

1  Schubert  finished  this  work  on  March  16,  1814. 

2  The  first   act,    occupying    128  pages   in  the    original    score,  was 
finished  on  September  3,  the  third  on  October  22,  1814.     I  am  not  in 
a  position  to  say  how  far  the  second  setting  differed  from  the  first ;  the 
overture  is  the  same  in  both,  with  the  exception  of  the  middle  move- 
ment (a  Largo),  which   accompanies  the  incantation   scene.      I  know 
nothing  further  of  the  musical  parts   of   the  two   separate  arrange- 
ments. 

3  Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner  has  the  original  score,  Schubert  having 
made  over  the  property  to  him  in  payment  of  a  small  debt.   In  the  year 
1848  the  servants  of  the  house  lighted  the  fires  with  this  second  act. 


JOHANN   MAYKHOFER.  43 

hofer,  well  known  by  his  works  and  the  tragical  end  of 
his  career. 

Johann  Mayrhofer  l  was  born  on  the  3rd  of  Novem- 
ber, 1787,  about  ten  years  before  Schubert's  birth,  at 
Steyr,  in  Upper  Austria.  '  The  flowers  which  strewed 
his  pathway  of  life  fell,'  says  Ernst  Freih.  v.  Feuchters- 
leben,  e  from  the  same  brimming  horn  which  scattered 
all  the  charms  of  nature  over  the  fair  land  of  his  birth. 
His  own  poetic  vein  impressed  him  with  a  deep  feeling 
for  natural  beauty;  his  own  muse,  his  earliest  recollection 
and  faithfullest  companion  throughout  life,  accompanied 
him  on  the  gloomy  path  of  his  existence.  After  passing 
the  course  of  studies  at  the  Gymnasium,  he  went 
through  a  course  of  philosophy  at  the  Lyceum  in  Linz. 
In  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  his  father,  who  had 
intended  him  for  the  church,  he  became  a  member  of 
the  College  of  St.  Florian,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years — an  interval  he  employed  in  attaining  a  know- 
ledge of  the  ancient  languages,  which  in  his  after 
struggles  proved  of  great  service  to  him.  After  passing 
his  noviciate,  he  determined  to  give  up  his  present  line 
of  life,  and  study  law  at  Vienna.  This  pursuit,  owing 
to  his  force  of  character  and  tenacity  of  purpose,  was 
crowned  with  success.  A  change  came,  and  his  in- 
clinations, moved  by  vivid  poetic  fancies,  led  him  to 
abandon  law  for  poetry.  An  outer  world,  rich  and 

1  The  following  sketch  of  Mayrhofer  is  made  up  of  notices  by  Herren 
v.  Feuchtersleben,  Franz  v.  Schober,  and  Von  Grahy. 


44  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

significant,  opened  upon  the  view  of  this  lonely,  self- 
contained,  self-taught  man,  and  this  outer  world,  allied 
to  his  innate  earnestness  and  moral  powers,  could  not 
fail  to  work  the  happiest  results.  He  soon  formed 
happy  intimacies  with  cheerful,  highly-gifted  young 
men,  of  the  like  ambitious  nature  with  his  own ;  and 
one  side  of  his  character  was  developed — a  cheerful, 
bright  disposition  of  the  soundest  and  healthiest  sort — 
a  quality  which,  in  earlier  days,  had  been  kept  in  the 
background  by  his  existence  as  a  sort  of  youthful  recluse. 
This  formed  an  element  in  the  general  features  of  an 
earnest,  robust  nature,  and  in  later  times  still  clung  to 
him,  although  it  gradually  became  less  palpable,  and 
partook  of  that  less  blameless  character  which  he  him- 
self used  to  designate  as  ( caustic.'  His  flashes  of  wit,  if 
more  rarely  indulged  in,  were  all  the  more  pungent  if 
indulged  in  at  all.  f  Mephistopheles,'  a  poem  found 
amongst  his  papers  after  death,  gives  a  perfect  picture 
of  this  bitter  element  of  cynicism  in  his  nature.  It  is  the 
frame  of  mind  incidental  to  a  gifted  man,  who  would  be 
gladly  on  good  terms  with  the  things  of  this  world,  but 
cannot  shut  his  eyes  to  their  destructive  and  corrupt- 
ing influence  on  himself  and  all  around  him.  For  such 
dispositions  he  invented  a  poetical  formula,  which  he 
called  4  Sermone,'  and  in  these  he  poured  out  his  spleen 
on  that  which  is  common  to  mankind,  yet  acted  inju- 
riously to  his  own  particular  nature.  However  stern  his 
character,  viewed  on  one  side,  it  was  gentle  and  exqui- 


JOHAJSN    MAYRHOFER.  45 

sitely  tender  even  to  a  fault  on  the  other.  He  was  ex- 
tremely like  Wilhelm  Meyern,  author  of  'Dia-Na-Sore,'1 
who  exercised  an  enduring  influence  on  Mayrhofer. 
Both  were  too  rigid  in  their  exactions  on  the  world  and 
themselves,  and  these  exaggerated  claims  brought  them 
into  conflict  with  the  world  and  each  other ;  both  alike 
were  rational  and  sound ;  both  were  hypochondriacal — 
with  this  difference,  that  Mayrhofer,  by  his  poetic  tem- 
perament, was  the  earlier  able  to  harmonise  with  the 
elements  of  the  external  world. 

'  For  this  advantage  he  was  very  mainly  indebted  to 
the  influence  of  Gothe,  who  was  of  the  greatest  service 
to  him  at  this  epoch.  He  was  still  living  at  a  time 
when  the  king  of  poets  was  publishing  new  works,  and 
stirring  the  hearts  of  men.  Gothe  was  his  u  be  all  and 
end  all,"  at  a  period  when  the  world  began  to  hold 
aloof  from  the  great  poet;  and  the  Gothe  no  longer 
understood  and  flattered  interested  him  more  than  the 
Gothe  to  whom  the  whole  world  had  paid  homage. 

1  Meyern  (Wilhelm  Friedrich),  born  at  Ausbach  in  1762,  studied 
law  at  Altdorf,  but  gave  it  up  afterwards  for  other  pursuits.  He  en- 
tered the  Austrian  service  as  a  lieutenant  in  the  artillery,  followed  the 
Austrian  Embassy  to  Sicily  in  1807,  afterwards  served  diplomatically 
at  Home  and  Madrid,  and  ended  as  a  military  commissioner  of  the 
Bund  at  Frankfort,  where  he  died  in  1829.  He  had  the  reputation  of 
being  a  clever  versatile  man,  whose  incapacity  for  a  settled  purpose 
deprived  him  of  making  his  many  advantages  of  marketable  value,  and 
of  securing  him  a  life-long  appointment  commensurate  with  his  merits. 
His  extraordinary  romance,  '  Dia-Na-Sore '  (1787-1791),  was  a  great 
favourite  with  the  public. 


46  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

If  Grothe  in  this  respect  was  useful  to  him,  so  also 
was  Herder,  whose  power  of  taking  a  grand  compre- 
hensive view  of  things,  and  reconciling  the  elements 
of  the  universe  to  one  creed  and  one  religion,  was  in 
entire  conformity  with  his  line  of  thought.' 

'  Fessler  must  also  be  mentioned,1  whose  far-seeing 
views  and  commentaries  on  music,  womanhood,  ethical 
and  religious  symbolism,  contained  in  his  work  "  A 
Review  of  my  Seventy  Years'  Pilgrimage,"  were  well 
calculated  to  lend  a  sort  of  halo  to  the  peculiar  views 
of  Mayrhofer.  These,  the  chief  circumstances  in  the 
earliest  stage  of  his  development,  exercised  a  marked 
influence  on  Mayrhofer.  In  his  later  studies  he  de- 
voted himself  to  mythological  research  in  works  which 

1  Fessler  (Ignaz  Aurelius),  born  in  1756,  at  Czurendorf  in  Lower 
Hungary,  entered  the  Capuchin  Order  in  1773,  and  ten  years  later- be- 
came professor  of  Oriental  languages  at  the  University  of  Lemberg. 
Having  been  made  a  Freemason  at  the  same  time  as  a  Capuchin, 'he 
quitted  the  latter  Order.  A  tragedy  of  his,  performed  at  Lemberg  in 
the  year  1787,  being  pronounced  atheistical,  he  was  obliged  to  fly  to 
Silesia.  In  1791  he  became  a  convert  to  Protestantism,  and  afterwards 
(1796)  lived  at  Berlin,  where,  accompanied  by  Fichte,  he  founded  the 
'  Humanitatsgesellschaft.'  In  the  year  1806  he  lost  the  office  he  had 
been  entrusted  with — that  of  a  consulship  for  the  Catholic  provinces, 
and  in  1809  he  went  to  St.  Petersburg  as  professor  of  philosophy. 
Dismissed  from  this  post,  on  a  charge  of  atheism,  he  settled  in  Wolsk 
with  a  view  of  realising  some  philanthropic  scheme.  In  1817  he  with- 
drew to  Sarepta,  the  chief  seat  of  the  Moravian  brethren,  where  he 
worked  in  his  own  peculiar  fashion.  In  1820  he  was  superintendent,  in 
1 833  member  of  the  St.  Petersburg  Consistory,  and  he  died  at  St.  Peters- 
burg in  1839.  He  described  his  eventful  life  in  a  book  called  '  AKeview 
of  my  Seventy  Years'  Pilgrimage'  (1826). 


JOHANN    MAYRHOFER.  47 

are  ascribed  to  the  famous  Hermes,  and  about  which 
he  would  expatiate  in  the  wildest  terms.' 

Such  was  the  wonderful  man  who,  in  1814,  and 
therefore  in  the  twenty-seventh  year  of  his  age,  formed 
an  intellectual  friendship  with  Schubert,  who  was  then 
in  his  eighteenth  year.  This  intimacy  was  the  central 
point  of  Mayrhofer's  existence,  and  more  than  any 
other  preceding  event  in  his  career  helped  to  mature 
his  powers  as  a  poet.  Seeing  that  Schubert's  was  a 
musical  genius,  the  event  is  in  its  kind  unique.  ( My 
acquaintance  with  Schubert,'  says  Mayrhofer,  in  his 
memoirs,  '  was  brought  about  by  a  young  friend  giving 
him  my  poem  "  Am  See "  to  set  to  music.  The 
friend  brought  him  to  that  very  room  which,  five  years 
later  (1819),  we  were  destined  to  share  in  common. 
It  was  in  a  dark,  gloomy  street.  House  and  furniture 
were  the  worse  for  wear,  the  ceiling  was  beginning  to 
bulge,  the  light  obstructed  by  a  huge  building  opposite, 
and  part  of  the  furniture  was  an  old  worn-out  piano 
and  a  shabby  bookstand — such  was  the  room.  I  shall 
never  forget  it,  nor  the  hours  we  spent  there.1 

1  The  house  here  mentioned  as  that  where  Mayrhofer  and  Schu- 
bert lived  together  for  two  years  consecutively,  was  No.  420  in  the 
Wipplingerstrasse.  The  room  of  '  Der  Dichter  und  der  Tonsetzer '  (as 
these  two  artists  were  called  by  their  friends,  after  the  title  of  a  then 
favourite  operetta)  was  on  the  third  floor,  and  their  landlady  was  a 
tobacco-seller,  one  Sanssouci,  the  widow  of  a  French  emigrant.  Herr 
Josef  Hiittenbrenner  lived  at  that  time  in  the  same  house,  with  a  cer- 
tain Irrsa,  and  afterwards  rented  Mayrhofer's  and  Schubert's  room, 
being  the  identical  one  which  Theodor  Ko'rner  had  inhabited  during  his 


48  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

'As  the  spring  tempers  the  earth,  clothing  it  with 
verdure  and  flowers,  and  refreshing  it  with  breezes, 
so  does  she  invigorate  and  endow  mankind  with  the 
innate  consciousness  of  productive  power ;  for,  as  Grothe 

says : — 

Weit,  hoch,  herrlich  der  Blick 
Rings  in's  Leben  hinein, 
Von  Grebirg  zu  Gebirg 
Schwebet  der  ewige  Geist 
Ewigen  Lebens  ahndevoll. 

e  This  depth  of  sentiment  and  mutual  love  for  poetry 
and  music  drew  our  sympathies  closer  and  closer;  I 
wrote  verses,  he  saw  what  I  wrote,  and  to  these  joint 
efforts  many  of  his  melodies  owed  their  beginning, 
end,  and  popularity  in  the  world.' 

In  the  year  1815,  Mayrhofer  was  encouraged  to 
greater  efforts  in  poetry  from  this  copartnership  and 
joint  ambition.  He  wrote  two  librettos  for  operas,  of 
which  Schubert  set  one, e  Die  beiden  Freunde  von  Sala- 
manka ; '  the  other,  '  Adrast,'  was  found  amongst  the 
papers  of  the  poet  after  his  death. 

In  the  years  1817  and  1818,  Mayrhofer  joined  some 
friends  (Spaun,  Kenner,  Ottenwald,  Kreil,1  &c.)  in  pub- 
residence  in  Vienna.  Madame  Sanssouci  (in  after  years  married  to  the 
prison  inspector  Jaworek)  took  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  keep  the  house- 
hold establishment  of  her  two  lodgers  in  order.  The  house  No.  420  is 
further  remarkable  as  having  been  originally  the  place  of  rendezvous 
of  the  Jacobins.  In  the  last  forty  years  it  has  been  pulled  down,  and 
new  buildings  erected  in  its  place. 

1  Later  on  in  our  work  (1819)  we  shall  meet  again  with  the  two  last- 
named  gentlemen. 


JOHANN    MAYRHOFER.  49 

lishing  a  periodical,  the  object  of  which  was  to  spread 
a  healthy  manly  sense  of  patriotism  amongst  young 
men,  and  two  numbers  of  which  appeared  (published 
by  Harter  at  Vienna),  entitled  'Beitrage  zur  Bildung 
fiir  Jiinglinge.'  The  feelings  which  in  the  memorable 
war  epoch,  just  concluded,  had  animated  every  Grerman 
had  found  also  an  echo  in  the  heart  of  Mayrhofer.  The 
patriotic  sentiment,  linked  with  the  ideals  of  humanity 
and  individual  happiness  by  faith  in  a  Providence 
revealed  in  nature  and  history,  collected  the  beams  of 
his  intelligence  for  a  final  burst  of  brilliancy,  which 
still  gleamed  fitfully  on  the  ever  darkening  path  of  the 
distracted  poet.  He  worked  zealously  at  the  ancient 
classics.  Fragments  of  an  attempt  at  a  translation  of 
Herodotus  were  found  in  his  desk ;  at  Horace,  too,  he 
tried  his  hand,  but  the  Stoics  were  his  model.  But 
the  more  that  these  contemplative  pursuits  counter- 
acted the  present,  the  thicker  was  the  veil  they  wove 
around  the  student's  soul.  The  study  of  history, 
into  which  he  plunged  with  alacrity  from  an  active 
interest  he  took  in  the  Austrian  annals  and  the  ar- 
chives of  Hormayer,  was  his  healthiest  diversion :  the 
stout-hearted  man,  by  dint  of  strenuous  official  labour, 
tried  to  raise  a  strong  barrier  against  the  increasing 
confusion  of  his  brain.  Mayrhofer  was  appointed 
officer  to  the  Austrian  censorship,  and  practised  his 
duties  as  government  secretary  and  press  reviewer 
with  such  painful  conscientiousness,  that  it  really 
YOL.  i.  E  * 


50  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

seemed  he  was  endeavouring,  by  a  fitful  discharge  of 
official  duty,  to  reconcile  the  difference  between  the 
ideal  and  the  actual,  which  in  happier  moments  he  had 
been  capable  of  balancing  by  his  creative  powers  of 
poetry.1 

1  Bauernfeld  gives  (in  a  '  Book  of  Merry  Khymes  about  us  Viennese,' 
by  Rusticocampius)  the  following  picture  of  this  singular  man : — 

Halbvergessen  ist  auch  jener 
Wiener  Diehter,  hiess  Mayrhofer ; 
Viele  seiner  Poesien 
Componirte  sein  Freund  Schubert. 
So  die  ziirnende  Diana 
Philoktet  und  manche  andre ; 
"Waren  tief  ideenreich 
Aber  schroff, — sowie  der  Diehter. 
Kranklich  war  er  und  verdriesslich. 
Floh  der  heitern  Kreise  Umgang, 
Nur  mit  Studien  beschaftigt ; 
A&ends  labte  ihn  das  Whistspiel. 
So  mit  alteren  Herren  sass  er, 
Mit  Beamten,  mit  Philistern, 
Selbst  Beamter,  Biicher-Censor 
Und  der  strengste,  wie  es  hiess. 
Ernst  war  seine  Miene,  steinern, 
Niemals  lachelt'  oder  scherzt'  er. 
Flosst  uns  losem  Volk  Respekt  ein, 
So  sein  Wesen  und  sein  "Wissen. 
Wenig  sprach  er, — was  er  sagte 
War  bedeutend ;  allem  Tandeln 
War  er  abgeneigt,  den  Weibern 
Wie  der  leichten  Belletristik. 
Nur  Musik  konnt'  ihn  bisweilen 
Aus  der  stumpfen  Starrheit  losen, 
Und  bei  seines  Schuberts  Liedern 
Da  verklarte  sich  sein  Wesen. 


JOHANN   MAYRHOFER.  51 

In  the  year  1819,  he  shared  a  room  with  Schubert 
at  the  house  of  the  widow  Sanssouci,  and  continued 
thus  until  1821,  when  Schubert  migrated  to  Schober's 
lodgings  in  the  Landskrongasse.  'Whilst  we  were 
together,'  says  Mayrhofer  in  his  diary,1  c  curious  things 
happened.  We  were  certainly  both  of  us  peculiar,  and 
there  were  plenty  of  opportunities  for  droll  incidents. 
We  used  to  tease  one  another  in  all  sorts  of  ways,  and 
bandied  pleasantries  and  epigrams  for  our  mutual 
benefit.2  His  free,  open-hearted,  cheerful  manner 
and  my  retired  nature  came  into  sharp  contrast,  and 
gave  us  an  opportunity  of  nicknaming  each  other  ap- 
propriately, as  though  we  were. playing  certain  parts 
assigned  us.  Alas!  it  was  the  only  role  I  ever 
played.' 

In  the  year  1824,  Mayrhofer,  at  the  solicitation  of 
his  friends,  published  (at  Volke's,  in  Vienna),  by  sub- 
scription, a  small  volume  of  poems,  which,  however, 
under  the  circumstances,  at  that  time  very  unfavour- 


Seinem  Freund  zu  Liebe  liess  er 
In  Gresellschaft  auch  sich  locken, 
Wenn  wir  Possen  trieben,  sah  ihn 
Stumm  dort  in  der  Eeke  hocken. 

1  Printed  in  '  Archives,'  by  Hormayer. 

2  A  favourite  joke  of  Mayrhofer  was  to  rush  at  Schubert  with  a 
sword-stick  topped  with  a  bayonet,  and  to  howl  at  him  in  the  dialect  of 
Upper  Austria,  '  Was  halt  mich  denn  ab,  du  kloaner  Eaker ! '  to  which 
Schubert  would  sing  out,  '  Waldl,  wilder  Verfksser ! '  and  thrust  him 
back.     Gahy  often  witnessed  these  scenes. 

VOL.  i.  *  E  2 


52  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

able  for  lyric  poetry,  especially  in  Austria,  met  with 
but  an  indifferent  reception.1 

In  the  following  years  the  stream  of  events  and 
change  of  society  separated  him  from  Schubert,  not  to 
mention  his  own  illness  and  his  altered  views  of  life. 
But  what  once  had  been,  would  reassert  itself.  After 
Schubert's  death,  on  the  very  day  the  Requiem  was 
sung  over  his  grave,  he  revisited  that  very  house 
where  in  earlier  years  he  had  so  often  visited  his 
friend.  After  the  death  of  the  great  song-writer  he 
wrote  poetry  less  frequently.  At  last  came  the  actual 
sacrifice  to  real  life,  that  sacrifice  which  for  a  long 
while  estranged  him  from  his  muse.  The  harp,  so  long 
unstrung,  was  touched  once  more  on  the  occasion  of 
Gothe's  death. 

,  In  the  year  1835  he  undertook  an  excursion  to 
Salzburg,  Grastein,  and  the  Fuscher-Bad,  and  returned 
so  invigorated  that  he  sketched  out  the  plan  of  an 
epic  poem.2  Life  seemed  once  more  to  be  returning 
to  him  in  a  full  healthy  tide.  But  it  was  the  last 
flickering  of  the  expiring  flame.  Melancholy  madness, 

1  Amongst  the  subscribers'  names  we  find  the  following: — Jusuna 
y.  Bruchmann,  Endres,  Graby,  Gross,  Holzl,  Honig,  Hiittenbrenner, 
Kenner,  Kreil,  Sophie  Linhart,  Ottenwalt,  Caroline  Pichler,  Pinterics, 
Sanssouci,  Freiherr  v.  Schlechta,  von  Schober,  Moritz  Schwindt,  von 
Sonnleithner,  Spaun,  Vogl,  Watteroth,  and  Witteczek, — persons  who  all, 
more  or  less,  had  some  connection  with  Schubert.  In  the  old  edition  of 
Mayrhofer's  poems,  those  set  by  Schubert  are  printed  in  their  entirety  ; 
in  the  new  edition  they  are,  with  some  few  exceptions,  omitted. 

8  The  '  Bird  Catcher,'  published  in  the  new  edition  of  his  poems. 


MAYKHOFER'S  PECULIARITIES.  53 

the  old  demon  that  possessed  the  unhappy  man,  again 
seized  upon  those  powers  which  had  already  failed  him, 
and  on  February  5,  1836,  led  him  to  that  melancholy 
end  which  snapped  the  thread  of  life  asunder.1 

To  complete  the  sketch  of  Mayrhofer's  peculiarities, 
the  following  facts  may  be  added.  He  most  strenuously 
avoided  people  who  styled  themselves  connoisseurs. 

1  Einmal  kam  er  friihen  Morgens 
Ins  Bureau,  begann  zu  schreiben, 
Stand  dann  wieder  auf — die  Unruh 
Liess  ihn  nicht  im  Zimmer  bleiben. 
Durch  die  diistern  Grange  sehritt  er 
Starr  und  langsam,  wie  in  Traumen 
Der  Collegen  Gruss  nicht  achtend 
Stieg  er  nach  den  obern  Raumen. 
Steht,  und  stiert  durchs  ofFne  Fenster. 
Draussen  wehen  Fruhlingslufte, 
Doch  den  Mann,  der  finster  briitet, 
Haucht  es  an,  wie  Grabesdiifte. 
An  dem  offnen  Fenster  kreiselt 
Sonnenstaub  im  Morgenschein, 
Und  der  Mann  lag  auf  der  Strasse 
Mit  zerschmettertem  Gebein. — KUSTICOCAMPITTS. 

According  to  Herr  Holzl,  Mayrhofer  had  once  before,  in  a  fit,  of 
melancholy,  thrown  himself  into  the  Danube,  but  been  drawn  out  and 
restored  to  life.  To  his  friends'  remonstrances  he  answered,  with  an 
air  of  indifference:  'He  could  never  have  believed  the  river  Danube 
would  have  been  so  little  chilly.'  Just  before  the  final  catastrophe  he 
came  early  to  his  offi.ce,  visited  one  of  the  officials,  and  asked  him  for  a 
pinch  of  snuff,  and  then  mounted  the  tipper  story  of  the  building,  from 
which  he  threw  himself  headlong.  He  broke  his  neck,  but  survived  for 
forty  hours  afterwards.  It  was  not  a  weariness  of  life  that  drove  him 
to  the  desperate  step,  but  an  incessant  dread  of  cholera.  So,  at  all  events, 
I  am  assured  by  Herr  Holzl  and  Herr  M.  Beermann  of  Vienna. 

VOL.  i.  *  E  3 


54  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

The  straightforward,  healthy-minded  man  of  action  was 
one  whom  by  preference  he  cultivated.  The  jokes  and 
bons  mots  of  a  noted  wag  of  the  time,  a  great  diner- 
out,  and  a  sure  find  at  an  evening  party,  he  refused 
to  record  next  morning  in  his  diary,  which  was  filled 
with  memoranda  and  quotations  from  Young's  '  Night 
Thoughts '  and  f  Hermes  Trismegistos.'  His  mode  of 
life  was  extremely  simple ;  in  moderation  and  self- 
denial  he  resembled  a  Stoic.  A  few  books,  a  guitar, 
and  a  pipe  made  up  his  furniture,  a  short  nap  after 
dinner  and  a  walk  the  sum  of  his  enjoyments.  His 
dress  was  plain,  almost  slovenly.  His  employments 
day  by  day  followed  in  the  same  monotonous  round, 
and  were  discharged  with  the  same  unerring  punc- 
tuality. There  was  something  stiff  and  unbending  in 
his  exterior,  which  is  often  the  case  with  a  recluse.  Fits 
of  laughter  at  times  broke  in  on  his  generally  unbend- 
ing moroseness.  He  walked  firmly,  he  wrote  a  bold 
upright  hand.  His  figure  was  compact,  he  was  of  the 
ordinary  height,  his  features  somewhat  commonplace ; 
he  sometimes  wore  a  sarcastic  smile,  he  had  eagle's 
eyes,  sharp  and  piercing.  Only  in  his  heart  of  hearts 
did  he  hug  himself  in  pride ;  he  overrated  other  people ; 
he  was  indifferent  to  applause,  and  reckoned  any  praise 
of  the  beauties  of  his  poetry  as  an  insult. 

Judging  by  the  sketch — one  that  emanates  from  the 
hand  of  a  worthy  friend1 — Mayrhofers  character  was 
1  Feuchtersleben.    Preface  to  the  new  edition  of  Mayrhofer's  Poems. 


SCHUBERT'S  APPRECIATION  OF  MAYRHOFER.         5.5 

that  of  a  sound,  earnest,  and  moral  man,  but  disfigured 
by  pedantry  and  a  want  of  elasticity.  We  shall  compare 
his  nature  with  Schubert's  in  the  course  of  our  work, 
and  the  result  will  enable  us  at  the  first  glance  to 
discover  the  qualities  the  two  men  had  in  common,  as 
well  as  their  angularities,  which,  when  they  came  in 
contact,  rubbed  against  each  other  and  kept  the  men 
apart.  How  thoroughly  Schubert  was  attracted  by  the 
poetical  pictures  of  Mayrhofer,  his  many  and  frequently 
his  most  noteworthy  songs  set  to  his  friend's  poetry 
abundantly  testify.  There  can  be  no  doubt  there  was 
plenty  of  mutual  appreciation ;  it  is  equally  certain 
that  Franz  could  never  by  choice  have  lived  longer 
alone  with  Mayrhofer,  since  the  latter,  beginning  with 
mere  banter  and  raillery,  ended  by  fomenting  disputes 
and  collisions,  which  were  the  worry  and  torment  of 
Schubert's  life. 

Mayrhofer  has  in  several  poems  given  expression  to 
his  feelings  towards  his  friend,  prematurely  snatched 
away  from  him,1  but  to  Schubert  was  the  task  assigned 
of  transfiguring  many  of  the  poetical  effusions  of  his 
friend,  and  handing  down  to  posterity  the  more  perish- 
able words  of  the  bard  attached  and  linked  to  his  own 
immortal  song. 

1  '  G-eheimniss,'  'Nachgefiihl  an  Franz  Schubert'  (Nov.  19,  1828), 
and  'An  Franz,'  the  first  and  second  strophe  of  which  last  poem 
have  been  engraved  with  Schubert's  music  attached,  and  entitled 
'  Heliopolis.' 


56 


LIFE    OF   SCHUBE11T. 


CHAPTER   III. 

(1815.) 

THE      BALLADS      '  MINONA,'     '  EMMA    UND    ADELWOLD,'    '  DIE    NONNE,' 

'  ERLKONIG  ' VOCAL    COMPOSITIONS    FOR    MIXED    VOICES THE   MASS 

IN    G — SONATAS — THE    SYMPHONIES    IN   B   AND  D THE    OPERAS     '  DER 

VIERJAHRIGE    POSTEN,'     '  FERNANDO,'     '  CLAUDINE   VON    VILLABELLA,' 
'DIE  BEIDEN  FREUNDE  VON  SALAMANKA,'    '  DER  SP£EGELEITTER,'    'DEE 

MINNESANGER,'     '  ADRAST ' SCHUBERT'S     CAPACITY   AS    AN     OPERATIC 

COMPOSER. 

WE  now  come  to  the  year  1815,  the  eighteenth  of 
Schubert's  existence,  -and,  as  regards  the  number  of 
compositions  which  originated  at  that  time,  the  most 
prolific  year  of  Schubert's  life.  Over  a  hundred  songs, 
half  a  dozen  operas  and  melodramas,  not  to  mention 
church  music,  chamber  music,  symphonies,  and  music  for 
the  piano,  all  these  are  crowded  into  that  period;  and 
how  the  hard-worked  pupil  of  Salieri  found  the  time  to 
produce,  as  if  my  magic,  such  a  multitudinous  heap  of 
musical  scores,  passes  one's  comprehension.  Never 
troubling  himself  about  the  form,  inner  meaning,  length, 
or  conciseness  of  the  poems,  he  seized  on  them  as  sub- 
jects for  his  cantatas  and  songs ;  sometimes  the  great  bal- 
lads of  Grothe,  Schiller,  Holty,  Bertrand,  Korner,  some- 
times the  short  Strofenlieder  of  the  favourite  writers 


fEMMA   UND    ADELWOLD,'   ETC.  57 

of  the  time,  Schulze,  Kosegarten,  Mathisson,  Klopstock, 
Fellinger,  Stollberg,  &c.,  or  the  songs  of  Ossian,  which 
lost  nothing  by  the  musical  dress  in  which  Schubert 
was  wont  to  clothe  them.  Some  of  the  songs  which 
fall  within  this  period  may  be  catalogued  as  among  the 
best  efforts  of  Schubert's  creative  powers  in  this  par- 
ticular province ;  others  again  out  of  the  great  pile  are 
to  be  found  which  possess,  comparatively  speaking,  but 
little  worth.1  At  that  time  he  applied  himself  with 
particular  energy  to  the  composition  of  ballads  on  an  ex- 
tended scale,  and  '  Emma  und  Adelwold,'  by  Bertrand,2 
is  the  most  lengthy  vocal  piece  that  Schubert  ever  wrote. 
In  order  of  time,  the  ballad  of  6  Minona,'  by  Bertrand 
(written  on  February  8),  stands  first.  The  composition 
is  unmistakably  steeped  in  the  spirit  of  Schubert,  and 
reminds  one,  especially  in  the  pianoforte  accompaniment, 
of  the  songs  from  Ossian,  some  of  which  were  produced 
at  this  time.  This  is  more  especially  the  case  with 
(  Amphiaraos,'  by  Theodor  Korner.  This  great  poem 
was  set  to  music  by  Schubert  in  the  incredibly  short 

1  Herr  Spina  has  the  MSS.  of  seven  songs,  which  were  composed  on 
one  and  the  same  day  (Oct.  15,  1815).     On  the  19th  of  October  follow- 
ing he  wrote  four  more. 

2  Who  Bertrand,  the  compiler  of  these  ballads,  was,  and  how  Schu- 
bert may  have  come  across  these  poems,  which,  it  seems,  never  appeared 
in  print,  I  have  never  ascertained  with  any  reliable  certainty.     Pos- 
sibly, it  was  the  Franz  Bertrand  who,  in  1787,  at  Halle,  wrote  'Pyramus 
und  Thesbe '  for  the  composer  Benda.     The  MSS.  of  '  Emma  und  Adel- 
wold,' '  Minona/  '  Die  Nonne,'  and  '  Amphiaraos,'  are  in  the  possession 
of  Herr  Spina. 


58  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

space  of  five  hours  (as  we  find  in  the  original  score). 
The  composition  is  a  remarkable  one,  and  never  failed 
to  make  an  effect,  when  given  with  the  requisite  ex- 
pression by  a  competent  singer. 

On  June  7,  Schubert  took  in  hand  Bertrand's  ballad 
of  '  Emma  und  Adelwold.'  The  music  written  for  this 
poem  fills  no  less  than  fifty-five  manuscript  pages. 
The  composition,  of  a  fragmentary  kind,  contains  fine 
passages,  and  teems  with  those  strong  individualities 
which  stamped  Schubert's  compositions  at  this  period. 
Once  fairly  occupied  with  setting  ballads  into  music,  he 
composed  (on  June  16)  the  well-known  and  gloomy 
poem  by  Holty,  '  Die  Nonne  ': — 

Es  lebt  in  Welschland  irgendwo 
Em  schoner  junger  Eitter,  &c. 

The  Cantata,  too,  consists  of  several  parts,  introduc- 
tions and  interludes,  recitatives,  &c. ;  the  accompani- 
ments and  vocal  parts  bear  the  unmistakable  mark  of 
their  author.1 

1  Besides  the  ballads  we  have  mentioned,  '  Die  Biirgschaft '  (by 
Schiller),  '  Die  Spinnerin,'  '  Der  Sanger,' '  Der  Eattenfanger '  (by  Gothe), 
and  '  Der  Liedler '  (by  Kenner),  belong  to  this  year.  Amongst  other 
songs  (contained  in  the  collected  catalogue)  are  found  Schiller's  '  Punsch- 
lied,'  the  finale  of  which  is  identical  with  that  in  '  Loda's  Gespenst,' 
'  Mignon's  Gresang,'  marked  No.  4  (Schubert  has  set  this  as  a  song  four 
times,  once  as  a  duett,  and  once  as  a  quintett) ;  besides  '  Der  Kampf ' 
(Schiller's  '  Freigeisterei  der  Leidenschaft '),  of  which  only  two  strophes 
are  set  to  music,  and  an  improviso  by  Schiller : — 

Es  ist  so  angenehm,  so  suss, 

Um  einen  lieben  Mann  zu  spielen, 

Entziickend  wie  im  Paradies 

Des  Mannes  Zauberkraft  zu  fuhlen. 


THE  'ERL-KING.'  59 

According  to  Josef  v.  Spaun,  it  was  in  the  last  days 
of  this  year,  or  at  the  latest  in  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1816,  that  the  *  Erl-King '  was  written,  second 
only  in  point  of  popularity  to  the  6  Wanderer,'  the  solid 
foundation  of  Schubert's  popularity  six  years  later, 
and  which,  within  a  short  time,  became  public  pro- 
perty of  the  whole  musical  world.  Schubert  wrote  this 
song  one  afternoon  in  his  room  in  his  father's  house  in 
Himmelpfortgrund.  Spaun  came  to  see  him  whilst  he 
was  hard  at  work.  He  had  read  the  poem  twice  in  a 
state  of  intense  mental  excitement,  and  as,  whilst  thus 
employed,  the  musical  significance  of  the  poem  had 
dawned  on  him,  he  had  dashed  down  on  a  paper  a 
sketch  which  only  needed  some  mechanical  finish  to 
bring  to  perfection.  On  the  evening  of  the  same  day 
his  composition  was  brought  finished  to  the  Convict, 
where  Schubert  sang  it  over  first,  and  then  Holzapfel 
to  his  friends.1  The  audience  made  wry  faces,  and 
smiled  incredulously  at  the  passage,  'Mein  Vater,  jetzt 
fasst  er  mich  an,'  whereupon  Kuczizka  undertook  to 
clear  up  the  mystery  and  explain  the  discords,  which 
nowadays  are  reckoned  so  harmless  an  incident  to 
music.  As  Vogl  was  intimate  with  Schubert,  he  im- 
mediately monopolised  this  song,  which  seemed  created 
on  purpose  for  his  particular  powers,  and  sang  it  on 
frequent  occasions  in  private  society,  until  at  last,  in 

1  The  date  is  given  on  the  manuscript,  which  Madame  Schumann  pos- 
sesses. The  song  was  twice  set  by  Schubert,  the  second  time  with  the 
triplet  accompaniment,  omitted  in  the  engraved  copy. 


60  LIFE    OP   SCHUBEKT. 

the  year  1821,  on  the  occasion  of  an  academy  being 
opened  at  the  Eoyal  Opera,  the  f  Erl-King '  was  intro- 
duced to  the  general  public.1 

Of  this  ballad  there  are  plenty  of  arrangements, 
both  as  cantatas  and  for  the  orchestra.  The  value  of 
the  song  itself  was  a  great  bone  of  contention ;  some 
exalted  it  to  the  skies,  and  one  critic,  in  the  Leipzig 
'  Allgemeine  Zeitung,'  affirmed  that  all  the  king  says 
was  untrue,  seeing  that  womanly  virtue  might  be  de- 
stroyed by  such  bewitching  melodies,  but  that  the  idea 

1  After  the  appearance  of  the  'Erl-King'  in  print,  the  song  was 
used  in  various  ways.  Thus  Anselm  Hiittenbrenner  wrote  '  Erl-King 
"Waltzes/  a  profanation  which  excited  Schubert's  wrath,  which  he  vented 
in  some  distichs  in  the  musical  journal  conducted  by  the  well-known 
poet  and  writer  Friedrich  August  Kanne,  probably  with  a  view  of 
Huttenbrenner's  passing  them  on  to  Anselm.  These  lines  run  thus: — • 

1.  DAS  GEFTTHL. 

(Frage.) 
Sag'  mir,  stromt  das  Gefiihl  der  jetzigen  Welt  nur  dem  Bein  zu,? 

Antwort : 
Seit  sich  die  Menschen  geschniirt,  sanken  die  Herzen  hinab. 

2.  KODEB. 

(Frage.)  \ 

Sage  mir,  lieblicher  Kauz,  was  siehst  in  den  Werken  des  Goethe  ? 

Antwort : 

Titelchen  stor'  ich  mir  auf ; — Erlkonig — Deutsche,  ich  find's. 
3.  DBEIACHTEI/TACT. 

(Frage.) 
Sprich,   wie    tanzt    man  den    deutsch  der  Geisterwelt    furchtbare 

Schauder  ? 

Antwort : 

Kann  man  nicht  jegliches  Lied  tanzen  der  heutigen  Welt  ? 


HIS   MASS   IN    G.  61 

of  a  child  dying  of  terror  whilst  encircled  by  the  pro- 
tecting arms  of  a  father  was  an  impossibility. 

Amongst  choral  part-songs  we  may  cite  '  Der  Mor- 
genstern,'  '  Jagerlied,'  and  ( Liitzow's  wilde  Jagd '  (by 
Th.  Korner),  as  well  as  two  ( Mailieder,'  by  Holty, 
written  for  either  two  voices  or  two  French  horns. 
There  are  also  some  vocal  trios,  whereas  the  four-part 
song  is  scarcely  represented  at  all.  Of  the  songs  written 
in  this  year,  there  are  nearly  half  a  hundred  unpub- 
lished and  unknown  ;  but  the  most  important  of  these 
are  without  doubt  the  ballads  we  have  previously  men- 
tioned. 

The  astonishing  rapidity  of  Schubert's  musical  de- 
velopment at  this  period  is  evidenced  by  the  e  Mignon- 
lieder '  and  settings  of  Ossian's  songs,  which  bear  the 
stamp  of  a  master  mind  ;  but  we  would  invite  particular 
attention  to  the  Mass  in  Gr,  written  in  the  March  of 
1815,  for  the  parish  choir  of  Lichtenthal,  and  specially 
intended  for  those  of  his  youthful  musical  friends  who 
had  been  pupils  of  the  'regens  chori,'  Holzer.1  This 
Mass  is  one  of  the  most  solid  of  church  compositions  ; 
the  Kyrie,  Credo,  and  Agnus  Dei  are  all  move- 
ments by  a  deep  musical  thinker.  Taken  as  a  whole, 
it  has  never  been  surpassed  by  any  of  Schubert's  later 
Masses ;  and  this  masterpiece  is  the  work  of  a  youth  of 
eighteen — a  true  genius.  A  second  Mass  (in  B-flat)2,  the 

1  Herr  Doppler  is  my  informant.  - 

2  This  has  been  engraved  by  Haslinger  as  Op.  141,  and  is  given  at 
Vienna  more  frequently  than  his  other  Masses. 


62  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

first  Stabat  Mater  (in  B-flat),1  a  grand  Magnificat,  and 
two  sacred  Cantatas  on  a  slighter  scale,2  belong  to  this 
period.  In  the  department  of  chamber  music  he  wrote 
for  amateurs  a  stringed  Quartett  in  Gr  minor,  the  first 
and  last  movement  of  which,  as  well  as  the  first  part 
of  the  exquisite  Scherzo,  contain  passages  very  point- 
edly illustrating  Schubert's  peculiarities,  whereas  in 
the  second  movement,  and  the  Trio  in  the  third,  he 
adheres  to  the  forms  adopted  by  Haydn.3 

The  pianoforte  music  is  represented,  amongst  other 
things,4  by  two  Sonatas  (in  C  and  F) — his  first  great 
efforts,  it  would  seem,  in  this  style  of  composition,  to 
be  followed  within  a  short  interval  by  a  series  of  fine 
massive  works,  all  of  which  spoke  eloquently  of  the 
energy  and  high  gifts  with  which  Schubert  was  des- 
tined to  advance  in  this  new  department  of  his  art. 

But  the  activity  of  this  unwearied  composer  was  not 
yet  exhausted.  Orchestral  music  and  the  opera  were 
each  to  claim  their  share  of  attention,  and  Schubert 
found  time  enough  to  finish  in  this  year  two  sympho- 

1    l  For  a  mixed  choir,  with  stringed,  organ,  and  wind  accompaniments. 

2  These  are  a  Salve  Eegina  and  Offertory,  and  the  second  Dona  Nobis 
to  the  F  Mass  (1814).     Dr.  Schneider,  of  Vienna,  has  the  MSS.  of  the 
first  of  these  compositions  (bearing  date  July  5). 

3  The  Scherzo,  in  form  and  expression,  reminds  one  of  the  vigorous 
Scherzo  of  Mozart's  Gr  minor  Symphony,  a  great  favourite  of  Schubert's. 
The  manuscript  of  this  quartett  is  in  the  library  of  the  Musikverein  at 
Vienna.     Herr  Josef  Hellmesberger  gave  a  performance  of  it  in  the 
year  18 

4  Twelve  '  Deutsche '  with  Coda,  ten  Variations  and  Ecossaisen,  dedi- 
cated to  Maria  Spaun. 


OPERAS    AND   MELODRAMAS.  63 

nies  and  six  vocal  melodramas,  one  in  three  and 
another  in  two  acts.  The  Symphonies  are  those  in  B- 
flat  and  D.1  The  first  seems  never  to  have  been  brought 
forward  in  public;  the  last  movement  of  the  Sym- 
phony in  D  was  first  given  at  a  concert  in  Vienna  (on 
December  2,  1860)  as  a  'symphonic  fragment,'  and 
delighted  the  audience  by  the  freshness,  originality,  and 
perfection  of  its  form.2 

The  operas  and  melodramas  which  belong  to  this 
period  are  the  following: — 'Der  vierjahrige  Posten' 
(May),  'Fernando'  (July),  'Claudine  von  Villabella' 
(July  and  August),  and  '  Die  beiden  Freunde  von  Sala- 
manka '  (November  and  December).  Besides  these, 
'Der  Spiegelritter,' 'Der  Minnesanger,'3  and  'Adrast' 
(the  two  last  have  not  yet  been  discovered)  may  be 
mentioned  in  the  catalogue  of  works  referable  to  this 
period.  'Der  vierjahrige  Posten,'  an  operetta  in  one 

1  The  first  of  these,  in  the  possession  of  Dr.  Schneider,  of  Vienna, 
shows  that  Schubert  began  it  on  December  10,  1814,  and  finished  it  on 
March  24,  1815.     It  consists  of  four  movements  :  A  Largo  |,  which  is 
an  introduction  to  an  Allegro  vivace ;  an  Andante  in  E-flat  | ;  a  Minuett 
with  Trio  in  E-flat  f ;  and  the  Finale,  Presto  vivace,  in  B-flat  major  f . 
The  Symphony  in  D,  the  original  score  of  which  bears  date  May  24, 
1815,  has  also  four  movements:  an  Adagio  maestoso  f,  an  Allegro  con 
Trio,  an  Allegretto,  a  Minuett  with  Trio  (Allegro  vivace,  D  major  f ), 
and  the  Finale  (Presto  vivace,  D  major  f). 

2  The  other  fragments  were  the  first  and  second  movement  of  the 
tragic  Symphony  in  C  minor  (1816),  and  the  Scherzo  of  the  sixth  in  C 
(written  in  1818). 

«  In  C.  M.  v.  Weber's  « Biography '  (by  Max  Weber),  an  operetta  of 
the  same  name  is  mentioned. 


64  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

act,  the  words  by  Theodor  Korner,  was  finished  on 
May  13.1  The  story  is  as  follows: — Duval,  with  his 
regiment,  has  arrived  at  a  village  on  the  Grerman  fron- 
tier, and  has  mounted  guard  on  a  neighbouring  hill. 
The  regiment  marches  away  from  quarters,  forget- 
ting to  relieve  their  sentinels.  Weary  of  his  long 
watch,  he  descends  one  evening  into  the  village,  and 
learns  that  his  comrades  have  already  gone.  He  deter- 
mines on  remaining  in  the  village,  makes  acquaintance 
with  Kathchen,  the  daughter  of  Walther,  a  village  ma- 
gistrate, and  marries  her.  As  luck  will  have  it,  his  old 
regiment  marches  through  the  village  once  more  after 
a  lapse  of  four  years,  and  here  the  musical  interlude 
opens.  Duval,  fearing  he  will  be  brought  before  a 
court-martial  as  a  deserter,  thinks  on  the  following 
artifice.  He  puts  on  his  uniform,  and  mounts  guard  at 
the  very  spot  from  which  he  had  waited  in  vain  to  be 
relieved ;  and  when  the  captain  recognises  him,  and 
orders  the  company  to  seize  him  as  a  deserter,  Duval, 
relying  on  his  rights  as  sentinel,  threatens  to  shoot 
the  first  man  who  approaches  him.  Whilst  the  captain 
and  his  men  are  exchanging  words,  the  general  appears, 

1  The  original  score  is  in  the  hands  of  Dr.  Schneider.  On  the  title- 
page  of  Korner' s  melodrama  there  is  the  following  observation : — '  The 
poet's  intention  was  that  this  musical  vaudeville  should  be  set  through- 
out as  a  finale.  Steinaker  set  it  to  music  in  this  shape,  and  it  was  thus 
given  on  the  stage  at  Vienna.'  Steinaker  (Carl),  born  atLeipsic  in  1785, 
studied  at  Vienna,  and  wrote  several  operettas ;  amongst  others,  '  Die 
Vedette.'  Like  Korner,  he  took  part  in  the  War  of  Liberation,  and  died 
in  1815. 


65 

who,  when  informed  of  the  whole  affair  from  beginning 
to  end,  pardons  the  '  vierjahrige  Posten,'  and  gives 
him  a  certificate  of  honour  on  quitting  the  service. 

The  libretto,  partly  prose,  partly  verse,  contains  nine 
scenes,  and  Schubert's  music,  besides  a  tolerably  long 
overture  (filling  fifty-six  manuscript  pages),  is  contained 
in  eight  numbers.  The  overture  (written  May  13 — 
16)  begins  with  a  Larghetto  (D  major  -|),  an  introduc- 
tion to  a  lively  movement,  continued  in  the  same  vein 
to  the  end  of  the  number.  The  introduction  (Allegretto 
con  moto,  B-flat  major  -J,  written  on  May  8)  consists  of 
a  chorus  of  peasants,  varied  by  a  trio,  in  which  Kathe 
(soprano),  Duval  (tenor),  and  Walter  (bass)  take  part. 
This  is  followed  by  a  duett  between  Duval  and  Kathchen, 
a  trio  by  the  same  with  Walter,  a  short  recitative  for 
Veit,  and  a  grand  prayer  of  Kathchen.1  A  march, 
heard  in  the  distance,  and  a  soldiers'  chorus  to  follow 
(Tempo  di  marcia,  B -flat  major -|-,  accompanied  by  haut- 
boy, clarionet,  bassoon,  horn,  and  trumpets),  with  a 
final  chorus  and  quartett  for  the  principals,  make  up 
the  other  pieces  of  the  operetta,  in  which  the  spoken 
dialogues  play  a  prominent  part. 

This  operetta  has  never  been  given  on  the  stage.  The 
soldiers'  chorus,  a  lively  characteristic  piece,  was  per- 

1  The  first  part  of  the  air  (Adagio  in  E-flat  major  f )  is  accompanied 
by  clarionet,  horn,  and  bassoon  ;  in  the  Allegro  affettuoso  (E  minor  f ), 
beginning  with  the  words  '  Nein,  das  kannst  du  nicht  gebieten,'  the 
whole  power  of  the  orchestra  is  introduced.  The  air  is  pitched  very 
high,  and  is  extremely  difficult. 

F 


66  LIFE   OP   SCHUBERT. 

formed   with  applause  at  an   evening's  entertainment 
given  by  the  Vienna  (  Singverein '  in  I860.1 

Amongst  Schubert's  contemporaries  at  the  Convict 
was,  as  we  have  already  stated,  Albert  Stadler,  who  con- 
tinued there  after  Schubert  had  left  the  Institution,  and 
in  the  year  1815  passed  the  second  year  of  his  studies 
in  jurisprudence.  He  came  frequently  in  contact  with 
the  Lichtenthal  assistant  of  that  period ;  and  as  Schu- 
bert felt  an  ardent  longing  at  the  time  for  composing 
operas,  and  actually  set  about  writing  one  after  another, 
Stadler  pledged  himself  to  write  a  small  drama  for  his 
friend,  an  offer  Schubert  accepted  eagerly.  This  was 
the  origin  of  e  Fernando,'  a  piece  in  which  (according 
to  the  opinion  of  its  author)  6  a  chief  part  is  given  to 
thunder  and  lightning,  grief  and  tears,  as  the  favourite 
objects  of  enthusiastic  youth.'  The  music  was  written 
within  six  days.  Schubert  appeared  before  Stadler 
with  the  finished  score,2  which  they  examined  and  ana- 
lysed together.  The  work  was  afterwards  put  aside, 
and  neither  poet  nor  musician  troubled  himself  again 
on  the  subject.  The  characters  in  the  piece  (written  in 
April  1815)  are  :  Fernando  de  la  Porta,  Eleonora  his 

1  The  musical  details  of  the  vaudeville  composed  in  the  year  1815 
are,  with  some  few  exceptions,  unknown  to  me.     The  Operetta  '  Der 
vierjahrige  Posten '  has  been  also  set  by  Keineke. 

2  The  following  title  appears  on  the  original  score  in  Dr.  Schneider's 
possession : — '  Fernando,  a  vaudeville  in  one  act,  by  A  ...  St.  ...  The 
music  by  Franz  Schubert,  pupil  of  Herr  Salieri.     Begun  July  3,  1815  ; 
finished  July  9.' 


'FERNANDO/  67 

wife,  Philip  their  child,  twelve  years  of  age,  a  peasant, 
a  huntsman,  and  a  charcoal-burner.  The  scene  lies  in 
a  rough  part  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  the  time  occupied  is 
from  nightfall  to  break  of  day.  The  plan  of  the  piece, 
in  which,  by  the  way,1  there  is  much  more  talking  than 
singing,  is  as  follows : — Fernando  de  la  Porta  has  slain 
his  wife's  brother,  having  been  slanderously  accused  by 
him  of  committing  a  foul  crime,  and  after  perpetrating 
this  deed  is  obliged  to  fly.  The  tribunal -of  the  Inqui- 
sition sentences  the  murderer  to  death,  and  puts  a  price 
on  his  head.  Influential  friends  (after  the  abolition 
of  the  Inquisition)  contrive  subsequently  to  get  him 
pardoned,  but  of  Fernando,  who  has  retreated  to  the 
mountains  and  lived  disguised  as  a  hermit,  no  tidings 
can  be  obtained.  Eleonora,  who  is  convinced  of  her 
husband's  innocence,  having  pardoned  him  the  crime 
committed  in  haste  against  her  brother,  sets  off  with  her 
son  in  pursuit  of  Fernando,  with  the  intention  of  re- 
storing him  to  his  family.  Within  a  short  distance  of 
the  hermit's  retreat,  they  are  overtaken  by  a  storm ; 
Philip,  going  astray  in  the  darkness,  loses  sight  of  his 
mother,  and  calls  (her  by  name  with  piteous  moans. 
(Here  the  musical  interlude  begins.)  Looking  in  the 
background,  he  sees  a  wolf  slinking  away  amongst  the 
trees,  and  runs  off  screaming  and  terror-stricken. 

The  storm  passes  over;  Fernando,  in  hermit's  dress, 
comes  forth  from  his  cell.     Tortured  by  conscience,  he 

1  The  libretto  contains  forty-two  closely  printed  pages. 
F  2 


68  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

repeats  the  last  words,  addressed  him  by  the  victim 
of  his  revenge.  Philip  advances,  tells  him  his  fate, 
and  asks  his  protection  and  help.  A  shot  is  heard  in 
the  distance.  Fernando  promises  the  boy  he  will 
stand  by  him  in  his  hour  of  trouble  ;  but  on  question- 
ing him  further  as  to  the  object  of  his  own  and  his 
mother's  journey,  Philip  sings  him  a  song,  learnt  from 
his  mother,  the  burden  of  which  is  the  murderous 
deed  of  Fernando.  The  hermit  grows  pale,  but  Philip 
tells  him  that  the  mother  has  forgiven  the  murderer. 
Then  a  peasant  advances,  carrying  a  blood-stained 
cloth  he  has  found  in  the  bushes.  Philip  and  Fernando 
shudder,  for  they  expect  Eleonora  has  become  the 
prey  of  the  wild  animal  that  appeared  a  short  time 
siuce  in  the  thicket ;  the  peasant  withdraws,  Fernando 
no  longer  veils  his  secret,  and  discloses  himself  to 
his  son.  Both  bewail  Leonora's  death.  She  appears, 
accompanied  by  a  huntsman  and  a  charcoal-burner. 
Fernando  enjoins  his  son  to  keep  silence,  the  son  rushes 
into  his  mother's  arms.  Eleonora,  the  huntsman,  and 
charcoal-burner  now  talk  in  turns,  as  to  how  Eleonora 
was  on  the  point  of  being  torn  to  pieces  by  the  wolf, 
when  the  huntsman's  bullet  rolled  him  over,  and  the 
charcoal-burner's  axe  finished  him.  They  both  with- 
draw. Fernando  asks  Leonora  what  chance  has  brought 
her  there,  and  hearing  from  her  own  mouth  that  she 
has  pardoned  the  murderer,  he  hurries  to  his  cell,  and 
reappears  decked  out  in  bravery  of  Spanish  fashion. 


69 

Eleonora,  who  has  already  learned  from  Philip  that  the 
hermit  is  Fernando,  repeats  the  word  '  forgiveness,'  and, 
in  a  universal  chorus  of  joy,  the  harmless  and  almost 
childish  extravaganza  concludes. 

The  musical  part  of  this  operetta  opens  with  an 
introduction  (Largo,  D  minor  -f-,  after  12  bars  Presto), 
during  which  (at  the  30th  bar)  the  curtain  rises.  This 
introduction,  representing  a  storm  growing  louder  and 
louder,  ends  with  a  recitative  of  Philip,  calling  for  his 
mother  in  wailing  tones  of  despair.  This  is  followed 
by  a  prayer,  accompanied  by  orchestra,  an  air  for  Fer- 
nando, a  romance1  for  Philip,  an  air  for  Eleonora,  a 
duett  for  Fernando  and  Eleonora,  and  the  finale,  be- 
ginning with  a  duett  for  the  same  characters,  concluding 
with  an  ensemble  for  the  principal  characters.  The 
operetta  concludes  with  a  joyful  chorus  in  praise  of 
wedded  love. 

6  Fernando '  has  not  yet  been  given  on  the  stage. 
A  few  years  after  Franz's  death,  Ferdinand  produced 
the  Finale  at  one  of  his  concerts,  along  with  other 
fragments  of  his  brother's  operas. 

The  third  piece  intended  for  the  stage  is  '  Claudine 
von  Villabella,'  an  Opera  in  three  acts  by  Gothe.  From 
the  first  act  of  the  score,  which  still  exists,  we  find  the 
story  thus  treated. 

The   two   brothers    Carlos  and   Pedro   von   Castell- 

1  The  romance,  arranged  in  strophe  form,  is  seldom  omitted  in  any 
of  Schubert's  operas. 


70  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

vecchio  have  experienced  cruel  treatment  at  the  hands 
of  their  father.  Carlos,  the  elder  of  the  two,  driven 
from  home  by  his  father's  cruel  temper,  lives  a  con- 
siderable time  under  the  name  of  Rugantino,  as  a  leader 
of  banditti  in  the  Sicilian  mountains ;  Pedro  succeeds 
after  his  father's  death  to  the  entire  estate,  but  if  he 
can  only  discover  his  brother,  will  gladly  share  the  pro- 
perty with  him.  Engaged  to  Claudine,  the  daughter 
of  Alonzo,  Lord  of  Villabella,  at  whose  castle  he  has 
been  staying  for  some  time,  Pedro  leaves  the  family, 
now  that  his  time  of  leave  has  expired,  to  pay  his 
homage  at  the  court  of  the  king.  (Here  the  music 
begins.)  Rugantino  has  a  scheme  for  attacking  the 
castle  of  Villabella,  from  whence  he  intends  to  carry  off 
by  force  Alonzo's  fair  niece  Lucinda.  One  lot  of  vaga- 
bonds sticks  to  him,  another  joins  Bosco,  an  accomplice 
of  Rugantino,  to  go  after  booty  of  another  kind.  (End 
of  the  first  act.) 

Schubert  set  to  music  all  three  acts  of  this  drama, 
the  original  musical  score  of  which  is  in  the  hands 
of  Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner,  of  Vienna.  Unfortu- 
nately, however,  the  last  two  acts  met  with  the  same 
melancholy  end  that  befel  the  manuscript  of  'Des 
Teufels  Lustschloss,'1  so  that  one  must  reckon  the 

1  This  manuscript  is  also  headed :  '  The  music  is  by  F.  Schubert, 
pupil  of  Herr  v.  Salieri,  1815.'  The  beginning  and  completion  of  the 
first  act  are  dated  July  26  and  August  5.  Schubert  wrote  it  in  eleven 
days.  Johann  Andra,  in  Offenbach,  Grothe's  friend,  set  the  same  drama 
to  music  in  the  year  1774  (0.  Jahn,  'Mozart,'  vol.  iii.  p.  79).  Josef 


'  DIE  BEIDEN  FREUNDE  VON  SALAMANKA.'      71 

music  as  lost  for  ever.1  The  fragments  of  the  music 
that  remain,  if  lacking  in  power,  are  still  characteristic 
and  charming ;  those  portions  which  are  lost,  in  which 
the  composer  had  more  opportunity  offered  him  than 
in  the  first  act  for  the  development  of  dramatic  treat- 
ment, were  doubtless  sustained  with  equal  dignity  of 
style.  Schubert  himself  attached  some  importance  to 
this  composition,  the  scoring  of  which  occupied  him  for 
two  months,  for  in  the  following  November  we  find 
him  employed  with  the  two-act  Opera,  'Die  beiden 
Freunde  von  Salamanka.' 

An  Overture  in  E.2  precedes  the  Operetta  (  Claudine,' 
beginning  with  an  Adagio,  and  ending  with  a  brilliant 
movement  (Allegro  vivace  •£-). 

The  introduction  contains  a  trio  for  Lucinda,  Alonzo, 
and  Pedro  von  Kovero,  supplemented  by  a  chorus  of 
peasants.  This  is  followed  by  an  air  for  Lucinda, 
with  stringed  accompaniments,  an  air  of  Claudine, 
another  for  Pedro  (tenor),  an  arietta  for  Claudine,  a 
quaint,  humorous  song  for  Kugantino,  with  his  chorus 
of  outlaws,  and  the  finale  (dialogue  between  Rugan- 
tino  and  Bosco,  the  two  sets  of  outlaws  being  divided 

Drechsler  (1823-1829),  Capellmeister  of  the  Leopoldstadt  Theatre,  also 
set  it  to  music. 

1  Two  acts,  according  to  Herr  Hiittenbrenner,  were  thrown  by  his  ser- 
vants into  the  fire,  during  his  absence  from  Vienna  in  the  year  1848.     A 
finished  and  complete  copy  of  the  work  perished  also  in  the  same  way. 

2  Herr  Witzendorf,  of  Vienna,  has  a  copy  of  the  overture.     Keineke 
also  composed  an  overture  to  '  Claudine.' 


72  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

into  sections  for  chorus) ;  the  whole  forms  an  animated 
scene.  f  Claudine '  was  never  performed  on  the  stage, 
and  was  saved  from  the  mass  of  Schubert's  papers, 
not  to  be  published  to  the  world,  but  to  perish  in  the 
flames. 

The  Opera  in  two  acts,  '  Die  beiden  Freunde  von 
Salamanka,'  owes  its  origin  to  th*  friendly  relations 
that  existed  between  Schubert  and  Mayrhofer:  the 
latter  wrote  the  libretto.  The  music,  which  took  Schu- 
bert some  six  weeks  to  compose,  was  written  between 
November  18  and  December  31,1815.  The  original  score 
(in  the  possession  of  Dr.  E.  Schneider)  is  on  a  large  scale, 
the  first  act  alone  filling  320  pages.  The  libretto  is  lost. l 
As  far  as  we  can  collect  from  the  score,  a  Count  Tormes 
strives  to  win  the  hand  of  the  Countess  Olivia,  with 
whom  he  has  no  personal  acquaintance,  but  the  fame 
of  whose  loveliness  has  attracted  him.  Don  Alonzo 
hates  the  Count,  and  in  order  to  throw  impediments  in 
the  way  of  his  getting  hold  of  Olivia,  enjoins  his  young 
friend,  Fidelio,  to  execute  the  following  plan  : — Diego, 

1  Freiherr  v.  Feuchtersleben  wished  to  insert  it  in  a  new  edition 
of  Mayrhofer's  poems  which  he  edited  ;  but,  as  he  himself  remarks,  in 
deference  to  advice  from  many  quarters,  and  out  of  respect  for  a  large 
number  of  readers,  he  gave  up  the  idea,  and  excluded  both  '  Die  Freunde 
von  Salamanka'  as  well  as  'Adrast'  from  the  collection.  The  consequence 
of  this  is,  that  most  probably  the  librettos  to  both  works  have  ceased  to 
exist,  as  of  Mayrhofer's  literary  remains,  which  came  to  the  hands  of 
Herr  v.  Feuchtersleben,  some  quotations  from  Herder  excepted,  nothing 
is  to  be  found,  and  the  manuscripts,  as  I  was  told,  were  very  likely 
treated  as  lumber  or  destroyed  by  the  household  servants. 


4  DIE  BEIDEN  FREUNDE  VON  SALAMANKA.'      73 

a  friend  of  both  parties,  is  to  head  an  apparent  assault 
of  banditti  upon  the  Countess,  whereupon  Alonzo  and 
Fidelio  are  to  rush  to  the  rescue,  and  by  this  means 
introduce  themselves  to  Olivia.  The  lady  is  attracted 
by  some  undefined  longings  to  a  solitary  place,  where 
the  Giesbach  foams  over  the  rocks — where 

Ein  tiefes  Both  die  Beeren  saumt, 
Und  holder  sind  der  Blumen  Sterne  ; 

and  in  the  course  of  her  wanderings  is  surprised  by 
Diego.  Both  friends  rush  forward  in  answer  to  her 
cries  for  help  ;  Diego  flies ;  Olivia's  people  advance  ; 
Eusebia,  the  confidant  of  the  Countess,  recognises  in 
Fidelio  her  lover.  The  whole  party  goes  off  in  triumph 
to  the  neighbouring  castle.  Olivia  falls  in  love  with 
her  knight ;  after  the  explanation  that  ensues,  forgives 
him  the  anxiety  which  his  premeditated  attack  has 
caused  her,  and  the  lovers  are  married. 

Count  Tormes  is  conducted  by  Fidelio  to  Eusebia, 
whom  he  takes  for  Olivia,  and  for  whose  hand  he 
woos  as  a  suitor.  Eusebia,  initiated  in  the  secret, 
will  not  discover  herself  until,  at  last,  Olivia  comes 
on  the  scene,  and  Tormes  learns  that  he  has  been 
deceived. 

There  is  another  complication  in  the  fact  of  Diego, 
a  young  lawyer,  becoming  a  suitor  for  the  hand  of 
Laura,  daughter  of  the  Alcalde.  After  Diego  has 
passed  a  successful  examination  in  the  Digests,  the 


74  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

Alcalde,  with  the  consent  of  the  Countess,  hands  him 
over  his  own  judicial  office,  and  gives  his  consent  to 
the  proposed  marriage.  Alonzo,  disappointed,  ( walks 
empty  away.' 

The  opera  is  preceded  by  an  overture,  and  there  are 
eighteen  vocal  numbers  in  the  work.  Seven  of  these 
are  in  the  first  act : — an  introduction  leading  to  a  trio 
for  Alonzo  (tenor),  Diego  (tenor),  and  Fidelio  (bass), 
an  air  for  the  latter,  a  quartett  (for  the  three  characters 
before  mentioned,  and  Tormes),  an  air  for  Olivia 
(soprano),  a  trio  (Olivia,  Eusebia,  and  a  peasant),  a 
duett  (Alonzo  and  Diego),  and  the  finale, —  an  ensemble 
in  which  the  Alcalde,  Laura,  a  chorus  of  men  and 
women  form  the  principal  characters. 

The  second  act  begins  in  a  very  cheerful  vein.  It 
is  the  time  of  the  vintage.  Vine-dressers,  both  men 
and  women,  are  busy  picking  the  grapes,  and  in  ex- 
pectancy of  the  feast  to  be  given  them  when  their 
toil  is  over.  There  is  an  introduction  for  the  orchestra, 
written  in  the  pastoral  style  (Allegretto,  F  major  f). 
The  steward  comes  to  the  vine-dressers,  to  encourage 
them  in  their  labours  : — 

Lasst  nur  alles  leichtfertige  Wesen, 
Hurtig  die  Trauben  gelesen, 
Was  soil  das  Griissen, 
Das  Fliistern  und  Kiissen  ? 

Thus  he  greets  the  labourers,  who  answer  him  in 
chorus : — 


THE    '  MINNESANGER,'   ETC.  75 

Zura  Moste  stampfen  wir  die  Beeren, 
Der  Most  muss  gahren, 
Sich  veredeln  und  zum  Wein, 
Zum  siissen  Blute  roth  und  re.in,  &c. 

A  general  chorus  of  rejoicing  closes  a  lively  pictur- 
esque scene,  set  to  music  alia  Pastorale. 

The  next  number  is  a  characteristic  national  Lied 
for  a  guerilla  chief  (bass)  : — 

Guerillas  zieht  durch  Feld  und  Wald 
In  rauher  Kriegeslust,  &c., 

which  is  repeated  as  a  couplet  after  the  entrance  of 
another  member  of  the  banditti  force.  Then  follows 
an  air  for  Tormes,  another  for  Xilo  (bass),  a  duett 
for  the  two,  and  a  second  duett  for  Diego  and  Laura, 
an  air  for  Olivia,  a  duett  between  her  and  Alonzo,  a 
romance  for  Diego,  a  trio  for  the  Alcalde,  Laura,  and 
Diego,  and  an  air  for  Laura,  with  a  finale,  in  which 
the  principals  take  part. 

In  this  opera,  Schubert,  although  not  entirely  aban- 
doning his  individuality  of  style,  shows,  throughout 
the  entire  work,  a  leaning  towards  the  manner  of  the 
older  composers.  Up  to  the  present  time,  this  opera  has 
remained  amongst  the  musician's  posthumous  papers, 
unnoticed  and  unknown. 

Besides  the  operas  and  stage  cantatas  before  men- 
tioned, we  must  refer  to  s  Die  Minnesanger,'  '  Adrast,' 
and ( Der  Spiegelritter.'  I  have  been  assured  that  Schu- 
bert set  fDer  Minnesanger'  (probably  Kotzebue's  work) 


76  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

to  music.1  He  is  said  also  to  have  set  a  portion  of  Mayr- 
hofer's  'Adrast,'  but  not  a  trace  of  the  music  remains.2 
He  is  said  to  have  set  the  whole  of  Kotzebue's  three-act 
Opera,  f  Der  Spiegelritter,'  to  music,  and  a  fragment  of 
this  has  appeared.3  The  libretto  contains  airs,  duetts, 
concerted  pieces,  and  choruses,  and  is  written  in  a 
decidedly  jocular  vein.  The  vaudeville,  at  least  the 
musical  fragment  we  have  of  it,  is  made  up  of  the  fol- 
lowing story: — Prince  Almador,  son  of  the  King  of  Dum- 
mistan,  after  being  reared  in  all  the  luxuries  of  court - 
life,  is  sent  out  by  his  father  on  a  journey  of  adventure, 
with  the  hope  of  making  him  a  man,  and  capable  of 
knightly  chivalrous  actions.  Schmurzo,  the  butt  of  the 
court  wits,  is  to  accompany  him.  For  a  motto  and 
watchword,  the  magician,  Burrudusasussi,  gives  the 
Prince  a  blue  shield,  whereon  is  mirrored  the  words, 
6  Der  Tugend  treu.'  The  mirror  has  the  peculiar 
power  of  turning  white  on  the  approach  of  dangers ; 
the  secret  that,  should  its  surface  ever  reflect  the  face 
of  Milnis,  the  enchanted  Queen  of  the  Black  Islands, 
the  lady  should  be  rid  of  the  curse  weighing  on  her 
of  everlasting  hunger,  is  hidden  from  the  knight. 
Almador  and  Schmurzo  set  out  on  their  travels. 

1  Both  Ferd.  Schubert  and  Bauernfeld  mention  this  opera. 

2  Probably  the  musical  and  philosophical  author  Adrastrus  of  Phi- 
lipoppolis.     Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner  says  that  Schubert  composed  a 
chorus  for  the  work. 

3  It  was  found  by  some  members  of  Ferdinand  Schubert's  family. 
The  Vienna  Musikverein  now  possesses  it. 


THE    '  SPIEGELRITTEK.'  77 

The  fragments  of  music  which  have  been  discovered 
contain  an  air  for  the  King,  f  Der  Sonnestrahl  ist 
warm;'  a  humorous  quintett  for  Schmurzo  and  the 
ladies  who  worry  and  banter  him,  4  Wir  gratuliren 
Dummkopf ; '  an  air  for  the  Prince,  '  Ach  es  ist  schon, 
fremde  Lander  zu  sehen ; '  a  duett  for  the  Prince's 
parents  (soprano  and  tenor),  '  Wohl  ist  nur  halbe 
Freude ; '  a  concerted  piece  with  chorus,  ( Ein  Sinn- 
bild  auf  dem  blanken  Schild ; '  an  air  for  the  Prince, 
6  Schweigt,  haltet  graues  Haar  in  Ehren  ; '  an  air  for  the 
magician,  with  chorus, 

So  nimm,  du  junger  Held, 
Den  Spiegel  im  blauen  Feld, 

and  the  fragment  of  a  song  for  the  Prince.  Under 
what  circumstances  the  opera  originated,  and  of  its 
ultimate  fate,  nothing  further  is  known. 

All  these  operettas  and  musical  dramas,  which  fol- 
lowed one  another  in  quick  succession,  are  to  be  re- 
garded in  the  first  instance  as  efforts,  on  Schubert's 
part,  to  make  himself  master,  by  independent  means, 
of  dramatic  forms  in  music  within  a  smaller  compass 
and  frame  than  those  often  used  by  operatic  writers. 
Nor  can  it  be  doubted  that  the  inclination  for  writing 
dramatic  music,  which  we  see  so  frequently  the  moving- 
spirit  in  the  early  days  of  many  of  the  greatest  masters, 
worked  with  irresistible  force  on  the  rnind  of  Schubert, 
who  certainly  knew  how  to  satisfy  his  ambition  in 
this  particular  field,  by  writing  copiously  for  the  stage. 


78  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

The  musical  value  of  these  operettas  cannot  be  ranked 
amongst  the  more  important  legacies  bequeathed  us  by 
Schubert,  nor  probably  would  they,  viewed  as  stage 
pieces,  any  longer  accord  with  the  present  taste  of  play- 
goers, especially  when  one  takes  into  consideration  the 
naivete  of  some  of  the  librettos  now  in  vogue  ; l  on  the 
other  hand,  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  these 
first  fruits  of  Schubert's  dramatic  music  showed  the 
mere  clever  efforts  of  a  gifted  schoolboy.  For  the 
musician,  with  his  inexhaustible  creative  powers,  his 
familiarity  with  the  laws  of  harmony  and  art  of  instru- 
mentation, who  at  that  time  had  already  written  several 
of  the  loveliest  songs,  and  had  the  stuff  in  him  to  pro- 
duce such  a  work  as  the  Mass  in  G,  moves  in  these 
operatic  works  with  such  ease  and  sense  of  security  in 
the  management  of  the  vocal  and  instrumental  part, 
that  to  talk  of  mere  scholastic  efforts  is  an  absurdity.  A 
performance  of  the  musical  fragments  of  these  operettas 
in  a  small  concert-room  would  reveal  many  a  lovely 
musical  thought. 

The  passion  for  operatic  writing  haunted  Schubert 
all  his  life.  A  long  pause  here  and  there  intervened, 
but  on  the  whole  his  fertility  and  activity  in  this  line 
are  astonishing ;  and  although,  at  a  later  period  of  his 
career,  the  ill-fortune  which  attended  theatrical  man- 
agement neutralised  that  reception  of  the  two  greater 

1  Certainly  there  is  no  lack  of  silly  librettos  in  our  own  times ;  but 
the  method  of  trifling  is  changed,  and  adapted  to  the  period. 


HIS   CAPACITY   AS   AN    OPERATIC   WRITER. 


79 


works  he  wrote  for  the  stage,  and  on  which  he  might 
have  counted  for  success,  we  see  the  undaunted  man 
nevertheless  busied  to  the  end  of  his  days  with  the 
thought  of  a  new  opera.  Such  specimens  of  Schubert's 
dramatic  work  as  were  ever  represented  on  the  stage 
during  his  lifetime,  belong  exclusively  to  the  melo- 
drama and  extravaganza. 


80  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

(1816.) 

i 

'  JUBILEE  CANTATA     IN    HONOUR    OF    SALIERI THE    CANTATA     PROME- 
THEUS ' CANTATA    IN     HONOUR     OF    JOSEF    SPENDOU THE    MASS    IN 

C THE  SECOND  STABAT  MATER SYMPHONIES  IN  B  AND  C  MINOR 

— AMATEURS'  ASSOCIATION — THE   OPERA  'DIE   BURGSCHAFT' — PART- 
SONGS SONGS QUOTATIONS   FROM  DIARY — SCHUBERT   APPLIES    FOR 

THE   POST    OF   MUSIC-TEACHER   AT   LAIHACH FRANZ    V.    SCHOBER. 

THE  year  1816  represents  in  Schubert's  brief  earthly 
career  a  time  of  incessant,  and,  with  some  trifling  inter- 
ruptions, unbroken  exercise  of  productiveness.  Besides 
the  ever-increasing  number  of  songs  (for  his  operatic 
writing  at  this  period  is  represented  by  only  one  soli- 
tary fragment),  the  cantata,  in  the  shape  of  three 
6  occasional  compositions,'  was  his  special  subject.  Of 
these  cantatas  the  one  that  is  set  to  the  poetical  text  of 
'  Prometheus '  far  surpasses  the  other  two.  The  first 
cantata  in  order  of  date  is  that  for  which  Schubert,  at 
the  jubilee  festival  of  the  Court  Capellmeister  Salieri, 
prepared  a  harmless  libretto  of  his  own  rhymes,  and  set 
to  equally  unpretentious  music. 

On  June  16,  1816,  Antonio  Salieri  entered  on  the 
fiftieth  year  of  his  service  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria. 
Both  he  and  his  family  had  some  time  previously  anti- 


81 

cipated  with  eagerness  the  impending  jubilee  fete,  and 
determined  on  celebrating  it  with  becoming  honour, 
and  the  Emperor  himself  was  intent  on  giving  dignity 
and  lustre  to  the  jubilee  festival.1 

Early  on  the  morning  of  June  16,  the  same  day  on 
which  the  Emperor  Francis  (starting  from  the  castle  of 
Bosenbeug)  returned  to  Schonbrunn  from  his  journey 
to  Italy,  Salieri  visited  the  Italian  church  to  offer  his 
prayers  and  thanksgivings.  His  four  daughters  accom- 
panied their  father,  who  thought  of  the  first  walk  he  had 
taken  through  the  streets  of  the  Imperial  city  on  June 
16, 1766,  with  his  master  Grassmann  (who  had  long  since 
been  called  to  his  rest).  At  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon 
an  Imperial  carriage  was  in  attendance  before  the  door 
of  his  house  (No.  1154  in  the  Spiegelgasse),  which  took 
him  to  the  hotel  of  the  grand  steward,  Prince  of  Trautt- 
mannsdorf-Weinsberg.  This  gentleman  appeared  in 
the  entrance-hall,  with  the  Hofmusikgraf  Kuefstein,  and 
conducted  him  to  a  chamber  decorated  for  the  occasion, 
when,  after  a  short  address,  he  was  invested  with  the 
great  gold  medal  and  chain  of  honour  of  the  civic  class, 
in  the  presence  of  the  whole  body  of  court  musicians. 
Salieri  thanked  the  Prince  for  the  mark  of  distinction 
awarded  him,  and  then  the  whole  body  of  assembled 
musicians  for  their  zeal ;  and  after  many  gracious  words 
had  been  interchanged,  he  led  the  way  (it  was  on  a 
Sunday)  to  the  Court  chapel,  to  discharge  his  ordinary 

1  From  '  Salieri's  Life,'  by  Mosel  ('Wiener  Zeitung,'  June  19,  1861). 
VOL.   I.  G 


82  LIFE    OP   SCHUBERT. 

duty,  and  conduct  the  high  Mass  (on  this  occasion  one 
of  his  own). 

In  the  afternoon  there  was  a  family  gathering  at  the 
dinner-table,  and  some  intimate  friends  were  asked  to 
join  the  party.  About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  in 
answer  to  an  invitation  that  had  been  forwarded  to 
them,  all  his  old  pupils,  of  both  sexes,  who  were  still 
working  professionally,  came  to  visit  him.  Count  Kuef- 
stein  honoured  the  company  with  his  presence,  and  when 
the  whole  party  had  assembled,  the  musical  part  of  the 
festival  began.  Salieri,  surrounded  by  his  daughters,  who 
were  all  dressed  alike,  took  his  seat  at  the  piano.  To 
the  right  of  him,  sitting  in  a  half-circle,  were  four- 
teen ladies,  consisting  of  his  former  and  present  pupils : 
these  were  Rosenbaum  and  Fux  (the  maiden  name  of 
both  was  Grassmann),  Correga,  Flamm,  Kliiber,  Schiitz, 
Milani,  Hahnel,  Canzi,  Franchetti,  Teyber,  Fery,  Weiss, 
and  Mathes.  To  the  left  were  twelve  gentlemen,  pupils 
of  former  days,  and  some  still  taking  lessons,  chiefly 
composition  pupils : l  Carl  Freiherr  v.  DoblhofF,  Josef 
Weigl,  Stunz,  Assmayr,  and  Franz  Schubert.  Hummel 
and  Moscheles,  who  were  absent  on  professional  tours, 
contented  themselves  with  sending  presents  of  their 
own  composition.  Amongst  Salieri's  pupils  in  singing 
there  appeared,  Mozatti,  Frolich,  Platzer,  and  Salz- 
mann.  Opposite  the  old  man,  the  hero  of  the  jubilee 

1  There  was  a  pupil  of  the  name  of  Liszt,  Franz  Liszt  was  then  in 
his  sixteenth  year. 


THE    '  JUBILEE   CANTATA.'  83 

fete,  were  two  prominent  places  reserved  for  the  supe- 
rior officials,  but  in  the  centre  of  these  stood  the  bust  of 
the  Emperor  Joseph  II.,  Salieri's  first  patron  and  friend. 
When  everyone  had  taken  his  seat,  Salieri  expressed 
his  thanks  to  his  audience,  and  a  chorus  expressive  of 
gratitude  to  Grod,  the  Emperor,  fatherland,  family  and 
friends  was  sung  by  the  whole  company.  The  words 
and  music  also  were  by  Salieri.  Afterwards  the  vocal 
compositions,  written  for  the  occasion  by  his  pupils, 
were  given,  each  in  its  turn,  beginning  with  the  work  of 
the  youngest,  and  ending  with  the  presentation  works 
of  Hummel  and  Moscheles.  Schubert  himself  was  pre- 
sent at  this  festival,  as  we  have  already  stated,  with 
a  cantata,  the  libretto  and  music  of  his  own,  entitled 
(  Contributions  to  the  Jubilee  Festival  of  Hofcapell- 
meister  Salieri,  by  his  pupil  Franz  Schubert.' 

The  composition  consists  of  a  vocal  quartett  for  men's 
voices  (Adagio,  B-flat  major  |-),  to  the  words: — 

Giitigster,  Bester ! 

Weisester,  Grosster! 

So  lange  ich  Thranen  habe 

Und  an  der  Kunst  mich  labe, 

Sei  beides  Dir  gebracht,  (geweiht  ?) 

Der  beides  mir  verleiht. 

This  is  followed  by  an  air  with  pianoforte  accom- 
paniment (Andantino,  Gr  major  -| ) : — 

So  Gut  als  Weisheit  strome  mild 
Von  Dir,  o  Gottes  Ebenbild. 
En  gel  bist  Du  mir  auf  Erden, 
Gern'  mocht'  ich  Dir  dankbar  werden, 
a  2 


84  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

and  a  canon  for  three  voices  (Moderate,  Gr  major  f)— 

Unser  aller  G-rosspapa 
Bleibe  noch  recht  lange  da  ! 

finishes  a  cantata  which  is  more  calculated  to  interest 
people  by  the  circumstances  to  which  it  owes  its  origin 
than  from  its  intrinsic  value  as  a  work  of  art.1  A  far 
more  important  work  was  composed  by  Schubert  about 
this  time,  and  one  which  commanded  the  unanimous 
praise  of  the  still-living  witnesses  of  its  first  per- 
formance. To  this  work  the  modest  author  owed  his 
first  honorarium  in  the  shape  of  forty  florins ;  and  he 
was  so  well  pleased  with  the  music,  that  several  years 
later  he  gave  it  at  a  public  performance.  This  is  the 
Cantata  called  in  the  preface  c  Prometheus,'  for  prin- 
cipal voices,  chorus,  and  band.  Several  law-students, 
amongst  them  Count  Constantin  Wickenburg  (head  of 
the  Austrian  Board  of  Trade),  and  as  Hauptveran- 
stalter,2  Herr  v.  Managetta,  determined  on  surprising 
Heinrich  Watteroth,3  on  his  name-day  (July  12),  with 
a  musical  celebration,  which  was  to  take  place  in  the 
garden  attached  to  his  house  in  the  Erdberg  suburb. 

1  Copies  of  this  work  are  in  the  hands  of  Josef  v.  Spaun,  the  music 
publisher  Herr  Witzendorf,  and  the  wife   of  Dr.  Lumpe,  of  Vienna. 
This  lady  also  possesses  a  trio  with  pianoforte  accompaniments,  set  to 
the  same  words,  and  composed  also  in  the  June  of  1816.     It  differs  in 
some  respects,  but  not  materially,  from  the  above-mentioned  quartett. 

2  Probably  Hofrath  Filipp  v.  Managetta,    who  died  a   short  time 
since. 

3  Watteroth  was  the  father-in-law  of  Schubert's  friend  Von  Witteczek. 


THE    CANTATA   '  PROMETHEUS.'  85 

Filipp  Draxler  von  Carin  (at  that  time  Hofrath  and 
Kanzlei-Director  of  the  Imperial  Obersthofmeisteramt), 
at  the  request  of  several  of  his  colleagues,  composed  the 
words  of  the  Cantata  'Prometheus,'  whilst  taking  a 
stroll  through  the  mountain-valleys  of  Baden,  and  the 
poem  was  entrusted  to  Schubert,  who  had  no  personal 
acquaintance  with  the  author.  The  rehearsals  for  the 
performance  were  held  in  the  Consistorial  Hall  of  the 
University,  and  were  continued  with  vigour.  The  per- 
formance, which  had  frequently  to  be  postponed,  from 
the  unfavourable  state  of  the  weather,  came  off  finally 
on  July  24. 

Fraulein  Maria  Lagusius  (who  afterwards  married 
Herr  Griesinger,  and  died  in  1861)  and  Josef  Goetz 
undertook  the  solo  parts  of  '  Grea  '  and  '  Prometheus  ; ' 
the  students  worked  in  the  orchestra  and  chorus.  Count 
Wickenburg  delivered  the  public  oration  in  honour  of 
Salieri.  The  Cantata  and  other  musical  works  followed. 
The  performance  seems  to  have  been  successful,  and  the 
impression  made  by  the  original  and  beautifully  instru- 
mented work  was  of  a  decided  kind. l  The  music  had 

1  A  few  days  afterwards  the  following  poem  by  Herr  F.  v.  Schlechta 
(at  that  time  chief  in  the  head  department  of  the  Exchequer  Office)  ap- 
peared in  the  '  Theaterzeitung;' — 

'  To  Franz  Schubert,  on  the  performance  of  his  "  Prometheus." 
'  In  der  Tone  tiefem  Leben, 
Wie  die  Sal  ten  jubelnd  klangen, 
1st  ein  unbekanntes  Leben 
In  der  Brust  mir  aufgegangen. 

VOL.  I.  *  G  3 


86  LIFE   OF  SCHUBERT. 

made  such  an  impression,  that  Dr.  Leopold  v.  Sonnleith- 
ner  proposed  it  for  the  programme  of  the  Musikverein's 
concerts;  but  his  scheme  failed,  as  the  public  had 
no  wish  to  hear  any  music  '  of  so  young  and  hitherto 
obscure  a  musician.'  In  the  last  years  of  Schubert's 
life  the  work  became  more  generally  known,  and,  at  the 
request  of  the  authorities  of  the  Grottweih  Institution, 
the  score  and  the  parts,  copied  by  Schubert  himself, 
were  sent  to  them.  The  Cantata,  however,  being  wanted 
elsewhere,  the  score  and  parts  were,  at  Schubert's  re- 
quest, sent  back  again  to  his  house  (at  that  time  No. 
694  on  the  Wieden),  but  the  MS.  disappeared  about 
the  time  of  Schubert's  death,  and,  up  to  this  time,  has 
never  come  to  light  again.1 

In  dem  Sturmeston  der  Lieder 
Klagt  die  Menschheit  jammernd  Ach, 
Kampfend  steigt  Prometheus  nieder, 
Und  das  schwere  Dunkel  brach. 

Mich  hat's  wunderbar  erhoben, 
Und  der  "Wehmuth  neue  Lust 
Wie  ein  schimmernd  Licht  von  oben 
Kam  in  die  bewegte  Brust. 

Und  in  Thranen  und  Entzucken 
Fiihlte  ich  mein  Herz  zerstiicken, 
Jauchzend  hatte  ich  mein  Leben 
Wie  Prometheus  hingegeben.' 

1  The  poem  has  been  lost.  In  the  year  1842  Herr  Alois  Fuchs  ad- 
vertised in  the  '  Musikzeitung,'  at  Vienna,  for  any  news  respecting  the 
missing  work,  but  all  in  vain.  In  the  '  Neue  Zeitschrift  fur  Musik,' 
No.  8,  for  the  year  1842,  this  advertisement  was  referred  to,  and  the 
remark  made :  '  If  only  the  unprinted  things  of  Schubert,  which  he  is 


CANTATA    IN   HONOUR   OF   SPENDOTJ.  87 

A  third  composition  of  a  similar  kind  was  written 
in  honour  of  the  Chief  Inspector  of  Schools,  Josef 
Spendou,1  to  the  words  of  Hocheisel,  for  solo  voices, 
orchestra,  and  chorus,  entitled,  *  Expressions  of  Grati- 
tude on  the  part  of  the  Institute  of  the  Widows  of 
Teachers  at  Vienna  to  the  Founder  and  Principal  of 
the  same  '  (Josef  Spendou).2  The  composition  consists 
of  recitatives  (for  bass),  an  air,  a  duett,  and  several 

known  to  have  composed,  could  be  brought  to  light !  For  instance,  in 
the  library  at  Berlin  there  is  a  grand  Opera  ("  Alfonso  und  Estrella"), 
and  in  Vienna  over  fifty  works  of  still  greater  value.  These  cannot 
print  themselves  :  those  whose  chief  business  it  is  ought  to  give  them- 
selves some  trouble,  that  the  world  may  at  last  come  to  a  full  and  cor- 
rect appreciation  of  the  value  of  Schubert.'  Herr  Friihwald  undertook 
the  restoration  of  '  Prometheus '  from  Gottweih,  and  Dr.  Leopold  v. 
Sounleithner  (to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  this  communication)  sent  the 
score  to  Schubert,  who  had  asked  for  it  in  a  letter  of  which  Friihwald 
was  the  bearer.  Unfortunately  no  copy  was  made  of  the  Cantata,  the 
parts  of  which  had  been  written  out  by  Schubert  himself.  The  score 
was  also  sent  to  Innsbruck,  and  a  performance  given  there  by  Capell- 
meister  Gansbacher.  In  the  year  1819  'Prometheus'  was  given  at 
Sonnleithner's  house,  and  Dr.  Ignaz  v.  Sonnleithner  sang  the  part  of  Pro- 
metheus. In  the  year  1816  Schubert  was  present  at  the  performance, 
and  of  those  who  took  part  in  it  and  witnessed  its  production  were  Dr. 
Leopold  v.  S.,  Albert  Stadler,  Ant.  Milliner,  afterwards  Minister  of 
Finance,  Von  Schlechta,  and  Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner.  In  the  year 
1820  Schubert  wished  to  give  the  Cantata  in  the  Augarten,  but  the 
idea  was  given  up  from  the  ill  success  of  the  rehearsals.  The  time 
occupied  by  the  performance  was  about,  three-quarters  of  an  hour. 

1  Spendou  was  Domscolasticus,  a  Doctor  of  Divinity,  Privy  Coun- 
cillor, Member  of  the  Koyal  Commission  in  affairs  connected  with  Ger- 
man  Schools,  a  mitred  prelate,  and  Chief  Superintendent  of  Schools. 

2  The  Cantata  is  published  as  Op.  128,  with  a  pianoforte  arrange- 
ment by  Ferdinand  Schubert. 

VOL.  I.  *  G  4 


88  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

choruses.  The  first  bass  Kecitative  (Grave,  Gr  minor 
-J),  '  There  lies  he  stricken  down  by  death,'  alludes  to 
the  dead  father,  and,  in  short,  powerful  passages,  ex- 
presses the  helplessness  of  the  fatherless  children.  A 
mournful  elegy  is  given  to  the  widow,  accompanied  by 
a  chorus  (Andante,  F  minor  •£)  of  children  consoling 
their  widowed  mother.  A  second  bass  Eecitative  is 
addressed  to  the  deliverer,  whose  kindly  interference 
is  the  subject  of  a  duett  (Allegro  mod.,  B-flat  ma- 
jor) by  the  widow  and  one  of  the  children.  Another 
passage  in  recitative  follows  (Andante  molto  |),  and  to 
this  succeeds  a  chorus  of  orphans  and  widows  (Allegro 
maestoso,  D  major  •*.)  in  honour  of  Spend ou,  and 
lastly,  a  short  bass  solo  (Adagio  con  moto,  D  major  -J), 
leading  to  a  choral  finale  (in  B-flat  major  ^),  which, 
beginning  with  a  quartett  (widow,  child,  tenor,  and  bass), 
accompanies  the  soprano  solo  to  the  end  of  the  work. 

The  recitatives  in  this  Cantata  are  finely  and  ex- 
pressively treated.  The  other  portions  of  the  work  al- 
lowing for  smooth  execution  on  the  part  of  the  orphan 
children,  move  in  gentle  flowing  melodies.  The  homely 
nature  of  the  libretto  was  not  well  adapted  to  develope  a 
grand  mode  of  treatment  on  the  part  of  the  composer  ; 
but  the  intention  of  paying  honour,  by  appropriate 
music,  to  the  benefactor  of  widows  and  orphans,  is  said 
to  have  been  completely  answered  in  the  public  per- 
formance of  the  Cantata. 

Church  music  is  amply  represented  at  this  period  by 


THE   MASS   IN    C.  89 

the  Mass  in  C,1  comparatively  speaking  a  work  of  less  pre- 
tensions than  many  others  ;  by  the  Grand  Magnificat,2  a 
so-called  (  Duett- Arie  ' 3  for  soprano  and  tenor,  the  frag- 
ment of  a  Requiem,4  and  the  Stabat  Mater,  in  imitation 
of  Klopstock ;  finally,  by  two  smaller  contributions  in 
the  shape  of  Klopstock's  Hallelujah  (for  three  voices), 
contained  in  Series  41,  and  a  Salve  Regina.  Of  these 
sacred  compositions,  the  Stabat  Mater,  for  solo  voices, 
chorus,  and  orchestra,  is  unquestionably  the  grandest, 
and  of  the  most  artistic  value.5  It  consists  of  four  airs 

1  This  is  Schubert's  Fourth  Mass  (marked  third  in  the  title-page). 
It  was  written  for  four  voices   and  orchestral   accompaniment,  dedi- 
cated '  Zur  freundlichen  Erinnerung '  to  Herr  Holzer,  and  was  engraved 
by  Diabelli  as  Op.  48. 

2  This  Magnificat  is  for  solo  and  mixed  voices  with  instrumental  ac- 
companiments (violin,   viola,   hautboy,   bassoon,   trumpet,   drum,   and 
organ).     It   begins  with   a   chorus  (Allegro   maestoso  |),  '  Magnificat 
anima    mea    Dominum,'    &c.,    followed  by   a  quartett   for   principals 
(Andante  f ),  '  Deposuit  potentes  de  sede,'  &c.,  and  a  concluding  chorus 
with  quartett  for  principals  (Allegro  vivace  |),  '  Gloria  Patri  et  Filio  et 
Spiritui  Sancto.     Amen,'     Herr  Spina  has  the  MS.,  bearing  date  Sep- 
tember 25,  1816. 

3  This  work  is  one  of  large  pretensions  (Moderate  Gr  major  f ),  and  is 
accompanied  by  violins,  hautboy,  bassoon,  cello,  and  double-bass.     The 
words  run  thus  : — 

'  Auguste,  jam  coelestium  Divis  recepte  sedibus, 
Dignare  te  colentium  piis  adesse  mentibus. 
Omnem  per  orbem  gloriae  tuae  eriguntur  simbola ; 
Per  te  impetratse  gloriae  ubique  stant  insignia.    Amen.' 
Spina  has  the  original  manuscript. 

4  The  Eequiem  reaches  (inclusively)  to  the  fugue  of  the  Kyrie. 

5  The  Stabat  Mater  bears  date  February  1816.     The  instrumental 
accompaniments  are  for  violins,  viola,  hautboy,  trumpets,  and  double- 
bass.     In  the  year  1841  it  was  performed  in  the  concert-room  of  the 


90  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

(one  for  soprano,  another  for  bass,  and  two  for  tenor), 
a  duett  for  soprano  and  tenor,  two  trios  for  soprano, 
tenor,  and  bass,  one  of  which  has  a  choral  accom- 
paniment, and  five  choruses  for  mixed  voices.  These 
are  the  most  successful  portions  of  the  entire  work,  and 
the  double  chorus  (No.  5),  given  out  alternately  by 
men's  and  women's  voices,  is  full  of  beauty  and  ex- 
pression. The  soprano  solo  (No.  2)  and  the  trio  (No. 
10)  are  written  in  a  genuine  church  style,  the  solo 
being  immensely  effective.  The  bass  air  might  have 
been  written  by  Mozart,  so  exactly  is  it  formed  on  the 
model  of  that  master.  To  the  two  Symphonies  (in  B-flat 
and  D),  which  were  composed  in  the  preceding  year, 
must  be  added,  as  the  results  of  this  year,  two  addi- 
tional Symphonies,  that  in  C  minor  (called 6  the  tragic '), 
and  a  second  in  B-flat  major.1  Of  the  two  Symphonies 
in  B-flat,  one  is  known  as  '  the  Symphony  without  Trum- 
pets and  Drums,'  probably  from  the  fact  of  there  being 

Musikverein  in  Vienna,  Staudigl,  Lutz,  and  Frl.  Tuczek  taking  the  prin- 
cipal parts.  In  the  year  1858  the  trio  and  chorus  were  given  by  the 
Vienna  Singakademie,  and  the  whole  work  was  given  in  its  entirety  in 
the  April  of  1863  in  the  Altlerchenfelder  Church  in  Vienna. 

1  The  C  minor  Symphony,  composed  in  April,  consists  of  four  move- 
ments :— an  Introduction,  Adagio  molto  £  with  the  Allegro  to  follow,  an 
Andante  (A-flat  major  f ),  a  Minuett  with  Trio  (Allegro  vivace,  E-flat 
major),  and  the  Finale  (Allegro,  C  minor  -*-).  The  Symphony  in  B-flat 
has  also  four  movements — a  Largo  and  Allegro,  an  Andante,  Minuett, 
and  Finale.  The  second  movement  of  the  C  minor  Symphony  was  given 
as  a  fragment  on  December  2,  1860,  at  a  concert  in  Vienna.  The 
Vienna  Musikverein  possesses  a  copy  of  the  B-flat  Symphony,  and  Dr. 
Schneider  one  of  the  C  minor. 


SYMPHONIES   IN    B-FLAT   AND    C   MINOR.  91 

no  trumpeter  or  drummer  in  the  Orchestral  Society  of 
Amateurs,  for  whom  Schubert,  at  that  time,  was  in  the 
habit  of  composing  his  chamber  and  orchestral  music. 

The  small  circle  of  friends  and  neighbours,  starting 
with  quartett  parties  at  the  elder  Schubert's,  had  by 
degrees  enlarged  its  borders,  and  swelled  into  an  or- 
chestra competent  to  perform  Haydn's  Symphonies, 
which  were  reduced  into  a  quartett  arrangement  with 
each  part  doubled.  To  the  existing  quartett  of  per- 
formers were  added  Herr  Josef  Doppler  (foreman  and 
chief  manager  of  the  musical  establishment  of  C.  A. 
Spina),  who  had  been  intimate  with  Schubert  from  boy- 
hood, the  violoncello  players  Kamauf  and  Wittmann, 
and  the  double-bass  player  Redlpacher. 

As  the  elder  Schubert's  house  was  now  too  small 
for  these  meetings,  Franz  Frischling,  a  merchant,  very 
gladly  opened  his  doors  (No.  1105,  Dorotheergasse)  to 
the  musicians.  Several  new  members  joined,  and  conse- 
quently, in  the  autumn  of  1815,  the  smaller  Symphonies 
(by  Pleyel,  Rosetti,  Haydn,  and  Mozart)  became  fea- 
sible, and  people  came  to  listen.  The  room  was  too 
small,  so  at  the  end  of  the  year  1815  the  Society  mi- 
grated to  the  house  of  Otto  Hatwig  (originally  a  mem- 
ber of  the  orchestra  of  the  Burg  Theatre)  at  Schotten- 
hof,  and  in  the  spring  of  1818  to  his  new  house  in 
Gundelhof.  Continued  and  regular  practices,  coupled 
with  the  addition  to  the  band  of  some  first-rate  mu- 
sicians, led  to  performances  of  the  greater  works  of 


92  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

Haydn,  Mozart,  Krommer,  Romberg,  and  the  two  first 
Symphonies  of  Beethoven,  besides  the  Overtures  by 
Cherubim,  Spontini,  Catel,  Mehul,  Boildieu,  Weigl, 
Winter,  and  others.  It  was  for  this  Society  that  Schubert 
wrote  the  two  Symphonies  we  have  mentioned,  and  in 
the  year  1818  the  Symphony  in  C,  besides,  in  1817,  the 
Overture  in  the  Italian  style  (of  these  we  shall  speak 
hereafter)  and  an  Overture  in  B-flat,1  written  in  Sep- 
tember 1816.  The  practice  meetings  continued  as  late 
as  the  autumn  of  1820,  when,  for  want  of  a  suitable 
locality,  they  were  discontinued  and  never  resumed.2 

Schubert  made  a  strong  effort  to  complete  an  Opera 
in  three  acts,  called  'Die  Biirgschaft,'  but  it  was  never 
finished.3  This  opera,  the  score  of  which  bears  date 
May  2,  has  two  acts  entirely  finished  ;  of  the  third  there 
is  but  one  air  with  chorus ;  in  all  there  are  fifteen  num- 
bers. The  compiler  of  the  book  is  not  mentioned,  and 
I  have  never  succeeded  in  finding  the  libretto.  It  has 

1  The  score  is  in  the  possession  of  Dr.  Schneider,  of  Vienna. 

2  The  Society,  after  leaving  Hatwig,  held  its  meetings  at  the  house 
of  Anton  Pettenkoffer,   a  factor  in  the  Bauernmarkt.     When  P.  left 
Vienna,  and  no  fitting  place  of  resort  could  be  got  without  paying  for 
it,  the  Society  was  dissolved.     Amongst  the  standing  members  from  the 
years  1815-1818,  were  Ferdinand  and  Franz  Schubert  (the  last  as  a 
player  on  the  viola)  and  Josef  Doppler  (bassoon) ;  Ferd.  Bogner  (flute) 
joined  them   occasionally.      As   solo   singers  who    took   part   in    the 
performances  were  Von    Gymnich,   Goetz,   Tieze,   and    Frl.   Josefine 
and  Babette  Frohlich. — See  'Essays  on  the  State  of  Music  in   Old 
Vienna,'  by  Dr.  It.  v.  Sonnleithner,  in  the  '  Kecensionen '  of  the  year 
1862. 

8  The  score  is  with  Dr.  Schneider. 


THE   OPERA    'DIE   BURGSCHAFT.'  93 

been  said  to  have  been  the  work  of  some  law-student.1 
The  verses  and  the  expressions  contained  in  them  in 
some  passages  are  beneath  criticism,  and  form  a  con- 
vincing proof  of  the  easy,  unexacting  nature  and  temper 
in  which  Schubert  applied  himself  to  the  librettos  for 
his  operas.  If  the  idea  as  a  whole  pleased  him,  and  he 
could  discover  any  openings  for  the  dramatic  develop- 
ment of  his  music,  he  passed  over  the  remaining  imper- 
fections with  incredible  ease  and  good  nature.  I  do  not 
know  why  he  was  deterred  from  finishing  the  entire 
opera  (possibly  the  unmeaning  character  of  his  book  may 
have  prevented  him).  The  treatment  is  in  the  manner 
of  Schiller's  ballads,  for  which  Schubert  at  this  period 
had  written  music. 

The  opera  begins  with  a  chorus  of  people  praying 
for  deliverance  from  cruelty  and  tyranny  (Allegro  mo- 
derato,  C  minor  -J-),  to  accompaniments  of  violins,  viola, 
cello,  bassoon,  horn,  trumpets,  and  double-bass.  Moeros 
(bass)  enters  to  the  assembled  crowds,  and  expresses 
his  intention  of  vengeance  in  an  air  (Allegro  agitato,  F 
minor  -J).2  The  chorus  answers  in  a  wild  characteristic 
strain,  taking  for  its  subject  the  flaming  volcano  of  Etna 

1  In  the  same  year  (1816)  appeared  '  The  Friends  of  Syracuse,'  a  new 
play  in  five  acts  by  Elise  Biirger  (nee  Hahn),  extracts  from  which  were 
printed  in  the  '  Theaterzeitung,'  in  Vienna,  September  1816. 

2  Amongst  other  pieces,  Moeros  sings  the  following  verse  : — 

Muss  ich  fiihlen  in  tiefer  Brust 
Tiefes  Elend,  tiefe  Schmach, 
Und  mit  dieser  Kachelust ! 
Und  ich  bin  so  klein  und  schwach! 


94  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

and  the  infatuated  rebel,  who  is  to  be  impaled  and 
crucified  that  very  day.1  The  tyrant  of  Syracuse  gives 
the  assassin  one  day's  leave  for  settling  his  worldly 
affairs,  for  which  favour  the  villain  expresses  his  grati- 
tude in  an  air2  (Moderate,  D  minor  •£) ;  but  Dionysius, 
in  a  recitative,  expresses  his  doubts  on  the  subject  of 
his  return.3 

Feste  gibt  es  heute  wieder 
Bei  dem  Konig  an  dem  Hof, 
Uebermuth  singt  iipp'ge  Lieder 
Bei  den  Prassern  zu  dem  Soff,  &c. 

1  The  chorus  then  utters  the  following  frantic  nonsense  : — 
Auf,  loscht  ihm  (dem  Etna)  die  schmachtende  Qual, 
Erfrischt  ihm  den  brandigen  gliihenden  Mund 
Mit  purpurner  Welle  bis  auf  den  Grund. 
Er  labe  die  brennende  Soune  einmal 
Und  singe  bachantische  Lieder. — 
Es  lebe  der  meuter'sche  Thor, 
Er  zieret  das  Kreuz  mit  dem  schonen  Leib, 
Er  stellet  die  Fiille  vor ; 
Und  langet  und  presset  das  liisterne  Weib, 
Sie  mochte  ihn  gerne  fiir  sich  befreien ; 
Er  lebe  gesund  und  stark,  der  Bliiten  nur  schmauset, 
Nicht  Krankheit  und  Pest. 
Er  muss  sich  dem  Henkertod  weih'n. 
Er  sei  ihm  ein  Opfer,  ein  herrliches  Fest. 
Wir  schauen's  noch  heute  am  Kreuze  vollbracht. 

Diese  G-nade  dank'  ich  dir, 

Werd'  sie  stets  dir  denken, 

Und  ich  eile  froh  von  hier, 

Mein  Geschaft  zu  lenken. 

Ob  er  wohl  zuriickkehrt  ? 

Ich  kann  es  nicht  glauben, 

Die  That  war  unerhort, 

Sie  ist  gar  nicht  zu  glauben. 


95 

The  scene  changes  to  the  interior  of  the  house  of 
Theages.  His  wife  Anna  sings  a  romance  about  a  poor 
lost  child,  recovered  back  once  more  into  the  fold 
from  which  it  had  strayed.  The  two  children  of  Thea- 
ges, Julus  and  Ismene,  repeat  the  last  verse  each  time 
with  the  mother.  This  charming  piece  is  followed 
by  a  two-part  song  for  the  two  children — the  subject  is 
a  narrative  of  some  legend.  A  duett  between  Anna 
and  Theages  forms  the  burden  of  the  next  number. 
Theages,  who  goes  bail  for  Moeros,  is  ordered — the  de- 
fendant not  appearing — to  be  cast  into  prison.  Anna 
utters  loud  lamentations,  Theages  seeks  to  comfort  her.1 
The  chorus  of  guards  incites  Theages  to  follow  him,2 
and  this  leads  to  the  concluding  subject  of  the  final 
ensemble  of  the  first  act. 

1  ANNA. 
Du  gehst  in  Kerker — du, 
Du.  eilst  in  Kerker — du, 

Zur  finstern  Kerkersnacht  hinab, 
Das  geht  nimmer  rechtlich  zn. 

THEAGES. 

G-eliebtes  Weib  gib  dich  in  Euh ! 
Ich  geh'  in  den  Kerker,  doch  nicht  zum  Grab. 

ANNA. 

Nein,  nein,  das  war  noch  nicht  erhort, 
Das  geht  nicht  an,  du  biirgst  ihn  nicht,  &c. 

2  On  this  occasion  Anna  says : — 

Die  rauhen  Manner  fiihren  ihn 
Zum  finstern  Kerkersort, 
Er  klirrt  in  Ketten  fort, 


96  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

The  second  is  separated  from  the  first  act  by  an 
overture,  which  (beginning  with  an  Andante  in  C 
major  f ,  and  ending  in  Allegro  agitato)  leads  to  an  air 
for  Moeros  on  his  return  home,  in  which  he  thanks  the 
gods  for  saving  him  from  drowning. 

The  scene  changes  to  Anna's  room.  The  lady,  terri- 
fied by  a  dream  about  her  husband's  fate,  expresses  her 
anguish  in  a  series  of  passionate  recitatives.  Julus 
and  Ismene  endeavour  to  comfort  her.  Their  dialogue 
ends  with  a  trio,  in  which  Anna  takes  part.1 

Philostratus,  the  friend  of  the  family,  enters  and  tries 
to  restore  the  confidence  in  the  fidelity  of  the  now  dis- 
trusted Moeros.  Anna  answers  him  in  gentler  accents 
and  style,  a  duett  for  the  two  characters  follows.  Phi- 
lostratus ends  the  interview  with  the  following  words : — 

Liebet  unbeschreiblich  ihn, 

Er  gibt  zehnmal  sein  Leben  hin, 
Um  Freundes  Leben  zu  erretten, 

Wenn  nur  von  traurigen  Ketten, 

and   Anna  and  the  two  children  repeat  that  sublime 
stanza. 

The  scene  now  changes  to  a  forest.  Eobbers  are 
lurking,  on  the  look-out  for  booty,  and  sing  a  charac- 
teristic quartett.  The  band,  in  a  movement  Allegro 
furioso,  describes  a  battle  with  the  highwaymen.  A 

1  Ja  so  sind  wir  ganz  verlassen, 
Statt  des  Freundes  muss  er  sterben, 
Herzlich  muss  ich  Moeros  hassen, 
Da  wir  alle  nun  verderben. 


THE    OPERA    '  DIE   BURGSCHAFT.'  97 

number  of  recitative  passages  follow ;  Moeros  van- 
quishes the  robbers,  quenches  his  thirst  from  the  re- 
freshing stream,  and  thanks  the  all-powerful  gods.  He 
continues  to  exclaim,  as  he  enters  the  scene : — 

Wenn  ich  verbliebe ! 
Mitleidiger  Gtott ! 
Ohn'  Erbarmen — war'  er  todt. 
Und  mir  winkt  ein  Ziel, 
Heiliger  Andacht  grosses  G-efuhl. 

And  here  the  second  act  ends. 

The  third  contains  only  two  finished  numbers.  It 
opens  with  a  chorus  of  the  people,  assembled  in  front  of 
the  place  of  execution ;  a  short  introduction  (Andante, 
B  minor  f )  precedes  this  chorus.  The  choral  sentiment 
is  thus  expressed : — 

Der  Abend  riickt  heran, 
Du  biisst  fur  deinen  Wahn  ; 
Man  fuhrt  sogleich  dich  fort 
Zum  strengen  Kerkerort. 

Thereupon  Theages  answers  : — 

Schweigt,  Ihr  seid  im  "Wahn, 
Durch  Euch  spricht  der  Tyrann, 
Euch  wurmt  mein  fester  Muth, 
Mein  hohes  G-laubensgut. 

Then  follows  an  interesting  musical  passage — Thea- 
ges, prepared  for  death,  appeals  to  the  crowd : — 

Ein  bo'ser  Geisterchor, 
Der  sich  voll  Zweifel  seitwarts  steckt 
Nun  schweigt,  ich  lass  mich  todten, 
Und  werd'  ihn  so  erretten, 
VOL.    I.  H 


98  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

whilst  the  crowd  replies  to  him  in  scornful  language,  ad- 
mirably understood  and  illustrated  by  the  composer  :— 

Die  Sonne  sinkt,  nun  gute  Nacht, 
Du  hast's  gebiisst,  du  bast's  vollbracht, 
Das  hast  fiir  deinen  Grlauben, 
Den  dir  kein  Mensch  kann  rauben. 
Seht,  wie  der  Freund  zu  losen  eilt, 
Und  seinem  Freund  die  Wunden  heilt, 
Da  ihn  die  Stunden  schlugen, 
Die  sie  zusammentrugen. 

From  this  point  the  solo  -and  chorus,  although  with- 
out a  libretto,  are  carried  on  through  five  pages  of  the 
original  score ;  and  a  short  phrase  is  given  to  Theages:— - 

Wenn  dreimal  sich  der  Abend  neiget, 
Und  er  sich  noch  nicht  findet, 
Meint  ihr,  der  Glaube  schwindet  ? 

The  setting  of  this  solo  passage  extends  to  the  space 
of  six  pages,  and  thus  ends  the  unfinished  Opera,  of 
which  no  single  portion  has  ever  been  represented  in 
public. 

There  are  numbers  of  instrumental  compositions 
written  in  other  styles  than  those  already  mentioned 
(pianoforte  and  church  music);  but  the  majority  of 
these  remain  unpublished.1 

1  Amongst  these  are :  a  stringed  Quartett  in  F,  an  instrumental  Trio, 
a  violin  Concerto  in  C,  a  Eondo  for  the  violin  in  A,  a  pianoforte  Sonata 
in  F,  an  Adagio  and  Eondo  concertant  for  pianoforte,  the  first  movement 
and  opening  of  the  Allegro  of  a  pianoforte  Sonata  in  E,  two  Marches  for 
pianoforte  in  E  major  and  B  minor,  Marches  with  Trio  in  E  major, 
twelve  '  Deutsche '  with  Coda  and  six  Ecossaisen.  On  the  last  there 
is  an  expression  in  Schubert's  own  handwriting:  '  Composed  during 
imprisonment  in  my  room  at  Erdberg.  May.'  At  the  end  are  the 


SONGS.  99 

Of  vocal  pieces  set  for  various  voices,  and  hitherto 
but  little,  if  at  all,  known,  may  be  mentioned  :  '  An 
die  Sonne,'  a  grand  solemn  Quartett,  with  chorus  and 
pianoforte  accompaniment;  'Das  Grab,'  by  Salis  (vocal 
Quartett  for  men's  voices) ;  '  Chorus  of  Angels,'  from 
Grothe's  f Faust/  for  mixed  voices;1  'Drinking  Song'2 
(for  tenor  solo  and  chorus  of  men's  voices,  with  piano- 
forte accompaniment) ;  4  Der  Geistertanz,'  by  Mathis- 
son  (Quartett  for  men's  voices),  and  a  vocal  Trio,  ( Am 
Seegestrade.' 3 

In  respect  of  the  number  of  songs,  the  year  1816 
may  take  rank  with  the  year  immediately  preceding, 
and  both  periods  were  marked  with  incessant  activity 
in  Schubert's  career  as  a  song-writer.  Amongst  the 
songs  of  those  days  are  the  *  Songs  of  the  Harper,' 
'The  Wanderer,'4  ( Fragment  from  JEschylus,'  'An 

words  '  Thank  God ! '  As  Witteczek,  Mayrhofer,  and  Spaun  lived  for 
some  time  at  Erdberg,  tho  imprisonment  story  probably  refers  to  some 
practical  joke  which  Schubert  allowed  his  friends  to  play  on  him  when 
they  visited  him.  Ferdinand  Schubert,  in  whose  catalogues  the  above- 
named  compositions  are  found,  mentions  a  Symphony  in  C  (composed  in 
September),  but  no  trace  of  this  work  is  forthcoming.  The  three  Sonatas 
for  piano  and  violin  (Op.  137)  belong  also  to  this  period. 

1  This  appeared  in  the  year  1839,  as  a  supplement  to  the  'Neue 
Zeitschrift  f iir  Musik.' 

2  The  'Drinking  Song'  appeared  in  the  year  1844,  sent  by  Mecchetti  as 
a  contribution  to  the  '  Musikzeitung '  of  Vienna. 

3  Herr  Stadler,  of  Vienna,  has  the  manuscript  of  this  as  well  as  the 
'  G-eistertanz.' 

4  The  original  of  '  The  Wanderer '  is  in  the  hands  of  Dr.  Carl  Enderes, 
of  Vienna.      It  bears  date  October  1816.      The  actual  day  has  been 

H  2 


100  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

Schwager  Kronos,'  &c.,  compositions  which  speak  trum- 
pet-tongued  for  the  ripe  and  full  power  of  this  musical 
poet,  now  but  nineteen  years  of  age.  A  fine  song  still 
remains  unpublished,  'Abschied,'  1  by  Mayrhofer,  a  me- 
lody for  a  pilgrim,  with  a  national  air  about  it,  and  a 
pianoforte  accompaniment. 

None  can  deny  that,  if  a  number  of  letters,  diaries, 
and  other  memoranda,  ranging  over  a  long  period  of 
the  author's  life,  can  be  connected  together  as  a  whole, 
such  things  are  admirably  adapted  to  widen  and  in- 
tensify our  knowledge  of  the  character  and  life  of  the 
writer  in  question.  The  rich  treasure-trove  we  possess 
in  Mozart's  letters,  and  the  lately  published  corre- 
spondence of  Felix  Mendelssohn,  give  a  deeper  insight 

erased,  apparently  by  Schubert ;  some  passages,  too,  in  the  pianoforte 
accompaniment  have  become  illegible  by  the  thick  marks  of  alteration, 
and  a  fresh  accompaniment  in  their  place  has  been  substituted  by  the 
composer.  A  clergyman  in  Vienna,  of  the  name  of  Horni,  drew  Schubert's 
attention  to  the  poem  of  G-eorg  Filipp  Schmidt,  of  Lubeck  (born  1766, 
died  1849).  Horni  probably  found  it  in  a  volume  called  'Dichtungen 
fiir  Kunstredner,'  published  by  Deinhartstein,  in  the  year  1815,  where 
it  is  marked  as  '  Der  TJngliickliche,'  by  Werner.  Schubert  has  conse- 
quently written  on  the  original,  '  by  Zacharias  Werner.' 

1  The  poem  is  headed  '  Lunz,'  the  name  of  a  place  in  Lower  Austria, 

and  begins  thus : — 

Ueber  die  Berge 

Zieht  ihr  fort, 
Komint  an  manchen 
Grriinen  Ort ; 
Muss  zuriicke 
Ganz  allein, 
Lebet  wohl, 
Es  muss  so  sein,  &c. 


FEW  OF  SCHUBERT'S  LETTERS  KNOWN.  101 

into  the  thoughts  and  feelings  common  to  those  artistic 
natures,  than  any  description  of  their  outer  life  would 
be  able  to  afford ;  and  whilst  such  letters  not  unfre- 
queDtly  assist  the  appreciation  and  value  of  the  works 
themselves,  they  most  materially  assist  the  biographer 
in  his  drawing  a  correct  portrait  of  him  whose  features 
he  intends  to  represent.  But  very  few  of  Schubert's 
letters  have,  up  to  this  time,  become  known:  it  may 
be  because  he  was  not  fond  of  letter- writing  (of  this, 
however,  no  proof  is  forthcoming)  ;  or,  again,  his  letters 
may  have  been  lost  or  .kept  back,  from  a  false  sh'ame 
and  aversion  to  their  being  seen  by  other  eyes  than 
those  for  whom  they  were  originally  intended.  Only 
a  few  jottings,  taken  from  diaries  of  the  years  1816 
and  1824,  are  before  me.  Some  of  these  shall  be  in- 
serted here,  and  others  at  a  later  stage  of  the  narra- 
tive. Whether  Franz  kept  memoranda  ranging  over  a 
long  period,  I  have  not  been  able  to  discover.1  Neither 
these  short  notices,  nor  the  letters,  are  calculated  by 
the  intrinsic  worth  of  their  contents  to  arrest  in  any 

1  Alois  Fuchs,  the  well-known  autograph  collector,  remarks  in  his 
'  Schubertiana :' — '  Some  years  ago  I  found  accidentally,  at  an  autograph 
collector's  in  Vienna,  the  fragment  of  one  of  Schubert's  diaries  in  his 
own  handwriting,  but  several  of  the  pages  were  wanting.  On  my  ask- 
ing the  reason  of  this,  the  wretched  owner  of  the  relic  replied  that  he 
had  for  a  long  space  of  time  been  in  the  habit  of  distributing  single 
pages  of  this  manuscript  to  hunters  of  Schubert  relics  or  autograph  col- 
lectors. Having  expressed  my  indignation  at  this  Vandalism,  I  took 
pains  to  secure  the  remainder  for  the  following  pages.'  Herr  Gr.  Petter, 
of  Vienna,  possesses  the  original  relic. 


102  LIFE    OF    SCHUBEKT. 

great  degree  the  interest  of  the  reader;  for  Schubert 
was  never  wont  f  to  wear  his  heart  upon  his  sleeve,'  even 
for  the  inspection  of  his  most  trusted  friends.  Still, 
slender  as  the  resources  are  which  illustrate  but  mea- 
grely the  existence  of  Schubert,  the  biographer  must 
be  permitted  to  avail  himself  of  every  help  he  can  lay 
hold  on,  be  it  seemingly  never  so  trivial,  and  give  the 
originals  without  curtailing  a  syllable,  for  these  authen- 
tic records  invariably  throw  streaks  of  light  on  the  face 
of  the  individual  whose  portrait  we  are  painting,  let 
alone  the  thought  that  small  episodes  of  this  kind  break 
in  agreeably  on  the  monotonous  process  of  reckoning 
Schubert's  compositions — a  feature  which  will  form  the 
chief  element  in  the  history  of  the  composer's  career. 

The  discovered  fragments  of  Schubert's  diary  for  the 
year  1816  embrace  only  the  days  from  the  13th  to  the 
16th  of  June  inclusive,  and  run  thus: — 

6  June  13, 1816. — This  day  will  haunt  me  for  the  rest 
of  my  life  as  a  bright,  clear,  and  lovely  one.  Gently, 
and  as  from  a  distance,  the  magic  tones  of  Mozart's 
music  sound  in  my  ears.  With  what  alternate  force  and 
tenderness,  with  what  masterly  power  did  Schlesinger's 
playing  of  that  music  impress  it  deep,  deep  in  my 
heart ! 1  Thus  do  these  sweet  impressions,  passing  into 
our  souls,  work  beneficently  on  our  inmost  being,  and 

1  Martin  Schlesinger,  born  1751,  at  Wildenschwert,  in  Bohemia,  died 
at  Vienna  on  August  12,  1818,  was  an  admirable  violin-player.  A  few 
but  insignificant  compositions  from  his  pen  have  appeared  in  print. 


QUOTATIONS   FROM    HIS   DIARY.  103 

no  time,  no  change  of  circumstances,  can  obliterate 
them.  In  the  darkness  of  this  life,  they  show  a 
light,  a  clear,  beautiful  distance,  from  which  we  gather 
confidence  and  hope.  0  Mozart !  immortal  Mozart ! 
how  many  and  what  countless  images  of  a  brighter, 
better  world  hast  thou  stamped  on  our  souls !  This 
quintett  may  be  called  one  of  the  greatest  amongst 
his  smaller  works.  I  too  was  moved  on  this  occasion 
to  introduce  myself.  I  played  variations  by  Beethoven, 
sang  Gfothe's  "Kastlose  Liebe,"  and  Schiller's  "Amalia." 
The  first  met  with  universal,  the  second  with  quali- 
fied applause.  Although  I  myself  think  my  "  Rastlose 
Liebe "  more  successful  than  "  Amalia,"  yet  I  cannot 
deny  that  to  Gothe's  musical  genius  must  be  attri- 
buted in  a  large  measure  the  applause  which  greeted 
the  song.  I  also  made  acquaintance  with  Mdlle.  Jenny, 
a  pianoforte-player  with  extraordinary  powers  of  exe- 
cution ;  but  I  think  her  wanting  in  true  and  pure 
expression. 

( June  14,  1816. — After  the  lapse  of  a  few  months, 
I  took  once  more  an  evening  walk.  There  can  hardly 
be  anything  more  delightful  than,  of  an  evening,  after 
a  hot  summer's  day,  to  stroll  about  on  the  green  grass : 
the  meadows  between  Wahring  and  Dobling  seem  to 
have  been  created  for  this  very  purpose.  I  felt  so 
peaceful  and  happy  as  my  brother  Carl  and  I  walked 
together  in  the  struggling  twilight.  "  How  lovely  !  " 
I  thought  and  exclaimed,  and  then  stood  still  en- 


104  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

chanted.  The  neighbourhood  of  the  churchyard  re- 
minded us  of  our  excellent  mother.  Whiling  the  time 
away  with  melancholy  talk,  we  arrived  at  the  point 
where  the  Dobling  road  branches  off,  and  I  heard 
a  well-known  voice  issuing  as  though  from  heaven — 
which  is  our  home  :  the  voice  came  from  a  carriage 
which  was  being  pulled  up.  I  looked  up,  and  there 
was  Herr  Weinmuller,  who  got  out  and  greeted  us 
with  his  hearty,  manly,  cheerful-toned  voice.1  How 
vainly  does  many  a  man  strive  to  show  the  candour 
and  honesty  of  his  mind  by  conversation  equally  sincere 
and  candid ! — how  would  many  a  man  be  the  laughing- 
stock of  his  fellow-creatures  were  he  to  make  the 
effort !  Such  gifts  must  come  naturally ;  no  efforts  can 
acquire  them. 

6  June  15,  1816. — It  usually  happens  that  we  form 
exaggerated  notions  of  what  we  expect  to  see.  At 
least,  I  found  it  so  when  I  saw  the  exhibition  of  pictures 
of  native  artists,  held  at  Saint  Anna.  The  work  I 
liked  best  in  the  whole  exhibition  was  a  Madonna  and 
Child,  by  Abel.  I  was  much  disappointed  by  the 

1  "Weinmuller  (Carl)  was  born  in  the  year  1765,  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Augsburg.  At  first  he  belonged  to  a  troop  of  strolling  players, 
and  at  last  settled,  in  1795,  at  Vienna,  where,  step  by  step,  he  mounted 
to  such  a  pitch  of  prosperity  as  to  become  the  chosen  favourite  of  the 
public.  He  had  a  magnificent  bass  voice,  and  his  declamatory  powers 
were  very  impressive.  He  excelled  also  as  a  lay  vicar  in  the  Chapel 
Eoyal.  He  was  pensioned  in  the  year  1825,  and  died  at  his  villa  in 
Dobling  in  the  year  1828. 


QUOTATIONS    FROM   HIS   DIARY.  105 

velvet  mantle  of  a  prince.  I  am  convinced  that  one 
must  see  things  of  this  sort  much  more  frequently, 
and  give  them  a  longer  trial,  if  one  hopes  to  find 
and  retain  the  proper  expression  and  impression  in- 
tended to  be  conveyed.' 

The  following  somewhat  misty  and  confused  remarks 
were  written  down  by  Schubert  on  the  evening  of  June 
16,  1816,  after  returning  home  from  Salieri's  jubilee 
festival : — 

f  It  must  be  pleasant  and  invigorating  to  the  artist 
to  see  all  his  pupils  collected  around  him,  every  one 
striving  to  do  his  best  in  honour  of  his  master's  jubilee 
fete ;  to  hear  in  all  their  compositions  a  simple,  natural 
expression,  free  from  all  that  bizarrerie  which,  with 
the  majority  of  composers  of  our  time,  is  the  prevailing 
element,  and  for  which  we  are  almost  mainly  indebted 
to  one  of  our  greatest  German  artists  ;  free,  I  say,  from 
that  bizarrerie  which  links  the  tragic  with  the  comic, 
the  agreeable  with  the  odious,  the  heroic  with  whin- 
ing (Heulerei),  the  most  sacred  subjects  with  buf- 
foonery— all  this  without  discrimination;  so  that  men 
become  mad  and  frantic  instead  of  being  dissolved  in 
tears,  and  tickled. to  idiotic  laughter  rather  than  ele- 
vated towards  Grod.  The  fact  that  this  miserable 
bizarrerie  has  been  proscribed  and  exiled  from  the 
circle  of  his  pupils,  so  that  their  eyes  may  rest  on  pure 
holy  Nature,  must  be  a  source  of  the  liveliest  pleasure 
to  the  artist  who,  with  a  Grluck  for  his  pioneer,  has 


106  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

learned  to  know  Nature,  and  has  clung  to  her  in  spite 
of  the  most  unnatural  influences  of  our  day. 

'  Herr  Salieri  celebrated  by  a  jubilee  his  fifty  years' 
residence  in  Vienna,  and  an  almost  equally  long  period 
of  service  under  the  Emperor.  His  Majesty  presented 
him  with  a  gold  medal ;  and  numbers  of  his  pupils, 
both  male  and  female,  were  invited  to  the  ceremony. 
The  compositions  of  his  pupils,  written  specially  for 
the  occasion,  were  produced  seriatim,  according  to  the 
date  of  admission  of  each  pupil,  as  he  had  received 
them  when  sent  to  him.  The  music  concluded  with  a 
chorus  from  Salieri's  Oratorio,  "Jesu  al  Limbo" 
("Christ  in  Hades").  The  Oratorio  is  worked  out  in 
the  true  Grluck  spirit.  Everyone  was  interested  in  the 
entertainment. 

'To-day  I  composed  the  first  time  for  money— 
namely,  a  Cantata  ("  Prometheus ")  for  the  name-day 
festival  of  Herr  Professor  Watteroth  von  Draxler.  The 
honorarium  100  florins,  Viennese  currency. 

'  Man  is  like  a  ball  between  chance  and  passion. 
I  have  often  heard  it  said  by  writers :  "  The  world  is 
like  a  stage,  where  every  man  plays  his  part.  Praise 
and  blame  follow  in  the  other  world."  Still,  every 
man  has  one  part  assigned  him — we  have  had  our 
part  given  us — and  who  can  say  if  he  has  played  it 
well  or  ill  ?  He  is  a  bad  theatrical  manager  who  dis- 
tributes amongst  his  players  parts  which  they  are  not 
qualified  to  act.  Carelessness  here  is  not  to  be  thought 


QUOTATIONS   FROM   HIS   DIARY.  107 

of.  The  world  has  no  example  of  an  actor  being  dis- 
missed because  of  his  bad  declamation.  As  soon  as 
he  has  a  part  adapted  to  his  powers,  he  will  play  it 
well  enough.  Whether  he  is  applauded  or  not,  de- 
pends on  a  public  with  its  thousand  caprices.  In  the 
other  world,  praise  or  blame  depends  on  the  Grand 
Manager  of  the  world.  Blame,  therefore,  is  balanced. 

'Natural  disposition  and  education  determine  the 
bent  of  man's  heart  and  understanding.  The  heart  is 
ruler  ;  the  mind  should  be. 

4  Take  men  as  they  are,  not  as  they  ought  to  be. 

'  Happy  is  he  who  finds  a  true  friend.  Happier  still 
is  he  who  finds  in  his  own  wife  a  true  friend.  To  the 
free  man,  at  this  time,  marriage  is  a  fearful  thought ;  he 
confounds  it  either  with  melancholy  or  low  sensuality. 

*  Monarchs  of  our  day,  you  see  this  and  keep  silence  ! 
Or  do  ye  not  see  it  ?  Then,  0  God,  throw  a  veil  over 
our  senses,  and  steep  our  feelings  in  Lethe  !  Yet  once, 
I  pray,  draw  back  the  veil ! 

'Man  bears  misfortune  uncomplainingly;  and,  for  that 
very  reason,  feels  it  all  the  more  acutely.  For  what  pur- 
pose did  God  create  in  us  these  keen  sympathies  ? 

'  Light  mind,  light  heart :  a  mind  that  is  too  light 
generally  harbours  a  heart  that  is  too  heavy. 

'  Town  politeness  is  a  powerful  hindrance  to  men's 
integrity  in  dealing  with  one  another.  The  greatest 
misery  of  the  wise  man  and  the  greatest  happiness^  of 
the  fool  is  based  on  conventionalism. 


108  LIFE    OF   SCHUBEKT. 

'  A  noble-minded  unfortunate  man  feels  the  depth  of 
his  misery  and  intensity  of  his  joy;  just  so  does  the 
nobly  prosperous  man  feel  his  good  fortune  or  the 
opposite. 

'Now  I  know  nothing  more !  To-morrow  I  am  sure 
to  know  something  fresh !  Whence  comes  this  ?  Is  my 
understanding  to-day  duller  than  it  will  be  to-morrow  ? 
Because  I  am  full  and  sleepy  ?  Why  doesn't  my  mind 
think  when  my  body  sleeps  ?  I  suppose  it  goes  for  a 
walk.  Certainly,  it  can't  sleep  ! 

Odd  questions ! 

I  hear  everyone  saying ; 

We  can't  venture  here  on  an  answer, 

"We  must  bear  it  all  patiently. 

Now  good  night 

Until  ye  awake.' 

As  we  have  already  mentioned,  Schubert,  since  the 
year  1814,  discharged  the  duty  of  assistant-master  at 
his  father's  school.  After  three  years'  torture  and  end- 
less self-abnegation,  and  there  appearing  no  prospect 
of  a  speedy  emancipation  from  his  painful  position, 
he  determined,  cost  what  it  might,  to  leave  Vienna, 
in  order  to  stand  for  a  musical  appointment.  Circum- 
stances created  an  opportunity  for  him. 

The  Central  Organisation  Commission  for  the  time 
being  had,  in  the  December  of  1815,  consented  to  the 
establishment  of  a  public  school  of  music,  to  be  at- 
tached to  the  Normal  School  Institute  in  Laibach. 
For  the  post  of  chief  teacher,  whose  income  was  fixed 


HIS   PETITION    FOR,   POST    OF   MUSICAL    DIRECTOR.     109 

at  450  florins  and  a  bonus  of  50  more,  candidates  were 
invited  to  compete,  and  March  15,  1815,  was  fixed  on 
as  the  last  day  on  which  credentials  and  testimonials 
from  candidates  of  Lower  Austria  could  be  presented 
for  the  consideration  of  the  government.  Amongst  the 
aspirants  to  the  office  was  Franz  Schubert.  His  pre- 
sentation testimonials  were  furnished  by  Salieri : — 

( lo  qui  Sottoscritto  affermo,  quanto  nella  supplica  di 
Francesco  Schubert,  in  riguardo  al  posto  musicale  di 
Lubiana  sta  esposto. 

'ANTONIO  SALIERI, 
'  Prime  Maestro  di  Cappella  della 

'  Corte  Imp.  reale.1 
'  Vienna:  9  Aprile  1816.' 

The  petitions  were  transmitted  to  the  government  at 
Vienna  through  proper  official  sources,  and  Schubert's 
with  the  rest.  His  petition  to  the  Stadthauptmann- 
schaft,  the  medium  of  presentation,  was  as  follows : — 

6  The  enclosed  petition  hereby  made  by  Franz  Schu- 
bert for  the  post  of  musical  director  in  Laibach,  is 
presented  to  the  Superior  Court,  in  addition  to  the 
report  made  from  this  place  on  the  3rd  of  April,  1816, 
with  reference  to  the  similarly  framed  petitions  of 
Hanslischek  and  Woss.' 

The  candidate  was  not   obliged  to  give  any  fresh 

1  The  original  of  this  certificate  is  in  my  possession ;  the  other  dates 
are  taken  from  official  documents  belonging  to  the  government,  en- 
trusted to  me  very  kindly  by  Herr  Vice-President  Kiedl  v.  Kiedenau. 


1  1 0  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

proof  of  his  musical  capabilities,  from  Hofcapellmeister 
Anton  Salieri  having  furnished  him  with  testimonials, 
dated  April  9,  1816,  which  answered  for  his  fitness 
as  a  candidate.  As  it  was  Salieri  who  examined  the 
other  candidates  for  the  office,  his  deliberately  expressed 
opinion  in  Schubert's  favour  is  very  commendable.  Not 
less  laudatory  was  the  testimonial  of  the  Privy  Council- 
lor and  Head  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Josef  Spendou, 
in  respect  of  Schubert's  method  as  a  teacher : — 

cAs  Schubert  was  a  pupil  of  the  Catholic  Convict, 
was  formerly  a  chorister-boy  at  the  Chapel  Eoyal,  and 
is  now  actually  serving  as  assistant-teacher  at  Him- 
melpfortgrund,  these  circumstances  are  considered  here 
as  fit  to  be  reckoned  in  his  favour  and  to  his  advantage. 

1  MERTENS,  m.  p.     FREIH.  v.  HAAN,  m.  p.     UNGER,  m.  p. 
'Vienna:  April  14,  1816.' 

Schubert  failed  in  his  object ;  the  place  was  given  to 
another,1  and  the  school-assistant  saw  in  his  mind's  eye 
an  impecunious  future  in  store  for  him.  But  he  had 
not  long  to  wait  for  the  hour  of  his  deliverance.  At 
the  end  of  the  year  1815,  a  student  of  the  name  of 
Franz  v.  Schober,  then  in  his  eighteenth  year,  came  to 
Vienna  to  continue  his  studies  in  the  University  in  that 
place.  Born  in  the  year  1798,  at  Torup,  in  Sweden, 
where  his  father  (who  had  emigrated  about  the  year 
1784)  occupied  the  post  of  an  estate-agent,  Franz  v. 

1  Salieri  proposed  a  certain  Jacob  Schaufl  as  the  fittest  person  for  the 
post  of  music-teacher  to  the  Institution  at  Laibach. 


FKANZ  V.    SCHOBER.  Ill 

Schober  returned  to  Germany  with  his  mother  Catherine 
(a  Miss  Derffel,  of  Vienna,  before  she  married)  and  his 
sister,  after  the  death  of  his  father  in  the  year  1802.  In 
1808  he  began  his  studies  at  the  Kremsmiinster  Insti- 
tute, and  having  completed  them,  withdrew  from  Upper 
Austria  to  Vienna,  where  he  continued  to  live  for  a 
long  time.  Whilst  staying  with  the  Spaun  family  at 
Linz,  in  the  year  1813,  he  happened  to  fall  in  with 
some  of  Schubert's  songs,  which  Josef  Spaun  had 
brought  with  him  from  Vienna,  and  the  great  interest 
which  these  strange  and  beautiful  melodies  excited  in 
his  mind  urged  him  to  seek  out  the  composer  himself. 
He  found  him  in  his  father's  house,  correcting  school 
exercises,  and  so  absorbed  in  his  duties,  that  it  was  hard 
to  understand  how  Schubert  could  manage  at  such  a 
time  to  compose  such  heaps  of  music.  What  Schober 
then  and  there  heard  of  Schubert's  compositions  was 
only  calculated  to  enhance  his  admiration  for  the  young 
tone-poet.  Convinced  that,  in  order  to  fill  his  appointed 
destiny,  he  must  necessarily  be  withdrawn  abruptly 
from  the  soul-killing  situation  in  his  father's  school,  he 
formed  the  idea  of  taking  Schubert  to  live  with  him. 
For  this  arrangement  Schober  got  his  own  mother's  con- 
sent, and  after  the  elder  Schubert  had  declared  himself 
satisfied  with  the  proceeding,  Franz  withdrew  to  Scho- 
ber's  residence,  at  that  time  in  the  e  Landskrongasse.'1 

1  In  the  forty-second  number  of  the  Vienna  '  Sonntagsblatter '  for  the 
year  1847,  Ferd.  Nic.  Schmidtler  tells  a  piece  of  gossip  which  came  from 


112  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

There  he  remained  for  somewhat  over  half  a  year, 
until  a  brother  of  Schober's,  an  Austrian  hussar  officer, 
came  on  leave  •  to  Vienna,  and  laid  embargo  upon  the 
only  disposable  room,  whereupon  Schubert  had  once 
more  to  think  about  getting  lodgings  for  himself.  Josef 
Spaun  took  up  the  matter,  and  contrived  that  Schubert 
finally  should  join  partnership  with  Mayrhofer,  who 
at  that  time  lived  in  the  Wipplingerstrasse,  and  was 
destined  to  keep  house  two  years  consecutively  with  the 
musician.1 

Whilst  Mayrhofer  was  busy  with  his  censorship 
duties,  Schubert  toiled  with  equal  perseverance,  remain- 
ing at  home  till  dinner-time ;  after  dinner  he  either 
visited  Schober's  rooms,  or  went  to  the  coffee-house,2 
where,  with  Schober  and  other  friends,  he  would  pass 

Lichtenthal,  to  the  effect  that  Schubert,  in  consequence  of  having  given 
some  wool-gathering  school-girl  a  stiffish  box  on  the  ears,  had  a  violent 
scene  with  his  father,  who  was  extremely  indignant  at  his  conduct,  and 
that  having  received  his  letters  dimissory,  Franz  resigned  his  office  as 
teacher.  How  much  and  what  of"  truth  this  story  contains  I  have  never 
been  able  to  ascertain. 

1  For  the  above-mentioned  dates  I  am  indebted  to  Herr  v.  Schober. 
As  Schubert  (according  to  the  government  certificate)  was  still  in  his 
father's  service  to  the  year  1816,  and  Herr  v.  Schober  passed  the  year 
1817  in  Sweden,  and  seeing  it  was  only  in  the  year  1819  that  Mayr- 
hofer went  to  live  with  the  musician  as  joint  occupier,  certainly  it 
appears  difficult  to  reconcile  Schober's  statements,  so  far  as  they  affect 
certain  definite  periods,  with  these  actual  facts. 

2  Schubert  used  to  visit  the  Bognersche  Coffee-house  in  the  Singer- 
strasse,  where  a  waiter,   by  the  odd  manner  in  which  he  called  out 
to  the  kitchen  the  customers'  orders,  used  to  send   him  into  fits  of 
laughter. 


FRANZ   V.    SCHOBER.  113 

the  rest  of  the  day.  The  greater  part  of  Schubert's  later 
years  were  passed  under  Schober's  roof. 

Franz  v.  Schober  plays  a  very  prominent  part  in 
Schubert's  biography,  for  they  were  brought  together 
as  associates  in  early  days,  and,  allowing  for  short  inter- 
vals and  interruptions,  Schober  remained  on  terms  of 
personal  intimacy  and  friendship  with  Schubert  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death.  With  the  exception  of  the  years 
1817, 1824,  and  1825,  which  Schober  passed  in  Sweden 
and  Prussia,  afterwards  of  the  two  years  1819-1821, 
during  which  period  Schubert  shared  a  room  with  Mayr- 
hofer,1  Schubert's  quarters  were  fixed  in  Schober's 
house,  or  at  all  events  there  was  a  room  there  always 
at  his  disposal.2 

Of  all  Schubert's  friends,  Schober  was  the  one  who 
exercised  the  most  lasting  influence  over  him,  and  the 
circle  of  young  ambitious  men  who  surrounded  Schober 
was  also  admitted  to  Schubert's  confidence  and  intimacy. 

1  In  the  year  1816,  Mayrhofer  lived  in  the  Wipplingerstrasse,  No. 
420;  in  1817  (with  Spaun)  in  the  Erdberggasse,  No.  97.     In  the  year 
1818   he  returned  once  more  to  420,   where  (with  Schubert)  he  re- 
mained until  1821,  and  then  withdrew  to  No.  389  in  the  "Wipplinger- 
strasse. 

2  Schubert  lived  next  to  Schober  (Landskrongasse,  afterwards  Gottwei- 
herhoff),  then  with  Mayrhofer,  in  the  Wipplingerstrasse,  then  (from 
1821  to  1823)  once  more  with  Schober  (Tucnlauben,  near  the  Music  In- 
stitute), in  the  years  1824-1826  on  the  Wieden,  near  the  Carlskirche, 
No.  100,  from  1826  to  1827  in  a  house  on  the  Carolinenthor-Bastei, 
then  again  with  Schober  (Backerstrasse,  Wahring,  Tuchlauben),  and 
lastly,  from  September  1828,  with  his  brother  Ferdinand,  Neue  Wieden, 
No.  694,  where  he  died. 

VOL.    I.  I 


114  LIFE   OF    SCHUBERT. 

Music,  indeed,  as  a  creative  art,  had  scarcely  a  represen- 
tative amongst  them  ;  on  the  other  hand,  a  wider  field 
for  the  cultivation  of  other  arts  and  intellectual  impulses 
in  various  directions  was  conceded  to  them,  seeing  that 
the  musical  element  was  so  brilliantly  represented  in 
Franz  Schubert.  Later  on  we  shall  speak  in  more 
detail  of  the  circle  of  friends  which  Schober  gathered 
round  him — friends  who  esteemed  Schubert  as  one  of 
the  most  honoured  and  beloved  members  of  their 
society.1 

1  Of  the  prominent  members  in  those  social  gatherings,  there  live 
still,  Moriz  v.  Schwind,  Bauernfeld,  Spaun,  and  Franz  v.  Schober. 
The  latter,  after  Schubert's  death  (when  just  in  his  thirtieth  year), 
passed  some  time  in  Hungary,  on  an  estate  of  the  Count  L.  Festetics, 
returning  in  the  year  1833,  after  his  mother's  death,  to  Vienna,  where  he 
undertook  the  management  of  a  property  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Residence.  After  travelling  through  Italy  and  France,  he  entered  the 
service  of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Weimar  as  Counsel  to  the  Embassy ;  in 
1856  he  settled  in  Dresden,  where  he  has  remained  ever  since.  The 
family  of  Schober  was  raised  in  the  year  1801  to  the  rank  of  Austrian 
nobility.  One  sister  of  Franz  v.  Schober  was  married  to  the  famous 
singer  Siboni.  Schober's  poems,  a  considerable  number  of  which  Schu- 
bert set  to  music,  were  published  in  1840. 


JOHANN   MICHAEL   VOGL.  115 


CHAPTER  V. 

(1817.) 

JOHANN  MICHAEL  VOGL — ANSELM  AND  JOSEF  HUTTENBKENNEB — 
JOSEF  GAHY — OVEBTUBES  IN  THE  ITALIAN  STYLE — SONGS—  PABT- 
SONGS — PIANOFORTE  SONATAS. 

To  complete  the  poetical-musical  triad  which  figures 
so  prominently  throughout  the  biography  of  Schubert, 
and  influenced  in  so  many  and  noble  ways  the  musician's 
artistic  development,  we  must  here  mention  with  some 
particularity  one  with  whom  Franz  became  acquainted 
shortly  after  he  met  with  Schober,  and  with  whom, 
during  his  subsequent  career,  he  contracted  a  close 
and,  from  an  artistic  point  of  view,  a  very  important 
relationship.  The  young  musician  found  in  his  friends 
Mayrhofer  and  Schober  the  librettists  of  several  of  his 
most  beautiful  songs,  and  at  an  early  stage  in  his  career 
it  was  his  good  fortune  to  win  for  these  very  songs  a  most 
admirable  interpreter,  whose  services  he  permanently 
secured  with  hardly  any  help  or  intervention  on  the  part 
of  his  friends.  This  enthusiastic  friend  and  devotee  of 
Schubert's  muse  was  the  well-known  singer  Vogl,  who, 
nearly  twenty  years  older  than  Schubert,  and  at  that 
time  in  the  full  vigour  of  manhood,  had  for  some  years 

VOL.  I.  *  I  2 


116  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

past,  as  an  operatic  singer,  commanded  the  warm  sym- 
pathy and  admiration  of  the  young  tone-poet. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  two  artists  seems  to  have 
been  contrived  by  Schober ;  he  at  least  it  was  who,  in 
Schubert's  company,  called  repeatedly  at  the  house  of 
the  singer,  coy  and  somewhat  incredulous  of  the  fame 
of  the  so-called  genius,  until  at  last  Vogl  determined 
on  paying  his  respects  in  person  to  the  two  friends, 
then  living  in  the  same  lodgings  together  at  the  '  Gott- 
weiherhof,'  in  the  Spiegelgasse.1 

1  In  Josef  v.  Spaun's  memoirs  I  find  the  following  passage  respecting 
Schubert's  first  meeting  with  Vogl : — Schubert,  who  had  hitherto  for 
the  most  part  been  the  interpreter  of  his  own  songs,  aimed  principally 
at  getting  hold  of  the  Court  opera-singer  Vogl,  whose  powers  com- 
manded his  warmest  admiration.  It  was  of  the  first  importance  to  get 
an  opportunity  for  Vogl  to  become  acquainted  with  Schubert's  compo- 
sitions ;  all  the  rest  would  follow  as  a  matter  of  course,  so  the  friends 
thought.  Schober  had  often  spoken  to  him  with  enthusiasm  about  the 
young  composer,  and  invited  him  to  be  present  at  a  sort  of  trial  of  his 
works.  But  at  first  all  efforts  were  ineffectual  to  overcome  the  aver- 
sion of  the  singer,  already  wearied  with  music,  and  incredulous  at  the 
very  sound  of  the  word  ( genius,'  after  his  many  and  painful  ex- 
periences. He  was  obliged  at  last,  however,  to  give  way  to  the  repeated 
entreaties  of  Schubert's  friends  ;  the  visit  was  promised,  and,  at  the 
hour  agreed,  Vogl  one  evening  came  to  Schubert's  apartment,  and  the 
latter  entering  with  shuffling  gait,  and  incoherent  stammering  speech, 
received  his  visitor.  Vogl,  quite  at  his  ease,  scratched  his  nose,  and 
taking  up  a  sheet  of  music-paper,  which  was  near  him,  began  humming 
the  song  '  Augenlied.'  He  thought  it  pretty  and  melodious,  but  not  of 
any  great  value.  Afterwards  he  ran,  mezza  wee,  through  several  other 
Lieder,  which  he  took  to  much  more  than  the  first,  particularly  '  Grany- 
med,'  and  « Des  Schafers  Klage,'  and,  on  leaving,  he  tapped  Schubert  on 
the  shoulder,  exclaiming :  '  There  is  some  stuff  in  you,  but  you  are  too 
little  of  an  actor,  too  little  of  a  charlatan ;  you  squander  your  fine  thoughts 


JOIIANN   MICHAEL   YOGL.  117 

Johann  Michael  Vogl,  born  at  Steyr  on  August  10, 
1768,  was  the  son  of  a  shipowner.1     An  orphan  at  an 
early  age,  he  received  his  education  in  his  uncle's  house, 
and,  as  a  boy  of  five  years  of  age,  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  f  regens  chori '  of  the  parish  church  by  the  clear- 
ness of  his  voice  and  perfection  of  intonation.     This 
gentleman  grounded  him  in  music,  and  by  the  time  he 
had  reached  his  eighth  year,  Vogl  was  admitted  as  a 
paid  and  professional  member  of  the  choir.     Meantime 
the  other  branches  of  his  education  were  not  neglected. 
The    earnest   desire  for    acquiring  knowledge,   which 
followed  Vogl  throughout  all  his  life,  was  early  awak- 
ened in  him.    When  sufficiently  prepared,  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Educational  Institute  at  Kremsmunster, 
where  he  passed  the  gymnasium  and  a  course  of  philo- 
sophical stujjies  with  distinction.     In 'the  monastery  he 
first  found  an  opportunity  of  giving  proofs  of  hia  talents 
in    declamation.     In   small   vaudevilles  and  dramatic 
cantatas,  Vogl  and  his  countryman  Franz  Siissmayer 
(afterwards  Mozart's  amanuensis)  were  always  amongst 

instead  of  properly  developing  them.'  Then  he  went  away,  without 
making  any  promise  of  returning.  But  to  others  he  spoke  in  favourable 
terms  of  Schubert,  and  in  terms  of  astonishment  at  the  ripeness  and 
freshness  of  the  young  man's  genius.  By  degrees  the  impression  made 
on  him  by  Schubert's  songs  became  weightier  and  weightier ;  he  fre- 
quently came  uninvited  to  Schubert's  house,  and  studied  his  compositions 
with  him,  delighting  himself  and  those  who  listened  to  him. 

1  The  following  sketch  of  Vogl  is  taken  partly  from  an  essay  of 
Bauernfeld,  printed  in  the  year  1841,  and  partly  from  information  fur- 
nished by  Herr  v.  Schober  and  Dr.  L.  v.  Sonnleithner. 


118  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

the  most  active  supporters.  The  audience  flocked  in 
numbers,  and  the  two  artists  shared  in  the  applause 
which  greeted  their  exhibitions.1 

But  a  short  interval  elapsed  before  the  two  lads 
agreed  to  make  a  pilgrimage  together  to  the  Imperial 
City.  At  Vienna  Vogl  passed  a  course  of  legal  studies, 
and  then  commenced  as  a  practising  lawyer.  Siissmayer 
became  Capellmeister  at  the  Theatre  Royal,  and  at  his 
suggestion  the  young  official  received  a  summons, 
which  he  obeyed  unhesitatingly.  On  May  1,  1794,  he 
became  a  member  of  the  artists  attached  to  the  Ger- 
man Opera,  with  which  company  he  was  connected  for 
twenty-eight  years.  Those  were  the  palmy  days  of 
singing  for  German  vocalists,  and  the  names  of  Wein- 
miiller,  Saal,  Sebast.  Mayer,  Baumann,  and  Baucher, 
Anna  Milder,  and  Buchwieser,  Wild,  and  Forti,  mark 
an  artistic  epoch  of  really  great  singers.  Vogl's  entry 
into  this  circle  was  followed  with  the  happiest  conse- 
quences. As  a  well-educated  man,  he  raised,  by  virtue 
of  his  intelligence  and  cultivation,  a  society  whose 
sole  excellence  was  judged  from  a  musical  point  of 
view.  His  gestures  and  by-play  were  a  good  deal 
cavilled  at;  on  the  other  hand  his  imposing  personal 
presence,  expressive  face,  noble  bearing,  and  full  rich 
baritone  voice,  were  incontestably  much  in  his  favour. 

1  Franz  Xaver  Siissmayer,  born  at  Steyr  in  1766,  died  at  Vienna  in 
1803.  The  musical  dramas  and  cantatas  which  were  at  that  time  per- 
formed at  Kremsmunster  were  for  the  most  part  set  to  music  by  him. 


119 

His  strength  lay  in  pourtraying  some  individuality  of 
character,  in  an  artistic  combination  of  truth  with 
beauty.  He  had  a  fine  feeling  for  the  flow  of  verse, 
declaimed  his  recitatives  with  great  power,  and,  by 
virtue  of  his  well-grounded  theoretical  studies,  was 
sufficiently  well  versed  in  the  laws  of  harmony.  None, 
however,  allowed  him  a  good  vocal  method,  strictly 
speaking,  and  his  singing  was  specially  objected  to,  on 
the  ground  that  he  too  often  neglected  a  perfect  even- 
ness in  his  delivery  of  an  air ;  and  in  this  respect 
people  contrasted  him  unfavourably  with  his  fellow- 
artist  Wild,  although  admitting,  in  a  general  way, 
Vogl's  intellectual  superiority.  His  greatest  perform- 
ances were  Orestes  (in e  Iphigenia '),  Count  Almaviva  (in 
'  Figaro's  Hochzeit '),  Creon  (in  Cherubini's  6  Medea  '), 
Jacob  (in  the  ( Schweizerfamilie,' l  and  in  '  Joseph 
and  his  Brethren ').  His  acting  in  the  first  of  these 
operas  and  the  two  last  made  a  great  impression  on  the 
youthful  Schubert.  His  last  r6le  was  said  to  be  the 
Seneschal,  in  Grretry's  '  Bluebeard,'  which  was  restored 
to  the  stage  in  the  year  1821.  In  this  year  the  Opera 
House  was  leased  to  Barbaja,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
following  year  Vogl  was  pensioned,  but  only  to  continue 
as  a  Lieder-singer — a  second  epoch  in  his  artistic  career, 

1  This  opera  was  given  for  the  first  time  at  Vienna  in  the  March  of 
1809.  Graf  Dunois,  in  '  Agnes  Sorel,'  the  Colonel,  in  the  '  Augenarzt,' 
(by  G-yrowetz),  and  Telasko  in  the  '  Vestalin,'  were  famous  parts  of 
Vogl's. 

VOJL.  I.  *  I  4 


120  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

which  was  followed  by  a  long  period  of  success  com- 
mensurate with  that  which  attended  his  career  on  the 
stage.  As  late  as  the  year  1821  his  execution  of  the 
( Erl-King '  paved  a  way  of  immortality  for  the  youth- 
ful Schubert,  and  four  years  later  we  find  both  men  on 
a  tour  in  Upper  Austria  and  the  Salzburg  country, 
each  contributing  as  an  artist  to  enliven  and  spiritualise 
the  tedium  of  travel.  In  the  autumn  of  the  ensuing 
year,  the  already  aged  and  gout-afflicted  singer  was 
on  his  way  to  Italy,  where  he  remained  until  the  next 
spring;  but  after  his  return  the  bachelor  announced 
to  his  astonished  friends  his  intended  alliance  with 
Kunegunde  Kosas,1  a  woman  who  had  been  educated 
apart  from,  and  independently  of,  the  world  around 
her,  and  towards  whom  he  had,  for  a  number  of  years, 
stood  in  the  double  relation  of  tutor  and  adviser.  The 
singer  completed  this  alliance  by  marrying  her  when 
he  was  fifty-eight  years  old,  and  she  presented  him  in 
the  autumn  of  his  days  with  a  single  daughter.  Vogl 
was  no  ordinary  man,  and  the  education  he  had  had,, 
although  in  a  great  measure  his  own,  was  such  as 
rarely  falls  to  the  lot  of  theatrical  singers.  The  benefits 
he  had  derived  from  an  early  monastic  training  had 
not  been  without  a  corresponding  influence  upon  his 
character,  and  had  served  the  purpose  of  encouraging 
in  him  certain  tendencies  to  speculative  thought  which 

1  Daughter  of  the  former  superintendent  of  the  Gallery  at  the  Belve- 
dere, in  Vienna.     Yogi's  widow  still  lives  in  Steyr. 


CHARACTER   OF   YOGL.  121 

contrasted  in  the  strangest  manner  with  his  condition 
and  circumstances.  The  ruling  motive  of  his  being 
was  a  moral  scepticism,  a  nice  moral  anatomy  of  self 
and  of  the  world;  he  was  haunted  through  life  by  a 
strong  desire  to  become  better  day  by  day,  and 
when  passion  hurried  him  away,  like  all  strong  im- 
petuous natures,  to  dangerous  ventures,  he  was  never 
weary  of  self-recrimination,  of  doubt,  nay,  almost  of 
despair;  if  he  made  another  false  step,  it  was  fol- 
lowed by  more  self-accusation  and  contrition  of  heart. 
Deep  reading  and  study  had  a  painful  influence  over 
the  course  and  habit  of  life  of  this  singular  being. 
The  Old  and  New  Testament,  the  creeds  of  ancient 
philosophers,  the  observations  of  Marcus  Aurelius,  the 
Enchiridion  of  Epictetus,  and  Thomas  •  a  Kempis' 
6  Taulerus,'  were  the  constant  guides  and  counsellors 
of  his  life.1  The  religious  discipline  of  his  early  days 
in  a  cloister  affected  the  whole  current  of  his  after- 
life. The  lessons  of  '  the  porch,'  too,  suited  his  way  of 
thinking,  for  he  could  harmonise  them  with  a  feeling 
for  the  beautiful,  his  own  perceptions  of  the  beautiful 
in  artistic  works  of  all  kinds  being  so  eminently  keen 
and  intuitive.  His  favourite  German  writer  was 
Grothe,  whose  influence  over  him  as  a  thinker  and 

1  His  favourite  writers  were  the  Greeks,  and  he  copied  a  work  of 
Epictetus  in  four  languages.  In  the  green-room  his  leisure  moments 
were  occupied  in  transcribing  the  pages  of  the  classical  authors  of 
Greece,  and  he  was  held  in  considerable  respect  by  his  theatrical  com- 
rades for  his  knowledge  and  his  solid  acquirements. 


122  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

student  was,  according  to  Bauernfeld,  of  a  very  marked 
kind. 

Hints  thrown  out  in  his  diaries — and  these  he  kept 
from  an  early  period  in  his  life — show  very  unmistak- 
ably the  motive  powers  of  his  life  and  actions.  Amongst 
these  entries  there  is  one  which,  from  its  reference 
to  Schubert's  songs,  may  here  be  quoted.  'Nothing 
has  so  plainly  shown  the  want  of  a  good  practical 
school  for  singing  as  Schubert's  songs.  Otherwise, 
what  a  prodigious  and  universal  effect  would  have 
been  created  in  every  country  where  our  language  is 
understood  by  these  godlike  inspirations,  these  utter- 
ances of  a  musical  "  clairvoyance !  "  What  numbers 
of  hearers  would  have  understood  for  the  first  time 
the  depth  of  those  utterances,  words,  language,  poetry 
in  music,  words  in  harmony,  thoughts  clothed  in 
music !  They  would  have  learnt  how  the  greatest 
poem  of  our  greatest  poet,  when  translated  into  such 
musical  language,  can  be  glorified — nay,  outri vailed 
by  sound.  Numberless  examples  occur  to  me :  the 
"  Erl-King,"  "  Grretchen  at  her  Spinning-wheel," 
"Schwager  Kronos,"  the  songs  of  Mignon  and  the 
Harper,  Schiller's  "  Sehnsucht,"  "  Der  Pilgrim,"  "  Die 
Biirgschaft." ' 

The  following  incident  induced  Vogl  to  use  the 
expression  e  clairvoyance.' *  Schubert,  one  morning, 

1  In  a  letter  dated  November  15,  1831,  Vogl  writes  to  A.  Stadler: — '  If 
the  subject  be  that  of  manufacturing,  production,  or  creating,  I  don't  care, 


CHARACTER   OF   VOGL.  123 

brought  him  several  songs  for  perusal.  The  singer  was 
busy  at  the  moment,  and  put  off  the  musician  to 
another  time  ;  the  songs  were  laid  aside.  Vogl  after- 
wards examined  all  the  songs  at  his  leisure,  and  found 
amongst  the  number  one  that  pleased  him  particularly. 
But  the  song  in  question  was  too  high  for  him,  so  he 
transposed  it,  and  had  a  fresh  copy  made.  About  a  fort- 
night elapsed,  and  the  two  artists  and  friends  were  en- 
joying music  together.  Something  new  was  proposed, 
and  amongst  other  things  the  aforesaid  song,  which 
Yogi,  without  saying  a  word  further,  placed  in  the 
handwriting  of  the  transposer  upon  the  piano.  When 
Schubert  heard  the  composition  in  its  transposed  state, 
he  called  out  with  exultation,  in  the  Viennese  dialect : — 
( H'm  !  pretty  good  song.  Whose  is  it  then  ?  '  On  this 
occasion,  after  the  lapse  of  two  weeks,  he  could  not 
remember  his  own  work.1 

Vogl  also  occupied  himself  with  book-writing.     He 
compiled  a  method  of  singing,  and  collected  his  expe- 

I  won't  have  anything  to  do  with  it,  especially  since  I  have  learnt,  by  my 
experience  of  Schubert,  that  there  are  two  kinds  of  composition ;  one 
which,  as  with  Schubert,  comes  forth  to  the  world  in  a  state  of  clair- 
voyance or  "  somnambulism,"  without  any  freewill  on  the  part  of  the 
composer,  the  forced  product  of  a  higher  power  and  inspiration — one  may 
well  be  astonished  and  charmed  at  such  a  work,  but  not  criticise  it ;  the 
other  is  the  reflected,'  &c.  (Herr  Stadler,  of  Vienna,  has  the  original 
letter.) 

1  Freiherr  v.  Schonstein  told  me  this  story,  which  was  well  adapted 
to  justify  to  himself  his  favourite  notion,  that  Schubert  was  gifted  with 
musical  clairvoyance.  The  name  of  the  song  he  could  not  call  to 
memory. 


124  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

riences,  which  he  had  gathered  as  an  opera-singer,  and 
subsequently  as  a  singing-master,  into  a  work,  which, 
however,  was  never  published. 

As  already  mentioned,  the  composer  and  the  active 
professional  musician  were  closely  associated  with  one 
another  in  the  year  1817.  Vogl  soon  ascertained  the 
great  value  of  Schubert's  songs,  and  Schubert  saw  what 
had  long  been  the  unexpressed  and  ardent  wishes  of  his 
soul  realised  beyond  all  expectation.  The  singer,  ear- 
nest, thoughtful,  already  advanced  in  years,  could  not 
but  exercise  the  most  favourable  influence  over  Schu- 
bert's musical  development.  He  guided  Schubert's 
choice  of  certain  poems,  after  he  had  previously  de- 
claimed them  to  Schubert  with  passionate  expression, 
and  his  peculiar  appreciation  of  the  intendment  of 
Schubert's  songs  made  his  suggestions  very  influential 
with  the  composer. 

Schubert  generally  visited  Vogl  some  time  in.  the 
forenoon,1  either  to  compose  in  Vogl's  house  or  to  try 
over  his  new  songs  with  his  artistic  friend.  He  had 
attached  great  importance  to  Vogl's  opinion,  submitted 
most  of  his  vocal  compositions  to  his  criticism,  and 
availed  himself  in  a  qualified  way  of  the  supposed  good 
advice.2  Vogl,  by  his  admirable  execution  of  Schu- 

1  Vogl  lived  at  this  time  in  the  Plaukengasse,  afterwards  in  the 
Alleegasse,  on  the  "Wieden. 

2  Schubert  even  consented  to  Vogl's  transposing  and  making  all  kinds 
of  unjustifiable  alterations  in  his  songs,  which  Vogl,  either  from  posi- 


SCHUBERT   AND   VOGL   COMPARED.  125 

bert's  songs,  first  introduced  him  to  the  artistic  world, 
and  brought  him  in  connection  with  persons  and  fami- 
lies with  music-loving  tastes,  and  Schubert's  special 
attention  to  truth  of  expression,  correctness  of  accentua- 
tion, and  even  declamation,  must  certainly  be  in  part 
ascribed  to  Vogl's  credit.  He  was  a  judicious  guide,  a 
fatherly  adviser,  and  where  and  when  it  was  possible, 
an  active  promoter  of  Schubert's  worldly  interests. 

Spite  of  this  intellectual  bond  of  sympathy,  cemented 
by  an  intercourse  of  several  years,  the  connection  of 
these  two  artists,  relative  to  each  other,  was  strange  and 
peculiar.  Vogl  chose  to  adopt  the  air  of  patron  and 
protector  towards  Schubert,  the  younger  man  of  the 
two,  and  in  many  respects  less  matured  in  artistic  expe- 
rience, and  the  latter,  fond  of  liberty  and  independence^ 
could  never  get  rid  of  a  certain  coyness  and  reserve  in 
the  presence  of  his  stern  and  gifted  companion.  Owing 
to  this  barrier  opposed  to  the  two  natures,  the  traces  of 
close  friendship,  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word,  cannot 

tiveness  or  a  wish  to  make  an  effect,  was  venturesome  enough  to  under- 
take. Several  of  these  have  passed,  thus  metamorphosed,  into  print, 
and  a  restoration  of  the  original  readings  of  all  the  genuine  songs  of 
Schubert  would  be  an  undertaking  welcomed  by  all  lovers  of  music,  the 
more  recent  editions  differing  in  reading  from  those  first  issued.  Dr. 
Standharthner  and  Herr  Spina  have  in  manuscript  Schubert's  songs,  with 
Vogl's  clumsy  alterations,  which,  being  made  in  reference  to  the  operatic 
singer,  vary  very  materially  from  the  original.  The  '  improvements '  in 
the  '  Miillerlieder '  alone  amount  to  a  dozen.  We  come  across  some  fearful 
alterations  in  '  Der  Einsame,'  and  in  the  '  Altschottischen  Ballade,'  and 
the  process  may  have  been  repeated  with  others  of  the  songs. 


126  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

be  said  to  have  left  their  mark ;  and  regarding  this  con- 
nection purely  in  a  musical  point  of  view,  it  cannot  be 
denied,  admitting  the  happy  results  arising  from  the 
mutual  co-operation  of  the  creative  mind  and  the  inter- 
preting artist,  yet  that  this  perhaps  unique  relationship 
in  art  has  also  its  reverse  side.  For  instance,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  Schubert,  under  Vogl's  influence,  wrote 
several  songs  for  a  range  of  voice  very  seldom  met  with, 
whilst  Vogl,  whose  organs  fitted  him  for  these  excep- 
tional difficulties,  could  produce  wonderful  effects  by 
dropping  his  intonation  and  speaking  a  word,  by  a  sud- 
den burst  of  falsetto,  deviating,  in  fact,  from  the  na- 
tural and,  artistically  speaking,  only  justifiable  method 
of  vocalisation.  Further,  it  must  be  mentioned  as  an 
important  fact  resulting  from  this  alliance,  that  Schu- 
bert, to  please  the  singer,  concentrated  much  more  of 
his  energies  in  writing  songs  of  a  slight  character  and 
import  than  he  would  otherwise  have  done. 

After  Schubert's  death,  his  friend,  who  had  already 
entered  his  sixty-eighth  year,  still  sang  with  vigour  and 
animation,  in  private  circles,  those  songs  to  which  he 
owed  so  much  of  his  reputation.  He  certainly  found 
it  necessary  to  husband  the  remains  of  his  voice,  and 
draw  largely  on  the  peculiarities  of  his  method,  in 
order  to  create  his  effects  :  the  result  was  a  certain  self- 
complacency  and  affected  delivery,  which  increased  in 
proportion  with  the  decay  of  his  natural  powers,  and 
ended  by  making  the  artist  appear  downright  ludicrous. 


DEATH    OF   VOGL.  127 

The  misery  of  the  last  years  of  his  life  was  embittered 
by  a  disease  which,  at  his  great  age,  made  him  a  ter- 
rible sufferer,  and  kept  him  confined  to  his  room. 
Patience  was  not  one  of  Vogl's  virtues.  Withdrawn 
from  the  outer  world,  he  still  found  an  alleviation  in 
his  old  customary  intellectual  employment.  His  inner 
world  must  have  indemnified  him  for  the  loss  of  joys 
long  surrendered,  and  for  the  confusion  of  mind  which, 
in  respect  of  external  things,  seemed  to  be  looming  in 
prospect.  The  old  man  became  the  victim  of  queru- 
lous old  age,  and  a  morbid  fancy  that  the  end  of  the 
world  was  at  hand  haunted  him  during  hours  of  bodily 
suffering ;  in  calmer  moments  he  fancied  that  for  the 
first  time  the  meaning  of  his  life  became  clear  to 
him,  and  the  feeling  overpowered  him  with  rapturous 
sensations. 

His  wife  clung  to  him  until  his  last  gasp  with  in- 
tense love  and  devotion. 

Vogl  died,  in  his  seventy-third  year,  on  the  19th  No- 
vember, 1840,  on  the  anniversary  of  Schubert's  death, 
twelve  years  before.  Shortly  before  his  decease,  his 
own  and  Schubert's  friends  had  presented  him  with  a 
cup  and  portrait  of  the  composer,  as  a  memorial  of  the 
intellectual  bond  that  existed  between  the  two  artists. 
Vogl's  name  is  indissolubly  associated  with  Franz 
Schubert's  songs.  His  peculiar  appreciation  and  way 
of  executing  particular  songs  of  Schubert  are  said,  by 
the  still  surviving  witnesses  of  the  great  days  of  the 


128  LIFE   OF   SCHUBEET. 

singer,  to  have  been  unrivalled — a  pattern  and  model 
for  all  time.  That  Schubert  himself  entertained  this 
view,  at  least  partially,  can  be  gathered  from  a  passage 
in  a  letter  which,  together  with  what  remains  of  his 
written  memoranda,  shall  be  given  in  the  latter  part  of 
our  narrative.1 

Besides  Vogl,  we  must  mention  several  other  musical 
connoisseurs,  whose  intimacy  with  Schubert  began  at 
this  period,  and  brought  him  soon  into  friendly  rela- 
tions with  them.  For  instance,  there  are  the  brothers 
Anselm  and  Josef  Hiittenbrenner 2 — the  first  a  com- 
poser, the  last  a  musical  amateur — and  Josef  Grahy, 
(a  government  employe),  an  accomplished  pianoforte- 
player.  In  the  year  1815,  Franz  had  met  Anselm 
Hiittenbrenner  at  Salieri's ;  in  the  summer  of  1817 
he  became  acquainted  with  his  brother  Josef,  who — 

1  'It  is  the  way  and  style  in  which  Vogl  sings,'  writes  Franz  (1825) 
to  his  brother  Ferdinand ;  '  and  when  I  accompany,  we  seem  at  such  a 
moment  to  be  one — a  quite  unheard-of  novelty  by  the  people  here.' 

2  Anselm  was  born  at  Gratz  in  the  year  1794,  studied  at  Vienna,  and 
subsequently  returned  to  the  Steiermark,  where  he  has  property.    He 
was  a  passionate  lover  of  music,  and  wrote  an  immense  number  of  com- 
positions in  every  kind  of  style.     Of  these,  however,  only  a  few,  and 
amongst  them  the  Eequiem,  have  become  known,     Elected  President 
of  the  Styrian  Music  Association,  he  undertook,  in  the  year  1834,  the 
editorship  of  the  '  Heller-Magazin.'     Anselm  now  lives  at  G-ratz,  in  re- 
tirement, and,  in  the  summer,  upon  his  Eothenthurm  estate  at  Juden- 
burg.     Josef  A.  now  lives  in  Vienna,  pensioned  by  Government.    With 
the  third  brother,  Heinrich,  Doctor  of  Laws,  Schubert   seems  to  have 
been  not  so  intimate  as  with  the  other  two ;  Heinrich  A.  was  also 
something  of  a  poet,  and  Schubert  set  two  of  his  songs. 


ANSELM  AND  JOSEF  HUTTENBRENNER.       129 

at  that  time  acting  as  steward  of  the  family  estate  of 
Kothenthurm,  at  Judenburg,  in  Styria — had  come  on 
a  visit  to  Vienna,  and,  two  years  later,  occupied  the 
same  house  (in  the  Wipplingerstrasse)  with  Schubert  and 
Mayrhofer.  Schubert  had  already,  at  an  earlier  period 
sent  to  him  (although  personally  unacquainted)  some 
songs  ('Minona,'  'Kastlose  Liebe');  in  the  year  1818 
he  presented  him,  through  Anselm,  the  song  e  Die 
Forelle,'  composed  on  the  night  of  February  21.  The 
music  was  enclosed  with  the  following  lines :  l — 

6  Dearest  Friend, — I  am  overjoyed  to  find  that  my 
songs  please  you.  As  a  proof  of  my  sincere  friendship, 
I  send  you  herewith  another  ("  Die  Forelle  "),  which 
I  wrote  at  midnight  for  Anselm.  But  what  mischief ! 
Instead  of  the  box  of  blotting-sand,  I  seize  the  ink- 
bottle.  I  hope,  over  a  glass  of  punch  at  Vienna,  to 
become  better  acquainted  with  you.  Vale  ! 

6  SCHUBERT.' 

Franz  was  always  on  the  most  friendly  footing  with 
these  two  brothers,  although  he  cultivated  their  friend- 
ship from  different  motives.  For  Anselm  he  had  a  true 
and  sincere  regard,  associated  with  the  interest  which  he 
bestowed  upon  the  musical  efforts  of  his  friend.  Josef, 
on  the  contrary,  as  he  grew  in  the  course  of  time  more 

1  The  original  is  in  the  hands  of  Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner.  I 
desire  to  express  my  thanks  to  him  for  all  the  information  he  has  given 
me  respecting  himself  and  Anselm. 

VOL.    I.  K 


130  LIFE   OF    SCHUBERT. 

intimate  with  the  musician,  became  an  ardent  Schubert- 
worshipper,  and  showed  himself  so  zealous  an  admirer, 
that  Schubert  was  far  more  anxious  to  keep  away  from 
him  than  to  encourage  him;  and  he  would  reject  his  too 
fulsome  adulation  with  words  of  irony  — (  Why,  that 
man  likes  everything  I  do.' 1  But  the  active  service  of 
this  Hiittenbrenner,  so  far  as  it  related  to  correcting 
printed  proofs  of  Schubert's  composition,  arranging  his 
symphonies  for  the  piano,  managing  his  correspond- 
ence with  foreign  publishers,  and  other  less  conspi- 
cuous services,  suited  the  easy-going  Schubert  exactly ; 
and  that,  to  all  outward  appearance,  his  relations  with 
Josef  were  of  an  appreciative  friendly  character,  we 
have  abundant  testimony  in  the  letters  of  Schubert,  now 
in  Herr  Huttenbrenner's  possession.  In  them  Schubert 
honours  his  willing  friend  with  all  sorts  of  commissions 
of  a  musical  kind.2  Of  Josef  Huttenbrenner's  con- 

1  Herr  Josef  H.   is  particularly  fond   of  pointing  to  this    circum- 
stance of  Schubert's  refusing  to  swallow   his  exaggerated  praise.     A 
gentleman,  intimate  with  Schubert  and  Hiittenbrenner,  described  to  me 
(perhaps  a  little  overcolouring  the  picture)  the  relations  existing  be- 
tween these  two  men,  in  a  manner  that  tempts  one  to  believe  that  they 
only  loved  at  a  distance.     This  is  the  passage : — '  Josef,  who  would  take 
no  denial  in  his  worship  and  zeal  for  Schubert,  became  almost  an  object 
of  aversion  to  the  musician ;  he  often  put  him  off  rudely,  and  treated 
him  so  harshly , and  inconsiderately,  that  we  nicknamed  Schubert  "  The 
Tyrant " — of  course,  good  temperedly.' 

2  Here  is  a  note  of  Schubert's  (in  the  year  1819) : — 

'  Dear  Hiittenbrenner, — I  am,  and  ever  shall  be,  yours.  I  am  exceed- 
ingly pleased  that  you  are  ready  with  my  symphony.  Come  here  this 
evening  with  it  at  five  o'clock.  I  am  living  in  the  Wipplingerstrasse, 
with  Mayrhofer.' 


JOSEF   GAHT.  131 

stant  but  futile  efforts,  at  a  subsequent  period,  to  get 
Schubert's  works  recognised,  and  their  sale,  in  and  out 
of  Grermany,  enlarged,  we  shall  have  frequently  to  speak; 
and  none  will  venture  to  dispute  his  title  to  having 
done  such  good  service.  It  may  well  be  instanced,  as 
a  bitter  wrong  of  fate,  that,  by  the  misadventure  before 
alluded  to,  three  acts  of  operas  by  his  adored  master 
were  lost  by  this  enthusiastic  friend  of  Schubert. 

Josef  Grahy,1  besides  being  an  admirable  pianoforte- 
player,  was  selected  by  Schubert  to  join  him  in  playing 
through  the  duett  arrangements  of  his  own  and  other 
compositions,  especially  Beethoven's  Symphonies.  Franz 
used  to  play  the  treble.  Grahy's  playing  was  pure  and 
full  of  expression,  and  (a  matter  of  great  importance  in 
Schubert's  eyes)  he  was  a  first-rate  reader  at  sight.  The 
two  friends  were  frequently  together,  especially  in  later 
years,  and  they  met  several  times  a  week,  at  the  house 
of  one  or  other  of  their  mutual  friends,2  to  share  a 

On  another  occasion  he  sends  off  his  zealous  friend  to  Diabelli,  '  to 
give  his  dance-music  to  the  engraver,  and  receive  for  him  the  money 
he  is  in  such  urgent  need  of,'  &c.  The  symphony  here  mentioned  was 
that  of  Schubert's  in  D  (1813),  and  a  pianoforte  duett  arrangement  was 
made,  which  Schubert  and  Hiittenbrenner  played  together  on  an  old 
worn-out  piano  of  Milpitz.  Schubert  also  often  visited  Gross  (Court 
Chamberlain),  who  lived  in  the  Wipplingerstrasse,  for  the  purpose  of 
playing  to  him,  or  duetts  with  him. 

1  Josef  Grahy,  Sectionsrath  at  Vienna,  died  in  the  month  of  March 
1864. 

2  At  Schober's,  Lascny's,  Vogl's  (the  last  of  whom  lived,  during  the 
years  1827  and  1828,  in  the  Alleegasse),  and  at  Pinterics',  to  whom  we 
shall  have  occasion  again  to  allude. 

VOL.  i.  *K  2 


132  LIFE   OF  SCHUBERT. 

pleasure  so  genial  to  both.  Schubert  was  not  a  virtuoso 
in  the  modern  sense  of  the  word,  but  he  accompanied 
his  own  S3ngs  beautifully,  keeping  the  time  very  strictly, 
and  in  spite  of  his  short  thick  fingers  he  could  play  the 
most  difficult  of  his  sonatas, l  and  always  with  appro- 
priate expression. 

Grahy  assures  us  that  the  hours  he  passed  playing 
with  Schubert  were  among  the  most  enjoyable  of  his 
life,  and  that  he  can  never  think  of  that  time  without 
deep  emotion.  Not  only  on  such  occasions  did  he 
learn  a  great  deal  he  had  never  known  before,  but  the 
pure  rapid  playing,  the  bold  free  conception,  the  alter- 
nately tender  and  fiery  energetic  playing  of  his  short 
fat  friend  raised  his  spirits  to  the  highest  pitch.2 

Schubert's  temper  being  always  at  its  best  on  such 
occasions,  he  would  make  humorous  remarks  on  the 
several  different  compositions  before  them.  These 
were  sometimes  caustic  and  severe,  but  always  to  the 

1  Except  the  Fantasia  (Op.  15),  which  he  never  could  master.     On 
one  occasion,  whilst  attempting  it  at  a  private  party,  and  sticking  fast 
in  the  final  movement,  he  jumped  up  from  his  chair,  exclaiming :  '  The 
devil  may  play  the  stuff  if  he  likes  ! '     (Kupelwieser,  Spaun,  and  Gahy 
were  present.) 

2  On  one  occasion  Schubert  played  one  of  his  sonatas  to  a  pianist  and 
composer  of  the  name  of  Johann  Horzalka  (died  at  Hitzing,  in  the  year 
1861),  and  the  latter  called  out  enthusiastically:  'Schubert,  I  admire 
your  pianoforte -play  ing  more  than  your  compositions  ! ' — words  which 
afterwards  led  to  a  misunderstanding.     Schubert  occasionally  accom- 
panied his  own  songs  at  concerts ;  for  instance,  at  Jansa's  and  Salomon's 
concert  (1827)  he  played  for  Tieze  the  'Normans  G-esang'  and  '  Der 
Einsame.' 


OVERTURES   IN   THE   ITALIAN    STYLE.  133 

purpose.  Grahy's  almost  fraternal  intimacy  with  Schu- 
bert lasted  undisturbed  to  the  time  of  the  musician's 
death. 

With  regard  to  Schubert's  compositions  referable  to 
this  period,  we  find  orchestral  music  represented  by  two 
so-called  '  Overtures  in  the  Italian  Style.'  Eossini's 
operas,  with  their  sweet  cantilenas  and  passionate  sen- 
suous expression,  enjoyed  an  enthusiastic  triumph  at 
that  time  in  Vienna.  Schubert  was  a  constant  visitor  at 
the  theatre,  and  it  will  excite  no  surprise  that  the  tone- 
poet,  with  his  rich  store  of  songs,  should  be  penetrated 
by  the  stream  of  melodies  flowing  from  Rossini's  music-; 
although  Schubert  yielded  to  none  in  unsparing  con- 
demnation of  the  weak  side  of  the  genial  maestro. 
Coming  home  one  evening  with  several  friends  (amongst 
whom  was  Herr  Doppler,  the  responsible  author  of  this 
story),  after  hearing  '  Tancredi,'  there  was  a  general 
chorus  of  praise  of  Eossini's  music,  and  especially  the 
overtures  to  his  operas,  whereupon  Schubert,  who 
thought  the  praise  overdone,  and  was  moved  to  contest 
the  point,  declared  it  would  be  the  easiest  thing  for 
him  to  write  down,  at  the  shortest  notice,  overtures  of 
the  style  alluded  to.  His  companions  took  him  at  his 
word,  and  promised,  on  their  part,  to  reward  Schubert's 
efforts  with  a  glass  of  good  wine.  Schubert  there  and 
then  set  to  work,  and  wrote  an  orchestral  overture, 
which  was  subsequently  followed  by  another,  and  these, 
under  the  names  of  'Overtures  in  the  Italian  Style,' 

VOL.   I.  *K  3 


134  LIFE    OF   SCHUBEKT. 

were  given,  during  Schubert's  lifetime,  at  concerts  with 
applause.1 

Amongst  the  songs  of  this  year,2  those  set  to  poems 
by  Mayrhofer  and  Schober  are  pre-eminent  in  value 
and  interest.  Their  selection  points  to  the  influence  of 
Vogl,  some  of  whose  greatest  triumphs  were  achieved 
in  these  works. 

Of  part-songs  written  at  this  time  we  must  mention 
Schubert's  setting  of  Gothe's  poem,  'Gresang  der  Greister 
iiber  den  Wassern,'  set  for  four  male  voices,  as  we 
detect  in  this  work  the  germ  of  some  of  his  later  and 
grander  conceptions.3 

The  most  remarkable  event  of  this  period  was  the 
appearance  of  Schubert's  Pianoforte  Sonatas. 

1  The  original  of  the  Overture  in  D  (composed  in  May),  and  of  that  in 
C  (composed  in  November   1817),  are   in  the  hands  of  Herr  Spina. 
Schubert  made  a  pianoforte  arrangement  of  both  overtures.     One  of 
these  was  given  on  March  1,  1818,  at  the  concert  of  Jaell,  the  violin- 
player,  in  the  large  room  at  the  '  Eomischer  Kaiser,'  at  Vienna.     We 
read  of  this  performance  in  the  '  Wiener  Theater-Zeitung '  of  March 
14: — 'The  second  part  began  with  a  wonderfully  beautiful  overture  by  a 
young  composer  of  the  name  of  Schubert.     This  gentleman,  a  pupil  of 
the  famous  Salieri,  knows  how  to  move  and  agitate  all  hearts.     Ex- 
tremely simple  as  the  motive  is,  it  developed  a  host  of  astonishing  and 
delightful  thoughts  worked  up  with  great  power  and  skill.' 

2  Of  unpublished  songs  we  may  mention  '  La  Pastorella  al  Prato,'  an 
Italian  canzonet,  written  in  a  graceful  flowing  style ;  a  song  for  soprano, 
with  accompaniments  for  stringed  and  wind  instruments  ;  and  the  songs 
'  Einsiedelei,'  '  Fischerlied,'  and  '  G-eist  der  Liebe,'  afterwards  arranged 
as  a  vocal  quart ett.     There  is  an  Italian  air  also,  with  a  recitative  of 
considerable  length,  written  in  the  style  of  Mozart. 

8  Schubert  set  the  'G-esangderGeister'  three  times;  in  the  year  1817  as 
avocalquartett;  in  the  year  1820  as  chorus  for  male  voices,  with  pianoforte 


PIANOFORTE  SONATAS.  135 

Few  expected,  at  that  time,  that  Schubert,  whilst 
bringing  out  song  after  song  suited  to  the  capacity  of 
his  favourite  singer,  would  apply  with  equal  facility  to 
the  composition  of  pianoforte  music.  The  same  ver- 
satile power  which  had  served  him  in  such  good  stead 
in  the  production  of  his  numerous  vocal  works  and 
compositions  for  the  stage,  now  befriended  him  in  his 
later  efforts  in  the  department  of  chamber  music. 
Schubert,  in  truth,  having  once  selected  his  particular 
field  of  study  and  invention,  set  himself  to  his  task  with 
unwearied  energy  and  zeal,  never  resting  until  he  had 
satisfied  the  imperious  demands  of  his  genius  by 
creating  works  of  real  artistic  value.  Of  this  intuitive 
perception  of  his  own  capacity  we  have  evidence  in  the 
fact  of  his  sudden  rush  into  a  new  field  of  activity,  that 
of  composing  pianoforte  music,  and  writing  in  the  period 
of  a  single  year  no  less  than  five  sonatas.1  These  once 
finished,  he  gave  up  writing  for  the  pianoforte  for  a 
number  of  years.  It  is  impossible  to  contemplate  with- 
out emotion  and  wonder  these  precious  results  of  quiet 
honest  industry,  which,  in  the  majority  of  instances, 
were  not  to  be  reckoned  amongst  the  artistic  treasures 
of  the  world  until  long  after  Schubert's  death. 

accompaniment ;  and  afterwards  as  an  eight-part  chorus  for  equal 
voices,  with  orchestral  accompaniment.  Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner  has 
the  first  sketch,  the  second  arrangement  remained  a  fragment,  the  last 
is  in  the  Royal  Library  in  Berlin. 

1  These  are  the  Sonatas  in  E-flat  and  A-flat,  in  A,  and  F  and  B  minor, 
and  probably,  also,  the  fragment  marked  in  the  catalogue  as  Op.  145. 

TOL.  i.  *K  4 


136  LIFE   OF    SCHUBERT. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

(1818  AND  1824.) 

SCHUBERT  AS  MUSIC-TEACHER — THE  FAMILY  OF  COUNT  CARL  ESTER- 
HAZY — STAY  AT  ZELESZ FREIHERR  CARL  VON  SCHONSTEIN — SCHU- 
BERT AND  THE  COUNTESS  CAROLINE  ESTERHAZY — THE  QUARTETT 

'  GEBET     VOR     DER    SCHLACHT ' THE     '  DIVERTISSEMENT    A    LA    HON- 

GROISE  ' THE    FANTASIA    IN   F  MINOR — THE   SONG    '  DIE  FORELLE  ' 

'ERSTE    WALZER' — THE    SIXTH   SYMPHONY    (IN   c) — A  LETTER   OF 

IGNAZ    SCHUBERT,    THE    SCHOOLMASTER,    TO   HIS    BROTHER   FRANZ. 

SCHUBERT,  like  Mozart  and  Beethoven,  had  a  special 
aversion  to  giving  lessons,  and  following  the  routine 
and  method  generally  prescribed  for  musicians.  And 
yet  these  three  composers  were  driven  by  force  of  cir- 
cumstances to  become  teachers  (Beethoven  only  during 
his  early  years).1  Mozart  laboured  during  a  large  part 
of  his  life  as  a  teacher  ;  and  Schubert,  had  he  wished  to 
improve  his  means,  at  all  events  for  the  first  years  after 
leaving  his  father's  house,  would  have  necessarily  had  to 
conform  to  the  usual  regime.  The  reasons  for  a  dis- 
inclination to  this  course  were  the  same  in  the  case  of 

1  In  later  years,  too,  Beethoven,  as  in  former  days  at  Bonn,  went 'to 
his  task  like  '  a  stubborn  ill-tempered  donkey,'  and  made  it  as  easy  to 
himself  as  he  possibly  could — notably  in  the  case  of  his  pupil  the  Arch- 
duke Kudolf, 


SCHUBERT   AS   MUSIC-TEACHER.  137 

all  three  musicians,  and  need  no  further  explanation. 
Schubert  certainly  so  far  disciplined  himself  as  to  spend 
several  years  in  initiating  pupils  of  the  lowest  class  in  the 
mysteries  of  the  spelling-book,  and  his  patience  during 
the  ordeal  frequently  forsook  him;  but  to  the  restless 
energetic  creator  of  music,  the  employment  of  giving 
lessons  in  music  seemed  absolutely  intolerable.  It  is  a 
fact  that  he  got  rid  of  all  obligations  of  this  nature, 
where  such  might  be  supposed  to  exist,  so  as  to  be 
perfect  master  of  his  time  and  inclinations.  He  un- 
hesitatingly, however,  accepted  one,  and  but  one  offer, 
which  was  in  many  ways  an  advantageous  one,  and 
threatened  in  no  respect  to  compromise  his  longing  for 
independence.  linger,  the  Wirthschaftsrath  of  Baron 
Hakelberg  (father  of  Caroline  Unger-Sabatier,  who  be- 
came a  famous  operatic  singer),  recommended  him  at 
this  time  to  Count  Johann  Esterhazy  as  a  music- teacher, 
and  the  Count  proposed  to  Schubert  that  he  should 
officiate  as  music-master  to  the  family,  and  pass  the 
winter  with  him  in  town,  and  the  summer  at  his 
country  estate,  Zelesz.1 

As  this  position  was  a  properly  paid  one  (according  to 
Herr  Doppler,  two  gulden  the  lesson),  and  opened  out  a 
prospect  of  many  pleasures,  in  which  persons  associated 
with  wealthy  families  are  wont  to  share,  Schubert 

1  linger  wrote  the  verses  for  Schubert's  well-known  Quartett,  'Die 
Nachtigall.' 


138  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

accepted  the  offer  very  gladly,  and  in  the  summer  of 
1818  went  for  the  first  time  to  Zelesz.1 

Count  Johann  Carl  Esterhazy  married  the  Countess 
Kosine  Festetics,  of  Tolna,  and  by  this  marriage  had 
three  children :  Marie,  Caroline,  and  Albert  Johann. 

The  whole  family  was  musical.  The  Count  had  a 
bass  voice;  the  Countess  and  her  daughter  Caroline 
were  altos ;  and  Marie  had  an  exquisite  high  soprano 
voice.  As  the  Baron  Carl  v.  Schonstein2  was  an  ex- 
cellent second  tenor,  and  often  on  a  visit  to  the  Ester- 
hazy  family,  the  vocal  quartett  was  complete  ;  and  the 
four  connoisseurs  are  inseparably  associated  with  one  of 
the  finest  of  Schubert's  vocal  compositions,  the  c  Grebet 
vor  der  Schlacht '  (by  De  la  Motte  Fouque).  The  two 
daughters,  moreover,  played  the  piano,  and  whilst  Marie 
devoted  herself  more  particularly  to  the  cultivation  of 
her  voice  with  the  best  Italian  masters,  Caroline,  with 
her  sweet  but  less  powerful  voice,  worked  diligently  and 
successfully  at  accompaniments  for  the  concerted  pieces. 

Schubert  had  already  completed  his  twenty-first  year 

1  Zelesz  (or  Zselics),  a  property  situated  on  the  river  Waag,  belong- 
ing to  the  divisional  district  of  Barsch  and  Honth,  on  this  side  of  the 
Danube,  about  fourteen  stages  from  Vienna.     The  Esterhazy  family 
generally  passed  the  winter  months  at  the  Residenz,  in  the  Herrengasse. 

2  Born  at  Ofen,  on  June  27,  1796,  and  began  his  official  career  in 
the  year   1813,  under  the  Hungarian   Government.     In   1831,   was 
made  Secretary  to  the  Exchequer,  then  Hofrath,  and  in  1856  retired 
on  a  pension.     I  am  indebted  to  this  gentleman  for  his  courtesy  in  sup- 
plying me  with  information  relative  to  Schubert's  connection  with  the 
Esterhazy  family. 


THE  FAMILY  OF  COUNT  GAEL  ESTEKHAZY.     139 

when  he  was  first  introduced  to  this  family.  The  Count 
was  in  robust  manhood.  The  Countess  Eosine  was 
twenty-eight  years  old,  her  eldest  daughter  (Marie ) 
thirteen,  Caroline  (the  younger)  eleven,  and  her  son  a 
little  boy  of  five. 

It  followed,  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  Schubert's 
powers  as  a  composer  would  soon  be  discovered  by  such 
a  circle.  He  became  the  established  favourite  of  the 
family,  and,  according  to  agreement,  passed  the  winter 
with  them  as  music-master,  and  repeatedly  accompanied 
the  family  to  their  estate  in  Hungary.  He  passed  a 
great  deal  of  his  time,  apart  from  hours  devoted  to 
music,  in  the  Count's  house,  and  visited  the  family  fre- 
quently up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  In  the  first  years 
of  his  acquaintance  music  was  sedulously  practised : 
Haydn's  '  Creation '  and  c  Seasons,'  his  four-part  songs, 
and  Mozart's  '  Eequiem,'  were  amongst  some  of  the 
family  achievements.  A  vocal  Quartett  by  Anselm 
Hiittenbrenner,  'Der  Abend,'  a  great  favourite  with 
Schubert,  was  frequently  sung.1  Baron  v.  Schonstein, 
who,  up  to  the  time  of  meeting  Schubert,  had  been  an 
exclusive  worshipper  of  Italian  vocal  music,  now  began 
enthusiastically  to  study  the  Grerman  Lied,  as  repre- 
sented in  its  zenith  of  glory  by  Schubert,  and  devoted 
himself  from  henceforth  to  performances  of  Schubert's 
works,  in  which  he  became,  like  Vogl,  unapproachable, 

1  This  lias  been  engraved,  and  was  performed  at  a  musical  club 
gathering  (Kranzcken)  at  Vienna,  in  1862. 


140  LIFE   OP   SCHUBERT. 

and  actually  surpassed  that  artist  in  respect  of  beauty 
and  quality  of  voice.  The  composer  became  much 
attached  to  the  Baron,  and  was  always  glad  to  study 
music  with  him.  Schonstein's  audience  during  these 
vocal  displays  generally  consisted  of  the  Esterhazy 
family,  where  he  was  so  welcome  a  visitor,  and  of  which 
every  member  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  Schubert ;  but 
his  social  position  gave  him  an  opportunity,  in  course  of 
time,  of  bringing  these  compositions  before  still  higher 
circles,  and  the  '  creme  de  la  creme  '  of  society.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  the  residence  in  the  country  (in  the 
years  1818  and  1824)  was,  in  the  matter  of  music,  by 
no  means  barren  of  results.  Pianoforte  pieces  for  solo 
and  duett-players,  marches,  sonatas,  and  variations,  let 
alone  songs  and  concerted  voca]  pieces,  originated  in 
that  period,  and  are  ample  evidence  of  Schubert's 
unwearied  activity.  At  Zelesz  he  heard,  too,  the 
national  Hungarian  Sclavonian  airs,  which,  whenever 
he  heard  them,  either  played  by  gipsies  or  sung  by 
the  castle  servants,  he  noted  down,  with,  a  view  of  reset- 
ting them  artistically,  and  giving  them  his  own  exquisite 
embellishments.  The  '  Divertissement  a  la  Hongroise  ' 
(Op.  54)  consists  mainly  of  a  series  of  melodies  of  a 
somewhat  gloomy  character.  Schubert  got  the  sub- 
ject from  the  kitchen-maid  in  the  Esterhazy  family, 
who  was  humming  it  as  she  stood  by  the  fireplace, 
and  Schubert  coming  home  from  a  walk  with 
Schonstein,  heard  it  as  he  passed.  He  kept  on  hum- 


HIS    STAY   AT   ZElJsZ.  141 

ming  the  tune  during  the  rest  of  the  walk,  and  -next 
winter  it  appeared  as  a  subject  in  the  Divertissement. 
Snatches  of  the  national  Hungarian  melodies  are  to  be 
found  in  some  of  the  Impromptus,  Moments  musicals, 
Sonatas,  and  even  in  movements  of  his  Symphonies.  On 
the  occasion  of  his  first  visit  to  Zelesz,  Schubert  remained 
until  late  in  the  autumn,  for  the  '  Abendlied,'  ( Du  hei- 
lig  gliihend  Abendroth '  (by  Schreiber),  the  original 
manuscript  of  which  is  at  Vienna,  in  the  hands  of  the 
Countess  Rosa  v.  Almasy  (nee  Festetics),  and  niece  of 
the  Countess  Esterhazy,  bears  date  '  Zelesz,  Novem- 
ber 1818.'  Also  the  Lied  'Blondel  zu  Marien'  (con- 
tained in  Series  34),  composed  in  September,  and  Vocal 
Exercises,  filling  five  pages  of  manuscript,  dated  July 
1818,  are  all  traceable  to  the  time  of  this  country  visit. 
The  exercises,  in  Schubert's  handwriting,  which  were 
found  amongst  the  papers  of  the  Countess  Caroline,  were 
probably  written  for  her  sister  Marie.1 

In  the  year  1824,  six  years  later,  we  find  Schubert  a 
second  time  in  Zelesz.  Baron  Schonstein  happened  to 
be  there  also,  and  from  this  period  are  dated  the  grand 

1  Amongst  the  music  the  Countess  Caroline  left  behind  her  are  to  be 
found  the  following  MSS.  of  Schubert :— The  Trio  in  E-flat,  1827,  two 
Overtures  for  four  hands,  in  C  and  D  (December  1817),  Waltzes 
(January  1824),  'Deutsche'  (October  1824);  the  songs  'Abendlied,' 
'Blondel  zu  Marien,'  and  Vocal  Exercises.  The  Countess  Eosa  v. 
Almasy  has  the  MSS.  of  '  Ungeduld,'  and  '  Des  Miillers  Blumen,'  from 
the  '  Miillerlieder,'  which  the  lady  has  presented  to  Herr  Julius  Stock- 
hausen.  The  French  Eomance  in  E  minor,  which  Schubert  selected  as 
the  subject  of  Op.  10,  is  also  in  the  possession  of  the  Almasy  family. 


142  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

pianoforte  Duett,  Op.  140,  the  Variations  (Op.  35),  and 
the  vocal  Quartett  before  mentioned,  '  Grebet  vor  der 
Schlacht.'  The  origin  of  the  last-quoted  piece  illus- 
trates Schubert's  surprising  gifts  of  musical  inven- 
tion. One  morning,  in  the  early  days  of  September, 
1824,  the  lady  of  the  house,  whilst  the  family  were  at 
breakfast,  begged  of  the  master  to  set  De  la  Motte 
Fouque's  poem  to  music  for  the  family  quartett. 
Schubert  took  the  book,  and  withdrew  to  his  study  to 
think  over  his  music.  On  the  evening  of  the  same  day 
this  profound  work  was  practised  from  the  manuscript 
copy  on  the  pianoforte.  But  the  delight  at  this  beau- 
tiful music  was  far  greater  on  the  following  even- 
ing, by  which  time  the  voice  parts  had  been  written 
out  and  distributed  by  Schubert  himself,  and  the  whole 
performance  had  gained  in  ensemble,  clearness,  and 
beauty  of  expression.  The  quartett  was  composed 
within  ten  hours,  and  written  down  without  a  single 
correction.  The  composition  was  not  published  at 
the  time,  having  been  written  especially  for  the  Ester- 
hazy  family,  and  under  the  express  condition  that  it 
should  remain  private  property,  and  the  Countess 
Rosina  set  great  store  by  her  monopoly  of  one  of  Schu- 
bert's compositions.  It  was  not  until  some  years  after 
Schubert's  death,  that  Frh.  v.  Schonstein,  with  the 
consent  of  that  lady,  handed  over  the  manuscript  to  a 
house  at  Vienna  for  publication. 

Schubert  very   often    made   himself  merry  at    the 
expense  of  any  friends  of  his  who  fell  in  love.     He 


A    FLIRTATION.  143 

too  was  by  no  means  proof  against  the  tender  passion, 
but  never  seriously  compromised  himself.  Nothing  is 
known  of  any  lasting  passion,  and  he  never  seems  to 
have  thought  seriously  about  matrimony ;  but  he  cer- 
tainly coquetted  with  love,  and  was  no  stranger  to  the 
deeper  and  truer  affections.  Soon  after  his  entering 
into  the  Esterhazy  family,  he  had  a  flirtation  with  one 
of  the  servants,  which  soon  paled  before  a  more  romantic 
passion,  which  consumed  the  inflammatory  Schubert. 
This  was  for  the  Countess's  younger  daughter,  Caroline. 
The  flame  was  not  extinguished  before  his  death.  Caro- 
line esteemed  him,  and  appreciated  his  genius,  but  did 
not  return  his  love,  and  probably  never  guessed  its 
extent  and  fervency.  His  feelings  towards  her  must 
have  been  clear  enough,  by  Schubert's  own  declaration. 
Once  she  jestingly  reproached  him  for  never  having 
dedicated  any  piece  of  music  to  her;  his  reply  was, 
'  What  would  be  the  good  of  it  ?  Everything  I  have 
ever  done  has  been  dedicated  to  you  ! ' 

And  he  clung  steadfastly  to  his  purpose ;  though  the 
dedication  on  the  pianoforte  Fantasia  in  F  minor,  for 
two  performers  (Op.  103),  emanates  (so  I  have  been 
told),  in  spite  of  the  words,  (  Pediee  par  Fr.  Schubert,' 
not  from  him,  but  from  the  publishers,  and  only  ap- 
peared in  this  form  after  Schubert's  death.1  A  passage 

1  Dr.  Leopold  v.  Sonnleithner  arranged  the  Fantasia  for  orchestra,  in 
which  form  it  now  exists  in  the  archives  of  the  Vienna  Musikverein.  At 
an  orchestral  concert  in  the  month  of  March,  1864,  it  was  given  in  this 
form. 


144  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

selected  from  a  letter  to  be  quoted  hereafter  (dated 
Zelesz,  1824),  where  the  ( misery  of  reality,'  'defrauded 
hopes,'  &c.,  are  alluded  to,  cannot  be  dissociated  from 
this  heart  affair  which  we  have  just  hinted  at.1 

After  the  year  1824,  Schubert  never  again  visited 
Zelesz,  and  in  1826  a  change  occurred  in  the  Count's 
family,  in  consequence  of  which  the  musical  circle  was 
deprived  of  one  of  its  chief  ornaments.2  On  December  1, 
1827,  Marie,  the  elder  daughter,  was  married  to  the 
Count  August  v.  Breuner.3  In  1828  Schubert  died. 

On  May  8,  1844,  sixteen  years  after  Schubert's  death, 
the  Countess  Caroline  was  married  to  Count  Folliot  v. 
Crenneville,  chamberlain  and  a  major  in  the  army. 

Count  Johann  Carl  died  on  August  21,  1834,  the 
Countess  Marie  v.  Breuner  on  September  30,  1837, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years  ;  the  Countess  Caroline 

1  Schubert  dedicated  to  the  Count  Esterhazy  the  songs  '  Erlafsee,' 
'  Sehnsucht,'  '  Am  Strom,'  and  '  Der  Jiingling  auf  dem  Hiigel.' 

2  Bauernfeld  hints  at  Schubert's  passion  in  the  following  verses  a  la 
Heine,  the  purport  of  which  is  but  little  in  accordance  with  communi- 
cations made  by  Baron  v.  Schonstein  : — 

Verliebt  war  Schubert ;  der  Schiilerin 
Gait's,  einer  der  jungen  Comtessen, 
Doch  gab  er  sich  einer  ganz  andern  hin, 
Um — die  andere  zu  vergessen. 

The  '  other '  is  said  to  have  been  Theresa  Grob,  the  singer  in  the  Licht- 
enthal  choir,  who  in  the  year  1814  sang  the  chief  soprano  part  in  the 
F  Mass  of  Schubert. 

3  Count  August  v.  Breuner,  a  member  of  the  Finance  Chamber,  born 
on  June  6,  1796,  also  a  member  of  the  House  of  Lords. 


THE    ESTERHAZT    FAMILY.  145 

v.  Crenneville  in  March,  1851,  aged  forty-five,1  their 
son  Johann  Albert2  in  the  year  1845,  and  the  Countess 
Rosine,  who  survived  all  her  children,  died  in  the  year 
1854,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years. 

Of  the  members  of  the  musical  circle  which  Schubert 
used  to  meet  at  the  Esterhazy  family,  there  survives 
still  the  celebrated  Schubert-singer  Carl  Freiherr  v. 
Schonstein.3 

1  In  the  •  Genealogische  Taschenbuch'  the  year  LS11  is  given  as  the 
year  in  which  the  younger  daughter  was  born.     This  seems  to  be  a 
mistake.   Apart  from  the  fact  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  explain  Schu- 
bert's passion  for  a  little  girl  of  seven  years  or  (even  in  the  year  1824) 
but  thirteen  years  of  age,  a  near  relative  of  the  Esterhazy  family  has 
given  the  year  1806  as  the  year  of  the  birth  of  the  Countess  Caroline. 

2  He  was  Imperial  Chamberlain,  and  in  1843  married  Marie  Countess 
of  Apponyi.     With  the  exception  of  the  Countess  Marie,  who  lies  buried 
at  G-rafenegg,  near  the  estate  of  the  Count  Breuner,  all  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  lie  buried  at  Zelesz. 

3  Herr  v.  Schonstein  was  undeniably  only  second  to  Vogl  as  a  great 
singer  of  Schubert's  songs,  and  had,  like   Vogl,  a    particular  set  of 
songs  which  exactly  suited  his  voice  ;  as,  for  instance,  the  '  Miillerlieder  ' 
(dedicated  to  him),  'Standchen,'  'Der  ziirnenden  Diana,'  &c.,  where- 
as Vogl  preferred  the  more   dramatic   and   expressive    '  Winterreise,' 
'  Zwerg,'  &c.     Schonstein' s  position  in  society  at  Vienna  enabled  him, 
as  we  have  already  stated,  to  introduce  Schubert's  music  into  the  higher 
circles.     In  the  year  1838  Franz  Liszt  heard  him  in  Vienna,  and  wrote 
an  account  of  the  performance  to  Lambert  Massart  in  the   '  Gazette 
Musicale :' — '  Dans  les  salons  j'entends  avec  un  plaisir  tres-vif  etsouvent 
une  emotion  qui  allait  jusqu'aux  larmes-,  un  amateur  le  baron  Schon- 
stein dire  les  Lieder  de  Schubert.     La  traduction  fraii9aise  ne  nous 
donne  qu'une  idee  tres-imparfaite  de  ce  qu'est  1'union  de  ces  poesies 
presque  toutes  extremement  belles  avec  la  musique   de   Schubert,  le 
musicien  le  plus  poete  qui  fut  jamais.     La  langue  allemande  est  ad- 
mirable dans  1'ordre  du  sentiment,  peut-etre  aussi  n'y  a-t-il  eu  un  Alle- 
mand  qui  sache  bien  comprendre  la  naivete  et  la  faataisie  de  plusieurs 

VOL.    I.  L 


146  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

Amongst  the  vocal  compositions  in  "the  year  1818 
must  be  quoted  the  song  already  mentioned,  e  Die  Fo- 
relle,'  several  of  the  *  Greistlichen  Lieder,'  and  three 
sonnets  of  Petrarch  (translated  by  A.  W.  Schlegel).1 
These  last-named  poems,  vying  in  musical  with  poetical 
grandeur,  are  clothed  by  Schubert  with  music  of  the 
deepest  significance.  He  wrote  also  in  this  year  the 
first  set  of  walzes  that  appeared  in  print,  amongst  them 
the  so-called  'Trauer-'  or  'Sehnsuchtswalzer,'2  dance 
music  which,  when  once  known  (in  the  year  1822), 

de  ses  compositions,  leur  charme  capricieux,  leur  abandon  melanco- 
lique.  Le  baron  Schonstein  les  dSclame  avec  la  science  d'un  grand  artiste, 
et  les  chante  avec  la  sens'ibilite  d'un  amateur,  qui  se  laisse  aller  a  ses 
emotions  sans  se  preoccuper  du  public.'  Besides  Vogl  and  Schonstein, 
August  Bitter  v.  Gymnich  and  Sofie  Linhart  must  be  mentioned  as 
famous  interpreters  of  Scbubert's  songs  during  the  author's  lifetime. 

1  Not  by  Dante,  to  whom  they  have  been  erroneously  ascribed. 
These  are  the  sonnets  : — 

1.  '  Nunmehr  der  Himmel,  Erde  schweigt  und  Winded 

2.  '  Allein,  nachdenklich,  wie  gelahmt  vom  Kampfe.' 

3.  (Kecitative)  '  Apollo,  lebet  noch  Dein  hold'  Verlangen,'  &c. 
The  first  is  in  B-flat  major  -^-,  the  second  in  F  minor  |  (a  slow  flowing 

movement),  the  third  in  A-flat  major  f .  The  compositions  are  all,  the 
last  especially,  on  a  great  scale.  The  treatment  of  the  music  is  decla- 
matory, and  follows  the  words  very  closely.  The  sonnets  are  unpub- 
lished and  unknown. 

2  The  '  Trauerwalzer '  were  written  by  Schubert,  according  to  Herr 
Josef  Hiittenbrenner,  on  March  14,  1818,  at  Anselm  Hiittenbrenner's, 
in  Neubad.     The  '  Walzer,'  of  the  original  of  which  H.  Anselm  is  said 
to  be  the  owner,  is  dedicated  to  his  'toping  punch-drinking  brother' 
Anselm  H.     Questions  about  the  authorship  of  this  popular  piece  gave 
rise,  like  C.  M.  Weber's  '  Last  Thoughts,'  to  the  warmest  discussions, 
and  were  associated  with  the  nam.es  of  Beethoven,  Hoffmann,  and  Henne- 


THE    SIXTH    SYMPHONY.  147 

was  in  great  request,  and  contained  one  of  those  po- 
pular airs  which  test  the  art  of  the  transcriber  and 
arranger  of  variations.1 

To  this  period  belong  the  Variations  for  four  hands 
(Op.  10),  dedicated  in  the  year  1822  to  Beethoven  by 
Schubert,  some  marches  for  the  piano,  an  (unpublished) 
Fantasia  in  C  (in  the  possession  of  Baron  v.  Spaun, 
of  Vienna),  a  lively  four-part  song,  and  the  Sixth  Sym- 
phony (in  C),  which  was  given  either  in  1828  or  1829, 
in  lieu  of  the  seventh,  at  a  classical  concert  at  Vienna, 

berg.  In  the  'Allgemeine  Musikzeitung '  of  July  1829,  an  anonymous 
•writer  asks,  how  it  happens  that  Beethoven's  '  Sehnsuchtswalzer '  is 
identical  with  Schubert's  '  Trauerwalzer ' — excepting  that  it  has  no 
trio,  respecting  which  it  is  said,  that  Herr  Hoffmann,  of  Breslau,  is  the 
composer.  When  some  variations  on  the  '  Trauerwalzer '  appeared  at 
Haslinger's,  a  critic  in  the  '  Wiener  Musik-Anzeiger '  produced  an 
arietta  in  the  operatic  adaptation  of  the  farce  '  Der  Jurist  und  der 
Bauer,'  by  the  actor  Perinet,  which  the  Court  organist,  Johann  Henne- 
berg  (died  1822)  had  composed  thirty  years  before,  and  which  was  as  like 
the  '  Sehnsuchtswalzer '  as  one  egg  is  to  another.  The  problem  of  the 
'Last  Thoughts'  of  Weber  was  satisfactorily  solved  by  Capellmeister 
Reissiger,  of  Dresden,  but  the  question  about  the  '  Trauerwalzer '  was 
dismissed.  Bernhard  Kothe  pretends  to  find  the  motive  of  the  '  Trauer- 
walzer '  in  a  Graduale  of  Haydn,  in  Beethoven's  Op.  7  (first  movement), 
in  the  Romance  (Op.  40),  and  in  '  Adelaide,'  not  to  mention  the  D 
minor  Mass  of  Schnabel,  the  Overture  to  the  '  Vestalin,'  Mendelssohn's 
Quartett,  Op.  12,  Strub's  Organ  Preludes,  and  in  numberless  songs  of 
the  Kiiken-Proch  period.  Certainly  he  has  no  lack  of  invention,  espe- 
cially when  fancy  aids  his  powers  of  discovery  ! 

1  Thus,  at  the  end  of  1831,  there  was  published  at  Berlin  a  song 
called  '  Die  Sprache  der  Blumen  '  accompanied  by  Beethoven's  '  Sehn- 
suchtswalzer,' arranged  for  the  pianoforte  by  C.  Schiitz,  not  to  mention 
other  transpositions  made  subsequently. 

L  2 


148  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

and  received  with  applause,  and  the  Scherzo  of  which 
was  performed  at  a  public  concert  in  the  year  I860.1 

This  C  Symphony  is  the  last  but  one  written  by 
Schubert,  and  marks  the  transition  state  to  his  grand 
Seventh  Symphony  in  C,  in  which  Schubert's  indivi- 
duality stands  out  free  of  all  foreign  influence,  whilst  in 
its  immediate  predecessor,  here  and  there,  the  contagion 
of  the  old  masters  is  unmistakable,  or,  as  in  the  Scherzo, 
substituted  for  the  Minuett  in  the  Sixth  Symphony,  the 
magical  power  of  Beethoven  over  Schubert  is  too  plain 
to  be  mistaken.  In  other  respects  this  movement,  in 
form  and  treatment,  is  worked  out  with  a  freedom  and 
mastery  that  carries  away  a  genial  audience. 

In  completing  our  review  of  the  year  1818,  we  may 
here  insert  a  letter  (dated  October  12th)  from  Ignaz 
Schubert,  written  to  Franz  whilst  staying  at  Zelesz,  in 
which  the  ill-humour  of  the  Eossau  schoolmaster,  his 
discontent  and  conscientious  gerund  grinding,  his  sla- 
very as  a  teacher,  and  at  the  same  time  the  feeling  of 
love  and  veneration  which  he,  in  common  with  the  other 
brothers  and  sisters,  entertained  for  his  brother  Franz, 
are  the  salient  characteristics.  The  letter,  the  original 
of  which  is  in  my  possession,  runs  thus  : — 

1  Dear  Brother, — At  last,  at  last,  you  will  be  thinking 

1  The  Symphony  consists  of  four  movements  :  an  Adagio  C  major,  an 
Introduction  to  the  Allegro  in  the  same  key,  an  Andante  F  major,  a 
Scherzo  Presto  C  major,  with  Trio  E  major,  and  the  Finale  Allegro 
moderate  C  major  ~. 


LETTER   FROM    HIS   BROTHER    IGNAZ.  149 

to  yourself,  here  comes  my  letter.  I  verily  believe  you 
wouldn't  have  seen  a  scrap  of  my  writing,  hadn't  the 
blessed  vacation,  for  my  comfort,  been  drawing  near, 
when  I  get  enough  leisure  to  write  an  ordinary  letter  in 
perfect  peace,  and  away  from  all  worrying  thoughts. 

6  You  lucky  mortal !  what  a  thoroughly  enviable  lot 
is  yours  !  You  live  in  a  sweet  golden  freedom  ;  can  give 
full  play  to  your  musical  genius  ;  scatter  your  thoughts 
about  just  as  you  please;  become  petted,  praised,  ido- 
lised, whilst  one  of  our  lot,  like  an  old  cart-horse,  must 
put  up  with  all  the  vagaries  of  noisy  boys,  submit  to 
heaps  of  ill  usage,  and  cringe  in  all  submission  to  a 
thankless  public  and  addle-pated  superstitious  Brahmins. 
You  will  wonder  when  I  tell  you  that  things  have  come 
to  such  a  pitch  in  our  house,  that  not  a  soul  ventures 
to  smile  when  I  tell  some  absurd  superstitious  piece  of 
nonsense  about  the  divinity  lecture.  You  can  well 
understand  that  at  such  times  I  lose  my  temper  and 
get  out  of  sorts,  and  know  liberty  only  by  the  name. 
Now  you  see  you  are  free  of  all  these  things,  quit  of 
them  entirely ;  you  see  and  hear  nothing  more  of  all 
this  disorder,  you  are  rid  for  ever  of  our  "Bonzen," 
with  regard  to  whom  I  need  only  call  to  your  mind  the 
comforting  stanza  of  Burger : — 

Beneide  nicht  das  Bonzenheer 
Urn  seine  dicken  Kopfe, 
Die  meisten  sind  ja  hohl  und  leer 
Wie  ihre  Kirchthumknopfe. 


150  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

'  Now  for  something  else.  The  name-day  festival  of 
our  Herr  Papa  was  commemorated  with  due  solemnity. 
The  whole  personnel  of  the  Eossau  school,  women  and 
all,  were  bidden  to  an  evening  entertainment,  so  was 
brother  Ferdinand  with  his  wife,  our  little  cousin  and 
Lenchen,  and  the  whole  kith  and  kin  at  Grumpendorf. 
We  feasted  and  drank  royally,  and  all  went  very  merrily. 
For  once,  on  this  occasion  only,  I  put  my  very  scanty 
wits  as  poet  into  motion,  and  drank  our  venerable  host's 
health  to  the  following  toast : — 

Es  lebe  Vater  Franz  noch  lang  in  unsrer  Mitte ; 
Doch  vergonn'  er  wohl  uns  heut'  auch  eine  Bitte  : 
Er  stell'  auf  s  Jahr  sich  wieder  ein 
Mit  Hendel,  Strudel,  Confect  und  Wein. 

6  Before  the  feast  we  played  quartetts,  but  grieved  in 
our  hearts  at  not  having  in  the  midst  of  us  our  Maestro 
Franz :  our  music  was  soon  over.  The  day  after,  we 
kept  the  festival  of  our  patron  and  protector,  Fran- 
ciscus  Seraphicus.  The  pupils,  in  a  body,  were  obliged 
to  go  to  confession,  and  the  elder  ones  collected  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  before  the  crucifix;  an  altar 
was  erected,  to  the  right  and  left  of  which  two  school 
flags  waved  ;  then  came  a  short  sermon,  where  we  were 
twice  enjoined  to  learn  how  to  distinguish  the  good 
from  the  wicked,  and  that  we  owed  the  patient  teacher 
deep  gratitude;  a  litany  was  then  repeated,  and  the 
oddity  of  this  said  litany  surprised  me  not  a  little ; 
finally,  we  all  sang,  and  every  one  present  was  allowed 


LETTEK   FROM    HIS   BROTHER   IGNAZ.  151 

to  kiss  the  sacred  relics,  and  thereupon  I  remarked  that 
several  of  the  grown-up  people,  who  probably  were 
not  very  desirous  of  participating  in  this  act  of  grace, 
sneaked  away  to  the  door. 

'  Now  just  a  word  or  two  about  the  Hollpeins.1  Man 
and  wife  equally  send  you  their  kindest  regards,  and 
beg  to  ask  if  occasionally  you  have  a  thought  for  them 
They  hoped  to  see  you  soon  back  again,  although  they 
suppose,  on  your  return  to  Vienna,  you  will  not  be  so 
frequent  a  visitor  as  formerly,  as  your  new  circum- 
stances may  well  prevent  you.  They  often  lament  this, 
for  they  love  you,  as  all  do  most  sincerely,  and  often 
express  the  warmest  sympathy  in  your  present  comfort 
and  happiness.  You  will  unravel  our  sentiments,  and 
understand  why  I  don't  say  a  syllable  about  your  name- 
day  festival.  I  love  you,  and  shall  love  you  for  ever, 
and  herewith  punckum  ; — you  know  me.  Farewell,  and 
come  soon>  for  I  have  plenty  to  say  to  you,  but  spare 
myself  for  a  chat  when  we  next  meet. 

(  Your  Brother, 

6  IGNAZ. 

'  Should  you  be  writing  to  papa,  and  me  also,  mind 
don't  touch  upon  religious  topics.  My  cousin  and 
Lenchen  send  you  their  warmest  regards.' 

1  Hollpein  was  a  graver  at  the  Imperial  Mint  in  Vienna.  Pranz 
Schubert  was  on  very  intimate  terms  with  the  family,  and  passed  a  great 
deal  of  his  leisure  time  with  them.  In  a  letter  (1825)  Franz  congratu- 
lates himself  upon  the  fact. 


152  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 


CHAPTEK  VII. 

(1819.) 

ROSSINI-WORSHIP  AT  VIENNA — SCHUBERT  AND  THE  ITALIAN  OPERA — 
A  LETTER  FROM  FRANZ  TO  ANSELM  HUTTENBRENNER — SCHUBERT  IN 
UPPER  AUSTRIA — THE  FAMILIES  OF  PAUMGARTNER,  DORNFELD,  KOLLER, 
AND  SCHELLMANN  IN  STEYR  —  A  LETTER  OF  SCHUBERT'S  TO  HIS 

BROTHER  AND  TO  MAYRHOFER — THE  PIANOFORTE  QUINTETT A  CAN- 
TATA IN  HONOUR  OF  VOGL — SACRED  AND  OTHER  VOCAL  COMPOSI- 
TIONS —  FRANZ  SCHUBERT  AND  WOLFGANG  V.  GOTHE  —  A  SONG  OF 
SCHUBERT'S  GIVEN  FOR  THE  FIRST  TIME  IN  PUBLIC — LAST  PERFORM- 
ANCE OF  '  PROMETHEUS  '  AT  DR.  V.  SONNLEITHNER's. 

AT  a  time  when  Schubert  was  occupied  in  the  compo- 
sition of  vocal  cantatas  and  smaller  dramatic  works, 
the  brilliant  star  of  Kossini  arose  upon  the  theatrical 
heavens.  How  this  genial  writer,  the  inaugurator  of 
a  musical  epoch,  became  the  foremost  representative 
of  Italian  opera-writers ;  what  triumphs  his  charming 
music  won  for  him,  after  it  had  stormed  and  taken  pos- 
session of  all  the  large  theatres,  and  how  it  was  in  the 
excitable  Vienna  that  an  intellectual  worship  of  '  the 
[Reformer '  was  encouraged — all  this  is  still  fresh  in  the 
memory  of  playgoers  who  lived  through  those  days, 
and  saw  that  unrivalled  phalanx  of  vocalists,  whose 
successors  in  their  art  have  yet  to  be  found,  and  whose 
eminent  performances  helped  in  a  great  measure  to  lay 


ROSSINI- WORSHIP    AT    VIENNA.  153 

the  enduring  foundations  of  Eossini's  supremacy  in 
operatic  music.  The  narrow  one-sided  taste  of  the 
great  public,  all  tending  to  this  one  direction,  and  the 
increasing  mania  for  Italian  opera  at  Vienna,  which 
reached  its  highest  point  under  the  management  of 
Barbaja  and  Duport,  but  culminated  in  1822,  when 
Kossini  himself  convoyed  his  own  troupe  of  singers  to 
the  capital,1  was,  as  a  natural  consequence,  destructive  to 
Schubert's  dramatic  efforts  as  a  composer,  and  finally 
disappointed  a  long-cherished  hope  he  had  entertained 
of  seeing  one  of  his  grand  operas  (e  Fierrabras '  was  al- 
ready licensed  for  representation)  represented  on  the 
stage.2  Although  such  a  state  of  things  was  necessarily 
painful  to  Schubert,  yet,  free  from  all  jealousy  and 
miserable  prejudice,  he  never  hesitated  a  moment  to 
appreciate  the  genuine  merits  of  brother-artists,  and 

1  The  Italian  Opera  began  on  April  13,  1822,  with  Eossini's  'Zel- 
mira,'  and  finished  in  July  with  '  Corradino.'     The  unbridled  enthu- 
siasm grew  more  frantic  at  each  performance,  until  it  degenerated  into 
a  kind  of  mental  intoxication,  which  only  urged  the  singers  to  redouble 
their  efforts,  without  having  any  regard  for  the  worth  or  poverty  of  the 
music  performed  at  the  time.     At  the  final  performance  it  seemed  as  if 
the  entire  audience  were  bitten  by  the  tarantula ;  there  was  no  end  to 
the  hurrahs  and  screams.  The  year  1823  saw  this  furore  pass  into  fana- 
ticism.    The  little  respect  left  for  German  vocal  art  had  entirely  disap- 
peared, and  from  this  year  is  dated  that  melancholy  falling  off  which  for 
ten  consecutive  years  has  increased  in  the  capital  of  Austria.     (See  A. 
Schindler,  'Beethoven,'  Part  II. pp.  57-59.) 

2  In  letters  from  and  to  Schubert  during  1822-1825,  the  distaste  of 
his  contemporaries  with  reference  to  the  performance  of  his  operas  is 
frequently  mentioned. 


154  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

paid  his  full  tribute  of  recognition  of  the  splendid  gifts 
of  the  'Swan  of  Pesaro;'  nay,  his  behaviour  evidenced 
his  unaffected  admiration  for  the  melodious  maestro, 
for  he  frequently  went  to  the  Italian  Opera,  and  made 
no  concealment  of  the  fact,  that  for  many  a  hint  in 
the  art  of  delicate  instrumentation  he  was  indebted  to 
the  light  and  flowing  Kossini.  Inferentially  it  may  be 
stated  that  he  was  at  issue  with  those  pedants  who 
regarded  the  Italian  composer  exclusively  as  the  de- 
stroyer of  all  legitimate  taste.1  A  letter  of  Schubert's 2 
hints  at  his  connection  with  Italian  opera  and  Rossini's 
music  especially,  referring  also  to  the  cabals  which 
existed  in  opposition  to  the  performance  of  his  own 
musical  dramas ; 3  and  in  this  letter  Schubert,  usually 
so  patient  and  forbearing,  vents  his  chagrin  in  very 
unequivocal  terms.  The  letter  runs  thus  : — 

'  You  are  a  rogue, — that's  just  it.  A  whole  decade 
flown,  before  you  look  on  Vienna  again.  Now  flirting 
with  one  girl,  now  with  another.  The  devil  take  the 
whole  lot  of  them,  if  they  fool  you  so  completely. 
Marry,  in  God's  name,  and  then  the  story's  ended.  You 
can  say,  no  doubt,  like  Caesar,  Better  to  be  first  fiddle 
•in  Grratz  than  second  in  Vienna.  Well^  may  I  be 

1  Schubert's  sympathy  for  Eossini's  music   has  been   endorsed  by 
every  one  I  have  consulted  on  the  subject. 

2  Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner,  of  Vienna,  has  a  copy  of  it. 

3  The  Operetta    'Die  Zwillingsbriider '  was,  however,   given  in  the 
course  of  the  following  year. 


SCHUBERT   AND    THE    ITALIAN    OPERA.  155 

hanged  if  I'm  not  driven  clean  mad  at  your  not  being 
here.  Cornet1  no  longer  learns  the  aforesaid  proverb. 
Grod  bless  him  !  I  too  shall  end  by  coming  to  Gratz, 
and  acting  as  your  rival.  There  is  very  little  novelty 
here ;  if  one  hears  anything  good,  it's  always  the  old 
things. 

( A  short  time  since  we  had  Kossini's  "  Othello."  All 
that  our  Kadichi  executed  was  admirable.2  This  opera 
is  far  better — I  mean  by  that  more  characteristic — than 
"  Tancredi."  One  cannot  refuse  to  call  Eossini  a  rare 
genius.  His  instrumentation  is  often  original  in  the 
highest  degree,  and  so  is  the  voice-writing ;  and  I  can 
find  no  fault  with  the  music,  if  I  except  the  usual 
Italian  gallopades  and  several  reminiscences  of  "  Tan- 
credi." 

'  In  spite  of  a  Vogl,  it's  difficult  to  manoauvre  against 
the  canaille  of  Weigl,  Treitschke,  &c.  Consequently, 
in  lieu  of  my  operettas,  we  have  other  rubbish,  which 
makes  one's  hair  stand  on  end.3  "  Semiramis,"  by  Catel, 

1  Tenor  singer  at  the  Opera  in  Vienna ;  he  had  just  accepted  a  stage 
engagement  for  Prague. 

2  '  Othello '  was  given  in  the  first  half  of  May,  at  the  Karnthnerthor 
Theatre,  by  a  German  company.     Frau  Grriinbaum  acted  Desdemona, 
Forti  Othello,  Vogl  the  Doge,  and  Radichi  Rodrigo.     Julius  Radichi, 
who  sang  the  part  of  Florestan  in  1814,  died  in  1846.     In  the  April  of 
1819.  '  Othello  '  was  played  at  Vienna. 

3  This  remark  of  Schubert's  can  only  have  reference  to  some  worth- 
less operettas  and  musical  vaudevilles  which  were  given  during  1818 
and  1819  at  the  Theatre  in  Vienna,  for  the  repertoire  of  the  Karnthner- 
thor Theatre  shows  a  large  preponderance  of  classical  works.     The  fol- 


156  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

we  are  to  have  next,  with  its  downright  good  music.1 
Herr  Stamm,  a  tenor  from  Berlin,  who  has  sung  in 
several  operas,  will  make  his  debut  in  Vienna  here. 
His  voice  is  rather  weak,  no  depth,  a  constant  scream 
in  falsetto.  I  have  nothing  more  to  say.  Work  hard  at 
composition,  and  let  me  have  a  share  too.  Farewell. 

( Your  true  friend, 

'  FRANZ  SCHUBERT.' 2 

lowing  musical  dramas  were  performed : — '  Cenerentola,'  by  Kossini ; 
'  Zelmire  und  Azor,'  by  G-retry ;  '  Lorenz  als  Eauberhauptmann,'  a  light 
comedy  with  music  adapted  by  Kinsky,  the  "Vicehofcapellmeister ;  '  Die 
Vermahlung  auf  der  Zauberinsel ; '  a  pasticcio  '  Ser  Marc  Antonio,'  by 
Pavesi ;  '  Odin's  Schwert,'  with  choruses,  music  by  Seyfried  (unsuccess- 
ful) ;  «  La  Dama  Soldato '  (Orlandi) ;  «  Graf  Armand,'  by  Cherubini  ; 
the  melodrama  '  Samson,'  music  by  Tuczek  ;  '  Eichard  Lowenherz,'  by 
G-retry ;  'Euterpens  Opfer,'  a  '  quodlibet '  (failed) ;  'DasEosenmadchen,' 
opera  by  Lindpaintner ;  '  Faust,'  by  Spohr ;  '  Die  Thronfolge  '  (Seyfried) ; 
'  Die  Zauberflote,'  '  Elisabeth,'  by  Eossini ;  '  Das  unterbrochene  Opfer- 
fest,'  Winter,  &c.  At  the  Karnthnerthor  Theatre  were  given : — '  Johann 
von  Paris,' '  Medea,'  '  Talente  durch  Zufall '  (Catel),  '  Liebe  und  Euhm' 
(Herold  and  Boildieu),  '  Joseph  and  his  Brethren,'  '  Iphigenie  auf 
Tauris,'  '  Die  Vestalin,'  '  Cyrus '  (Mosel),  '  Ein  Tag  von  Abenteuer ' 
(Mehul),  '  Sargines,'  '  Fidelio,'  several  of  Mozart's  operas.  Spoutini's 
*  Cortez '  and  Catel's  '  Semiramis.'  Treitschke  had  translated  some  of 
these  operas  into  German,  and  Weigl  directed  the  performance. 

1  This  opera  had  already  been  performed  in  October  1818,   after 
having  been  thoroughly  well  rehearsed. 

2  On  the  back  of  the  letter  there  are  some  lines  to  Heinrich  Hiitten- 
brenner,  at  Gratz,  which  Josef  H.,  at  Schubert's    suggestion,   added, 
and  in  which  he  begs  Heinrich  to  write  a  libretto  for  Schubert.     '  Tell 
this  to  Schrokinger '  (a  well-known  poet  in  Gratz),  exclaims  the  ever- 
enthusiastic   Josef,    in  addressing  his  brother.     '  Besides,   there's   an 
honorarium  attached.      Your  names   will   be  proclaimed    throughout 
Europe.    Schubert  will  blaze  in  the  musical  firmament  like  a  new  Orion. 
Write  soon  your  opinion  respecting  him.' 


VISIT   TO    UPPER   AUSTRIA.  157 

In  the  summer  of  this  year  Franz,  for  the  first  time, 
visited  Upper  Austria,  and  stayed  for  a  short  time  at 
Linz,  Salzburg,  and  Steyr.  This  last-named  charmingly 
situated  little  town  figures  very  prominently  in  Schu- 
bert's life,  especially  during  the  time  of  his  pilgrimages 
from  home.  It  was  closely  associated  with  Schubert  as 
being  the  domicile  of  Mayrhofer,  Stadler,  and  Vogl ; 1 
and  besides  this,  many  families  very  intimate  with  him, 
and  with  whom  we  shall  renew  our  acquaintance  six 
years  farther  on  in  our  narrative,  resided  there. 

The  names  of  Paumgartner,  Koller,  Dornfeld,  and 
Schellmaun  are  only  less  eventful  as  associated  with 
the  history  of  Schubert's  life,  than  that  of  Michael 
Vogl,  who  first  introduced  him  to  these  sober  citizen 
circles.2 

Silvester  Paumgartner  (died  on  November  23,  1841) 
was  deputy-factor  to  the  head  guild  and  an  owner  of 
house-property  in  Steyr.  One  of  the  most  ardent  and 
brilliant  musical  enthusiasts,  himself  a  violoncello- 
player  (although  his  powers  of  execution  are  said  to 
have  been  moderate),  he  opened  his  doors  to  every 
artist  of  reputation,  and  men  of  ripened  talents  found 
in  him  a  generous  supporter.  This  fact  will  explain 
the  intensity  of  joy  with  which  he  welcomed  to  his 
hospitality  two  such  artists  as  Schubert  and  Vogl. 

1  Siissmayer,  Mozart's  well-known  amanuensis,  the  poet  Blumauer, 
Katharina  GKirtler,  and  the  historian  F.  Pritz  were  all  born  there. 
*  I  am  indebted  to  Herr  A.  Stadler  for  the  following  notices. 


158  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

Music,  theoretically  and  practically,  was  all  the  rage, 
especially  as  the  master  of  the  house  (a  bachelor)  had 
a  valuable  collection  of  music  and  musical  instruments, 
which  he  was  bent  upon  improving  and  enlarging.1 
When  Vogl  retired  on  a  pension,  he  took  up  his  abode 
for  a  considerable  time  with  Paumgartner. 

Josef  v.  Roller,  merchant  and  ironmonger  at  Steyr, 
had  become  acquainted  at  Vienna  with  Yogi  through 
Brandeschi  (a  worker  in  the  iron  trade).  His  daughter 
Josefine,  named  the  e  Pepi,'  sang  and  played  the  piano, 
and  usually  took  the  soprano  part  at  any  performance 
of  Schubert's  concerted  vocal  pieces.2  In  the  letters 
of  this  year  and  the  year  1825,  frequent  mention  is 
made  of  this  lady  as  well  as  'Frizi'  Dornfeld  (still 
living  in  Linz),  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  former 
head  of  the  family  of  Dornfeld  in  Steyr.  On  the  occa- 
sion of  his  first  visit  to  Steyr,  Vogl  was  quartered  at 
Roller's,  and  he  and  Schubert  were  daily  invited  to 
dinner.  Father  Roller  and  '  die  Pepi '  are  both  still 
living  ;  the  first,  a  very  old  man,  at  Steyr,  the  latter  the 
wife  of  the  head-steward  of  the  estates  of  Prince  Wil- 

1  He  frequently  set  off  on  foot  to  Strengberg,  a  post-town,  to  give  the 
Paris  courier  commissions  for  the  purchase  of  new  music  and  instru- 
ments. 

2  At  one  of  their  meetings,  Vogl  proposed  that  the  '  Erlkonig '  should 
be  given  with  the  parts  distributed.    Vogl  sang  the  father,  Schubert  the 
Erlkonig,  and  'Pepi'  the  boy.     For  'Pepi,' Schubert  set  an  occasional 
poem  by  Stadler,  which  she  sang  on  her  father's  birthday  (March  19, 
1820).     This  musical  composition  is  unknown.     A.  Stadler,  of  Vienna, 
has  the  poem. 


THE  SCHELLMANN  FAMILY.  159 

helm  of  Auersperg,  Franz  Krakowitzer,  at  Wels,  where 
she  has  been  residing  for  a  number  of  years  past. 

Dr.  Albert  Schellmann  senior  (died  on  March  4, 1 844), 
a  house-owner  in  Steyr,  officiated  there  as  Landes- 
and  Berggerichts-Advocat;  his  son,  Dr.  Albert  Schell- 
mann (died  on  November  29,  1854),  was  an  advocate 
and  public  notary.  The  house  where  the  Schellmanns 
lived  (No.  117,  on  the  Platz)  was  composed  of  two 
stories ;  the  first  was  occupied  by  Schellmann  and  his 
five  daughters,  the  second  by  the  treasurer  of  the  dis- 
trict with  his  three  daughters,  besides  Albert  Stadler 
and  his  mother  (sister-in-law  of  the  elder  Schellmann), 
and  finally  Schubert,  whose  room  was  very  near  Stad- 
ler's.  These  are  the  eight  ladies  to  whom  Schubert  refers 
in  the  following  letter  to  his  brother  Ferdinand.  The 
letter  is  dated  Steyr,  July  15,  1819,  and  runs  thus : — 

'  Dear  Brother, — I  hope  this  letter  will  find  you  in 
Vienna,  and  that  you  are  well.  I  write  to  you  particularly 
to  send  me  as  soon  as  possible  the  se  Stabat  Mater,"  which 
we  want  to  perform.1  I  am  uncommonly  well  just  now, 
and  intend  to  remain  so  if  only  the  weather  will  keep 
fine.  Yesterday  we  had  a  tremendous  storm  here  about 
12  o'clock.  The  lightning  killed  a  woman  and  maimed 
two  men.  In  the  house  where  I  am  lodging,  there  are 
eight  young  ladies,  and  nearly  all  pretty.  You  see 
one  has  plenty  to  do.  Vogl  and  I  dine  every  day  with 

1  This  work,  however,  it  would  seem,  was  never  performed. 


160  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

Herr  v.  Koller;  his  daughter  is  uncommonly  pretty, 
plays  the  piano  capitally,  and  sings  several  of  my  songs. 

'  Please  forward  the  enclosed  letter.  You  see  I  am 
not  so  absolutely  faithless  as  you  would  perhaps  think. 

( Remember  me  to  my  parents,  brothers  and  sisters, 
your  wife,  and  all  friends.  Don't  forget  the  "  Stabat 

Mater."     Your  ever  faithful  brother, 

'  FRANZ. 

'  The  country  about  Steyr  is  indescribably  beautiful.' 

A  second  letter,  from  Linz,  on  August  19,  1819, 
directed  to  J.  Mayrhofer,  at  Vienna,  is  as  follows  : — 

'  My  dear  Mayrhofer, — If  the  world  thrives  as  well 
with  you  as  it  does  with  me,  you  are  well  and  hearty. 
I  am,  just  at  present,  in  Linz.  I  have  been  with  the 
Spauns,  and  met  Kenner,  Kreil,  and  Forstmayer.  There, 
too,  I  made  acquaintance  with  Spaun's  mother  and 
Ottenwald,  whose  "  Cradle  Song "  I  set  and  sang  to 
him.  I  found  plenty  of  amusement  in  Steyr.  The 
surrounding  country  is  heavenly,  and  Linz  too  is  beau- 
tiful. We,  i.  e.  Vogl  and  I,  shall  go  very  soon  to  Salz- 
burg. How  I  long  for !  I  recommend  to  your 

notice  the  bearer  of  this  letter,  a  student  of  Krems- 
miinster,  of  the  name  of  Kahl ;  he  is  journeying  by  way 
of  Vienna  to  Idria,  on  a  visit  to  his  parents.  Please 
let  him  have  my  bed  during  the  time  he  stays  with  you. 
I  am  very  anxious  you  should  treat  him  as  kindly  as 
possible,  for  he  is  a  dear  good  fellow. 


THE   PIANOFORTE    QTJINTETT.  161 

'  Please  greet  Frau  v.  S.  heartily  for  me.  Have 
you  written  anything  ?  I  hope  so.  We  kept  Yogi's 
birthday  with  a  cantata,  the  words  by  Stadier,  the 
music  by  me ;  people  were  thoroughly  pleased.  Now, 
then,  farewell  until  the  middle  of  September. 
4  Your  friend, 

(  FRANZ  SCHUBERT. 

'  Herr  v.  Vogl  sends  his  kind  regards.  Kem ember  me 
to  Spaun.' 

In  the  middle  of  September  the  two  artists  took 
their  departure  from  Steyr.  This  fact  is  noted  up 
in  two  albums,  in  which,  on  September  14,  the  two 
friends  contributed  prose  and  verse  for  '  Kathi '  Stadler, 
sister  of  Albert  Stadler,  who  was  living  at  the  time 
with  the  Rollers.1 

Of  the  larger  compositions  by  Schubert  during  this 
period,  may  be  mentioned  the  well-known  pianoforte 
Quintett,  Op.  114,  with  the  Lied  <  Die  Forelle,'  as 
the  subject  of  the  last  movement  but  one,  and  the 
Variations  on  that  theme.  Schubert  composed  this  at 
Stadler's  suggestion,  and  at  the  special  instance  of 

1  Schubert  wrote  in  the  album  the  following  moral  apophthegm:— 
'  Always  enjoy  the  present  discreetly,  thus  will  time  past  be  to  thee  a 
sweet  memory,  and  the  future  be  no  bugbear.'  Vogl  aspired  higher  in 
the  following  confectioner's  motto  : — 

'  In  der  Freunde  Herzen  leben, 
Was  kann's  hienieden  Schonres  geben  ? ' 

Katharina  Stadler  still  lives,  the  wife  of  the  artist  Franz  Kozeder,  in 
Schwanenstadt.     Herr  A.  Stadler,  of  Vienna,  possesses  these  albums. 

VOL.    I.  M 


162  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

Paumgartner,  to  whom  Schubert  handed  over  all  the 
parts  copied  out,  but  not  the  separate  score ;  further 
than  this,  a  pianoforte  Overture  for  four  hands,  in  F 
minor  ('  written  in  November,  in  Herr  Josef  Hiitten- 
brenner's  room,  at  the  City  Hospital,  within  the  space 
of  three  hours,  and  dinner  missed  in  consequence '),  and' 
an  '  occasional  Cantata.' 

In  August  Schubert  wrote,  as  we  learnt  from  his 
letter  to  Mayrhofer,  during  his  stay  in  Steyr,  a  Cantata 
in  honour  of  Vogl's  birthday,  with  pianoforte  accom- 
paniment for  soprano,  tenor,  and  bass  ;  the  words  were 
by  Stadler.1 

Of  unpublished  compositions  must  be  mentioned, 
a  vocal  Quartett,8  a  Salve  Eegina  (in  A)  for  soprano, 
with  accompaniment  for  stringed  instruments,  three 
Hymns  by  Novalis,3  a  vocal  Quintett  (for  two  tenors 

1  The  Cantata,  of  which  Josef  v.  Spaun  and  the  wife  of  Dr.  Lumpe, 
of  Vienna,  possess  copies,  begins  with  a  trio  in  C  major  |,  succeeded 
by  a  soprano  solo  (Allegretto,  F  major) ;  then  follows  a  tenor  solo,  and 
then  another  for  soprano,  and  a  second  solo  for  the  tenor.     The  finale  is 
composed  of  a  canon  (Moderate,  C  major  |).  The  poem  contains  allusions 
to  the  most  famous  parts  and  performances  of  Vogl  in  various  operas. 
Pepi  Roller  originally  sang  the  soprano  part. 

2  The  Quartett,  probably  an  occasional  composition,  written  at  Steyr, 
is  for  two  sopranos,  tenor,  and  bass  (D  major  f ),  to  the  words : — 

Im  traulichen  Kreise 
Beim  herzlichen  Kuss 
Beisammen  zu  leben 
1st  Seelengsnuss. 

*  These  are  the  sacred  songs  :  — 1.  '  Wenige  wissen  das  Geheimniss  der 


SONGS  ADAPTED  FROM  GOTHE's  POEMS.      163 

and  three  basses)  to  the  familiar  lines,  '  Nur  wer  die 
Sehnsucht  kennt,'  and  a  vocal  Quartett  for  two  tenors 
and  two  basses.1 

Conspicuous  above  all  others  amongst  the  many  songs 
which  Schubert  up  to  this  time  had,  in  lavish  profusion, 
scattered  from  his  cornucopia,  are  those  set  to  Grb'the's 
poems,  both  for  the  finished  beauty  of  their  form  and 
the  depth  and  intensity  of  their  meaning.  The  thought 
constantly  presented  itself  to  Schubert's  mind,  of  gra- 
tifying the  prince  of  poets,  enthroned  at  Weimar,  by 
sending  him  some  of  his  most  successful  songs,  and 
convincing  him  that  his  magical  power  had  inspired 
a  young  Viennese  musician  with  the  spirit  to  fathom 
the  meaning  of  the  poet's  fancies,  and  reproduce  them 
in  the  poetry  of  the  world  of  sound.  But  the  first 
approach  to  such  an  act  could  scarcely  have  emanated 
from  Schubert  himself,  for  his  shy  retiring  nature 
contradicts  such  a  supposition — he  may  very  likely 
have  fallen  in  cheerfully  with  the  idea  suggested  by  a 

Liebe;'  2.  '  Wenn  ich  ihn  nur  habe;'  3.  '"Wenn  alle  untreu  werden.' 
The  first  hymn,  beginning  in  A  minor  f ,  consists  of  several  numbers,  and 
has  additional  recitatives  ;  the  second  and  third  (both  in  D-flat  f )  are 
not  much  to  speak  of.  These  three  hymns  are  more  peculiar  than  beau- 
tiful. The  other  two  hymns  belong  to  the  years  1815  and  1820. 
1  Euhe,  schonstes  G-liick  der  Erde, 

Senke  segnend  dich  herab, 

Dass  es  stiller  um  uns  werde, 

Wie  in  Blumen  ruht  ein  Grab. 

The  manuscript  of  both  these  concerted  vocal  pieces  is  in  the  possession 
of  A.  Stadler,  of  Vienna. 

112 


164  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

well-meaning  adviser,  of  making  some  advances  which 
could  not  prejudice  himself;  however  that  maybe,  cer- 
tain it  is  that  he  sent  a  sheet  of  his  settings  of  Gothe's 
poetry — doubtless  the  songs  dedicated  to  the  poet, 
'  An  Schwager  Kronos,'  (  An  Mignon,'  and  '  Ganymed,' 
accompanied  with  an  introductory  letter,  full  of  awful 
respect,  to  the  great  man  at  Weimar.1  The  old  master, 
whose  house  was  most  hospitably  open  to  sociable  mu- 
sical amateurs  and  professional  artists  and  composers, 
although  it  was  only  at  times  that  music  affected  him,2 
either  took  no  notice  of  the  songs,  and  put  them  aside 
as  'schatzbares  Materiale,'  along  with  written  dedica- 
tions and  complimentary  presents,  which  came  to  him 
as  matters  of  daily  occurrence,  or  purposely  avoided 
coming  into  near  contact  with  a  man  personally  un- 
known to  him,  and  at  that  time  still  of  small  reputation. 
Neither  in  Gothe's  works,  nor  in  his  correspondence  with 
Zelter,  nor  in  his  conversations  with  Eckermann,  do 
we  find  a  syllable  in  connection  with  Schubert's  name, 
although  the  poet  might  often  have  heard  Schubert's 
settings  of  his  own  poems  performed  by  eminent  artists. 
This  curious  fact  is  thus  explained, — that  the  strophe 

1  Herr  Dr.  Leopold  v.  Sonnleithner  mentions  this  circumstance  in  an 
essay  upon  Schubert,  which  he  has  kindly  allowed  me  to  peruse. 

2  When  Madame  linger,  in  the  year  1796,  sent  Grothe  some  new  songs 
by  Zelter,  he  wrote  to  her : — '  I  can  form  no  judgment  of  music,  for  I 
have  no  knowledge  of  the  means  which  music  employs  for  its  own  ends; 
I  can  only  speak  of  the  impression  which  music  makes  on  me  when  I 
entirely  and  frequently  give  myself  up  to  its  influences.'    ('  Grothe's  Cor- 
respondence with  Zelter,'  vol.  i.) 


SONGS  ADAPTED  FKOM  GOTHE's  POEMS.      165 

songs  of  Keichardt,  Zelter,  and  Ebenwein,  popular  and 
naturalised  as  they  had  become  in  North  Germany, 
were  better  suited  to  the  poet,  now  in  his  seventieth 
year,  than  the  songs  of  the  Viennese  tone-poet,  written 
in  a  grander  style,  and  often  containing  separate  and 
distinct  airs  for  this  or  that  strophe  or  verse.1  Thus  it- 
happened  that  a  musical  appreciation  and  understand- 
ing of  Schubert's  f  Erl-King,'  a  ballad  he  had  already 
heard  sung,  was  conveyed  to  Grothe  only  in  the  last 
years  of  his  long  life,  by  the  grand  dramatic  performance 
of  Wilhelmine  Schroder-Devrient.2 

1  Gothe's  confessedly  favourite  musician   was  the  director  of  the 
Berlin  Singing  Academy,  Carl  Fried.  Zelter  (born  in  Berlin,  1758,  and 
died  there  1832),  the  old  German  Imperial  composer,  as  Beethoven  called 
him.    As  early  as  the  year  1796,  he  was  on  friendly  terms  with  Gothe, 
having  presented  him  with  his  latest  songs,  and  the  intimacy  was  mu- 
tually kept  up  to  the  year  1832,  and  found  its  expression  in  a  lively  and 
important  correspondence.     A  similar  bond  of  union  existed  between 
them  as  between  Mayrhofer  and   Schubert,  with  this  difference,  that 
Zelter  the  song-composer  was  no  Schubert,  and  Gothe  at  that  period 
had  already  passed  the  lyrical  epoch.     Zelter  set  to  music  more  than  a 
hundred  of  Gothe's   songs,  nearly  all  of  them  ballads.     Gothe  said  of 
the  first  efforts  of  Zelter  in  this  style,   '  that  he  could  scarcely  have 
believed  music  capable  of  producing  such  delicious  tones.'     In  the  year 
1823,  Milder-Hauptmann  sang  before  Gothe  four  small  songs ;  '  she 
threw  such  great  power  into  them,  that  the  memory  of  her  singing,'  said 
Gothe,  '  still  would  bring  tears  to  his  eyes.'    May  not  one  of  Schubert's 
have  been  among  the  number  ?     In  the  year  1 825,  Milder,  at  her  concert  in 
Berlin,  sang  Schubert's  '  Zuleika,'  with  great  applause,  but  Zelter  makes 
no  note  of  the  fact.     The  famous  singer  at  that  time  was  in  correspon- 
dence with  Gothe  and  Schubert,  and  we  shall  allude  by  and  by  to  the 
letters. 

2  When  Schroder,  in  the  April  of  1830,  passed  through  Weimar,  on 
her  journey  to  Paris,  she  was  introduced  to  the  veteran  poet  by  a  mmber 


166  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

It  may  be  here  mentioned,  as  a  curiosity,  that  at 
the  beginning  of  this  year  (on  February  28,  1819,  and 
not,  as  is  generally  supposed,  in  the  year  1821),  a  song 
of  Schubert's  was  heard  for  the  first  time  at  a  public 
concert  in  Vienna.  The  tenor  singer  Jager  sang  on 
that  occasion  (and  again  on  April  12)  the  well-known 
(  Schafer's  Klagelied,'  at  a  concert  given  by  the  violin- 
player  Jaell,  at  the  hotel  '  Zum  romischen  Kaiser.' } 
The  song,  it  seems,  was  received  with  great  applause. 

At  this  period  the  Cantata  e Prometheus'  was  per- 
formed (for  the  last  time)  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Ignaz 
von  Sonnleithner  (at  Grundelhof ),  and  on  this  occasion 
the  host  himself,  a  fine  bass  singer,  sang  the  part  of 
Prometheus.  ,  .  ;. 

The  same  cantata  was  to  have  been  given  in  the  year 

1820,  at  the  Augarten,  under  Schubert's  personal  direc- 

of  the  Eoyal  Opera-House  Company,  Eduard  Genast,  and  sang  to  him, 
amongst  other  things,  the  '  Erl-King.'  Although  Gothe  was  not  fond  of 
'  durchcomponirter'  songs,  the  grand  dramatic  power  of  the  artist  made 
such  an  impression  on  him,  that  Gothe,  laying  both  his  hands  on  the  singer's 
head,  kissed  her  forehead,  and  exclaimed,  '  Thanks,  a  thousand  times, 
for  this  grand  artistic  performance/  and  went  on  to  say  :  '  I  once  heard 
this  composition  in  my  earlier  life,  and  it  did  not  agree  with  my  views 
of  the  subject,  but,  executed  as  you  execute  it,  the  whole  becomes  a 
complete  picture.'  (Alfred  Baron  v.  Wolzogen,  '  Wilhelmine  Schroder,  a 
Contribution  to  the  History  of  the  Musical  Drama,'  p.  146.)  In  the  year 

1821,  Schroder  took  part  in  the  same  'Akademie  '  at  Vienna,  where  Vogl, 
for  the  first  time  in  public,  performed  the  '  Erl-King.' 

1  Jager  (Eranz),  born  at  Vienna,  1796,  and  in  active  professional  life 
there  up  to  the  year  1826,  as  a  dramatic  singer,  enjoyed  great  popularity 
in  certain  parts.  He  went  afterwards  to  Stuttgart  as  teacher  of  singing 
at  the  theatre,  and  he  remained  there  to  the  end  of  his  days. 


LAST   PERFORMANCE    OF    'PROMETHEUS.'  167 

tion ;  but  the  rehearsals  were  so  unsatisfactory,  that 
Schubert  withdrew  the  score.  Since  the  time  of  this 
performance  in  private  society,  the  work  has  never  been 
given  at  Vienna,  and  we  have  already  noticed  the 
mysterious  fate  which  befel  this  composition. 


168  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

(1820.) 

THE    MUSICAL    DRAMA  'DIE  ZWILLINGSBRUDER ' THE    MELODRAMA 

'  DIE  ZAUBERHARFE  ' THE  EASTER  CANTATA  '  LAZARUS  ' THE  OPERA 

'  SAKONTALA' — '  ANTIFONEN  '  FOR  PALM  SUNDAY — THE  TWENTY-THIRD 
PSALM SONGS  AND  CANZONETS — THE  PIANOFORTE  FANTASIA  IN  C. 

IT  happened,  by  a  strange  freak  of  fortune,  that  our 
great  song-writer  was  first  to  be  introduced  to  the 
general  public  of  his  native  town  in  a  dramatic  musical 
work.  Not  one  of  his  songs  had  as  yet  appeared  in 
print.  He  had  written  a  couple  of  hundred,  and  some 
of  them,  sung  with  rapturous  applause  in  private  circles, 
had  increased  his  reputation  every  time  they  had  been 
listened  to.  Schubert  himself  was  not  in  the  posi- 
tion to  have  his  works  published  at  his  own  risk  and 
expense,  and  still  less  did  he  offer  to  press  them 
upon  music  publishers,  as  success  was  hardly  to  be 
thought  of  with  people  shy  of,  and  notoriously  prepos- 
sessed unfavourably  towards  only  c  budding '  geniuses. 
What  pains  were  taken  in  the  course  of  the  next  year 
— and  all  in  vain — by  persons  conversant  with  the  ways 
and  dealings  of  publishers,  with  a  view  of  bringing  out 
an  edition  of  the  '  Erl-King,'  will  be  alluded  to  in  the 
proper  place. 


(  DIE    ZWILLINGSBRUDER.'  169 

The  singer  Vogl,  always  intent  on  winning  an  oppor- 
tunity for  a  larger  and  wider  appreciation  of  his  friend 
than  had  hitherto  been  given  him,  brought  his  influence 
to  bear  on  the  directors  of  the  Opera  House,  and  they 
commissioned  Schubert  to  set  a  libretto  arranged  from 
the  French  for  the  German  stages,  by  Hofmann,  the 
secretary  of  the  theatre. 

He  seems  to  have  set  to  work  in  the  year  1818 ;  at 
all  events,  it  was  rumoured  in  Vienna  that  Schubert 
was  employed  in  writing  music  for  an  opera.1 

The  libretto  is  a  very  used-up  fashion  of  stage  plot ; 
it  turns  upon  continual  changes  of  characters,  and  the 
misunderstandings  which  ensue  on  mistaken  identity. 
No  doubt  a  good  many  absurd  situations  are  contrived, 
but,  after  all,  the  conclusion  is  tame  and  ineffective. 
The  melodrama  was  introduced  for  the  first  time  at  the 
Karnthner  Theatre  on  June  14,  1820,  under  the  title 
of  '  Die  Zwillinge,'  a  farce,  interspersed  with  songs, 
•  in  one  act.  The  characters  are  :  the  mayor ;  Lieschen 
his  daughter  (soprano) ;  Anton  (tenor) ;  the  under- 
bailiff  (bass);  Franz  and  Friedrich  Spiess  (bass),  in- 
valids, the  first  of  whom  wears  a  bandage  over  his  right 
eye,  and  the  latter  one  over  his  left. 

The  story  is  as  follows : — :Eighteen  years  ago,  before 
the  drama  commences,  an  infant  daughter  has  been  born 

1  On  the  original  score,  in  the  possession  of  the  Vienna  Musikverein, 
is  the  date  January  19,  1819.  Ferdinand  Schubert  arranged  a  piano- 
forte edition  of  the  opera,  of  which  Josef  v.  Spaun  has  a  copy. 


170  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

to  the  mayor.  The  happy  father  is  thinking  whom  he 
shall  choose  for  sponsor,  when  his  neighbour  Spiess, 
coming  into  the  room,  tells  him  that  he  has  made  up 
his  mind,  now  he  is  of  age,  to  go  out  into  the  wide 
world,  and  first  of  all  to  France,  to  seek  there  his  twin- 
brother,  who,  as  a  boy,  ran  away  from  home.  To  mark 
his  departure  by  some  signal  and  praiseworthy  action, 
he  volunteers  to  act  as  sponsor  to  the  little  infant,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  lays  down  a  dowry  of  1,000  thalers 
conditionally,  that  should  he  return  within  eighteen 
years,  and  be  pleased  with  the  young  lady,  she  must 
accept  him  forthwith  as  her  husband.  Meantime, 
Lieschen  grows  up  to  maidenhood,  has  chosen  Anton 
for  her  husband,  and  on  that  very  day — not,  however, 
until  sunset — when  the  term  fixed  on  by  Franz  Spiess 
for  receiving  his  proper  indemnity  and  payment  of  his 
claims  to  the  hand  of  the  lady  expires.  Anton  and  a 
chorus  of  peasants  awake,  with  a  serenade,  the-  bride 
from  her  slumber.  (Opening  of  the  music.)  The  young 
couple  wait  impatiently  for  the  sunset,  when  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  is  to  take  place.  Thereupon  Franz 
Spiess  appears,  makes  himself  known  to  the  somewhat 
disagreeably  surprised  mayor,  tells  him  of  all  his  ad- 
ventures, and  ends  by  reminding  him.  of  the  promise 
originally  made  in  respect  of  his  daughter.  Lieschen 
is  sent  for,  and  as  she  pleases  the  new  suitor,  the  latter 
considers  his  marriage  as  a  settled  thing.  The  joint 
protest  of  the  father,  Anton,  and  Lieschen  are  of  no 


171 

avail.  Franz  persists  in  his  claims,  and  orders  the 
mayor  to  prepare  a  breakfast,  but  the  two  lovers  to 
separate  for  ever. .  In  the  interim,  Franz  leaves  to 
square  accounts  and  official  matters  with  the  <Amt- 
mann.'  Considerably  put  out,  but  thinking  of  some 
new  means  to  be  even  with  Spiess,  the  mayor,  Anton, 
and  Lieschen  withdraw  into  the  house. 

Franz  is  then  succeeded  by  Friedrich  Spiess,  who 
is  so  exactly  like  his  brother,  as  to  be  mistaken  for 
him,  and  greets  everything  and  everybody  in  the 
highest  spirits.  The  mayor,  supposing  Franz  Spiess  is 
before  him,  invites  him  to  the  wedding  breakfast,  al- 
ready ordered,  and  keeps  on  energetically  filling  up  his 
glass.  Friedrich  now  declares  that  he  wishes  to  live  in 
peace  and  friendship  with  all  his  home  companions, 
and  especially  with  the  mayor;  he,  misunderstanding 
him,  hurries  back  to  the  house,  in  order  to  bring  the 
joyful  message  to  his  daughter.  Lieschen  herself  now 
appears  on  the  scene,  and  a  further  misunderstanding 
arises  in  the  course  of  her  conversation  with  Friedrich, 
owing  to  her  declaration  'that  he  must  be  married,' 
which  he  takes  to  mean  a  necessity  for  his  making  the 
young  lady  his  wife,  a  contingency  he  guards  himself 
against  for  various  reasons,  and  particularly  because  he 
is  already  the  father  of  a  grown-up  son.  Lieschen,  in 
an  ecstasy  of  delight,  hurries  off  to  the  village  to  seek 
Anton.  The  'Amtmann'  appears,  to  congratulate  Franz 
Spiess,  in  the  name  of  the  whole  parish,  on  his  many 


172  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

exploits  whilst  away  from  home,  and  to  express  his 
sympathy  for  the  loss  of  his  brother.  Then  he  begs 
him,  as  his  brother's  heir,  to  receive  the  sum  originally 
lodged  in  his  keeping,  and  to  sign  a  receipt  for  the 
same.  Friedrich  and  the  'Amtmann '  then  retire  to  the 
steward's  house. 

Lieschen  and  Anton  enjoy  the  victory  they  have  won ; 
Franz  Spiess  joins  them,  and,  in  blissful  ignorance  of 
what  has  meanwhile  happened  to  his  brother,  persists  in 
his  demand.  Lieschen  reminds  him  of  his  promise  to 
give  her  up,  and  threatens  him  with  Anton's  and  her 
father's  revenge. 

The  mayor  comes  out  of  the  house;  Franz  Spiess 
calls  for  breakfast ;  the  mayor  replies  that  already 
they  have  been  drinking  heavily  together — a  fact  in- 
dignantly denied  by  Franz.  Finally,  the  steward  joins 
the  company,  and  asks  Franz  to  add  his  signature  for 
the  receipt  of  the  1,000  thalers.  Franz  denies  ever 
having  received  such  a  sum,  and  will  not  own  to  his  sig- 
nature. The  dispute  waxes  hotter  and  hotter ;  Anton, 
Lieschen,  and  peasants  come  out  of  the  village.  The 
steward,  in  whose  eyes  Franz  is  an  object  of  suspi- 
cion, remarks  that  Spiess  now  wears  the  bandage  over 
the  right  eye,  having  at  an  earlier  stage  of  the  story 
had  the  bandage  over  his  left ;  forthwith  Franz  is  con- 
ducted before  a  court  of  justice  as  a  spy  and  traitor. 
Friedrich  Spiess,  with  a  bag  full  of  money,  approaches 
from  the  other  side,  and  asks  the  mayor  to  watch  over 


173 

the  coin,  but  the  latter  refuses.  A  fresh  confusion  arises 
in  consequence  of  the  questions  put  to  the  pretended 
Franz  Spiess.  These  Friedrich  cannot,  of  course,  un- 
derstand. At  last  the  mayor  stumbles  upon  the  brilliant 
idea  that  there  must  have  been  two  persons  of  the 
name  of  Spiess,  who  caused  the  whole  dilemma.  Anton 
comes  with  the  news  that  Franz  Spiess  has,  before  the 
court,  renounced  his  claims  to  Lieschen. 

Franz  appears  on  the  scene  ;  the  brothers  rush  fran- 
tically into  each  other's  arms,  and  the  chorus  cheer 
vigorously  the  fraternal  and  the  bridal  pair. 

The  musical  part  of  this  play  contains  ten  numbers, 
besides  the  overture,  the  Allegro  movement  of  which 
(D  major  -J)  is  a  vigorous  movement  from  first  to  last. 
These  numbers  are :  a  chorus  of  peasants  (introduction) 
leading  to  a  tenor  solo  of  Anton  awaking  his  intended 
bride,  a  lovely  duett  (Lieschen  and  Anton),  an  air  for 
Lieschen,  an  air  for  Franz  Spiess,  a  quartett  (Lieschen, 
Anton,  Franz,  and  the  mayor),  an  air  for  Friedrich  Spiess, 
a  duett  (Lieschen  and  Anton),  a  trio  (Lieschen,  Anton, 
and  Franz),  a  quintett  (Anton,  Lieschen,  the  mayor, 
Franz,  and  steward),  with  chorus  and  final  chorus.  A 
spoken  dialogue  divides  the  numbers  one  from  another. 
Schubert  applied  himself  to  the  music  of  this  vaude- 
ville with  but  little  zest ;  the  libretto  and  story  failed  to 
interest  him.  The  music  is,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  to  be 
reckoned  among  his  weaker  productions :  by  which  I  by 
no  means  intend  to  say  that  the  performance  of  the 


174  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

musical  additions  to  the  piece  would  not  amply  repay 
the  trouble  of  getting  up  the  performance.  Vogl  had 
undertaken  the  part  of  the  two  twins,  representing  the 
military  invalid  and  the  peasant,  and  did  his  best  to 
keep  them  appropriately  separate  and  distinct.  The 
music,  on  the  whole,  pleased  the  audience  ;  the  intro- 
ductory chorus  was  repeated,  and  the  air  of  Franz 
Spiess  (in  C)  was  much  cheered.  At  the  conclusion  the 
applause  was  renewed,  and  the  people  called  for  the 
composer,  in  whose  place,  as  Schubert  was  absent,  Vogl 
expressed  his  thanks  to  the  audience. 

The  performance  was,  on  the  whole,  satisfactory,1 
but  no  enduring  impression  was  created,  and  for  this 
the  weakness  of  the  plot  and  libretto  is  in  part  re- 
sponsible. The  operetta  survived  six  representations, 
and  then  vanished  for  ever  from  the  repertoire.  Critics 
pronounced  the  work  as  a  neat  elegant  trifle,  the  pro- 
duction of  a  young  composer,  who,  as  the  purity  of 
his  operatic  style  proved,  must  have  pursued  his  ordi- 
nary studies  with  diligence,  and  was  no  novice  in  har- 
mony. They  went  on  to  say,  that  the  music  being  here 
and  there  old-fashioned  and  deficient  in  melody,  it  may 
be  taken  for  granted  that  Schubert  never  misunder- 
stood the  value  of  the  compliment  of  those  friends  who 
summoned  him  in  front  of  the  curtain.2 

1  The  other  parts,  Lieschen,  Anton,  the  mayor,  and  the  steward,  were 
filled  by  Fr.  Betti  Vio,  Herr  Kosenfeld,  G-ottdank,  and  Sebastian  Mayer. 

2  A  critic  in  the  'Allgemeine  Musikzeitung '  was  of  opinion  that  'the 


PERFORMANCE  OF  s  DIE  ZAUBERHARFE.'      175 

A  few  weeks  afterwards  Schubert  completed  a  far 
more  important  melodramatic  composition,  which  was 
intended  for  stage  representation. 

On  August  19, 1820,  the  Viennese  journals  contained 
the  following  notice  : — 

( By  the  liberality  of  His  Excellency  Count  Ferdi- 
nand von  Palffy,  proprietor  of  the  Imperial  Theatre, 
an  der  Wien,  three  artists,  whose  connections  and  en- 
gagements do  not  sanction  their  claims  to  any  clear 
receipts,  are  now  allowed  such  payments,  which  the 
Count  has,  unasked,  now  conceded.  These  artists  are 
Herr  Neefe,1  scene  painter,  Eoller,  master  of  the  ma- 
chinery, and  Lucca  Piazza,  costumier  of  the  said  thea- 
tre, who,  from  their  important  services  to  the  public, 
are  well  deserving  of  so  high  a  mark  of  consideration. 
This  benefit  performance  will  take  place  next  Monday, 
August  21,  on  the  occasion  of  the  third  representation 
of  the  new  magic  Operetta,  in  three  acts,  "  Die  Zauber- 

work  was  deficient  in  real  melody,  that  the  music  suffered  from  a  con- 
fused overladen  instrumentation,  a  painful  effort  after  originality,  the 
constant  wearisome  modulations,  with  no  intervals  for  repose.  The  in- 
troductory chorus,  a  quartett  and  a  bass  air,  alone  entitled  us  to  cling  to 
the  hope  of  a  brilliant  future  for  a  young  man  already  known  to  fame 
from  his  clever  songs,  and  for  this  future  he  has  yet  to  win  the  necessary 
self-dependence  and  solid  powers  required  to  form  a  real  composer.  His 
friends  may  reflect  that  there  is  a  marked  difference  between  a  fiasco 
and  a  furore.' 

1  Herrmann  Neefe,   son   of  Christian    G-ottlob  Neefe,   Beethoven's 
teacher  in  Bonn. 


176  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

harfe  ;  "  music  by  Herr  Schubert  ;  decorations,  scenery, 
and  costumes  by  the  receivers  of  the  benefit.' 

Schubert  had  been  asked  by  Neefe  and  Deinmer, 
the  regisseur  of  the  theatre,  to  write  music  for  this 
melodrama,  the  author  of  which  was  unknown.1 
Schubert  set  to  work,  and  finished  his  task  in  a  fort- 
night. On  August  19,  1820,  the  piece  was  put  upon 
the  stage,  and  with  but  moderate  success.  It  was 
several  times  given,  but  vanished  from  the  repertoire 
before  the  approach  of  winter.  Solo  songs  were  few 
throughout  the  work,  the  main  portions  of  which  con- 
sisted of  choruses  and  melodrama.  The  book  was 
utterly  valueless,  nay,  utterly  childish,  and  was  emi- 
nently unsuccessful.  The  overture  performed  on  this 
occasion,  a  fine  orchestral  piece,  is  the  same  which 
appeared  in  a  pianoforte  edition  as  Op.  26,  and  was 
incorrectly  marked  as  belonging  to  the  drama  (  Eosa- 
munde.'  There  is  a  beautiful  solo  for  the  tenor,  a  ro- 
mance of  the  Palmer,  sung  originally  by  Franz  Jager.2 
The  critics  attacked  without  mercy  the  insipid  libretto,3 


and  Demmer  had  certainly  thought  of  Schubert  with  refer- 
ence to  the  music  to  be  composed  for  the  melodrama,  but  they  went  for 
advice  to  Dr.  L.  v.  Sonnleithner,  and  thus  they  were  brought  into 
contact  with  Schubert. 

2  An  Andantino  in  D  major,  with  accompaniment  of  violins,  viola, 
flute,  hautboy,  bassoon,  harp,  cello,  and  bass  (the  pianoforte  accompa- 
niment arranged  by  F.  Grutsch,  formerly  second  orchestral  director  of 
the  Karnthnerthor  Theatre). 

3  Hofmann,  secretary  of  the  theatre  in  Vienna,  was  its  author. 


PERFORMANCE  OF  THE  *  ZAUBERHARFE.'      177 

a  made-up  melodramatic  affair,  and  found  much  to 
object  to  in  the  musical  treatment,  but,  above  all,  that 
it  hindered  rather  than  helped  the  action  of  the  piece, 
and  betrayed  the  absolute  ignorance,  on  the  part  of  the 
composer,  of  the  rales  of  the  melodrama.  The  way  of 
treating  the  music  for  the  magic  harps  showed  a  poor 
*  fade '  decayed  taste,  and  was  wanting  in  the  necessary 
power  and  characteristics  which  ought  always  to  accom- 
pany ethereal  spirits.1 

Many  a  small  grain  of  truth  may  be  concealed  in 
these  criticisms  of  the  time ;  but  on  closely  analysing 
their  purport,  it  is  impossible  not  to  remark  on  a 
certain  predisposition  unfavourable  towards  the  young 
composer,  who  had  only  just  come  before  the  public  with 
his  slight  efforts  in  musical  drama.  It  is  certain  from 
the  testimony  of  competent  musical  judges,  who  were 
present  at  the  performances,  that  the  music  which  Schu- 
bert had  to  compose  for  a  senseless  libretto  contained 
vocal  and  instrumental  numbers  of  the  greatest  interest.2 

1  The  following  criticism  was  published  in  the  '  Allgemeine  Musika- 
lische   Zeitung ' : — '  The  composer  gives    glimpses   here   and  there  of 
talent ;  there  is  on  the  whole  a  want  of  technical  arrangement,  which 
can  only  be  gained  by  experience  ;  the  numbers,  generally  speaking,  are 
too  long  and  wearisome  ;  the  harmonious  progressions  too  harsh,  the  in- 
strumentation overladen,  the  choruses  vapid  and  weak.     The  most  suc- 
cessful numbers  are  the  introductory  Adagio  of  the  overture,  and  the 
romance  for  the  tenor  ;  the  expression  in  these  is  lovely ;  the  simplicity 
is  noble,  and  the  modulation  delicate.     An  idyllic  subject  would  be 
admirably  adapted  to  the  composer/ 

2  In  the  year  1835,  Ferdinand  Schubert  was  still  in  possession  of  the 

VOL.    I.  N 


178  LIFE    OF  SCHUBERT. 

The  objections  made  at  the  time  to  the  composer,  in 
respect  of  his  '  harsh  harmonic  progressions,  constant 
modulations,  overladen  instrumentation,'  &c-,  would 
doubtless  be  reversed  by  the  verdict  of  our  times. 
The  music  to  the  '  Zauberharfe '  deserves  to  be  un- 
earthed, for  there  is  no  doubt  in  it  much  that  is  beau- 
tiful, and  Schubert  himself  reckoned  it  as  one  of  his 
most  successful  works. 

We  have  now  to  call  attention  to  one  of  those  fea- 
tures which  prove  very  strikingly  the  greatness  and 
versatility  of  Schubert's  genius. 

Nearly  about  the  .same  time  that  Schubert  was  em- 
ployed with  the  musical  setting  of  vapid  tasteless 
librettos,  there  came  to  light  one  of  Schubert's  most 
significant  and  characteristic  musical  poems  of  a  re- 
ligious kind,  the  result,  it  should  seem,  of  hours  con- 
secrated by  Schubert  to  thoughtful  solitude  and  re- 
tirement. The  birth  of  this  oratorio  is  a  mystery,  and 
will  probably  remain  so  for  ever,  for  not  even  Schubert's 
most  trusted  friends,  such,  for  instance,  as  Franz  v. 
Schober,  who,  in  the  year  1820,  was  thrown  frequently 
into  personal  intimacy  with  the  composer,  can  give  any 

score  of  the  '  Zauberharfe.'  There  may  very  likely  have  been  a  copy  in 
the  archives  of  the  theatre  at  Vienna,  and  one  may  be  there  still.  The 
publishing  firm  of  Spina  has  the  original  score  of  two  entr'actes,  an 
overture  to  the  third,  and  a  musical  after-piece  besides.  Johann  v. 
Spaun  has  a  copy  of  the  score  of  the  tenor  air,  and  the  pianoforte  set- 
ting of  the  same.  The  Overture  (Op.  26)  was  played  at  Vienna  as  an 
introduction  ,to  the  Operetta  '  Der  hausliche  Krieg.' 


THE    ORATORIO    'LAZARUS.'  179 

explanation  of  the  cause,  or  other  external  circum- 
stances, under  which  the  work  in  question  was  com- 
posed, but  it  is  certain  that  to  many  of  Schubert's 
associates  the  very  existence  of  this  work  remained 
hidden.  The  Oratorio  here  referred  to  of  '  Lazarus,'  or 
the  '  Feast  of  the  Resurrection,'  was  intended  by 
Schubert  as  an  Easter  Cantata,  and,  as  can  be  seen  by 
examining  the  original  score,  was  taken  in  hand  in 
February  1820,  probably  in  the  lodgings  in  the  Wip- 
plingerstrasse,  which  Schubert  at  that  time  shared  with 
Mayrhofer.  (  The  Feast  of  the  Resurrection  '  is  one 
of  the  sacred  poems  written  by  a  well-known  teacher 
and  theologian,  August  Hermann  Niemeyer,  formerly 
Chancellor  to  the  Hochschule  in  Halle.1 

In  the  preface  to  the  collection  of  poems  we  find  the 
following  passage  : — '  The  oratorios,  especially  the  four 
first, have  been  frequented  by  large  audiences  in  the  years 
1776  up  to  1 780.  They  owe  their  popularity  very  mainly 
at  that  period  to  the  much-esteemed  composer,  the  late 
musical  director  Rolle,2  who  gave  very  perfect  perform- 

1  A.  H.  Niemeyer,  born  in  1754,  at  Halle,  on  the  river  Saale,  became 
Professor  of  Theology,  and  Inspector  of  the  royal  '  Padagogium,'  and,  iu 
1814,  Chancellor  of  the  University,  and  died  (like  Schubert)  in  the  year 
1828.     He  wrote  religious  tracts,  poems,  sermons,  '  Characteristics  of 
the  Bible,'  &c. 

2  Johann  Heinrich  Eolle,  born  in  the  year  1718,  died  in  1785,  was 
director  of  music  at  Magdeburg,  and  was  known  as  a  correct  and  taste- 
ful composer.     As  recently  as  1862  appeared  '  Lazarus,'  an  oratorio  in 
two  parts,  composed  by  Johann  Vogt,  the  words  selected  from  the  Bible, 
and  it  \vas  first  given  at  Dresden,  on  March  19,  1863. 

N  2 


180  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

ances  of  these  works  at  the  brilliant  Magdeburg  con- 
certs.' These  words  were  written  on  April  8,  1814; 
six  years  later  (in  February  1820),  Schubert  set  Nie- 
meyer's  poem  to  music,  and  the  latter,  during  the 
following  eight  years  which  he  and  Schubert  had  yet 
to  live,  never  heard  a  note  of  the  music. 

After  the  lapse  of  thirty  or  more  years  since  the 
composer's  death,  the  world  was  surprised  by  the  infor- 
mation of  the  existence  of  an  oratorio  by  Schubert, 
although  the  original  score  of  the  first  treatment  of  the 
subject  had  for  a  long  time  been  in  the  possession  of 
the  firm  of  Diabelli  (afterwards  Spina)  at  Vienna.  The 
discovery  had  yet  to  be  made  of  this  work,  contained  in 
Spaun's  Schubert  collection,  by  the  compiler  of  this 
biography,  in  the  year  1860,  and  in  the  late  autumn  of 
the  following  year  a  further  important  discovery  was 
made  of  the  largest  part  of  the  original  score  of  the 
second  part  of  the  subject,  in  order  to  bring  to  the  light 
of  day  a  work  so  long  veiled  in  darkness,  and  to  give 
in  Vienna  the  first  public  performance  of  the  oratorio.1 

1  As  early  as  the  year  1859,  when  occupied  with  the  'Biographical 
Sketch,'  I  found  the  Cantata  '  Lazarus '  in  examining  Schubert's  auto- 
graphs in  Herr  Spaun's  collection.  These  are  mentioned  in  the  '  Sketch,' 
and  the  remark  made  that  Schubert  only  composed  the  first  part  of  the 
subject.  I  was  the  more  inclined  to  believe  this,  as  a  composition  (espe- 
cially one  of  such  importance)  would  not  easily  escape  so  enthusiastic  a 
friend  of  Schubert's  as  Witteczek,  and  Ferdinand  Schubert  (whose  inac- 
curacy in  this  matter  is  plain  enough)  speaks  in  his  memoranda  of  only 
one  composition.  I  was  soon,  however,  set  right  by  a  far  better  au- 
thority. In  the  late  autumn  of  1861,  I  was  invited  by  the  esteemed 


THE   ORATORIO    c  LAZARUS.'  181 

Niemeyer's  poem  is  divided  into  three  parts,  the  first 
of  which  ends  with  the  death  of  Lazarus,  the  second 
with  his  sepulture  and  funeral  elegy  by  his  friends, 
the  third  with  his  awaking  from  the  grave.  Of  these 
the  musical  portion  of  the  first  part,  exquisitely  written 
out  (in  the  hands  of  the  Spina  musical  firm  at  Vienna, 
and  also  in  copies  possessed  by  Hofrath  v.  Spaun  and 
the  Vienna  Musikverein),  is  preserved  entire  :  what  was 
discovered  to  be  the  second  part,  according  to  the  ori- 
ginal manuscript,  leads  through  two  recitative  airs  (of 
Nathanael  and  Martha)  to  the  double  alternate  chorus 
of  the  weeping  friends  of  Lazarus,  with  which,  as  the  last 
sheets  of  the  score  are  wanting,  this  part  ought  by 
rights  to  finish.  According  to  the  text,  the  missing  frag- 
ment contains  an  air  for  Martha,  several  short  recitative 

musical  historian  Herr  Alexander  Thayer,  of  Boston  (at  that  time 
attached  to  the  North  American  Embassy  in  Vienna)  to  his  lodgings  in 
Neuwien,  to  be  shown  some  Schubert  MSS.  I  examined  the  musical  me- 
moranda, which  my  friend  had  so  kindly  placed  at  my  disposal,  with 
surprise  and  delight,  and  found  amongst  the  collection  the  original  score 
of  'Alfonso  und  Estrella,'  that  of  the  'Zwillingsbruder,'  some  stringed 
quartetts,  pianoforte  pieces,  songs,  and  the  second  part  of  '  Lazarus,' 
but,  unfortunately,  not  complete.  I  thought  it  imperative  on  me  to 
inform  the  directors  and  members  of  the  Musikverein,  Herr  Dr. 
Bauer  and  Herr  Herbeck,  of  this  discovery ;  they,  too,  succeeded  in 
influencing,  in  the  right  way,  the  owner  of  the  manuscript  to  produce, 
for  a  moderate  compensation,  an  edition  of  these  works,  and  henceforth 
to  incorporate  the  collected  MSS.  with  the  musical  archives  at  Vienna,  as 
a  noble  addition  to  the  treasures  of  the  Society..  Fortunately  the 
widow  of  Ferd.  Schubert  possessed  some  additional  music  belonging  to 
'  Lazarus,'  which  gave  the  work  a  more  suitable  finish.  Further  enquiries 
for  the  lost  numbers  have  remained,  up  to  the  present  time,  without  result. 


182  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

passages,  and  a  chorus  of  friends.1  Whether  the  third 
and  most  extensive  part  of  the  work,  in  which  a  promi- 
nent part  was  assigned  to  the  chorus,  was  also  set  by 
Schubert,  we  have  no  clue  or  evidence  at  present. 

1  The  passages  of  the  poem  run  thus : — 

Martha. 

Und  stiinden  selbst  der  Engel  Eeih'n 
Urn  seinen  Geist  gedrangt, 
Ich  drangte  mich  in  ihre  Eeih'n 
Auf  Fittigen  der  Liebe  ein 
Und  rief :  Ihr  Engel,  er  ist  mein  ! 

Natkanael. 

Einst  wenn  vom  Abend  und  vom  Morgen  her 
Der  Weltenrichter  ruft,  dann  Martha  ist  er  dein, 
Dann  ist  er  unser,  ewig  ungetrennt ! 
Jetzt  gebt  dem  Staube,  was  ihm  angehort ! 
Singt,  Jiinglinge,  singt, 
Singt  Tochter,— ihr  vom  Tod 
Und  ihr  vom  Auferstehen  das  Lied. 

Ein  JungUng. 

Mein  stiller  Abend  ist  gekommen  : 
"Wo  leg'  ich  nun  das  matte  Haupt  ? 

Jemina. 

Im  Hiigel,  der  den  Hain  umlaubt, 
Im  heiligen  Euhethal  der  Frommen. 

(Man  senkt  den  Leichnam  in  die  Grabhohle.) 

Ein  JungUng. 

Ich  bin  des  Pilgerlebens  miide, 
Wie  saumt,  wie  saumt  mein  Vaterland  ! 

Jemina. 

Dich  leite  deines  Engels  Hand 
Und  iiber  deinem  Staub  sei  Friede  ! 


THE    ORATORIO    '  LAZARUS.'  183 

The  characters  in  the  sacred  cantata  are  ( The  man 
of  Bethany,'  Lazarus  (tenor),  Mary  and  Martha,  sisters 
of  Lazarus  (soprano) ;  Jemina,.  the  daughter  of  Jairus 
(soprano)  ;  Nathanael,  a  disciple  (tenor),  and  the  Sad- 
ducee  Simon  (bass).1 

Ein  Jungling. 
Wer  hat  das  Feld  mit  Saat  bestreut  ? 

Jemina. 
Der  Geber  der  Unsterblichkeit. 

Ein  Jungling. 
Heil  mir,  sie  1st  mein. 

Jemina. 
Heil  dir,  sie  ist  dein. 

Beide. 
II nd  himmlisches  Entziicken. 

Jungling. 
Ganz  unsterblich  wirst  du  mich — 

Jemina. 
Ganz  unsterblich  werd'  ich  dich — 

Beide. 

An  diesen  Busen  driicken. 

Chor. 

Wiederseh'n  !  sei  uns  gesegnet, 
Entziickungsvolles  Wiederseh'n, 
Wenn  uns  unser  Freund  begegnet, 
Wo  Engel  liebend  um  ihn  steh'n  ! 
Dieser  Tag  der  Wonne 
Trocknet  uns're  Thranen  ab ; 
Ho^h  schwebt  uns're  Seele 
Ueber  unser  Grab. 

J  At  the  first  performance  of  '  Lazarus  '  in  Vienna  (March  27,  1863), 


184  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

Jemina  and  Nathanael  excepted,  who  have  not  much 
but  very  beautiful  music  assigned  them,  the  other  cha- 
racters are  treated  very  much  on  the  same  footing  by 
the  poet  and  the  composer.  The  latter  has  allowed 
himself  to  take  several  liberties  with  the  text,  which 
much  enhanced  the  beauty  of  the  poern,  and  made  it 
more  conformable  to  musical  purposes.1 

The  music  consists,  conformably  with  the  poem,  of 
airs,  choruses,  and  recitatives.  A  prominent  position 
in  this  musical  poem  of  Schubert's  is  assigned  to  the 
arioso  and  appropriate  recitative,  in  marked  contrast 
to  the  airs  scattered  thinly  over  the  work,  and  two 

under  the  directorship  of  Herr  Johann  Herbeck,  the  soloists  were :  Erl. 
Tellheim  (Mary),  Frl.  Konig  (Martha),  Frau  Wilt  (Jemina),  Herr 
Olschbauer  (Lazarus),  Herr  Schultner  (Nathanael),  and  Herr  Mayer- 
hofer  (Simon). 

1  It  is  very  probable,  although  not  proved,  that  Schubert  himself 
altered  the  text.  The  chief  alterations  refer  to  some  passages  in  the 
first  airs  of  Martha  and  Mary,  in  the  second  song  of  Lazarus,  and  the 
grand  air  of  Simon.  Thus  the  words  of  Martha : — 

Und  nun  gehst  du  so  fern  von  uns 

In's  unbekannte  Land, 

Und  einsam  bleibt  die  Hiitte  dann, 

Des  Schmerzes  und  der  Sehnsucht  oder  Wohnplatz. 

Thus  altered: — 

Und  nun  gehst  du  in  die  Schatten  der  Graber 
Ferae  von  uns,  dass  in  oden  Nachten 
In  der  einsamen  Hiitte  wir  dich  klagen, 
Dass  im  Wipfel  der  Palme  unser  Jammer  ertone 
An  deiner  Gruft  zu  verhallen. 

In  Simon's  recitative,  more  energetic  expressions  are  used  than  are 
found  in  the  original,  the  composer  wishing  to  produce  a  dramatic  effect. 


THE   ORATORIO    'LAZARUS.'  185 

others  attached  to  the  two  choruses  which  conclude 
each  of  the  parts  of  the  oratorio.  The  composer  had 
a  strong  preference  for  declamatory  songs,  and  the 
mastery  with  which  Schubert  contrived  to  dam  up  the 
rapid  current  of  melodies  which  flowed  at  his  bid- 
ding, and  penetrated,  deep  musician  as  he  was,  with  the 
meaning  of  a  poem  breathing  the  spirit  of  intellectual 
beauty,  fuse  these  melodies  into  lovely  recitative  pas- 
sages full  of  character,  gives  a  special  interest  to  this 
cantata,  and  stamps  it  as  one  of  the  most  characteristic 
poems  which  have  been  composed  in  this  style.  The 
compiler  of  the  text  has  by  no  means  lightened  the  work 
of  the  composer.  A  genius  such  as  Schubert's  was  ne- 
cessary to  steer  successfully  past  the  dangerous  rocks 
and  quicksands  of  monotony  incidental  to  a  subject 
wearisome  from  an  almost  unbroken  sameness  of  treat- 
ment, and  so  overweighted  with  recitative  passages. 
Schubert  applied  himself  to  his  task  not  in  a  descriptive 
but  dramatic  vein,  as  the  poem  required ;  and  with  what 
delicacy  of  feeling  and  admirable  skill  he  availed  him- 
self of  the  opportunity  offered  by  the  poet  for  the  de- 
velopment of  his  dramatic  power,  the  music  allotted 
to  the  daughter  of  Jairus  ( Jemina)  and  Simon  the  Sad- 
ducee  bears  the  most  brilliant  testimony.  An  intellec- 
tual piecemeal  criticism  of  a  delicate  refined  work, 
which  rushed  spontaneously  from  the  composer's  brain 
with  an  uninterrupted  current,  would  be  like  analysing 
moonlight,  and  would  be  of  little  advantage,  although 


186  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

such  minute  criticism  might  bring  to  the  surface  many 
a  hidden  and  buried  beauty.  We  shall  merely  point 
generally  to  the  more  conspicuous  beauties  of  Schubert's 
musical  poem. 

The  oratorio  opens  with  a  short  musical  introduction 
to  the  song  and  recitative  of  Lazarus,  who  has  just  been 
conducted  by  the  two  sisters  Martha  and  Mary  to  the 
garden,  and  placed  on  the  green  grass  under  a  shady 
palm-tree.  To  a  low,  mournful,  and  soft  melody  succeeds 
(in  a  quicker  movement)  a  recitative  of  Martha,  and 
after  a  short  instrumental  prelude  (Andantino  Gr  major) 
a  recital  song  for  Mary.  The  air  belonging  to  this  (an 
Andantino  sost.  F  major  f,  accompanied  by  stringed 
instruments,  clarionet,  bassoon,  and  horn)  is  one  of  the 
finest  of  the  number,  and  has  a  peculiar  colouring  given 
to  it  by  the  introduction  of  wind  instruments.  A  reci- 
tative now  follows  for  Lazarus  full  of  touching  expres- 
sion, and  another  for  the  disciple  Nathanael,  who  has 
come  in  haste  from  the  Saviour's  side  to  see  Lazarus ; 
this  leads  to  a  grand  aria  (Allegro  mod.  C  major  -J), 
'  Wenn  ich  ihm  nachgerungen  habe.'  Amongst  the 
recitatives  that  follow  for  Martha,  Lazarus,  and  Mary, 
that  of  the  latter  is  pre-eminent : — 

Wenn  nun  mit  tausendfacner  Qual 

Der  Schmerzen  Heer  sich  um  ihn  drangt,  &c.r 

and  the  air  that  follows : — 

Gottes  Liebe  ;  Fels  im  Meery  &e., 
with  its  enchanting  melody  and  character. 


THE    ORATORIO    (  LAZARUS.'  187 

.Temina  now  appears  on  the  scene — the  daughter 
of  Jairus,  one  of  the  loveliest  forms  in  the  Gospel 
history,  and  a  character  skilfully  introduced  into  the 
story  of  the  poet,  in  order  to  place  before  the  eyes  of 
the  dying  Lazarus  a  living  witness  of  the  resurrection. 
The  great  scene,  in  which  she  tells  of  her  death,  as- 
cension, and  resurrection,  gave  the  composer  an  op- 
portunity of  creating  noble,  impressive  music,  which 
is  worthy  of  our  highest  admiration. 

What  now  follows — the  last  words  of  the  dying 
Lazarus,  the  laments  and  wailings  of  the  sisters  and 
Jemina,  and,  finally,  the  chorus  of  friends  who  gra- 
dually assemble — is  of  surpassing  beauty  and  expres- 
sion. 

The  second  part  begins  with  an  orchestral  move- 
ment of  twenty-seven  bars  (Largo  C  minor  -J) ;  a  kind 
of  funeral  dirge,  in  which  the  trumpets  produce  a 
powerful  effect.  The  next  number  is  a  recitative  for 
Simon  the  Sadducee,  who  moves  restlessly  about 
amongst  those  who  are  preparing  the  grave.1  This 
song  and  that  which  follows — '  Ach  des  grausen  Todge- 
danken  ! ' — are  of  a  dramatic  force  of  which  few  thought 
Schubert's  quieter  and  gentler  musical  .predilections 
capable.  Two  recitatives  are  then  given  to  Nathanael ; 
and  a  chorus  of  the  friends  of  Lazarus,  following  the 

1  The  scene  is  laid  in  a  green  field  full  of  grave-stones  overhung  by 
palms  and  cedars  ;  in  the  background  is  a  grove,  and  in  the  distance  a 
road  to  the  house  of  Lazarus. 


188  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

corpse,  with  an  impressive  combination   of  men's  and 
women's  voices,  to  the  words 

Du  nimmst  ihn  auf,  er  keimt  hervor, 
Er  wachst  zur  Ceder  G-ottes  empor, 

introduces  a  grand  finale,  with  the  full  orchestra.     The 
whole  forms  a  noble  close  to  this  part.1 

A  second  large  work,  of  a  delicate  and  exquisite 
texture,  is  the  Opera  of  'Sakontala;'  which,  judging 
by  the  original  design,  might  have  contributed  greatly 
to  Schubert's  reputation  ;  but  unfortunately,  and  for 
reasons  unknown  to  me,  it  was  laid  aside  unfinished.2 
The  libretto  is  substantially  a  version  of  the  famous 
Indian  drama,  '  Ring-Cacuntala,'  by  the  poet  Kalidasa  : 
and  the  verses  have  a  kind  of  swing  and  evenness, 
honourably  distinguished  from  the  miserable  jingling 
rhymes  which  one  so  frequentty  comes  across  in  ope- 
ratic libretti.  Spoken  dialogue  alternates  with  the  vocal 
and  instrumental  parts  of  the  drama. 

1  The  original  score  contains,  as  I  have  already  observed,  a  recitative 
for  Nathanael,  one  for  Martha,  and  part  of  an  air  for  the  latter,  and  ends 
with  the  words  '  Und  stiinden  selbst  der  Engel  Reih'n,'  &c.    In  the  third 
part  the   poet   avoided   bringing  the   Redeemer  to  the  scene  of  the 
awakening  of  Lazarus ;  the  miracle  and  the  miracle-worker  are  kept 
behind  the  scene. 

2  According  to  a  statement  of  Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner,  Schubert, 
at  the  suggestions  of  some  friends,  who  disliked  the  poem  as  a  libretto, 
abstained  from,  finishing  the  entire  composition.     The  compiler  of  the 
book  endeavoured,  very  strenuously,  to  persuade  Schubert  to  like   it, 
but  in   vain.     '  Sakontala '  was  fated  once  again  to   be   arranged   as 
an  opera-text  by  Hugo  Ebert,  and  set  to  music  by  Tomaschek. 


THE    OPERA    'SAKONTALA.'  189 

The  characters  in  the  piece  are :  Duschmanta, 
King  of  Hindostan  (tenor);  Madhawia,  court  fool, 
and  confidant  of  the  king  (bass) ;  Sakontala  (soprano)  ; 
Kanna,  first  Brahmin,  Sakontala's  step-father  (bass)  ; 
Durwasas,  brother  of  Aditi,  goddess  of  the  Day  (bass) ; 
Saregarawa,  another  Brahmin ;  Grautami,  Sakontala's 
governess ;  Amusia,  Primawada,  Sakontala's  play- 
fellows ;  Menaka,  a  nymph,  Sakontala's  mother ;  two 
policemen,  a  fisherman,  genii  of  the  light,  demons  of 
the  night,  two  maiden  attendants,  dancers ;  Aditi,  god- 
dess of  the  Day ;  Matali,  chariot -driver ;  and  Misraki, 
a  demon. 

The  plot  of  the  piece,  and  the  musical  fragments  of 
Schubert  intended  for  the  opera,  may  be  thus  detailed : 
—King  Duschmanta,  whilst  hunting  in  the  hermit's 
grove,  sees  Sakontala,  declares  to  marry  her,  and  seals 
the  contract,  after  Indian  fashion,  with  a  kiss;  and 
then  hurries  forward  to  his  capital,  with  a  view  of 
receiving  his  bride  on  her  arrival.  Kanna,  returned 
from  the  sacred  place  Somathirta,  where  he  has  learned 
from  the  goddess'  mouth  that  Sakontala,  before  her 
union  with  the  king,  will  have  to  go  through  some 
sharp  trials,  prepares  her  and  her  attendants  for  a 
journey  to  the  residence  of  Duschmanta.  In  order  to 
obtain  the  blessing  of  the  gods,  a  sacrifice  is  made  to 
them  in  e  the  Grrove  of  Memories,'  and  here  the  opera 
commences.  A  chorus,  introduced  by  boys'  voices 
(Andante  con  moto  F  major  -|),  in  which  the  hermits 


190  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

and  the  attendant  maidens,  as  well  as  Karma  and 
Sakontala,  take  part,  hails  the  light  of  day  and  prays 
the  gods  for  a  favourable  reception  of  the  proffered 
sacrifice.  The  general  chorus,  '  Nehmet  das  Opfer,'  &c., 
concludes  this  scene. 

The  scene  on  the  stage  changes  to  another  part  of 
the  grove.  Durwasas,  the  brother  of  Aditi,  goddess 
of  Day,  bursts  in,  in  an  uncontrollable  fit  of  fury,  and 
adjures  the  demons  to  help  him  in  his  revenge  against 
Sakontala — whose  mother,  the  nymph  Menaka,  he 
loves  with  an  undeclared  passion — and  against  Aditi, 
with  whom  Menaka  has  sought  refuge,  and  whose  son 
he  has  kidnapped.  The  demons  answer,  from  the  depth 
of  the  earth, 

Wir  lioren  dich ! 

Durwasas  sings  a  song  of  revenge  (Allegro  moderato 
D  minor  -J-),  in  which  the  principal  passage  runs 
thus  : — 

Ein  Zauber,  machtig  und  schwer, 
Senk'  iiber  Duschmanta  sich  nieder, 
Er  soil  die  Sinne  ihm  binden, 
Dein  Bild  soil  dem  Herzen  entschwinden, 
Und  sieht  auch  sein  Auge  dich  wieder, 
Er  kenne  die  Grattin  nicht  mehr ! 

Amusia  and  Primawada  enter,  and  implore  Dur- 
wasas to  withdraw  his  curse.  He,  however,  again 
calls  on  the  demons  for  assistance,  and  they  promise 
they  will  stand  by  him  ;  the  maiden  attendants,  how- 
ever, he  comforts  with  the  following  words : — 


THE    OPERA   'SAKOKTALA.'  191 

Doch  seine  Zauber  sollen  sckwinden, 
Und  von  des  Konigs  Auge  falle 
Im  Augenblick  der  Schleier  ab, 
Sobald  «r  seinen  King  erblicket, 
Den  scheidend  er  der  Gattin  gab. 

A  choral  song,  sung  alternately  by  the  invisible 
demons  and  the  maidens,  forms  the  ensemble;  after 
which  everyone  withdraws  and  the  demons  disappear. 
A  §hort  dialogue  ensues  for  the  two  attendants.  Then 
Sakontala  enters,  and  unburthens  her  feelings  in  an 
air  (Andante  agitato,  B  minor),  full  of  sinister  fore- 
bodings and  yearning  for  her  husband.  The  play- 
fellows adorn  her  before  she  starts  on  her  journey. 
Kanna  announces  to  the  nymphs  of  the  wood  the 
impending  departure  of  her  daughter  to  the  king's 
palace. 

Women's  voices  (Andantino  Gr  major  -|,  in  music 
for  three  voices  with  flute  obligate)  sound  sweetly 
from  the  grove.  Kanna  leads  her  step-daughter  forth, 
the  others  follow;  the  wood-nymphs  repeat  the  last 
strophe  of  their  song.  Durwasas  enters,  and  sends  his 
servant  Misraki  to  the  Melini  stream,  with  the  order 
to  dive  unseen  into  the  water,  and,  when  Sakontala 
comes  to  bathe,  to  wrest  the  ring  from  her  finger  and 
throw  it  into  the  water. 

The  scene  changes  to  the  palace  of  Duschmanta. 
The  court  fool,  just  waking  up  from  a  troubled  dream, 
bemoans  (something  like  Valentin  in  Kaimund's  ( Ver- 
schwender '),  in  a  long,  humorous  air  (Andante  molto, 


192  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

E-flat  major  -£-),   the  so-called  pleasures  of  the  chase, 
ending  with  the  refrain  : — 

Und  das  soil  Erholung  sein  ? 
Nein,  das  geht  mir  nimmer  ein. 

Sakontala  and  her  attendants  are  announced.  Finale 
of  the  last  act  (Andante  maestoso  B-flat  major  -J). 

Durwasas'  stratagem  has  succeeded.  Duschmanta  re- 
fuses again  to  recognise  Sakontala,  although  married 
to  him;  for  she,  when  about  to  show  the  ring  in  at- 
testation of  their  union,  finds  with  horror  that  the 
token  has  vanished.  A  series  of  lively,  dramatic,  and 
in  parts  passionate,  scenes  succeed  one  another,  in 
which  all  on  the  stage  and  the  chorus  take  part  al- 
ternately. The  King  rejects  Sakontala;  Kanna  leads 
the  despairing  woman  away  from  the  place ;  her  atten- 
dants follow.  But  a  cloud  is  seen  to  descend,  amidst 
thunder  and  lightning,  and  bear  away  Sakontala  to  the 
skies.  Duschmanta,  informed  of  this  circumstance, 
becomes  a  prey  to  melancholy  and  gloomy  anticipa- 
tions. A  sudden  thunder-clap  and  a  storm  of  wind, 
and  heavenly  voices  are  heard  in  chorus  (F  major  -|): — 

Lieblos  verstossen, 
Ohne  Erbarmen 
Bist  du  von  frommen 
Liebenden  Armen 
Gern'  aufgenommen, 
Sakontala ! 

The  melody  is  distinctly  heard,  and  is  echoed  back  in 
the  distance. 


THE   OPEEA    'SAKONTALA.'  193 

This  chorus — a  song  of  the  spheres,  with  an  har- 
monious accompaniment  —  is  the  only  finished  and 
perfectly  completed  number. 

The  second  act  begins  with  a  trio  for  men's  voices. 
A  fisherman,  who  has  found  the  ring,  is  taken  up  as 
a  thief  by  two  policemen,  and  brought  into  the  front 
court  of  the  royal  palace.  The  fisherman  tells  them 
that  he  has  discovered  the  ring  in  a  fish,  whereupon 
all  three  join  in  this  decision : 

Respect  fur  feine  Nasen, 
Sie  forschen  ohne  Licht, 
Sie  folgen  nur  dem  Dufte, 
Und  irren  dennoch  nicht. 

One  of  the  police  repairs  to  the  palace,  in  order  to 
give  notice  of  the  progress  of  the  affair ;  a  chamberlain 
comes  out  with  him,  gives  the  fisherman  his  liberty  and 
a  purse  of  money. 

Then  follows  a  humorous  trio.  The  fisherman  offers 
to  treat  the  two  policemen  to  a  glass  of  wine  at  a 
public-house,  where  they  have  a  jovial  time  with  the 
landlord  and  guests,  cheering  and  toasting  one  another.1 

1     Die  beiden  Hdscher. 

So,  liebes  Briiderchen, 
So,  so,  so,  so, 
So  sind  wir  Freunde, 
So  sind  wir  froh. 

Fischer. 

Der  Hiiter  der  Ordnung  muss  wachsam  wohl  sein 
Und  wachsam  erhalt  ihn  ein  Liedchen  und  Wein, 
TOL.  I.  *  0 


194  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

The  scene  changes  to  the  garden  of  the  King ;  Sakon- 
tala  and  Menaka  swoop  down  in  a  cloud  ;  two  maidens 
with  baskets  of  flowers  approach  and  greet  them  with 
a  song,  in  which  Sakontala  and  Menaka  join  (quartett 
for  women's  voices).  Madhawia,  overwhelmed  with  grief, 
enters,  and  says  that  the  King,  since  the  ring  has  been 
found,  has  recovered  his  memory,  but  that  his  heart  is 
consumed  by  sorrow.  Menaka,  however,  reminds  her 
of  the  promise  given  to  the  gods,  that  she  will  never 
appear  before  him.  Duschmanta  appears,  and  calls 
imploringly  after  Sakontala ;  her  attendants  bring  him 
the  picture  of  his  wedded  wife;  he  looks  at  it  with 
speechless  grief  and  melancholy  longing.  Then  next 
follows  a  grand  duett  between  Sakontala  and  Dusch- 
manta, which  the  chorus,  from  the  moment  when  the 
King  bows  his  knee  before  the  picture,  accompanies  to 
the  following  tune  : — 

Wahnsinn  ergreifet  ihn 
In  seinen  Schmerzen, 
Verzweiflimg  tobet 
In  seinem  Herzen,  &c. 

Duschmanta,  convinced  that  Sakontala  has  not  par- 
doned him,  sinks  to  the  earth,  overwhelmed  with  grief. 


So  kommt  denn  mit  mir  in  die  Schenke  hinein 
Und  trinket  euch  wachsam  im  goldenen  Wein, 
Hoch  leben  die  Graste,  die  Seelen  so  zart. 

Hascker. 
Hoch  lebe  der  Wirth,  der  nicht  angstlich  spart,  &c. 


THE   OPERA    'SAKONTALA/  195 

The  picture  is  carried  off,  Sakontala  and  Menaka  hid 
the  King  farewell,  and  are  borne  away  to  the  clouds. 
Kanna  seeks  to  comfort  him  and  strengthen  his  heart 
in  the  gods. 

Then  follows  an  air  of  Kanna,  in  which  he  glori- 
fies faith  and  piety,  and  prophesies  a  final  victory  after 
a  manfully  contended  battle.  The  court  fool  then 
invites  the  King  to  a  banquet,  accompanied  by  song 
and  dance.  In  the  garden  a  stage  is  erected,  on 
which  a  representation  of  the  following  story  is  to  take 
place.  Durwasas,  passionately  in  love  with  Menaka, 
but  rejected  by  her,  swears  vengeance  on  her  and  her 
children ;  Aditi  takes  the  afflicted  one  to  her  care,  and 
Durwasas,  who  has  carried  off  her  sister's  boy  and 
become  attached  to  him,  refuses  to  give  him  back 
unless  a  daughter  of  Menaka's  family,  abandoned  by 
her  husband,  will  consent  to  love  the  author  of  all  her 
troubles.  The  curtain  rolls  up,  and  on  the  small  stage 
are  dancers  and  singers,  amongst  them  Madhawia  with 
a  chorus.1 

1  Chor  und  Madhawia. 

Tone  jubeln,  Tanze  wallen ; 
Lasst  sie  wallen,  lasst  sie  schallen 
Zu  der  heiligen  Vermahlung 
Jahresfest  im  Feierton. 

"Wonne  schwebe  durch  die  Keihen, 
Welche  Lust  (?)  soil  sich  nicht  freuen, 
Aditi,  wenn  du  dich  freuest 
Mit  dem  Gratten,  mit  dem  Sohn. 


196  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

The  commemoration  festival  of  Aditi's  wedding  with 
Kasapa  is  being  solemnised.  Durwasas  stands  lurking 
in  the  background.  Kasapa  withdraws  after  the  dance 
is  over.  Aditi  follows  him,  but  first  of  all  sends  her 
son  Indra  to  Durwasas,  to  cheer  him.  He  calls  on  the 
demons,  and  enquires  of  them  how  he  can  be  revenged 
upon  Aditi ;  they  point  to  the  boy,  and  he  seizes  and 
hurries  him  off.  The  demons  caper  about  in  a  wild 
dance  of  joy,  while  Madhawia  and  a  chorus  accompany.1 
Aditi  and  Kasapa  return  and  look  for  their  son.  Dur- 
wasas shows  them  the  boy  standing  on  a  hill,  to  which 
demons  barricade  the  way.  More  choruses  and  dancing. 
The  spectators  weep  ;  the  genii  of  light  appear,  and 
a  prayer  arises  to  heaven.  Chorus.  The  god  of  love 
appears  on  a  cloud,  and  promises  comfort.  Madhawia 
and  the  chorus  greet  him.  To  their  cry — 

Sendet,  sendet  bald  ihr  Gotter 
Was  die  Liebe  hold  verspricht, 


Madhawia  mit  dem  Singchor. 
Seht  die  Lust  der  Holle  ! 
Ihre  Freud'  ist  Wuth ; 
Nur  wo  Schmerzen  wimmern 
Jauchzt  die  dunkle  Brut. 
Heulendes  Gestohne 
Ist  ihr  Jubelklang, 
Briillendes  Gehohne 
Ihr  Triumfgesang, 
Giftgenahrte  Schlangen, 
Hirer  Schlafe  Kranz 
Grinsen  ihre  Scherze, 
Kasen  ist  ihr  Tanz. 


THE    OPERA    ' SAKONTALA/  197 

voices  from  the  clouds  answer — 

Bald,— bald— bald. 

Dancers,  singers,  and  spectators  look  amazed  to- 
wards heaven.  The  curtain  of  the  miniature  stage  falls. 
All  exclaim  together,  '  What  has  happened  ?  '  '  What 
sounds ! ' 

Now  comes  the  finale,  a  lively  and  elaborate  scene, 
in  which  the  chorus,  the  voices  from  heaven,  the 
three  genii,  Duschmanta,  Kanna  and  the  Brahmins, 
Madhawia,  and  all  the  stage  take  part.  The  genii 
present  the  King  with  a  sword  and  a  shield,  to  accom- 
plish his  intended  task  of  winning  back  Sakontala,  and 
assure  him  of  their  assistance. 

Clouds  descend  on  the  earth.  A  chariot  and  a 
chariot-driver  emerge  from  the  depths  of  the  clouds. 
Duschmanta  mounts ;  Kanna  and  the  Brahmins  call 
after  the  King  : — 

Leb'  wohl  Freund,  den  wir  lieben, 
Dir  folget  unser  heiss  Grebet. 

Madhawia  and  the  rest  join  in  a  parting  salutation  : — 

Leb'  wohl,  o  Vater,  den  wir  lieben, 
Fiir  den  dein  Volk  zum  Herren  fleht. 

The  King  answers  them  : — 

Dank,  liebe  Freunde,  Dank  euch  Kinder, 
Bald  wird  mein  Aug'  euch  wieder  seh'n ! 

And  after  these  words  he  drives  off  to  the  skies.     A 
general  chorus — 

Dann  Heil  und  Sieg  dera  Ueberwinder, 
Nun  mag  dich  Muth  und  Kraft  umweh'n, 


198 


LIFE   OF    SCHUBERT. 


brings  the  second  act  to  a  close,  and  with  it  Schubert's 
musical  accompaniments.1 

Besides  more  important  works  referred  to,  our  com- 
poser wrote  during  this  year  a  stringed  Quartett  (in  C 
minor)  and  the  antiphons  for  Palm  Sunday  ;2  these  last 
for  his  brother  Ferdinand,  who  had  commenced  his 
duties  in  Passion  Week  as  the  newly  appointed  '  Eegius 
Chori '  in  the  church  of  Altlerchenfelder.  Church 
music  found  no  favour  with  the  Lerchenfelders  as  a 
corporate  body,  and  Ferdinand  found  himself  compelled 
to  look  to  his  school-assistants  and  friends  at  Lichten- 
thal ;  in  this  quarter,  too,  there  was  a  failure  of  music 
for  church  ceremonies,  and  Franz,  in  the  course  of  half 
an  hour,  chalked  down  the  antiphons,  composed  in  all 
haste  two  other  sacred  pieces,  and  on  Easter  Sunday 
conducted  the  Mass  in  D  (Nelson's)  by  Haydn. 

The  Twenty-third  Psalm,  '  The  Lord  is  my  Shep- 
herd,' written  for  four  sisters,  Frohlich,  great  friends  of 
Schubert's,3  and  the  majestic  chorus  'Gresang  der  Geister 

1  The  manuscript  of  Schubert's  sketch  is  in  the  possession  of  Dr. 
Schneider. 

2  These  are  written  with  black  chalk  on  a  sheet  of  blotting-paper; 
Herr  Spina  has  the  manuscript. 

3  The  Psalm,  the  original  of  which  is  in  the  possession  of  Frl.  Anna 
Frohlich,  bears  date  December  1820.     At  that  time  concerts  were  given 
in  the  old  music-hall  every  Thursday ;  the  arrangement  was  in  the  hands 
of  Lannoy,  Holz,  Bogner,  Fischer,  Kaufmann,  Kirchlehner,  Dr.  Beck, 
Pirringer,  Schmidt,  Dr.  L.  Sonnleithner  (afterwards  Kandhartinger  was 
one  of  the  party)  undertook  the  duty  alternately.     Anna  Frohlich  was 
the  chief  singer,  and  besides  the  Twenty -third  Psalm,  the  following  of 
Schubert's  works  were  performed  there :  '  Grott  in  der  Natur '  (August, 
1822),  '  Standchen,'  and  'Mirjam.' 


THE    TWENTY-THIRD   PSALM,    ETC.  199 

iiber  den  Wassern '  (by  Grothe),  both  belong  to  this 
period.  Of  the  Lieder,  the  most  important  are  well 
known  and  published  ;  amongst  the  unpublished  must 
be  reckoned  the  <  Nachthymne,'  by  Novalis,  and  four 
Italian  canzonets  by  Monti,  set  to  music  for  Fraulein 
v.  Eonner  (afterwards  married  to  Herr  Spaun) ;  to  this 
must  be  added  the  grand  Fantasia  in  C  for  piano- 
forte, which  Schubert  dedicated  to,  and  wrote  expressly 
for,  the  pianoforte-player,  Liebenberg  v.  Zittin.  Schu- 
bert passed  the  greater  part  of  this  year  in  Vienna, 
visiting  with  Schober  at  the  castle  of  Ochsenburg  at 
St.  Polten,  where  they  undertook  jointly  the  Opera  of 
( Alfonso  und  Estrella,'  which  we  shall  allude  to  in 
greater  detail  hereafter. 


200  LIFE    OP    SCHUBERT. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
(1821,) 

SCHUBERT'S   CIRCUMSTANCES — PROOFS    OF  PUBLIC   RECOGNITION    OF 

HIS  PERFORMANCES SONNLEITHNER  FAMILY — CULTIVATION  OF  MUSIC 

— 'ERLKONIG'  SUNG  AT  THE  KARNTHNERTHOR  THEATRE  BY  VOGL — 
THE  'GESANG  DER  GEISTER  UBER  DEN  WASSERN' — 'DAS  DORFCHEN' 

—DEDICATION  OF  THE  FIRST  SONGS THE  SINGERS  OF   SCHUBERT' S 

FOUR-PART  SONGS SYMPHONY  IN  E DANCE  MUSIC — TWO  CONTRI- 
BUTIONS TO  THE  OPERA  'DAS  ZAUBERGLOCXCHEN  ' SCHUBERT'S  IN- 
TIMACY WITH  FAMILIES  AT  VIENNA A  LETTER  OF  THE  PATRIARCH 

L.    PYRKER CIRCLE    OF    FRIENDS '  SCHUBERTIADEN  ' ATZENBRUCK 

— SCHUBERT'S  CONNECTION  WITH  THE  FAMILY — A  POEM  OF  RUSTICO- 

CAMPIUS. 

THE  year  1821  is  one  of  the  most  important  in  the 
short  span  of  life  allotted  to  Schubert.  His  perfor- 
mances as  a  song-composer  then  first  became  known 
to  the  great  world ;  the  publication  of  several  of  his 
compositions  brought  him  most  favourably  into  public 
notice ;  and  such  warm  recognition  of  his  great  gifts 
and  musical  capacity  was  paid  by  men  of  influence  and 
high  position,  that  there  seemed  every  likelihood  of  its 
depending  mainly  on  Schubert  himself  to  use  to  his 
own  advantage  this  happy  combination  of  circum- 
stances, and  to  better  his  condition  perhaps  for  the 
remainder  of  his  lifetime. 


HIS   CIRCUMSTANCES.  201 

As  a  belief  which,  up  to  very  lately,  obtained  cre- 
dence, that  Mozart's  embarrassed  position  was  mainly 
owing  to  the  indifference  of  the  public  at  Vienna,  has 
been  now  contradicted,1  so  also  must  the  affirmation 
that  the  distressing  state  in  which  Schubert  was  often 
involved  was  owing  to  insincere  men  calling  them- 
selves his  friends.  Like  other  masters  in  his  art,  he 
certainly  had  to  fight  against  the  caprice  and  stupidity 
of  publishers,  and  the  great  world  itself  was  not  always 
inclined  to  estimate  his  compositions  as  they  deserved  ; 
and  even  to  the  Musikverein  at  Vienna — still  famous 
for  its  support  of  music  of  all  kinds,  and  notably  for  the 
encouragement  of  native  talent — his  obligations  were 
very  small  indeed  ;  for  the  Society,  as  its  concert  pro- 
grammes prove  to  demonstration,  took  comparatively 
very  little  notice  of  him,  and  committed  twofold  in- 
justice in  respect  of  the  great  C  Symphony.  Still  it 
has  never  yet  been  proved  that  Schubert  was  deserted 
or  treacherously  dealt  with,  or  that  he  was  constrained 
to  make  use  of  his  talents  merely  for  the  advantage  of 
others.  At  no  time  of  his  life  was  he  wanting  in  sym- 
pathising friends,  who  recognised  his  genius  and  were 
always  ready  to  assist  him  in  word  and  deed.  That  he 
did  not  invariably  feel  drawn  towards  these  persons, 
but,  following  his  own  inclination,  attached  himself 
socially  to  those  who  doubtless  delighted  in  his  songs, 
but  valued  him  rather  as  a  boon  companion  than  a 

1  See  Otto  Jahn,  'Mozart,'  vol.  iii.  p.  210. 


202  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

creative  genius,  and  who,  themselves  at  war  with  exist- 
ence, were  not  in  the  position  of  giving  him  a  strong 
arm  of  support — all  this  cannot  be  thrown  in  the  teeth 
of  either  class  as  reprehensible  conduct.  Schubert 
knew  thoroughly  well  what  he  had  to  expect  at  the 
hands  of  his  associates,  and  his  good  easy  nature  never 
hindered  him  from  bearing  their  weaknesses  in  harm- 
less playfulness,  and  making  willing  use  of  the  officious- 
ness  of  this  or  that  man,  as  occasion  offered.  He  let 
slip  the  few  favourable  opportunities  which  offered 
themselves  for  ensuring  a  good  position  in  the  world  (if 
I  am  to  believe  in  the  truth  of  the  statements  made 
to  me  on  this  point).  Perfect  freedom  of  action  was 
the  element  in  which  he,  by  preference,  moved,  and  for 
which  he  was  content  to  make  every  sacrifice.  Whilst, 
however,  on  the  one  hand,  he  gained  and  retained  this 
personal  independence,  in  other  respects  he  was  dis- 
tinctly a  loser.  The  circumstances  of  Schubert's  en- 
vironment had  certainly  no  influence  on  his  artistic  life 
and  activity.  His  power  of  creating  was  never  cramped 
by  the  untoward  events  of  his  worldly  position ;  in  spite 
of  bitter  experiences,  he  fulfilled  his  mission  in  the 
world  gloriously,  and  found,  in  the  consciousness  of  his 
own  value  and  the  happiness  of  an  inexhaustible  source 
of  invention,  an  abundant  compensation  for  the  absence 
or  paucity  of  the  good  things  of  this  world. 

In   the   following    documents,    emanating  from   in- 
fluential people  of  his  time,  an  ample  recognition  of 


RECOGNITION    OF    HIS    PERFORMANCES.  203 

Schubert's  merits  as  a  musician  finds  its  proper  ex- 
pression. 

In  January  1821,  Hofmusikgraf  Moriz  v.  Dietrich- 
stein  wrote  to  Michael  Vogl : — '  I  beg  of  you,  my  dear 
friend,  to  be  good  enough  to  hand  this  over  to  the  ex- 
cellent Schubert.  I  trust  it  may  be  of  some  advantage 
to  him;  for  since  I  have  fathomed  the  genius  of  this 
young,  powerful  artist — one  of  such  rare  promise — it 
has  been  one  of  my  most  ardent  wishes,  as  far  as  I 
could,  to  bring  him  sub  umbra  alarum  tuarum.  Good 
morning,  my  dear  friend  "  rara  avis  in  terra" — I  ought 
to  say  "  rarissima." ' 

The  three  testimonials  were  as  follows  : — 

6 1  certify  that  Herr  Franz  Schubert,  late  pupil  of 
Hofcapellmeister  Anton  Salieri,  as  well  from  his  deep 
knowledge  in  the  theory  and  practice  of  harmony  as  of 
the  auxiliary  sciences  requisite  for  vocal  composition 
and  distinguished  talents,  is  one  of  the  most  promising 
of  our  young  composers,  of  whom  the  Court  Theatre  and 
Opera  House  may  expect  the  most  delightful  artistic 

productions. 

1  IGNAZ  FRANZ  EDLER  v.  MOSEL, 

'  Acting  Court  Secretary. 
'Vienna:  January  16,  1821.' 

'  We,  the  undersigned,  testify  that  Herr  Franz  Schu- 
bert, on  account  of  his  famous  and  most  promising 
musical  talent,  which  he  has  proved  chiefly  in  the  art 
of  composition,  has  been  employed  by  the  committee  of 


204  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

management  of  the  Court  Theatre,  and   served   with 
great  distinction  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  everyone. 

'  JOSEF  WEIGL, 

'  Director  of  the  Royal  Opera. 
'Vienna:  January  27,  1821. 

'  ANTONIO  SALIERI, 
'  Royal  Hofcapellmeister. 
4  LEOPOLD  OFTERSMANN  v.  EICHTHAL, 

'  Coram  me : 
1  JOH.  GR.  BARTH-BARTHENHEIM. 

'Vienna:  January  29,  1821.' 

'  My  inclinations  and  my  duty  inducing  me  to  exa- 
mine men  of  distinguished  musical  talents,  especially 
those  found  in  my  own  country,  and  to  encourage  to 
the  best  of  my  powers  their  noble  efforts,  I  have  parti- 
cular pleasure  in  certifying  that  Herr  Franz  Schubert, 
who  received  the  first  rudiments  of  education  in  the 
Convict  while  he  served  as  a  chorister-boy  in  the  Eoyal 
Chapel,  has,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  by  native 
genius,  earnest  study  of  composition,  and  constant  pre- 
paratory labour,  already  given  the  most  eloquent  proofs 
of  his  deep  knowledge,  feeling,  and  good  taste,  and 
that  it  only  remains  for  me  to  wish  that  an  opportunity 
be  offered  to  this  estimable  man  to  unfold  the  fairest 
blossoms  in  the  thriving  fields  of  universal  art,  and 
more  particularly  that  of  dramatic  music. 

'  MORIZ  GRAF  DIETRICHSTEIN. 
'January  24,  1821.' 

These  testimonials,  in  which  Schubert's  merits  and 


THE  SONNLEITHNER  FAMILY.          205 

services  to  the  Opera  House  are  the  chief  theme,  sound  as 
honourable  as  they  were  encouraging ;  those  furnished 
by  the  noble  Count  v.  Dietrichstein  speak  more  par- 
ticularly in  terms  of  warm  recognition  of  the  musical 
activity  and  competence  of  our  tone-poet,  and  would 
be  sure,  when  the  opportunity  offered,  of  serving  as  an 
important  voucher  and  emphatic  recommendation.  I 
don't  know  if  Schubert  ever  made  use  of  them^  but 
doubtless  he  enclosed  them  in  his  petition  as  a  candi- 
date for  the  position  of  Hofcapellmeister. 

Schubert's  first  public  entry  into  the  artistic  world  as 
a  composer  of  songs,  and  the  consequent  propagation 
of  his  compositions,  is  intimately,  nay,  indissolubly, 
connected  with  a  Viennese  family,  in  which  the  art  of 
music,  at  a  time  when  chamber  and  classical  music  had 
not  that  extensive  credit  and  importance  which  it  en- 
joys in  our  time,  was  highly  honoured.  This  was  the 
Sonnleithner  family.1 

Dr.  Ignaz  Edler  v.  Sonnleithner,  Eath,  advocate,  and 
professor  at  Vienna,  in  the  years  1815-1824  collected 
together  in  his  house  at  Gundelberg  a  considerable 
number  of  artists  and  connoisseurs  for  periodical  prac- 
tice, which  gradually  assumed  the  character  of  per- 
formances.2 He  had  inherited  from  his  father,  the 


1  Dr.  Ignaz  v.  Sonnleithner,  born  July  31,  1770,  died  November  27, 
1831.     Dr.  Leopold  v.  Sonnleithner  was  born  November  15,  1797,  and 
was  therefore  of  the  same  age  as  Schubert. 

2  These  meetings  were  held  from  May  26,  1815,  in  the  third  story 


206  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

esteemed  lawyer  and  musician,  Dr.  Christof  v.  Sonn- 
leithner,  an  appreciation  and  love  of  music.  He  was 
also  gifted  with  a  sympathetic  voice  and  one  of  consi- 
derable sweetness  and  compass;  and  several  of  the 
members  of  his  large  family — among  them  more  parti- 
cularly his  eldest  son,  Leopold,  at  tha,t  time  an  advocate 
at  Vienna — showed  an  inclination  and  aptitude  for  the 
practice  of  art,  so  that  in  his  own  house  he  found  the 
elements  of  vocal  practice  ready  at  hand,  and  the  never- 
failing  supply  of  novelty  in  the  way  of  songs  and  in- 
strumental pieces  by  degrees  won  such  repute  for  the 
concerts,  that,  as  a  preventive  measure  against  the  con- 
stant pressure  of  hearers,  admission  tickets  had  to  be 
issued.  The  works  of  the  recognised  master-mind  in 
art  were,  before  all  others,  honoured  and  cultivated  in 
this  circle,  at  the  same  time  other  new  and  clever  men 
were  taken  up,  and  their  compositions  allowed  a  hear- 
ing. Here  the  Cantata  of  'Prometheus,'  by  Schubert, 
in  which  Leopold  v.  Sonnleithner  (on  July  24,  1816) 
had  worked  as  one  of  the  chorus,  was  given — only  with 
pianoforte  accompaniment,  it  is  true,  but  still  with 


of  the  Gundelhof,  where  there  was  room  for  more  than  120  people. 
The  meetings  were  held  every  Friday  evening,  and  continued  even 
through  the  summer  months  ;  from  the  October  of  1816,  on  account  of 
the  increasing  importance  of  the  performances,  they  were  held  every 
fortnight  during  the  winter  months.  They  ended  February  20,  1824. 
The  admirable  programmes,  and  the  distinguished  people  who  took  part 
in  them,  give  an  idea  of  the  cultivation  of  music  prevalent  in  this 
family. 


BKILLIANT   RECEPTION   OF   THE    c  ERLKONIG.'         207 

entire  success.  Here,  too,  were  given,  on  November  1 9, 
1819,  '  Das  Dorfchen  ; '  on  March  30,  1821,  the  <  Gresang 
der  Geister  iiber  den  Wassern  ;'  and  on  June  9,  1822, 
the  'Twenty-third  Psalm,'  for  female  voices.  On  Decem- 
ber 1,  1820,  the  'Erlkonig,'  by  Grymnich,1  the  brilliant 
reception  of  which  exercised  a  material  influence  upon 
the  publication  of  Schubert's  compositions.  On  January 
25,  1821,  Grymnich  sang  this  song,  for  the  first  time  in 
public,  at  one  of  the  evening  entertainments  of  the  so- 
called  small  Musikverein  ('  Zum  rothen  Apfel ')  in  the 
Singerstrasse,  on  which  occasion  the  composer  in  per- 
son was  introduced  to  the  public.  On  February  8 
Josef  Groetz  sang  '  Die  Sehnsucht,'  and  Frl.  Sofie  Lin- 
hardt  (afterwards  Fr.  Schuller)  the  songs  c  Grretchen  am 
Spinnrad,'  and  'Der  Jungling  auf  dem  Hiigel,'  and, 
on  March  8,  Josef  Preisinger  gave  the  (  Ghruppe  aus 
dem  Tartarus,'  which  songs,  including  the  '  Schafers 
Klagelied,'  sung  by  Jager,  at  a  concert  given  in  the 
year  1819  by  the  violin-player  Jaell,  were  certainly  the 
first  vocal  compositions  of  Schubert's  which  were  pub- 
licly performed. 

Leopold  v.  Sonnleithner,  whose  acquaintance  with 
Schubert's  compositions  dated  from  the  early  period  of 
their  schooldays'  friendship,  had  copies  of  the  works, 

1  August  v.  G-ymnich  was  a  State  official  and  great  connoisseur  of 
music.  He  died  in  the  following  year  (October  6) ;  Goetz  on  March  9, 
1822  ;  and  Tieze,  whose  name  is  indissolubly  associated  with  Schubert's 
songs  and  quartetts,  on  January  11,  1850,  in  the  fifty-second  year  of  his 


208  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

which  passed  from  hand  to  hand,  but  had  now  been 
collected  and  fairly  written  afresh.  When  this  was 
done  he  undertook  to  find  a  publisher  for  them.  But 
Diabelli,  as  well  as  Haslinger,  refused  to  publish  the 
song,  even  if  offered  to  them  as  a  gift.  The  composer, 
they  said,  was  so  little  known  to  fame,  and  the  difficulty 
of  the  pianoforte  accompaniment  so  great,  that  they 
could  not  promise  the  smallest  success.  The  expenses, 
therefore,  were  defrayed  by  subscriptions  raised  by  the 
two  connoisseurs  just  named,  assisted  by  two  other  men, 
also  interested  in  Schubert,  and  in  February  1821  the 
'  Erlkonig '  was  first  engraved.  Dr.  Ignaz  v.  Sonn- 
leithner  announced  this  fact  one  evening  to  his  guests, 
and  those  present  immediately  put  down  their  names 
as  subscribers  for  a  hundred  copies,  and  with  this  the 
expenses  of  the  second  part  were  met.  In  this  fashion, 
the  engraving  of  the  first  twelve  parts  was  defrayed,  and 
they  were  sold  by  Diabelli  on  commission.  The  receipts 
were  enough  to  pay  Schubert's  arrears,  and  leave  him 
with  a  good  sum  of  money  in  hand. 

His  first  appearance  as  a  composer  was  under  the 
most  favourable  and  happy  omens.  On  March  7,  1821, 
Vogl's  performance  of  the  'Erlkonig'  at  a  concert  in 
the  Karnthner  Theatre  paved  the  way  to  fame  for  the 
genius  of  Schubert.  This  meeting,  held  in  those 
days  annually  on  Ash  Wednesday,  by  a  society  of 
noble  ladies,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Princess  The- 
rese  Fiirstenberg  (nee  the  Princess  Schwarzenberg), 


PERFORMANCE  OF  THREE  OF  SCHUBERT'S  WORKS.  209 

*  for  the  furtherance  of  charity  and  other  useful  pur- 
poses,'and  the  Institute  was  founded  for  the  teaching  of 
music,  declamation,  and  dancing.  The  Privy  Councillor 
and  Secretary  of  the  Society,  Dr.  Josef  Sonnleithner, 
arranged  the  concert,  and,  acting  on  the  suggestion  of 
his  nephew,  Dr.  Leopold  Sonnleithner,  inserted  in  the 
programme  three  of  Schubert's  compositions.1 

The  ballad  of  the  ( Erl-King '  was  encored  with  a 
storm  of  applause.  In  the  quartett  '  Dorfchen,'  Herr 
Josef  Barth  and  Groetz  (an  officer  in  the  service  of  the 
reigning  Prince  Schwarzenberg),  Wenzel  Nejebse  (then 
Imperial  Rath),  and  the  lately  deceased  President  of 
the  Oberlandesgericht  Johann  Carl  Ritter  v.  Umlauff 
(at  that  time  a  young  beginner  in  judicial  office) ;  in 
the  '  Greisterchor '  of  Grothe,  Weinkopf,  Friihwald,  and 
two  chorus-singers  from  the  theatres  were  associated 
with  gentlemen  whose  names  we  have  already  given. 

1  The  following  is  the  programme : — 1.  Overture  to  the  Opera  of  '  The 
Templer,'  by  Girowetz  ;  2.  Tableau ;  3.  Air  by  Mozart,  sung  by  Wil- 
helmine  Schroder;  4.  Violin  concerto,  by  Spohr,  played  by  Le"on  de 
Lubin ;  5.  Eecitation  ;  6.  '  Das  Dorfchen,'  vocal  quartett,  by  Schubert ; 
7.  Variations  for  piano,  by  Worczicek ;  8.  Tableau;  9.  Overture  to  the 
Opera  'Das  Zauberglockchen,'  by  Herold;  10.  Air  by  Mozart,  sung  by 
Caroline  Unger;  11.  Eecitation;  12.  '  Erlkonig,'  by  Schubert;  13. 
Rondo  for  violoncello,  by  Romberg ;  14.  Duett,  from  'Ricardo,'  by 
Rossini,  sung  by  Wilhelmine  Schroder  and  Caroline  Unger  ;  15.  Gothe's 
'  G-esang  der  G-eister  iiber  den  Wassern,'  by  Schubert.  The  recitations 
were  by  Sofie  Schroder  and  Frau  Korn,  the  tableaux  by  Fanny  Elsler  ; 
Girowetz  conducted  the  music ;  Stubenrauch  the  dances.  Seats  for  this 
academy  representation  were  procurable  at  the  Fiirstenbergs',  Himmel- 
pfortgasse,  No.  952.  ('  Wiener  Musikzeitung,'  1821.) 
VOL.  I.  P 


210  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

This  particular  chorus  had  been  repeatedly  rehearsed, 
and  (according  to  Herr  v.  Umlauff)  the  performance  was 
exact  and  careful ;  nevertheless  the  impression  made 
on  the  public  by  this  crabbed  music  was  one  of  the 
most  bewildering  kind.1 

The  singers,  impressed  with  the  majestic  character 
of  the  work,  expected  to  be  vehemently  applauded ;  but 
there  was  an  ominous  silence,  and  the  eight  victims  on 
the  altar  of  musical  insensibility  withdrew  in  confu- 
sion from  the  scene,  looking  very  much  as  if  they  had 
shivered  from  the  effects  of  a  cold  douche  suddenly 
poured  over  their  heads.  Schubert  was  no  less  indig- 
nant at  the  fiasco  which  befell  his  chorus  of  spirits. 

The  '  Erl-King '  and  the  other  songs  before  mentioned 
had  now  a  rapid  sale.2  The  edition  was  soon  sold  off. 
and  the  publishers  were  in  the  best  of  good  humours, 

The  first-named  Lied  was  dedicated  to  the  compo- 
ser's friend  and  patron,  Moriz  Count  v.  Dietrichstein ; 
6  Grretchen  am  Spinnrad,'  as  Op.  2,  to  the  Eeichsgraf 

1  Seethe  'Allgemeiiie  Musikzeitung,'  No.  23,  of  March  21,  1821:— 
'  The  eight-part  chorus,  by  Herr  Schubert,  was  recognised  by  the  public 
as  a  farrago  of  all  sorts  of  musical  modulations  and  vague  departures 
from  ordinary  forms — no  sense,  no  order,  no  meaning.     The  composer  in 
such  works  (the  criticism  went  on  to  say)  resembles  a  big  waggoner, 
who  drives  a  team  of  eight  horses,  and  turns  now  to  the  right,  now  to 
the  left,  getting  at  one  time  out  of  the  road,  then  upsetting,  and  pur- 
suing this  game  without  once  making  any  honest  way.' 

2  The  'Erl-King'  was  announced  in  the  Vienna  '  Zeitung,'  April  2, 
'  Gretchen   am   Spinnrad,'   April    30,   and    'Der  Wanderer,'   May   29, 
1821. 


DEDICATION    OF   THE    e  EEL-KING,'   ETC.  211 

Moriz  Friess.  The  prefatory  words  of  dedication  were 
undertaken  by  Herren  Leopold  v.  Sonnleithner,  Josef 
Hiittenbrenner,  and  Ignaz  v.  Mosel ; l  for  Schubert, 
as  a  rule,  troubled  himself  in  matters  of  this  kind 
as  little  as  he  did  in  attending  personally  at  the  re- 
hearsals requisite  for  the  performance  of  his  own  com- 
positions,2 unless  driven  by  some  necessity  to  be  present. 
This  time  the  dedication  brought  in  a  good  roll  of 
ducats  to  the  composer. 

1  On  March  17,  1821,  Hofrath  Y.  Mosel  wrote  to  Josef  Hiittenbrenner 
the  following  lines : — '  Knowing,  as  I  do,  the  kind  sentiments  of  his  Ex- 
cellency Count  Moriz  v.  Dietrichstein  towards  the  talented  composer 
Herr  Franz  Schubert,  I  do  not  doubt  of  his  Excellency's  accepting  the 
dedication  of  the   poem  of   the  "Erlkonig,"  set    to    music  by  Herr 
Schubert.'     The  dedication  to  Opus  2  appears  to  have  been  written  by 
Josef  Hiittenbrenner,  and  the  superscription  by  Sonnleithner.     On  April 
13  the  latter  writes: — 'I  have  just  received  the  enclosed  letter  from 
Diabelli.     As  you  have  introduced  the  subject,  I  beg  of  you  earnestly  to 
do  all  that  is  necessary.    Supposing  Count  Friess  accepts  the  dedication, 
the  title  might  be  as  follows : — "  '  G-retchen  am  Spinnrad,'  a  scene  from 
G-othe's  tragedy  of  '  Faust,'  set  to  music,  and  dedicated  with  great  re- 
spect to  the  noble  Count  Moriz  von  Friess,  by  Franz  Schubert."     If 
Count  Friess  has  not  yet  accepted  the  dedication,  the  engraver  can 
begin  his  plates  all  the  same,  and  leave  a  blank  space  for  the  name. 
Please  arrange  this  with  Diabelli. — Yours  sincerely,  L.  S.' 

2  Thus  we  find  Dr.  L.  v.  Sonnleithner  writing,  March  26,  to  Josef 
Hiittenbrenner : — '  I  beg  you  to  take  particular  care,  and   see  that 
Schubert  comes  to-morrow  to  Frl.  Linhardt,  to  rehearse  with  her  "  Der 
Jiingling,"  which  she  sings  with  me;   and  afterwards   that  Schubert 
comes  to  me  on  Wednesday,  at  half-past  twelve  o'clock,  to  try  over  his 
"  Geisterchor."    I  count  on  your  good  services  to  get  Schubert  to  be 
certain  and  attend  these  rehearsals.     I  must  honestly  confess  my  sur- 
prise that  he  never  comes  near  me,  as  I  am  very  anxious  to  speak  to 
him  about  his  "  Erlkonig  "  and  other  matters.' 

TOL.  i.  *  p  2 


212  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

The  c  G-eisterchor,'  so  unsuccessful  in  the  theatre, 
was  repeated  on  March  30  at  an  evening  party  given 
by  Dr.  Ignaz  v.  Sonnleithner,  and  most  warmly  re- 
ceived by  the  audience.  On  this  occasion,  too,  several 
songs  by  the  genial  composer  were  given.  After  this 
performance  the  c  Greistergesang '  seems  to  have  sunk 
into  oblivion ;  at  all  events,  up  to  a  recent  period  no 
trace  can  be  found  of  any  further  performances.1 

To  the  works  just  mentioned  must  be  added  two 
quartetts  for  men's  voices  :  (  Die  Nachtigall,'  by  linger, 
and  '  Geist  der  Liebe,'  by  Mathisson.  The  first  was 
given  on  April  27,  1821,  at  a  charitable  concert  for 
which  the  piece  was  specially  written,  in  the  Opera 
House  ;  the  latter  on  April  15,  1822,  at  Merk's  concert, 
in  the  '  landstandischen  Saal,'  sung  by  Herren  Earth, 
Tieze,  Johann  Nestroy,  and  Wenzel  Nejebse,  and  on 
September  24,  by  Herren  Heitzinger,  Kauscher,  Kup- 
recht,  and  Seipelt.2  On  October  8,  Vogl  again  sang  the 
6  Erlkonig '  at  a  concert  given  at  the  Opera  House. 

Of  the  vocal  quartett  party  Tieze  and  Umlauff  were 

1  In  the  yealr  1858  the  chorus-master  of  the  Mannergesang-Verein, 
Johann   Herbeck,  dragged  the  music  out  of  the  dust  wherein  it  had 
slumbered  peacefully  for  thirty-six  years,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year, 
and  of  the  following  one  also,  it  was  given  in  public,  and  received  with 
enthusiastic  applause. 

2  After  Schubert's  death,  in  the  year  1829,  Tieze,  Griinwald,  Schober- 
lechner,  and  Kichling  (April  11)  sang  one  of  his  quartetts  at  a  con- 
cert given  by  the  operatic  singer  Griulio  Radichi.     This,  up  to  a  very 
recent  period,  seems  to  have  been  the  last  quartett,  for  male  voices, 
which  was  performed  at  a  public  concert. 


UMLAUFF'S  CONNECTION  WITH  SCHUBERT.         213 

very  intimate  with  the  composer.  Tieze  at  that  time 
was  a  star  at  all  revivals  or  introductions  of  Schubert's 
songs ;  as  a  solo  or  concerted  singer  he  was  in  the  first 
rank  of  artists,  and  contributed  in  a  very  important 
way  to  their  success.  The  composer  was  very  fond  of 
accompanying  him  on  the  piano. 

Umlauff,  in  the  year  1822,  withdrew  from  this  male 
quartett  party,  whose  lot  it  was  to  introduce  Schubert's 
concerted  vocal  pieces  to  the  public.  Summoned  on 
legal  and  official  duty  in  the  eastern  provinces,  he 
quitted  Vienna,  but  soon  found  an  opportunity,  even 
in  those  distant  regions,  of  making  musical  amateurs 
familiar  with  the  songs  of  that  poet  whose  star  he  had 
witnessed  in  its  first  brilliant  rise  on  the  artistic  firma- 
ment.1 Of  Schubert's  operations  in  connection  with 

1  Umlauff,  at  that  time,  followed  his  profession  in  the  Bukowina,  where 
he  sang  to  the  Bojaren  who  had  fled  thither  out  of  Turkey  the  earliest 
of  Schubert's  songs.  In  the  book  entitled  '  Life  and  Deeds  of  an  Austrian 
Officer  of  Justice,'  written  by  his  son  Victor  Bitter  v.  Umlauff,  refer- 
ence is  made  to  Umlauff 's  connection  with  Schubert.  '  He  (Carl  U.) 
made  the  acquaintance  of  the  famous  tone-poet  Franz  Schubert  as  early 
as  the  year  1818,  when  the  Lied,  his  noblest  field  of  musical  composi- 
tion, was  scarcely  known  at  all,  and  soon  afterwards  their  introduction 
ripened  into  friendship.  He  used  often  to  visit  him  of  a  morning  before 
office  hours,  and  found  him  generally  lying  in  bed,  dotting  down  on 
paper  his  musical  fancies,  or  composing  at  his  desk.  He  would  often  on 
these  occasions  sing  to  Schubert  his  newest  songs  to  a  guitar  accom- 
paniment, and  ventured  to  argue  the  propriety  of  the  musical  expression 
given  to  single  words  ;  but  Schubert,  who  was  a  man  very  tenacious  of 
his  own  views,  would  never  lend  himself  to  an  alteration  of  what  once  was 
written  down.  Of  my  father's  stories  I  remember  only  one  controversy 
he  had  with  Schubert,  on  the  subject  of  the  question  in  the  "  Wanderer," 


214  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

concerted  vocal  music,  and  particularly  part-writing 
for  men's  voices,  we  shall  have  to  speak  again  in  our 
survey  of  the  whole  collection  of  his  works.  The 
musical  energies  of  our  tone-poet  during  this  year  are 
represented  in  the  following  productions :  he  sketched 
out  a  Symphony  (in  E)  which,  according  to  Ferdinand 
Schubert's  own  statement,  was  presented  by  him  in  the 
year  1846  to  Felix  Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.  In  March 
he  wrote  variations  for  the  piano,  ( upon  a  subject 
which  every  composer  in  Vienna  has  tried  his  hand  on 

"  0  Land,  wo  bist  du  ? "  Schubert  insisted  on  emphasising  the  word 
"  bist,"  Umlauff  the  word  "  du."  Schubert  stuck  to  his  opinion,  and  the 
line  was  published  in  this  form.  Umlauff  assisted  at  the  first  public 
performance  of  vocal  words  of  the  great  master,  in  the  vocal  quartett 
"  Das  Dorfchen,"  for  example,  and  in  the  eight-part  "  G-eisterchor,"  by 
Grothe.  "  Das  Dorfchen,"  a  light  style  of  composition,  pleased  uncom- 
monly. The  "  Chor  der  Greister  iiber  den  Wassern,"  a  deep  grandly  con- 
ceived tone-picture,  was  earnestly  studied  and  performed  by  eight  accom- 
plished thoroughly  trained  musicians;  but  the  difficult  recondite  music 
was  unintelligible  to  a  public  not  yet  accustomed  to  the  peculiarities 
of  Schubert's  style  ;  the  performance  fell  flat  and  cold,  not  a  hand  was 
raised  to  applaud,  and  the  singers,  penetrated  with  the  majesty  and 
grandeur  of  the  work,  having  reckoned  on  a  brilliant  success,  retired  as 
if  they  had  been  soused  in  a  cold  shower-bath.  They  had  the  courage, 
however,  a  short  time  afterwards,  to  give  the  same  piece,  when  it  pleased 
in  a  very  high  degree,  and  a  repetition  was  called  for.  The  brothers 
Carl  and  Friedrich  Gross  were  also  friends  of  Schubert's — the  first  a  dis- 
tinguished violin,  the  second,  a  viola- player ;  the  brothers  Carl  and  Josef 
Czerny,  the  violoncello-player  Linke,  the  elder  and  younger  Giuliani, 
Earth,  and  Binder,  both  tenor  singers,  and  Kauscher,  the  baritone,  of  the 
Karnthnerthor  Theatre,  all  of  whom,  as  well  as  Schubert,  met  regularly 
every  week  at  the  house  of  Frau  v.  Andre,  and  made  music  there  up  to 
past  midnight.' 


THE    LIED    c  SULEIKA,'    ETC.  215 

in  the  way  of  variations.'  To  this  time  and  the  three 
following  years  must  be  ascribed  the  greater  part  of 
his  dance  music,  which,  charming  as  it  often  was,  in 
the  large  majority  of  instances  was  thrown  aside  by 
Schubert.  On  several  occasions  he  improvised  dance 
music,  in  order  that  he  might  afterwards  write  down 
the  particular  dances  which  pleased  him.1 

Of  the  more  important  Lieder  may  be  instanced  ( Su- 
leika'  (1  &  2),  'Versunken,'  ( Grenzen  der  Menschheit,' 
and  f  Mahomet's  Gresang,'  by  Grothe.  The  last  of  these, 
with  its  grand  vocal  phrases  and  rolling  pianoforte  ac- 
companiment, has  remained  a  fragment.2 

In  the  course  of  this  year  Schubert  received,  pro- 

1  According  to  a  catalogue  shown  to  me  by  Johannes  Brahms,  there 
are  no  less  than  seventy-nine  '  Landler,'  waltzes,  and  '  Deutschen,'  and 
twenty-eight  Schottische.     Most  of  these  dances,  if  not  all,  Schubert 
wrote  for  one  performer  on  the  pianoforte ;  the  four-handed  arrangements 
were  made  afterwards  by  the  publishers.     The  '  Deutschen,'  which  were 
finished  up  to  the  year  1821,  were  soon  engraved  by  Diabelli,  Josef 
Hiittenbrenner  superintending  the  business.     Schubert  asks,  in  a  letter, 
the  Court  composer  Gross,  who  lived  in  his  neighbourhood  (Wipplinger- 
strasse),  to  hand  over  to  the  bearer  of  the  letter,  Josef  H.,  all   the 
'  Deutschen,'  with  a  view  to  their  being  engraved.     Schubert's  published 
dance  music,  however,  did  not  appear  in  the  regular  order  of  succession 
in  which  they  appeared  originally.     Thus,  for  instance,  a  part  of  the 
'  Atzenbrucker  Deutschen,'  to  be  found  in  Op.  9  and  18,  and  of   the 
twelve  waltzes  'Deutsches  Tempo,'  l£,  are   found   in  the  'Deutschen 
Tanzen.'      The   autograph   copy  of   the   Schottische   (May    1820   and 
January  1823),  the  'Atzenbrucker'  (July  1821),  'Deutsches  Tempo' 
(May  1823),  and  other  dance  music  not  yet  published,  are  in  the  pos- 
session of  J.  Brahms. 

2  The  composition  only  gets  as  far  as  the  first  verse  of  the  second 
strophe. 

VOL.  :.  *  p  4 


216  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

bably  by  Vogl's  suggestion,  an  invitation  from  the 
directors  of  the  Opera  House  to  compose  two  additional 
numbers  to  the  Opera  f  La  Clochette,'  by  Herold — a 
challenge  he  all  the  more  readily  accepted,  as  he  was 
exceedingly  anxious  to  occupy  himself  once  more  with 
dramatic  composition,  and  to  obtain  a  public  recogni- 
tion of  his  writings  for  the  stage,  which  had  hitherto 
been  denied  him.  He  wrote  a  tenor  air  for  c  Azolin,' 
which  was  given  by  Rosner,1  and  a  comic  duett  for  the 
Princes  '  Bedur'  and  '  Cedur,'  which  was  sung  by  Siebert 
and  Grottdank.  With  both  these  musical  compositions, 
the  authorship  of  which  was  purposely  concealed  from 
the  public,  and  even  Schubert's  friends,  Schubert  wen 
a  satisfactory  triumph  over  those  who  would  not  allow 
him  any  capacity  for  writing  operatic  music,  and  went 
so  far  as  to  find  fault  actually  with  his  Lieder.  Both 
the  additional  numbers  pleased  exceedingly,  and  if, 
comparatively  speaking,  the  somewhat  spun-out  and 
high-pitched  tenor  air  was  the  least  successful  of  the 
two,  the  duett  was  thought  unexceptionable.2 

1  Eosner  (Franz),  Lorn  at  Waitzen  in  Hungary,  in  1800,  died  in  1842. 
He  was  first  tenor  at  the  Stuttgart  Theatre. 

2  The  tenor  air  consists  of  three  parts.   It  begins  Maestoso  in  E  minor, 
followed  by  an  Andante  C  major  |  and  an  Allegro  in  E  minor  |.     In 
the  first  part,  Azolin  sees  his  beloved  mother  threatened  with  torture 
and  death ;  in  the  Andante,  he  is  consumed  with  a  passionate  longing 
for  Palmira;  and  in  the  Allegro,  he  again  gives  vent  to  a  passionate  ex- 
pression of  anxiety  about  his  mother's  life. 

The  duett,  in  B-flat  major,  impetuous  in  character,  with  something 
'Turkish'  in  its  style,  is  accompanied  by  strings,  piccolo,  flute,  hautboy, 


HIS   MUSICAL   REPUTATION.  217 

Herold's  opera,  however,  found  very  little  favour  with 
the  public.  It  lacked,  they  said,  (  den  Klang  aus  der 
Zauberwelt,'  and  so  'La  Clochette,'  together  with 
Schubert's  supplementary  numbers,  disappeared  soon 
and  for  ever  from  the  boards. l 

As  a  natural  consequence  of  the  musical  reputation 
which  Schubert  already  enjoyed,  he  received  constant 
invitations  from  music  lovers  of  all  kinds,  and  was  in- 
troduced to  people  of  all  sorts  of  rank  and  position  in 
life.  He  himself  never  expressed  any  wish  to  mix  in 
society,  where  he  was  forced  to  get  rid  of  his  innate 
shyness,  reticence,  and  a  good-natured  nonchalant  man- 
ner, but  could  not  escape  yielding  occasionally  to  so 
much  friendly  pressure  put  upon  him.  The  number, 
however,  of  those  families  in  Vienna  to  which  he,  either 

clarionets,  horn,  bassoon,  and  triangle.  Bedur  declares  he  will  break 
the  neck  of  Azolin,  a  stranger  without  rank  or  title,  who  wishes  to  rob 
him  of  Palmira  ;  and  Cedur  assents  to  this  proposal.  The  humour  of 
this  culminates  in  the  joint  exclamation  of  both,  '  We  break  his  neck  ! ' 
1  This  three-act  opera,  translated  into  German  from  the  French  of 
Theaulon,  by  Friedrich  Treitschke,  was  performed  for  the  first  time  on 
June  20,  1821,  and  afterwards  repeated  seven  times.  Eosner,  Siebert, 
and  Gottdank  took  parts  in  it,  besides  the  following  artists: — Wilheltnine 
Schroder  (Palmira),  Betti  Vio  (Ariel),  Thekla  Demmer  (Nair),  Frau 
Vogel  (Nurada),  Herr  Vogel  (Sultan),  Sebastian  Maier  (Captain  of  the 
Calendars),  Saal  (Head  Brahmin),  and  Weinkopf  (Hispel).  In  the  re- 
view of  the  '  Allg.  Zeitung,'  vol.  xxiii.  page  536,  oddly  enough,  there 
is  no  mention  made  of  Schubert's  supplementary  numbers.  The  manu- 
script of  these  may  still,  perhaps,  be  discovered  in  the  library  of  the 
Karnthnerthor  Theatre.  Josef  v.  Spaun,  of  Vienna,  has  copies  of  the 
score  of  both  pieces  and  the  pianoforte  accompaniments ;  a  copy  of  the 
duett  is  in  my  possession. 


218  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

from  artistic  reasons,  or  the  feelings  of  true  friendship, 
was  drawn  into  close  relations  for  any  length  of  time, 
was,  comparatively  speaking,  very  small.  We  have 
already  mentioned  the  names  of  Grob,  Andre,  Ester- 
hazy,  Schober,  Sonnleithner,  and  Frohlich.  When  we 
have  added  the  names  of  Spaun,  Honig,  Bruchmann, 
Witteczek,  Kiesewetter,  Wagner,  Ritter  von  Frank, 
Lascny,  Pinterics,  and  Collin,  the  list  of  acquaintances 
of  this  class  of  people  is  wellnigh  exhausted.1 

In  the  house  of  Matthaus  von  Collin,2  Schubert 
made  acquaintance  with  the  composer  and  musical 
reviewer  Hofrath  Mosel,3  the  Orientalist  Hammer- 
Purgstall,  Count  Moriz  Dietrich  stein,  the  authoress 

1  The  names  have  been  given  me  of  Wetzlar,  Ulm,  Oberst  Ettl,  and 
others,  but  I  know  nothing  more  about  them. 

2  Matthaus  v.  Collin  (brother  of  Heinrich)  was  born  at  Vienna  in 
1779,  became  professor  of  aesthetics  and   philosophy  in   Cracow,  and 
afterwards  in  Vienna.     Since  1813  he  edited  the  '  Literatur-Zeitung,'  at 
Vienna,  and  from  1818  the  '  Jahrbiicher  der  Literatur.'     In  the  year 
1815,  he  undertook  the  education  of  the  Duke  of  Eeichsstadt,  and  died 
in  1824.     Hammer  published  his  poems. 

3  Ignaz  Franz  Mosel,  born  at  Vienna  in  the  year  1772,  entered  the 
diplomatic  service  in  1788,  and  devoted  his  leisure  hours  to  the  most 
earnest  study  of  music,  for  which  art  he  had  already  in  his  early  years 
shown  remarkable  predilection.     He  composed  the  musical  vaudeville 
'  Pie  Feuerprobe,'  of  Kotzebue  ;  the  cantata  '  Hermes  und  Flora  ;'  the 
lyrical  tragedy  '  Salem,'  and  the   opera  '  Cyrus   und  Astiages,'  all  of 
which  were   performed   and   met  with  fair   success.     Besides   this   he 
wrote  an  overture  to  Grrillparzer's  '  Ottokar,'  the  music  to  the  '  Hussiten 
von  Naumburg,'  besides  hymns,  songs,  and  dance  music.     In  the  year 
1821,  he  was  Vice-Director  of  the  Eoyal  Opera  House  ;  in  1829,  Court 
Librarian,  and  died  in  1844.     His  new  edition  of  several  oratorios,  by 
Handel,  is  known,  but  very  unfavourably. 


HIS   ACQUAINTANCES    IN    VIENNA.  219 

Caroline  Pichler,  and  the  Patriarch  Ladislaus  Pyrker, 
much  esteemed  as  a  poet,,1  who  one  and  all  took  the 
keenest  interest  in  his  performances.  The  Patriarch  de- 
lighted in  Schubert's  Lieder,  as  we  gather  from  the  fol- 
lowing letter,  dated  Venice,  May  18,  1821,  which  Pyrker 
sent  to  Schubert,  on  the  latter  asking  him  to  accept  the 
dedication  of  a  series  of  songs,  amongst  which  was  4  Der 
Wanderer.' 

'Most  honoured  Sir, — Your  kind  offer  to  dedicate 
to  me  the  first  number  of  your  incomparable  songs,  I 
accept  with  all  the  more  pleasure,  as  I  frequently  recall 
to  my  memory  that  evening  when  I  was  so  profoundly 
stirred  by  your  musical  genius,  more  particularly,  too, 
by  the  music  of  your  "  Wanderer."  I  am  proud  of  claim- 
ing with  you  one  and  the  same  fatherland,  and  remain, 
with  the  greatest  respect  and  esteem, 

6  Your  obedient  servant, 

'  JOHANN  L.  PYRKEK,  m.p., 

e  Patriarch.' 

In  the  year  1825  Schubert  met  this  gentleman  at 
Wildbad-Gastein,  when  they  renewed  their  friendship, 
and  Schubert  set  two  of  his  poems  to  music. 

Whilst  Beethoven,  the  man  of  the  world  and  all- 
powerful  in  his  sphere,  was  almost  exclusively  wor- 
shipped in  the  circles  of  the  high  aristocracy,  the  modest 

1  Of  Pyrker  s  poems,  Schubert  set  to  music  '  Die  Allmacht'  and  '  Das 
Heimweh;'  of  C.  Pichler's,  the  poem  '  Der  Ungliickliche.' 


220  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

Schubert  moved,  as  his  fashion  was,  by  preference, 
amongst  the  plain  and  homely  citizens  around  him.1 

Far  more  influential  with  Schubert  than  any  of  these 
families  was  the  circle  of  young,  ambitious  men — 
generally  jovial,  cheerful  companions — by  whom  he 
found  himself  surrounded  in  his  twentieth  year,  and  who 
clung  to  him  until  the  day  of  his  death.  The  centre  and 
life  of  this  circle  was  Franz  v.  Schober.  It  is  charac- 
teristic of  Schubert's  artistic  nature  to  observe,  that  by 
far  the  greatest  part  of  these  young  men  were  not 
musicians  by  calling  and  profession ;  and  this  seems 
to  have  been  the  very  circumstance  which  induced  him 
to  prefer  their  society  to  that  of  all  others. 

With  some  of  these  he  had  been  acquainted  in 
earlier  days — with  Josef  Spaun  in  the  Convict,  with 
Franz  v.  Schober  in  the  year  1816,  and  with  Anselm 
Hiittenbrenner  about  the  same  time.  These  people, 
with  Johann  Baptist  Jenger,  Moriz  v.  Schwind,  Eduard 
Bauernfeld,2  and  Franz  Lachner,3  who  only  came  to 

1  He  only  officiated  at  the  Esterhazys'  as  a  teacher  of  music.    A  note 
of  the  Princess  Kinsky,  in  the  year  1827,  shows  that  he  had  access  to 
the  house  of  that  family. 

2  Bauernfeld,  born  at  Vienna  in  1804,  studied  and  passed  his  law- 
examinations  during  the  time  of  his  acquaintance  with  Schubert,  and  in 
the  year  1826  entered  the  diplomatic  service,  which  he  quitted  in  the 
year  1848. 

3  Franz  Lachner,  born  at  Nain,  near  Donauworth,  was  an  organist  in 
the  Evangelical  church  at  Vienna,  arid  afterwards  became  Capellmeister 
at  the  Court  Theatre.   Lachner  has  been,  since  1836,  Hofcapellmeister  at 
Munich. 


HIS   ACQUAINTANCES   IN    VIENNA.  221 

Vienna  in  the  year  1823  or  1824,  were  on  close  terms 
of  intimacy  with  Schubert.  Next  in  order  may  be 
mentioned  Leopold  Kupelwieser,  Franz  Bruchmann,1 
Johann  Senn,  and  the  poet  Mayrhofer.  At  some 
distance  from  these,  but  still  attached  to  the  circle 
of  friends,  were  Dr.  Sturm  (at  that  time  a  physician 
at  Wels),  Dr.  Bernhardt,2  Dr.  Ernst  v.  Feuchters- 
leben,  Captain  Mayrhofer  of  Grriinbuhel,3  the  painters 
Wilhelm  Rieder  (at  that  time  Custode  of  the  Belve- 
dere), Danhauser,  and  Ludwig  Schnorr  v.  Karolsfeld, 
the  sculptor  Dietrich,  the  lithographer  Mohn,  Anton 
v.  Doblhoff,  the  State  officials  Witteczek,  Enderes, 
Franz  Derffel,  Josef  Gross,  Josef  Grahy,  and  Nagy,4 
Weiss  and  Bayer,  most  of  whom,  at  that  time,  were 
in  the  prime  of  life.5 

1  Johann  Bruchmann  (senior)  was  a  wealthy  merchant  in  Vienna; 
Schubert  often  visited  his  house,  where  music  and  recitation  were  in 
great  vogue.     His  son  Franz,  the  compiler  of  some  poems  set  by  Schubert, 
entered  holy  orders,  and  still  lives  at  Allotting.     The  Lieder,  in  Op.  20, 
are  dedicated  to  Frau  Justina  Bruchmann. 

2  Dr.  Bernhardt  (to  whom  Op.  40  is  dedicated),  a  very  gifted  and 
scientific  man,  in  1839  entered  the  service  of  the  Porte,  founded  the 
School  of  Medicine  at  Gralatta-Serai,  and  died  at  Constantinople  in  1844. 

3  Mayrhofer  (Franz),   Imperial    Field-Marshal-Lieutenant,   was   an 
active  literary  writer. 

*  Carl  Nagy  still  lives,  a  pensioned  officer,  at  Vienna.  There  was  also 
a  certain  Ludwig  Kraissle,  painter  and  violin-player,  who  belonged  to 
Schubert's  circle  of  friends.     He  has  been  living  a  long  time  at  Klagen- 
furt,  in  the  family  of  Rosthorn. 

*  Among  the  artistic  souvenirs  left  by  Leopold  Kupelwieser  are  the 
portraits  of  Schubert,  Spaun,  Schober,  Bruchmann,  Franz  Mayrhofer, 
Dietrich,  Eieder,  Doblhoff,  and  Senn. 


222  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

On  considering  the  whole  range  of  Schubert's  com- 
panions, we  shall  find  certain  groups  occupying  a  pro- 
minent place,  and  that  each  coterie  had  its  own  artistic 
followers.  Besides  Anselm  Hiittenbrenner  and  Franz 
Lachner,  the  only  musicians  by  profession  (and  they 
only  remained  a  short  time  in  Vienna),  there  were 
poets,  philosophers,  artists,  and  official  people,  all  men 
of  intellectual  turn  and  aspirations.  Their  efforts  and 
ambitions  were  very  various,  their  aims  were  often 
distinct,  but  the  chain  which  bound  the  whole  party 
together  was  enthusiasm  and  the  yearning  for  intel- 
lectual freedom.1  That  the  mutual  interchange  of  ideas 
and  conversations  on  art-matters,  apart  from  music, 
powerfully  interested  Schubert,  is  a  fact  which  calls 
for  no  further  illustration.  With  some  of  these  men, 
recognised  by  Schubert  as  his  true  friends — and  bona 
fide  friends  they  were — he  remained  on  affectionate 
terms  to  the  end  of  his  days,  and  only  regretted  that 
their  union,  owing  to  the  different  pursuits  and  paths 
of  life  pursued  by  each  individual,  was  necessarily  at 
times  interrupted. 

We  could  cite  others  besides  those  already  mentioned, 
who  having  but  a  slight  personal  acquaintance  with 

1  Jenger,  L.  v.  Sonnleithner,  Kupelwieser,  and  Schober  were  about 
the  same  age  as  Schubert.  Next  to  them  came  Senn  and  A.  Hiitten- 
brenner, then  Schwind,  Bauernfeld,  Lachner,  and  Feuchtersleben,  the 
four  last  of  whom  were  much  younger  than  the  composer.  Spaun  and 
Schnorr  were  each  of  them  nine  years  older  than  Schubert. 


THE    e  SCHUBERTIADEN.'  223 

Schubert,  none  the  less  appreciated  his  value,  not  to 
mention  a  whole  tribe  of  casual  acquaintances  flitting 
across  his  path,  like  birds  of  passage,  and  whose  sym 
pathies  with  him  were  only  momentary,  and  conse- 
quently exercised  no  abiding  influence  over  him :  such 
persons  were  far  from  being  able  to  gauge  the  import- 
ance and  value  of  such,  a  man  as  Schubert. 

Franz's  relations  with  the  members  of  his  own 
immediate  family  were  peculiar.  They  loved  him,  and 
lie  returned  that  love  heartily.  Of  the  brothers,  how- 
ever, but  one  was  admitted  to  close  intimacy  with  the 
Schubert  circle.  This  was  the  landscape-painter,  Carl, 
whose  commissions  to  execute  works  for  his  brother's 
friends  brought  him  an  introduction 1 ;  the  other  re- 
lations were  too  much  occupied  with  their  own  affairs, 
or  at  too  great  a  distance  from  their  kinsman,  inde- 
pendently of  the  fact  that  they  would  have  felt  ill  at 
ease  and  under  constraint  in  such  an  intellectual  circle 
as  that  to  which  Schubert  belonged. 

Surrounded  by  these  young,  boisterous,  life-loving 
spirits  and  friends,  Schubert,  the  earnest  and  reticent, 
but  at  times  a  thorough  madcap,  passed  his  happy  time. 
The  centre  point  of  attraction  to  this  circle  consisted 
in  the  s  Schubertiaden,' — social  unions  of  Schubert's 

1  Judging  by  a  letter  in  the  year  1818,  Ignaz,  as  well  as  Ferdinand, 
was  very  intimate  and  happy  with  his  brother.  He  seems,  however,  to 
have  avoided  the  society  of  '  friends,'  for  he  was  much  occupied  as  a 
school-teacher,  and  passed  his  leisure  hours  by  preference  with  the 
Hollpeins. 


224  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

friends,  where  games  were  played,  dances  danced, 
speeches  made,  but  Schubert's  own  compositions  formed 
the  staple  of  the  entertainment,  and  more  particularly 
the  last  new  songs  from  his  pen.  The  6  Schubertiaden ' 
were  not  confined  entirely  to  Vienna,  but  came  off  at 
other  places  where  Schubert  and  his  companions  hap- 
pened to  be  together  for  a  stay  of  any  time  ;  for  instance, 
in  Linz,  in  St.  Polten,  at  the  castle  of  Ochsenburg  (in 
St.  Polten),  and  in  Atzenbruck,  a  summer  residence 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Abtetten,  in  Lower  Austria, 
occupied  by  an  uncle  of  Schober's,  and  where,  for 
three  days  in  every  year,  there  was  a  continued  fes- 
tival, 'the  intellectual  enjoyments  of  which  (so  Herr  v. 
Schober  tells  me)  no  participator  in  those  scenes  can 
ever  forget  as  long  as  he  lives.'  To  this  festive  scene  a 
large  number  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  invariably 
bidden;  amongst  others,  Schwind,  Bauernfeld,  Anton 
Doblhoff,  Leopold  Kupelwieser,  and,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  Schubert,  who  paid  for  his  salt  with  marches, 
Schottisches,  and  waltzes  ( '*  Atzenbrucken  Tanze'  ).* 

Besides  the  '  Schubertiaden,'  there  were  all  sorts  of 
country  parties  and  picnics  organised,  into  which  the 
inoffensive  Franz  was  dragged  nolens  volens.  Occasion- 
ally the  wine  flowed  a  glass  too  freely,  and  the  carousals, 

1  Heinrich  von  DoblhofF,  of  Vienna,  has  a  drawing,  dated  the  year 
1821,  of  a  scene  in  Atzenbruck.  An  allegory  is  being  represented,  in 
which  Schober,  Kupelwieser,  and  several  young  ladies  take  part.  In 
the  foreground  sits  Schubert,  looking  earnestly  at  the  performance.  The 
drawing  contains  the  portraits  of  sixteen  people. 


A   POEM   BY   RUSTICOCAMPIUS.  225 

which  lasted  until  past  midnight,  would  rudely  disturb 
the  laws  of  an  orderly  household,  and  contrast  with  the 
usually  quiet  proceedings.1 

Kusticocainpius  gives  a  description  of  the  doings  in 
those  days,  in  the  following  strophes,  which  point  to 
this  episode  in  Schubert's  life  : — 2 

Die  Sehnsucht  zieht  mit  Allgewalt 
Durch  alle  die  Tage  und  Stunden, 
Mein  Schubert !  wie  bist  du  doch  so  bald 
Dem  trauten  Kreis  entschwunden ! 

Und  war's  nach  dir  so  stumm  und  still, 
Wir  mussten  darin  uns  schicken, 
Ein  ewig  junger  Tonachill 
Stehst  du  vor  unsern  Blicken. 

G-esegnet  wer  den  Lorbeerkranz 
Friihzeitig  sich  erworben, 
Und  wer  in  Jugend  und  Kuhmesglanz 
Ein  Gfotterliebling  gestorben. 

1  A  place  of  rendezvous,  which  Schubert  greatly  affected  at  this  period, 
was  the  still  existing  extra  room  on  the  ground-floor  of  the   '  Unga- 
rische  Krone '  in  the  Himmelpfortgasse.     Amongst  the  evening  guests 
were  the  painters  Schwind,  Kupelwieser,  Schnorr,  and  Teltscher,  the 
poets  Senn  and  Bauernfeld,  the  officials  J.  Hiittenbrenner,  Berindl  and 
Bernhard  Teltscher ;  the  Borsenrath  Engelsberg,  the  pianoforte-player 
Szalay  (still  living),  and  others.     Schubert  is  said  to  have  been  nick- 
named by  these  people  '  The  Kanevas,'  because  when  a  stranger  was  in- 
troduced to  his  society,  the  first  question  Schubert  invariably  asked 
of  his  neighbour  was  '  Kann  er  was  ?'     In  the  year  1827  the  corpulent 
Franz  was  renamed  '  Schwammerl.'     Gross  and  Witteczek  called  him, 
for  the  sake  of  brevity,  '  Bertl.' 

2  In  the  '  Book  of  Merry  Ehymes  concerning  us  Folk  of  Vienna,'  by 
Eusticocampius.     Leipsic,  1858. 

VOL.    I.  Q 


226  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

Doch  friiher  hast  du  gelebt — und  nicht 
Als  Musikgelehrter,  als  bleicher, 
Voll  war  und  rund  der  Bosewicht, 
Ein  behaglicher  Oesterreicher. 

Mit  Malern,  Poeten  und  solcliem  Pack 
Hast  gem  dich  herumgeschlagen, 
Wir  trieben  da  viel  Schabernak 
In  unsern  griinen  Tagen. 

Ein  Dritter  noch  war — an  G-emiith  ein  Kind, 
Doch  that  er  Grosses  verkiindigen 
Als  Kiinstler — mein  lieber  Moriz  Schwind, 
Historienmaler  in  Miinchen. 

Er  ist  eine  derbe  Urnatur, 
"Wie  aus  tonendem  Erz  gegossen, 
So  war  auch  Schubert, — heiterer  nur, 
Das  waren  mir  liebe  Genossen. 

Bald  sich  ein  Kranz  von  Freunden  flieht, 
Kunst,  jugendliches  Vertrauen, 
Humor  verbanden  sie — fehlten  auch  nicht 
Anmuthige  Madchen  und  Frauen. 

Da  flogen  die  Tage,  die  Stunden  so  schnell, 
Da  stoben  des  Geistes  Funken, 
Da  rauscht  auch  der  schaumende  Liederquell, 
Den  wir  zuerst  getrunken. 

Wer  reitet  so  spat  durch  Nacht  und  Wind ! 
Es  rauschen  der  Tone  Wogen ; 
Bald  ach !  ist  der  Vater  mit  seinem  Kind, 
Dem  Lied,  zum  Vater  gezogen ! 

Was  ist  Beifall  der  Welt,  was  Euhm !  , 
Und  Zeitungs-Preisen  und  Kronen, 
Wir  hatten  das  wahre  Publicum 
Der  Guten  und  der  Schonen. 


A   POEM   BY   RDSTICOCAMPIUS.  227 

Wie  gottlich  ein  Genie  im  Keim, 
Das  in  hochst  eigener  Weise 
Sich  kraftig  entwickelt,  siiss,  geheim, 
Im  traut  verwandten  Kreise ! 

Stellt  bei  genialer  Jugend  sich  ein 
Gott  Amor  mit  seinen  Waffen, 
Da  ist  viel  holde  Lust,  viel  Pein, 
Ein  ewiges  Gahren  und  Schafien. 

Eeal  das  war  der  Schubert  auch, 
Kein  kiinstlicher  Textverdreher, 
Doch  freilich  des  Gedichtes  Hauch 
Erfasst  er  als  Sanger  und  Seher. 

Der  Khythmus  gewagt,  die  Harmonie 
Bisweilen  auch  zerrissen, 
Doch  sprudelt  ihm  reich  die  Melodie, 
Von  der  man  jetzt  nichts  will  wissen. 

Oft  ging's  zum  '  Heurigen '  zum  Wein, 
Gleich  ausserhalb  des  Thores 
Stellt  meist  sich  auch  Franz  Lachner  ein, 
Cantores  amant  humores. 

Und  frisch  nach  Grinzing,  Sievering 
Mit  andern  muntren  Gesellen, 
ZiJczak  gar  mancher  nach  Hause  ging, 
Wir  lachten  im  Mondschein,  im  hellen. 


'  •!      so  brach  der  Chorus  aus, 
fir  wollen's  dem  Leser  erklaren, 
Heisst :  C.  a.  f.  f.  e.  e. — Caffeehaus 
Und  nachtliches  Punsch-Einkehren. 

Nicht  immer  ging  es  so  herrlich  zu, 
Nicht  immer  waren  wir  Prasser ! 
So  trug  mir  Schubert  an  das  Du 
Zuerst  mit  Zuckerwasser. 

Q  2 


228  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

Es  fehlte  an  Wein  und  Geld  zumal ; 
Bisweilen  mit  einer  Melange 
Hielten  wir  unser  Mittagsmahl, 
Mit  diesem  Wiener  Pantsche. 

Die  Kiinstler  waren  damals  arm ! 
Wir  batten  auch  Holz  nicht  immer, 
Doch  waren  wir  Jung  und  liebten  warm 
Im  ungeheizten  Zimmer. 

Verliebt  war  Schubert ;  der  Scbiilerin 
Gait's,  einer  der  jungen  Comtessen, 
Doch  gab  er  sich  einer — ganz  Andern  hin, 
Um — die  Andere  zu  vergessen. 

Ideell,  dass  uns  das  Herz  fast  brach. 
So  liebte  auch  Schwind,  wir  alle, 
Den  realen  Schubert  ahmten  wir  nach, 
In  diesem  vermischten  Falle. 


SCHUBERT   AND   SCHOBER    IN    OCHSENBTJRG.  229 


CHAPTEE  X. 

(1822.) 

SCHUBERT    AND    VON    SCHOBER    IN    OCHSENBURG THE     OPERA    'AL- 
FONSO  TJND  ESTRELLA  ' A  LETTER  OF  SCHUBERT'S  AND  SCHOBER's 

TO    JOSEF    SPATJN SCHUBERT   AND    CARL   MARIA  V.    WEBER A 

LETTER  FROM  ANNA  MILDER  TO  FRANZ '  ALFONSO  UND  ESTRELLA  ' 

AND  THE  PACHLER  FAMILY  AT   GRATZ CORRESPONDENCE  BETWEEN 

FRANZ   V.   SCHOBER   AND   FERDINAND    SCHUBERT THE   OPERA   IS 

PERFORMED  IN  WEIMAR — CRITICISM  THEREUPON — THE  B  MINOR  SYM- 
PHONY  THE  MASS  IN  A PART-SONGS — SCHUBERT   AND  BEETHOVEN 

PINTERICS THE  VARIATIONS  DEDICATED  TO  BEETHOVEN BEETHO- 

VEN'S  OPINION  OF  SCHUBERT — THE  MUSICAL  PUBLISHERS  OPPOSED  TO 
SCHUBERT'S  MUSIC — FRANZ  TRANSFERS  THE  PROPERTY  OF  HIS  FIRST 

WORKS  TO  DIABELLI SALE  OF  SCHUBERT'S  COMPOSITIONS A  LETTER 

FROM  SCHOBER  TO  FRANZ EFFORTS  OF  HUTTENBRENNER  AND  SCHOBER 

TO  SELL  THE  OPERAS A  LETTER    OF  HOLBEIN   AND  PETERS  TO  J. 

HUTTENBRENNER SCHUBERT  WISHES  TO  BE  A  CANDIDATE  FOR  THE 

ORGANISTSHIP   AT   THE   CHAPEL  ROYAL A   LETTER   FROM   THE   BISHOP 

OF   ST.   POLTEN    TO   FRANZ — SCHUBERT'S    PETITION   TO   BE     ADMITTED 
AS   A   WORKING   MEMBER   OF   THE  AMATEURS'    SOCIETY. 

IF  the  wanderer,  starting  from  the  town  of  St.  Polten, 
shapes  his  course  in  a  southerly  direction  and  advances 
towards  the  Styrian  mountains  along  the  waters  of  the 
Traisen,  he  will  come  to  the  village  of  Ochsenburg,  with 
a  castle  of  the  same  name,  beautifully  situated,  half 
way  between  St.  Polten  and  Wilhelmsburg,  an  old- 
fashioned  place,  three  hours'  distance  from  St.  Polten, 


230  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

Ochsenburg  is  on  the  left-hand  side.  The  castle,  be- 
longing to  the  domain  of  St.  Polten,  was  then  a  country 
seat  of  the  resident  bishop  Hofrath  v.  Dankesreithner,1 
a  relative  of  the  Schober  family.  In  this  part  of  Grer- 
many,  the  two  friends  Franz  v.  Schober  and  Schubert, 
enjoying  town  and  country  life  alternately,  passed  the 
autumn  months  of  the  year  1821,  the  musical  results 
of  which  were  the  completion  of  the  two  first  acts  of  aD 
opera — the  poetry  by  Schober,  the  music  by  Schubert.2 

(  Alfonso  und  Estrella,'  the  hastily  conceived  work  of 
two  intimate  friends,  and  a  truthful  exponent  of  their 
joint  intellectual  powers,  is  the  first  of  the  two  great 
operas  which  were  composed  by  Schubert.  The  libretto, 
as  Schober  himself  confesses  in  a  letter  written  to 
myself,  was  composed  in  all  the  glow  of  youthful  en- 
thusiasm, and  in  entire  simplicity  of  heart.  Schubert, 
on  his  part,  set  himself  to  his  task  with  his  wonted 
energy,  and  the  genial  taste  with  which  the  composer 
turned  on  the  stream  of  his  gushing  melodies  over  the 
finished  fragments  and  portions  of  the  libretto  before 
the  completion  of  the  entire  poem,  must  have  delighted 
the  eyes  of  the  poet,  as  a  spectacle  of  the  rarest  power. 

A  letter  of  Schober's,  dated  from  Vienna,  November  2, 
1821,  written  to  his  friend  Josef  Spaun,  staying  in 

1  The  '  Harfnerlieder'  are  dedicated  to  him. 

2  According  to  the  original  score  (in  the  possession  of  the  Musik- 
verein  at  Vienna),  the  first  act  was  finished  on  September  20,  1821,  the 
second  on  October  20  of  the  same  year,  and  the  third  act  on  February 
27,  1822 


LETTER  TO  JOSEF  SPAUN.  231 

Linz,  contains  some  allusions  to  his  own  and  Schubert's 
doings  in  St.  Polten  and  at  the  castle  of  Ochsenburg. 
Schubert,  in  a  short  postscript  appended  to  this  letter, 
mentions  the  opera  very  briefly.  Both  letters  are  here 
given  without  curtailment,  and,  as  will  be  seen,  affairs 
at  Vienna  are  glanced  at,  independently  of  musical 
matters.1  Schober's  letter  runs  thus : — 

'  Dear  Friend,— Schubert  and  I  have  returned  from 
our  visit,  and  look  back  with  delight  upon  a  happy 
month  spent  partly  in  the  town,  partly  in  the  country. 
At  Ochsenburg  we  had  plenty  to  do  in  visiting  the  beau- 
tiful country  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  in  St.  Polten 
books  and  concerts  absorbed  our  attention ;  spite  of  all 
this  we  both  worked  hard,  Schubert  especially — he  has 
done  nearly  two  acts,  I  am  upon  the  last.  I  only 
wished  you  had  been  with  us,  and  witnessed  the  birth  of 
those  lovely  melodies ;  the  wealth  and  vigorous  outpour 
of  Schubert's  fancy  is  really  extraordinary.  Our  room  at 
St.  Polten  was  exceedingly  nice — two  big  beds,  a  sofa, 
and  a  good  fireplace,  not  to  mention  a  grand  piano, 
gave  it  a  very  snug  home  appearance.  Of  an  evening 
we  always  compared  notes  of  what  had  passed  during 
the  day ;  we  sent  for  beer,  smoked  our  pipes,  and  read 
aloud.  Perhaps  Sofie  or  Netta  would  join  us,  then  we 
had  singing.  Two  "  Schubertiaden  "  were  held  at  the 

1  Herr  Heinrich  Schubert,  of  Vienna,  has  the  original  of  both  letters, 
and  has  been  good  enough  to  favour  me  with  a  copy. 


232  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

bishop's  house,  and  one  at  Baron  Mink's,  a  favourite  of 
mine,  and  a  princess,  two  countesses,  and  three  baron- 
esses were  present,  all  of  whom  were  delighted  in  the 
most  approved  aristocratic  fashion.  We  have  now  fallen 
in  with  the  mother.  We  had  a  feast  given  us  at 
Heiligen-Eich,  and  for  eight  successive  days  dating 
from  that  time,  we  have  revelled  in  lovely  weather  and 
skies,  sent  as  a  godsend  to  travellers.  The  bishop  too 
has  arrived,  and  thus  St.  Polten  is  transplanted  to 
Vienna.  He  and  his  mother  are  quite  well.  They  are 
uncommonly  hearty,  and  send  you  their  kindest  regards. 
As  you  may  well  imagine,  we  got  on  very  badly  without 
Kuppeln,  who  had  promised  to  come,  and  never  came. 
We  missed  both  him  and  you  very  much,  especially  as 
we  should  like  to  have  made  you  judges  of  our  per- 
formances. I  am  like  a  man  who  looks  at  the  sun  and 
only  sees  the  fatal  black  spots  darkening  everything 
around,  so  completely  has  your  absence  upset  me.  We 
found  "Die  Krone"  completely  deserted.1  Derffel  is 
by  this  time  quite  demented  on  the  subject  of  whist ; 
besides  his  two  regular  fixed  days  at  home,  he  plays 
as  formerly  at  Hugelmann's.  Dornfeld  is  always  a  sure 
find  at  the  coffee-house ;  Waldl  also  is  possessed  by 
the  same  demon  as  Huber,2  and  both  become  more  and 

1  The  hotel  '  Zur  Ungarischen  Krone,'  in  the  Himmelpfortgasse,  where 
Schubert's  friends  were  accustomed  to  meet. 

2  Josef  Huber,  a  friend  of  Mayrhofer,  the  latter  of  whom  is  meant 
by  '  Waldl.'     Huber  seems  to  be  the  same  man  who  was  afterwards  made 
General  Cong9l  in  Egypt.     (Chezv's  'Kecol  lections,'  vol.  ii.) 


LETTER   TO   JOSEF    SPAUN.  233 

more  impossible  to  get  at,  from  their  living  such  a  way 
off  in  the  Vorstadt.  Grahy  lost  everything  when  you 
went  away  ;  I  found  him  regularly  down  in  the  mouth  ; 
he  doesn't  know  what  he  shall  do,  and  looks  at  the 
whist-table  with  blank  despair.  I  will  try  and  be  of 
some  comfort  to  him  once  more.  Kuppel  is  always 
at  the  Belvedere,  copying  the  "  Ino,"  and  never  finishes 
it,  but  sleeps  at  Schnorr's,  who  is  still  living  in  the 
Heugasse.  His  "Faust"  was  bought  for  2,500  florins. 
Yesterday  Weber's  "  Der  Freischiitz  "  was  given,  but  did 
not  please  entirely.  I  am  very  glad  Max  is  so  well. 
Groetz  and  his  wife  dote  on  one  another,  to  such  an 
extent  that  lately,  in  a  fit  of  blissful  forgetfulness  and 
delirium,  they  walked  through  the  suburbs,  Linie,  &c., 
and  went  straight  away,  until  at  last,  when  warned  late 
enough  by  the  pangs  of  hunger,  they  found  themselves 
in  a  line  of  country  where  they  had  great  difficulty  in 
getting  bread  to  eat.  My  kind  regards  to  all.  Don't 
suppose  that  matters  will  continue  as  they  are  now. 
Whilst  working  at  the  opera,  I  fancy  myself  incapable 
of  writing  anything  else.  If  Ottenwald  still  has  the 
poem  which  I  originally  gave  him,  with  our  bas-relief, 
be  so  kind  as  to  copy  it  for  me  as  soon  as  you  can. 
Max  might  do  it.  Hosp's  principal  has  failed  ;  Hosp 
is  therefore  free,  and  must  now  take  to  the  theatre. 

6  Yours  ever, 

'  SCHOBEE.' 

Schubert  adds  these  lines  by  way  of  postscript : — 


234  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

'  Dear  Friend, — Your  letter  has  pleased  me  very 
much,  and  I  trust  you  will  be  always  happy  and  com- 
fortable. I  must  now,  however,  inform  you  that  my 
dedications  have  done  their  duty ;  for  the  Patriarch,1  at 
the  instance  of  Vogl,  has  expended  twelve  ducats,  and 
Friess 2  twenty — a  fact  which  suits  me  extremely  well. 
You  must  also  be  so  kind  as  to  conclude  your  corres- 
pondence with  the  Patriarch  by  a  suitable  acknowledg- 
ment made  to  him  and  me  also.  Schober's  opera  has 
already  got  to  the  third  act,  and  I  should  much  like  you 
to  have  been  present  whilst  the  opera  was  in  its  earliest 
stage  of  formation.  We  count  a  good  deal  on  the  work 
in  question.  The  Karnthnerthor  and  Wiedner  Theatres 
are  actually  leased  to  Barbaja,  and  his  lease  begins  to 
run  next  December.  Now  farewell.  Kemember  me  to 
all  friends,  particularly  your  sisters  and  brothers. 

4  Your  friend, 

'  FRANZ  SCHUBERT. 

( Write  soon  to  my  father  and  to  us. 

'  N.B.— Send  me  Ottenwald's  "  Cradle  Song." ' 3 

Schober's  libretto,  'written  in  entire  simplicity  of 
heart,'  suffers  from  one  patent  defect,  and  of  which 
mention  will  be  made  hereafter,  but  the  whole  plan  of 
the  drama  with  the  poetry,  generally  speaking  uniform 

1  Schubert  dedicated  to  the  Patriarch  Ladislaus  Pyrker  the  4th  Op. 
of  his  Lieder  ('  Wanderer,'  '  Wanderers  Nachtlied,'  '  Morgenlied '). 

2  Moriz  Count  Friess,  to  whom  Op.  2  ('  G-retchen  am  Spinnrad')  is 
dedicated. 

8  Schubert  subsequently  set  this  poem  to  music. 


'ALFONSO   UND   ESTRELLA.'  235 

and  appropriate,  is  very  favourably  distinguished  from 
the  other  libretti  which  Schubert  used  for  his  operas, 
and  gives  unmistakable  evidence  of  a  poetical  talent 
which  afterwards  developed  itself.  The  opera  has  no 
spoken  dialogue,  but  in  its  place  a  series  of  recita- 
tives. 

The  overture,  which,  as  we  may  read  on  the  original 
score,  was  not  composed  until  December  1823,  is  one 
of  the  best  of  Schubert's  orchestral  works,  and  was 
greatly  applauded  at  Vienna.1 

The  following  is  the  groundwork  of  the  story.  Troila, 
King  of  Leon,  deprived  of  his  throne  by  Mauregato,  has 
withdrawn  with  his  son  Alfonso  to  a  quiet  valley  in  the 
neighbouring  kingdom,  where  he  becomes  an  object  of 
high  honour  among  the  people  from  his  wisdom  and  active 
benevolence.  Estrella,  Mauregato's  daughter,  is  out 
hunting  with  her  playfellows  ;  Adolfo,  her  father's  gene- 
ralissimo, has  just  returned  victorious  from  battle,  and, 
passionately  enamoured  of  Estrella,  prays  for  a  hearing, 
which  however  is  not  allowed  him.  Adolfo,  in  a  furious 
rage,  threatens  the  coy  daughter  of  the  King  with  ven- 
geance. Mauregato  appears ;  the  trophies  of  victory 
are  delivered  to  him,  and  he  calls  on  the  general  to 

1  The  overture  (which  appeared  in  the  pianoforte  edition  as  Op.  69) 
was  performed  in  the  year  1823  as  an  introduction  to  the  Drama  '  Rosa- 
munde,'  by  Helmina  Chezy,  and,  according  to  Herr  J.  Hiittenbrenner,  had 
to  be  repeated  twice ;  at  the  Opera  House,  the  overture,  in  consequence 
of  mistakes  being  made  with  the  tempi,  met  with  a  cold  reception. 
A  motive  in  it  reminds  one  of  the  Scherzo  in  the  D  minor  Symphony  of 
Beethoven,  which  had  not  at  that  time  become  know11' 


236  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

ask  for  some  favour.  Adolfo  sues  for  the  hand  of 
the  daughter.  Estrella  adjures  her  father  not  to  hand 
her  over  to  this  man,  whom  she  cannot  love ;  and 
Mauregato,  casting  about  for  some  means  to  save  his 
daughter,  declares  that  he  has  made  a  sacred  decree, 
that  that  man  alone  shall  wed  his  daughter  who 
will  find  the  long-lost  chain  of  Eurich.  Adolfo,  again 
deceived  in  his  hopes,  vows  he  will  destroy  the  king  for 
having  broken  his  word.  Thus  the  first  act  ends. 

In  the  second  act  we  see  Estrella  separated  from  her 
hunting  companions,  and  looking  for  some  outlet  by 
which  she  may  descend  into  the  valley  where  Troila  and 
Alfonso  are  living.  Alfonso  sees  the  form  of  Estrella, 
which  reminds  him  of  a  dream  which  he  had  the  night 
before,  and  told  (in  a  narrative  at  the  outset  of  the  act) 
his  father.  In  an  ecstasy  at  seeing  her,  he  rushes  to 
meet  her,  and,  after  a  mutual  exchange  of  their  feelings, 
both  find  themselves  head  over  ears  in  love  with  each 
other.  Upon  Estrella's  urgent  entreaty  at  the  hour  of 
parting,  Alfonso  hands  her  over,  as  a  souvenir,  a  chain 
which  Troila  gave  him  as  a  pledge  that  he  would  yet 
live  to  free  him  from  his  gloomy  solitude. 

Meanwhile  Adolfo  collects  his  conspirators  around 
him,  and  exacts  a  vow  from  them  that  they  will  follow 
him  and  devastate  Mauregato's  kingdom.  Mauregato 
sends  messenger  after  messenger,  who  try  to  find  his 
lost  child  and  hope  to  bring  her  back,  but  all  in  vain. 
At  last  Estrella  appears,  to  the  joy  of  her  father  and  the 


'ALFONSO    UND   ESTRELLA.'  237 

courtiers  assembled  in  the  palace.  Mauregato  discovers 
on  her  breast  the  ornament,  which  he  instantly  recog- 
nises as  Eurich's  chain.  Eacked  by  the  gnawings  of 
conscience,  he  presses  Estrella  to  confess  the  means  by 
which  she  has  come  into  possession  of  the  treasure. 
Estrella  tells  him  of  the  adventure  which  took  place  in 
the  valley,  and  avows  her  love  for  the  youth,  of  whose 
very  name  she  still  continues  ignorant.  The  chief  of 
the  body-guard  then  rushes  in  with  the  dreadful  news 
that  there  is  an  uproar  in  the  streets  of  Oviedo,  and 
that  Adolfo,  at  the  head  of  the  rebels,  is  storming  the 
palace.  Already  are  heard  from  without  the  conspi- 
rators shouting  for  vengeance,  but  Mauregato  is  deter- 
mined to  fight  them ;  Estrella  will  be  at  his  side.  In 
the  midst  of  general  confusion,  the  second  act  ends. 
The  terrors  of  the  now  devastating  war  reach  to  the  very 
borders  of  the  still  valley,  where  Troila  and  Alfonso  re- 
side. Adolfo,  in  the  tumult  of  the  fight,  has  carried  off 
Estrella  from  her  father's  side,  and  drags  her  away  with 
him.  Once  again  he  tries  to  win  her  love,  but  with  no 
better  success  than  formerly.  In  a  storm  of  passion  he 
draws  his  dagger,  and  bids  her  choose  between  life  and 
death.  She  screams  for  help,  and  Alfonso  appears  with 
some  hunting  companions,  and  takes  Adolfo  prisoner. 
Estrella  thanks  her  deliverer,  but  wrings  her  hands  in 
agony  for  her  father,  of  whose  fate  she  is  still  ignorant, 
and  who  has  probably  already  fallen  in  battle.  Alfonso 
now  learns  from  her  that  she  is  the  daughter  of  the 


238  LIFE  OF  SCHUBERT. 

King  of  Leon,  and  determines  to  befriend  the  King  by 
aiding  him  with  his  own  troops.  He  blows  his  horn 
three  times,  and  the  rest  of  his  companions  appear,  at 
the  head  of  whom  he  now  places  himself,  to  attack  the 
enemy.  Troila,  frightened  at  the  clash  of  arms,  now 
appears,  and  Alfonso  gives  him  the  charge  of  protecting 
the  King's  daughter  until  the  battle  shall  have  ended. 
The  general,  in  former  days  banished  by  Mauregato, 
suppresses  his  feelings  in  silence,  and  blesses  his  son, 
now  hurrying  forth  to  fight  the  rebels. 

Mauregato,  returning  in  the  haste  of  flight,  sees  sud- 
denly the  dethroned  'Troila  before  him,  and,  thinking 
him  a  ghost,  implores  his  mercy.  Troila  approaches 
him  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  whilst  asking  pardon  for 
his  crime,  brings  his  daughter  to  him.  In  the  distance  is 
heard  a  warlike  march.  Alfonso  returns  with  his  army 
as  a  conqueror,  and  lays  his  sword  at  Mauregato's  feet ; 
the  latter  points  to  Troila  as  the  rightful  king.  Adolfo 
again  recognises  the  man  whom  he  formerly  served,  and 
for  whose  supremacy  he  has  undertaken  a  war  against 
the  usurper.  Troila  hands  over  the  kingdom  to  his  son 
Alfonso,  and  Mauregato  gives  him  his  daughter.  The 
peasants  pray  the  old  king  not  to  desert  them,  and  he 
grants  their  request.  The  opera1  concludes  with  a 
general  chorus  of  joy.  The  first  act  begins  with  an 
introduction,  followed  by  a  chorus  of  peasants,  a  melo- 

1  The  original  score  (in  the  possession  of  the  Musikverein  at  Vienna) 
has  the  metronome  tempi  marked  by  Schubert ;  he  had  a  complete  copy 


*  ALFONSO  UND  ESTRELLA.'          239 

dious  movement,  interspersed  with  solo  passages  for 
the  tenor  (the  youth),  and  the  contralto  (a  maiden). 
This  is  succeeded  by  a  fine  bass  air  for  Troila  (Allegro 
E-flat  minor  -f )?  recitatives,  and  a  second  chorus  of 
peasants  (Gr  major  |),  with  solos  for  Troila  and  the 
youth.  The  chorus  moves  in  the  rhythm  and  character 
of  a  (  Landler,'  which  we  meet  with  in  Schubert's  dance 
music,  and  this  peculiar  form  is  telling  and  effective  in 
the  opera.  A  duett  between  Troila  and  Alfonso  (An- 
dante D  minor  -J)  is  of  the  Lied  order,  and  of  small 
artistic  value ;  but  the  fine  expressive  tenor  air  of 
Alfonso,  with  clarionet  obligate  (B-flat  major  f  ),  and  its 
lyrical  character,  outshines  all  the  preceding  numbers. 
A  duett  between  Alfonso  and  Troila  opens  well,  but 
is  lost,  as  the  movement  developes,  in  commonplace 
phrases.  The  hunting  chorus  of  women  (Allegro  Gr 
major  -|)  has  in  some  respects  the  usual  freshness  and 
originality,  but  owes  its  charm  and  value  to  a  beautiful 
air  for  Estrella,  with  which  the  chorus  is  interwoven. 

made  of  the  score,  for  which  (according  to  the  testimony  of  J.  Hiitten- 
brenner)  the  publishing  firm  of  Diabelli  deducted  the  sum  of  100  florins 
from  the  profits  resulting  from  the  sale  of  Schubert's  compositions.  In 
a  note  written  in  the  year  1822  (in  the  possession  of  J.  Hiittenbrenner), 
are  the  following  lines,  in  Schubert's  handwriting : — 

'  Dear  Friend, — Be  so  good  as  to  bring  me  one  act  after  another  of  the 
opera  ( "Alfonso  ")  for  my  correction.  I  wish,  too,  that  you  would  take  the 
trouble  to  square  my  accounts  up  to  the  present  time  with  the  firm  of 
Diabelli,  as  I  am  in  want  of  money.' 

A  copy  of  the  score,  in  an  abbreviated  form,  by  Liszt,  is  in  the  hands 
of  Herr  J.  Herbeck,  in  Vienna;  the  firm  of  Spina  has  the  original  copy. 


240  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

The  bass  air  for  Adolfo  (Allegro  E-flat  minor)  is  in  the 
outset  imposing  by  its  heroic  colour  and  character, 
but  falls  afterwards  into  commonplace  prettiness,  from 
which  it  never  raises  itself  again.  The  duett  between 
Estrella  and  Alfonso  (Andantino  C  major  j)  is  melo- 
dious, and  the  final  Allegro  movement  in  C  minor, 
with  its  passionate  character,  is  an  agreeable  change 
to  the  monotony  of  the  previous  number.  The  finale 
is  introduced  by  a  (musically  commonplace)  chorus  of 
warriors,  which  leads  into  a  general  chorus  of  mixed 
voices  for  the  people.  There  follow  short  recitatives 
and  airs  for  Mauregato,  Adolfo,  and  Estrella;  the 
musical  action  of  the  piece  widens  out  into  a  lively 
ensemble,  with  chorus,  connected  with  an  interesting 
orchestral  interlude.  The  music  at  this  point  gains 
materially  in  dramatic  expression,  the  chorus  of  warriors 
summoning  their  followers  to  battle,  and  the  ladies  their 
companions  to  the  hunting-field,  suggesting  fruitful 
themes  of  invention  to  the  composer.  Eecitatives  of 
Troila  and  Alfonso,  with  harp  and  flute  accompaniments, 
introduce  the  second  act.  The  romance  for  Troila  (a 
legend  of  the  Daughter  of  the  Skies)  does  not  answer 
the  expectations  which  one  would  be  disposed  to  asso- 
ciate with  this  particular  piece,  for  it  seldom  rises  above 
the  level  of  a  sentimental  commonplace  cantilena ;  but 
Schubert's  true  romantic  spirit  breathes  in  the  next 
duett  (in  Gr  minor)  for  Alfonso  and  Estrella.  We  scent 
the  blossom  and  hear  the  whisperings  of  the  woods,  and 


6  ALFONSO  UND  ESTRELLA.'  241 

from  the  melody  and  the  accompaniment  peers  out  the 
long-lost  face  and  earnest  look  of  the  composer.  Keci- 
tatives  for  Alfonso  and  Estrella,  an  air  for  each,  but 
neither  of  any  special  interest,  a  commonplace  duett  for 
the  same  characters,  with  no  ring  of  Schubert  about 
it,  except  in  the  last  phrases,  form  the  remainder  of 
the  numbers.  A  double  chorus  of  the  conspirators, 
interwoven  with  an  air  for  Alfonso  (Allegro  agitato),  is 
vocally  and  instrumentally  full  of  character,  and  must 
be  reckoned  among  the  few  and  thinly  scattered  num- 
bers in  the  opera  which  have  real  dramatic  value.  An 
air  for  Mauregato  with  chorus  (Allegro  D  minor  ^),  a 
duett  for  the  same  with  Estrella  (Andantino  F  minor), 
are  also  of  a  commonplace  character,  and  have  nothing 
of  special  interest.  The  Finale  (Allegro  A  minor  -J) 
is  a  grand  ensemble,  in  which  Mauregato,  Estrella,  the 
leading  sentinels,  choruses  of  men  and  women,  besides 
one  for  conspirators  behind  the  scenes,  all  take  part  : 
the  constant  cry  of  ( Eevenge '  contrasts  effectively  with 
the  voices  of  the  women  and  the  war-cry  of  the  men, 
the  whole  scene  with  its  characteristic  and  vivid  colour- 
ing giving  Schubert  an  ample  field  for  the  development 
of  his  dramatic  power.  The  third  act  begins  with  an 
orchestral  introduction  of  some  length  (Allegro  D  minor 
alia  breve),  which,  in  strains  of  a  restless  and  pas- 
sionate character,  tells  the  horrors  of  the  battle  raging 
in  the  secluded  valley.  This  introduction  is  followed 
by  a  series  of  recitatives  for  the  youth  and  maiden 

VOL.    I.  K 


242  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

(Allegro  Gr  minor  -J),  in  which  they  communicate  in 
strains  of  awe  and  sorrow  their  mutual  experiences  of 
the  horrors  they  have  witnessed  in  the  flight.  The  cry 
of  fugitive  women,  '  Weh  uns — fliehet ! '  concludes  this 
number,  which  is  conspicuous  for  depth  of  feeling  and 
dramatic  expression.  The  duett,  too  (No.  3),  for  Adolfo 
and  Estrella  (Allegro  assai  F  minor  f )  is  conceived  in  a 
grand  style,  and  must  be  very  effective  on  the  stage. 
The  ensemble  which  follows,  viz.  a  trio  for  Alfonso, 
Adolfo,  and  Estrella  (Allegro  D  major  -f-),  preliminary 
to  a  septett  made  up  with  parts  for  four  Jager,  is  very 
promising  at  first,  but  lapses  afterwards  into  the  com- 
monplace Italian  forms  then  in  fashion.  Then  we  have 
a  series  of  beautiful  and  expressive  recitatives  for 
Alfonso  and  Estrella,  and  a  powerful  duett  (Allegro 
molto  C  major  -J)  set  to  words  of  an  heroic  character, 
but  from  the  point  where  the  two  voices  join,  the 
music  falls  into  the  unmistakable  phrases  of  the  Italian 
cantilena.  A  duett  for  the  same  characters,  alternating 
with  a  chorus  of  fugitive  soldiers,  is  well  worked  up  and 
full  of  character  and  expression.  The  following  double 
chorus  (Allegro  E-flat  major  -|-),  with  a  fragmentary 
introduction  of  trumpet  signals,  which  peal  alternately 
from  two  orchestras,  although  rhythmical  and  melodious, 
is  yet  trivial  in  form,  and  at  a  later  period,  when  the 
general  chorus  of  soldiers  and  huntsmen  gives  a  wider 
scope  for  musical  invention,  fails  to  impress  one  as  a 
work  of  any  great  musical  value.  But  the  recitatives 
for  Troila,  Alfonso,  and  Estrella  are  all  the  more 


'ALFONSO    UND    ESTRELLA.'  243 

effective.  The  next  ensemble,  made  up  of  the  princi- 
pals and  chorus,  is  effectively  and  dramatically  worked, 
but  is  entirely  thrown  into  the  shade  by  the  scena 
immediately  following,  in  which  the  flying  Mauregato 
coming  on  a  sudden  face  to  face  with  Troila,  takes  him 
for  the  ghost  of  the  dethroned  king.  The  air  of  the 
bewildered  and  despairing  Mauregato  (Allegro  agitato  G 
minor  -*-)  and  the  succeeding  interview  with  Troila  are 
all  written  in  a  grand  dramatic  style,  and  would  un- 
doubtedly produce  a  great  effect  upon  the  stage.  The 
duett,  also,  for  Troila  and  Mauregato,  treated  with  great 
beauty  and  originality,  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
features  of  the  opera.  The  voice-writing  for  the  two 
parts,  moving  together  so  melodiously  in  the  conclud- 
ing passages,  reminds  us  again  of  the  influence  of  the 
Italian  style  over  Schubert.  Lastly,  a  very  pretty  and 
dramatically  effective  trio  for  Troila,  Mauregato,  and 
Estrella,  B-flat  -J,  points  to  the  same  conclusion. 

The  finale  is  introduced  by  a  march,  followed  by  a 
lively  but  not  very  interesting  chorus  for  Jager  and 
soldiers  in  B-flat.  More  recitatives  follow  for  Alfonso 
and  Mauregato,  which  are  succeeded  by  an  ensemble, 
in  which  the  chief  characters  are  joined  by  choruses 
of  peasants  and  soldiers,  imploring  Troila,  in  earnest 
accents,  to  stay  and  help  them.  There  are  some  ex- 
quisitely tender  and  beautiful  passages  in  this  ensemble, 
especially  an  Andante  movement,  in  which  Mauregato 
and  Troila,  addressing  the  lovers  (Estrella  and  Alfonso), 

R  2 


244  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

bless  the  union  and  invest  them  with  rule  over  the 
kingdom.  The  general  chorus,  an  Allegro  in  J-  time, 
in  the  bright  key  of  E  major,  is  a  noisy  conclusion  to 
the  entire  opera,  and  never  rises  above  the  level  of  a 
commonplace  dramatic  finale. 

The  criticisms  here  offered  of  the  worth  and  character 
of  the  single  portions  of  this  opera  are  sufficient  to  show 
that  the  first  work  of  importance  written  by  Schubert 
for  the  stage  is  by  no  means  wanting  in  numbers  which 
would  be  gladly  welcomed  by  Schubert's  friends  as 
worthy  of  the  composer.  Some  individual  airs,  duetts, 
and  choruses,  the  finale  of  the  first  act,  the  entire 
body  of  recitatives,  and  the  orchestral  movements  are 
beautiful,  full  of  expression  and  dramatic  energy;  and 
the  fact  may  be  stated  that  the  last  act,  taken  as  a 
whole,  being  of  a  higher  musical  value  than  other  parts 
of  the  work,  contributes  materially  to  the  general  effect 
of  the  opera.  On  the  other  hand,  the  work  has  some 
material  defects,  whichj  apart  from  the  musical  in- 
feriority of  some  numbers,  must  be  chiefly  ascribed  to 
the  monotonous  style  of  lyric  treatment  throughout  the 
entire  poem,  and  a  series  of  movements  open  to  the 
same  objection.  The  grand  dramatic  element  is  entirely 
wanting  in  Schober's  libretto,  and  the  blame  must  be 
laid  rather  to  the  compiler's  mode  of  treating  his  sub- 
ject, than  the  musician's  adaptation  of  his  friend's  work. 
There  are  endless  lyric  effusions,  and  none  can  wonder 
that  the  composer,  unmistakably  influenced,  it  may  be 


MUSICAL   CRITICISMS.  245 

remarked  in  passing,  by  Rossini's  operatic  music,  in 
the  absence  of  some  salient  point  offering  scope  for 
bold  dramatic  expression,  contented  himself  in  emptying 
his  cornucopia  of  melodies  over  the  broad  lyrical  sur- 
face of  the  libretto,  and  gave,  with  a  happy  consciousness 
of  power,  full  play  to  his  light  and  genial  muse.  When- 
ever the  poet  offered  him  a  fit  opportunity  for  any 
strong  dramatic  treatment,  Schubert  never  let  it  es- 
cape him ;  and  although  '  Alfonso  und  Estrella'  would 
scarcely  satisfy  the  requirements  of  the  theatrical  re- 
presentations of  our  own  day,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  Schubert,  in  some  scenes  of  this  very  opera, 
showed  an  extraordinary  skill  in  his  mastery  over  the 
grand  forms  of  the  musical  drama. 

( Alfonso  und  Estrella,'  as  we  shall  point  out  by 
and  by,  was  only  once  represented  on  the  stage  (in  the 
year  1854),  and  on  that  occasion  the  defects  we  have 
alluded  to  seem  to  have  sealed  the  fate  of  the  opera. 
Thirty  years  before,  when  Schubert  and  his  friends 
were  endeavouring  to  get  a  performance  of  the  opera 
on  any  of  the  larger  stages,  the  prevalent  taste  of  the 
period  would  have  augured  a  longer  existence  for  the 
work  than  that  which  was  actually  allotted  to  it.  Apart 
from  the  musical  contents  of  the  opera,  the  work  has 
a  more  abiding  external  interest  in  the  fact  that  (ac- 
cording to  a  statement  of  A.  Schindler),1  it  brought 

1  Anton  Schindler,  Beethoven's  well-known  friend,  was  born  at  Madel 
in  Moravia,  and  died,  as  musical  director,  at  Bokenheim,  in  January  1864, 


246  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

Schubert  into  contact  with  another  great  master.  The 
interview,  at  first  not  very  happy  in  its  results,  led  to 
a  discussion  between  the  two  composers  which  is  too 
characteristic  to  be  passed  over  in  silence. 

Carl  Maria  von  Weber  came  to  Vienna  in  October 
1823,  to  conduct  in  person  a  performance  of  his  '  Eury- 
anthe,' written  expressly  for  the  Court  Opera  House. 
This  work  was  given  for  the  first  time  on  October  25, 
but,  owing  to  reasons  which  we  need  not  do  more  than 
refer  to,  had  not  anything  like  the  enduring  success 
which  had  been  awarded  to  '  Der  Freischiitz.' l 

Schubert  was  present  at  the  performance,  and  his 

1  The  first  three  representations,  on  the  25th,  27th,  and  29th  October, 
were  conducted  by  "Weber,  the  fourth  by  Capellmeister  Kreuzer,  the 
composer  attending  as  a  listener,  and  sitting  in  one  of  the  private  boxes. 
The  success  of  the  first  performances  was  brilliant.  Frl.  Henrietta 
Sonntag  sang  the  part  of  Euryanthe,  Frau  G-runbaum  that  of  Eglantine, 
Forti  was  Lysiart ;  the  other  parts  were  filled  by  Heitzinger  and  Seipelt. 
Weber  was  called  for  on  the  first  evening  amidst  a  storm  of  applause, 
and,  when  the  performance  was  over,  drove  off  to  the  '  Ludlamshohle,' 
where  twenty-seven  poets  and  artists  were  collected  to  give  him  a 
triumphant  reception.  The  day  following,  Mosel  and  other  musical 
connoisseurs  came  to  congratulate  him  (see  Weber's  letters  to  his  wife). 
'  Euryanthe,'  at  that  time,  was  given  about  six  times  more;  it  was 
repeated  again  at  a  later  period,  under  Duport's  management  (when 
Schroder-Devrient  sang  the  chief  part),  and  again  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  Count  Grallenberg.  Enthusiasm,  however,  soon  grew  cold, 
and  Helmina  Chezy,  the  authoress  of  the  libretto,  herself  confessed, 
that  the  success  had  not  answered  the  high  expectations  formed  by  the 
public.  A  section  of  the  '  Ludlamshole  '  blamed  the  libretto ;  Castelli 
thought  the  opera  had  come  into  the  world  half  a  century  too  early ; 
others  laid  the  entire  blame  on  the  musical  setting ;  in  short,  the  triumph 
which  greeted  the  birth  of  the  opera  was  soon  metamorphosed  into  a 


WEBER'S  <  ECRYANTHE.*  247 

opinion  of  the  new  work  was  regarded  by  many  con- 
noisseurs as  decisive.  He  asserted  openly  that  Weber's 
'  Euryanthe'  certainly  contained  many  beauties  of  har- 
mony, but  no  single  original  melody,  and  was  entirely 
deficient  in  this  respect — a  fact  he  was  ready  to  prove 
to  Weber  by  a  reference  to  the  score.1  When  he  was 
met  with  the  assertion  that  Weber  had  in  some  respects 
been  obliged  to  alter  his  style,  because  the  art  of  music 
was  about  to  enter  new  phases,  and  from  henceforth 
must  needs  produce  effects  by  aid  of  heavy  masses,  Schu- 
bert argued,  6  What  good  are  heavy  masses  ?  (c  wozu  denn 
schwere  Massen?").  "Der  Freischutz"  was  so  genial, 


defeat.  On  other  German  stages  (Berlin,  Weimar,  and  Dresden)  the 
opera  met  with  great  success,  and  also  in  London,  in  the  year  1831, 
when  Mina  Schroder  and  Heitzinger  sang  the  chief  parts.  That  Weber 
went  to  Beethoven  with  the  score,  and  prayed  him  to  make  such  alter- 
ations as  he  pleased  (as  Schindler  affirms),  is  not  only  discredited  as 
being  utterly  irreconcilable  with  Weber's  habits  of  thought,  but  has  been 
strenuously  and  positively  denied.  ('  Neue  Zeitschrift  fur  Musik,'  vol. 
xiii.  No.  48.) 

1  '  You  have  now,'  wrote  Friedrich  v.  Rochlitz,  on  October  4,  1823, 
to  Herr  Tobias  Haslinger  in  Vienna,  '  my  dear  friend  Maria  v.  Weber, 
with  his  "  Euryanthe,"  at  Vienna.  He  has  to  conquer  a  great  enemy, 
and  that  enemy  is  himself  in  his  own  Freischutz.  Yet  I  don't  doubt 
he  will  succeed  this  time  also.  He  truly  deserves  it.'  Afterwards, 
on  December  22,  1823: — 'The  fate  which  our  friend  Weber's  "Eury- 
anthe "  has  (probably  most  undeservedly)  met  with  in  Vienna  does  no 
honour  to  the  discrimination  of  your  public  ;  and  seeing  that  for  years 
past,  and  with  abundant  reason,  your  audiences  are  credited  with  sharp- 
sighted  judgment  in  musical  matters,  this  result  is  very  injurious  to 
Weber — a  matter  I  deplore  on  his  account,  your  own,  and  that  of  your 
public.' 


248  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

so  full  of  heart,  it  bewitched  you  with  its  loveliness ; 
but  in  "  Euryanthe"  very  little  geniality  can  be  found ! ' 
When  this  derogatory  criticism  came  to  Weber's  ears, 
he  is  reported  to  have  said,  f  Let  the  blockhead  learn 
something  first  before  he  presumes  to  judge  me.'  This 
hasty  inconsiderate  expression  went  the  round  of  mu- 
sical circles  in  Vienna,  and  Schubert,  who  at  the  time 
although  only  twenty-seven  years  old,  was  the  author  of 
several  symphonies  and  operas,  besides  a  couple  of 
hundred  songs,  felt  aggrieved  at  Weber's  words,  and 
went  off  with  the  score  of  e  Alfonso  und.  Estrella'  under 
his  arm  to  show  him  that  he  was  ready  to  fight  Weber 
with  equal  weapons. 

After  Carl  Maria  had  gone  through  the  score,  he 
spoke  of  Schubert's  criticisms  on  his  (Weber's)  opera, 
and  the  latter  still  adhering  to  his  opinion,  Weber,  a 
little  piqued,  exclaimed,  '  But  I  tell  you  that  the  usual 
course  is  for  people  to  drown  the  first  puppies  and  the 
first  operas  ' — a  sentence  clearly  intended  to  hint  that 
Weber  was  of  opinion  that  '  Alfonso  und  Estrella '  was 
Schubert's  first  dramatic  work,  of  the  puppy  species.  In 
spite  of  this  encounter,  these  two  great  artists  did  not 
keep  aloof  from  one  another  as  personal  enemies,  and 
Weber  silently  withdrew  his  harsh  criticism;  for  at  a  later 
period,  acting  under  the  recommendation  of  Hofrath 
Mosel,  who,  along  with  Salieri,  had  a  very  favourable 
opinion  of  Schubert's  opera,  Weber  expressed  his  readi- 
ness to  have  a  performance  of  the  work  at  the  Dresden 


LETTER    FROM   MADAME    MILDER.  249 

Opera,  and  expressed  in  a  letter  the  personal  friendly 
interest  he  took  in  the  work.1 

We  have  it  on  the  authority  of  J.  Hiittenbrenner, 
that  the  libretto  was  sent  to  be  delivered  by  Wilhelmine 
Schroder  to  C.  M.  v.  Weber  at  Dresden;  the  score 
(only  a  copy  of  the  original)  was  sent  by  Schubert  to 
the  singer  Anna  Milder,  who  wished  to  have  the  opera 
performed  in  Berlin,  but  afterwards  gave  up  the  design. 
The  following  letter  of  Milder,  given  word  for  word  as 
it  was  written  (addressed  to  Herr  Franz  Schubert,  at 
the  school-house  in  Eossau),  is  more  minute  on  the 
subject.  It  runs  thus  : — 

'  Berlin,  March  8,  1825. 

'Most  honoured  Herr  Schubert, — I  hasten  to  inform 
you  that  I  have,  with  extreme  pleasure,  received  }Tour 
Opera  "Alfonso  und  Estrella,"  as  well  as  the  second 
song  of  Zuleika.  I  heartily  thank  you  for  your  cheerful 
compliance  in  this  matter.  Zuleika's  second  song  is 
divine,  and  each  time  I  sing  it  my  eyes  fill  with  tears. 
It  is  indescribable.  You  have  managed  to  introduce  in 
that  song  every  possible  spell  and  mournful  enchant- 
ment ;  this  you  have  done  likewise  with  Zuleika's  first 

1  This  letter,  according  to  Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner,  was  sent  him 
by  Weber,  and  it  came  subsequently  into  the  hands  of  Herr  v.  Schober. 
Schober  told  me,  however,  that  he  never  possessed  the  letter.  As  throw- 
ing light  on  the  relationship  existing  between  "Weber  and  Schubert, 
this  letter  would  be  of  great  interest.  One  would  have  expected  to 
find  in  Max  v.  Weber's  published  biography  of  his  father  a  more  detailed 
account  of  the  relationship  existing  between  the  two  composers. 


250  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

song,  and  the  "  Geheimniss."  One  can  only  regret  the 
impossibility  of  singing  all  these  endlessly  lovely  things 
to  the  public,  since  all  that  the  common  herd  care 
about  (alas  !  that  it  should  be  so)  is  to  have  the  ear 
tickled.  Should,  however,  by  any  chance  the  "  Nacht- 
schmetterling  "  be  unsuited  for  a  brilliant  vocal  display, 
I  would  ask  you  to  choose  some  other  poem  instead, 
and,  if  possible,  something  of  Gothe's,  which  might  be 
divided  into  various  movements,  to  enable  the  artist  to 
employ  different  shades  of  expression.  Such  poems 
are  to  be  found  amongst  Gothe's  works.  For  example, 
"  Verschiedene  Empfindungen  an  einem  Platz,"  l  or  a 
similar  piece, — I  leave  it  to  you.  That  your  success 
will  be  brilliant,  I  cannot  doubt. 

e  For  any  amount  of  songs  you  wish  to  dedicate  to 
me,  I  can  only  feel  extremely  pleased  and  flattered. 
On  the  1st  of  June  I  leave  this  place;  but  could  I  only 
have  from  you  the  song  I  should  like  for  my  concert 
tours,  I  should  be  exceedingly  pleased  if  you  would 
kindly  introduce  some  passages  and  embellishments 
suitable  to  my  particular  style. 

'With  regard  to  your  Opera  "Alfonso  und  Estrella," 
it  pains  me  to  make  the  remark,  but  I  must  do  so, 
that  the  libretto  does  not  answer  the  taste  of  the  people 
here,  who  are  accustomed  to  the  grand  high  tragic 
opera,  or  the  comic  opera  of  the  French.  The  public 

1  The  title  of  one  of  Gotbe's  poems. 


LETTER   FROM   MADAME    MILDER.  251 

taste  here  beiDg  as  I  describe  it,  you  yourself  will 
understand  that  success  here  would  be  impossible  for 
"  Alfonso  und  Estrella."  Should  I  have  the  happiness 
of  playing  in  one  of  your  operas,  the  character  should 
be  written  expressly  to  suit  my  individuality  as  an 
artist ;  for  instance,  the  role  of  a  queen,  a  mother,  or 
peasant-woman.  I  would  advise  you  to  write  some- 
thing entirely  new,  if  possible  in  one  act — an  Oriental 
subject,  with  the  chief  character  given  to  the  soprano ; 
this,  as  I  gather  from  Grothe's  "  Divan,"  could  not  fail 
to  succeed  in  your  hands.  You  can  rely  on  a  good 
performance  as  far  as  the  chorus  goes,  and  three  cha- 
racters, the  soprano,  tenor,  and  bass.  Should  you  find 
such  a  subject  as  I  suggest,  pray  let  me  know  of  it, 
that  we  may  come  to  a  better  and  closer  understanding 
on  the  subject.  Then  I  would  make  every  effort  to 
bring  the  play  on  the  stage.  Be  good  enough  to  let 
me  know  what  is  to  be  done  with  your. Opera  "Al- 
fonso." 

'  Pray  greet  my  friend  and  teacher  Vogl  very  heartily 
for  me.  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  he  is  such  a  sufferer  ; 
I  am  not  much  better  myself.  Tell  him  that  I  am 
obliged  to  go  this  year  to  Wiesbaden.  I  should  be 
delighted  to  get  a  few  lines  from  him.  Please  give  my 
best  regards  to  Fr.  v.  Lascny.1  I  should  much  like  to 

1  To  this  lady,  whose  maiden  name  was  Buchwieser,  the  '  Divertisse- 
ment Hongroie  '  was  dedicated.  Herr  Lascny  was  a  landowner  in 
Hungary,  and  his  wife  an  accomplished  songstress.  Schubert  and  several 
of  his  friends  constantly  visited  them. 


252  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

sing  your  Lieder  to  that  amiable  and  artistic  lady. 
To  your  favour  and  goodwill  I  heartily  commend  my- 
self. Your  most  humble  servant, 

MILDER.' 


In  the  September  of  1827,  Schubert,  as  we  shall 
have  occasion  to  show  by  and  by,  went  to  Grratz  for  a 
fortnight,  where  he  was  quartered  in  the  house  of  Dr. 
Carl  Pachler,  advocate.  On  returning  to  Vienna,  he 
sent  his  friend  the  libretto  of  the  Opera  '  Alfonso,'  and 
the  libretto  remained  in  the  custody  of  Dr.  Pachler  up 
to  the  beginning  of  the  year  1843.  Schubert  left  the 
score  behind,  doubtless  with  the  hope  of  the  work  being 
performed  in  Grratz,  and  every  effort  was  made  to  have 
the  work  represented  on  the  stage.  At  the  rehearsals, 
however,  Hysel,  the  orchestral  conductor  for  the  time 
being,  declared  that  '  it  was  technically  impossible  to 
play  what  Schubert  wanted.'  The  difficulties  of  the 
score  seemed  to  the  Grratz  orchestra  of  the  time  being 
absolutely  insuperable.  An  attempt,  too,  is  said  to 
have  been  made  with  <  Fierrabras'  (written  1823),  and 
to  have  failed  from  the  same  reason.1 

In  the  year   1842   there  seems  to  have  been  some 

1  Dr.  Faust  Pachler,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  these  statements,  ob- 
serves that  his  father,  the  alterego  of  the  theatrical  manager,  Stoger  ; 
would  certainly  have  brought  about  the  performance,  had  such  a  thing 
been  possible.  He  remembers  one  or  two  orchestral  rehearsals  at  the 
Grratz  Theatre,  but  thinks  it  most  likely  that  the  first  of  the  rehearsed 
operas  was  '  Fierrabras.' 


LETTER  FROM  FERD.  SCHUBERT  TO  DR.  PACHLER.  253 

intention  of  representing  the  Opera  of  ( Alfonso'  at 
Vienna.  At  least  the  following  letter  of  Ferdinand 
Schubert's  would  seem  to  indicate  this,  unless  we  allow 
a  margin  for  the  supposition  that  the  writer  alleged, 
by  way  of  pretext,  his  hopes  of  a  coming  performance 
as  a  motive  for  reclaiming  the  score  of  the  opera.1 

The  letter,  dated  June  26,  1842,  and  addressed  to 
Dr.  Pachler  in  Grratz,  runs  thus  : — 

*  I  have  heard  with  intense  pleasure  from  my  friends 
at  Vienna,  that  the  original  of  the  Opera  "  Alfonso  und 
Estrella,"  a  composition  of  my  dear  departed  brother, 
is  still  in  perfect  preservation  and  in  your  hands.  I 
venture  boldly  to  ask  you,  sir,  to  be  kind  enough  to 
send  me  the  score,  as  I  have  hopes  of  getting  a  per- 
formance of  this  opera  next  winter  at  the  Eoyal  Opera 
House.' 

In  January  1843  the  opera  came  once  more  into  the 
hands  of  Ferdinand  Schubert.2  There  never  was  any 
performance  of  this  opera  at  Vienna.  But  when,  in 

1  I  cannot  remember  ever  to  have  heard  a  word  said  in  Vienna  about 
any  representation  of  the  Opera  '  Alfonso.' 

2  Hofrath  v.  Witteczek,  of  Vienna,  in  a  letter  of  the  14th  of  September, 
1 842,  empowered  Dr.  Franz  Schreiner,   of  Gratz,  to  take  charge  of  the 
manuscript,  after  he  had  removed  Dr.  Pachler's  doubts  and  convinced 
him  of  its  genuineness.   About  the  30th  of  October,  Schreiner  allowed 
the  score  to  be  sent,  and  on  the   19th  of  January,   1843,  Ferdinand 
Schubert  acknowledged  the  receipt.     The  original  score  was,  during  the 
year  1861,  in  the  possession  of  Herr  Alexander  Thayer  (of  Boston),  to 
whom  it  had  been  presented  by  the  family  of  Ferdinand  Schubert.     At 
present  it  is  the  property  of  the  Musikverein  of  Vienna. 


254  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

the  year  1847,  Dr.  Franz  Liszt  took  up  his  residence  in 
Weimar,  he  expressed  a  wish  to  Franz  v.  Schober,  the 
compiler  of  the  book  (and  at  that  time  Legationsrath 
at  Weimar),  to  bring  out  one  of  Schubert's  operas. 
Schober  called  Liszt's  attention  to  the  fact,  that  6  Al- 
fonso und  Estrella '  was  the  only  finished  opera,  and  had 
never  been  performed  anywhere,1  and  pledged  himself 
to  write  at  once  to  Ferdinand  Schubert,  desiring  him 
to  send  the  score  to  the  committee  of  management  for 
the  Court  Opera  House. 

After  the  lapse  of  two  months,  he  received  from  Fer- 
dinand Schubert  the  following  letter,  dated  March  3, 
1848:2— 

'  Noble  and  highly  honoured  Herr  Legationsrath,' — 
I  am  uncommonly  glad  to  hear  that  Herr  Hofcapell- 
meister  Dr.  Liszt  bears  in  mind  the  operas  of  my 
dear  departed  brother,  and  the  more  so,  as  I  know 
that  Dr.  Liszt,  simply  from  a  generous  enthusiasm  for 
these  compositions,  is  intent  on  bringing  them  before 
the  public.  I  am  extremely  sorry  on  this  occasion  to 
be  unable  to  comply  at  once  with  your  wish,  as  I 
am  already  in  treaty  with  Breitkopf  &  Hartel  re- 
specting the  operas,  as  well  as  some  other  works  of 
my  deceased  brother.  That  the  Opera  "  Alfonso  und 
Estrella  "  should  so  long  have  remained  unrepresented 

1  There  Herr  v.  Schober  was  mistaken,  as  half-a-dozen  operas  were 
finished,  but  never  performed  in  public. 

2  Herr  v.  Schober  lent  me  a  copy  of  this  letter. 


PROPOSALS  FOR  THE  PERFORMANCE  OF  e  ALFONSO.'  25,5 

on  the  stage,  and  be  therefore  well  calculated  to  make 
managers  distrustful  of  its  artistic  worth,  is  a  circum- 
stance which  need  not  awaken  any  apprehensions ;  cir- 
cumstances are  in  a  great  measure  accountable  for  the 
fact  that  one  of  Schubert's  great  admirers  in  Gratz, 
after  the  death  of  the  composer,  so  conscientiously  and 
carefully  kept  the  opera  in  a  money-drawer,  that  he 
only  discovered  his  musical  treasure  after  the  lapse  of 
fourteen  years.1  Besides  this,  it  is  no  longer  possible 
to  get  this  work  rehearsed  during  Dr.  Liszt's  stay  at 
Weimar,  as  the  parts  are  not  yet  copied  out,  and  the 
shortness  of  our  time  does  not  admit  of  that  being 
done.  As  soon,  however,  as  I  have  made  my  arrange- 
ments at  Leipsic,  I  will  immediately  acquaint  you,  so 
that  you  may  be  able  to  give  other  directions  for  the 
future. 

'It  gives  us  intense  pleasure  to  know  that  your 
Honour  still  continues  the  true  friend  of  our  brother 
Franz,  and  co-operates  so  heartily  with  those  who  wish 
to  erect  yet  another  memorial  to  the  departed  Schu- 
bert. Eeceive  the  assurance  of  my  high  and  distin- 
guished consideration,  and  have  the  kindness  to  give 
my  profound  respects  to  Herr  Capellmeister  Dr.  Liszt, 
and  thank  him  most  especially  for  the  noble  enthusiasm 

1  This  must  be  a  false  version  of  what  actually  occurred.  Schubert 
had  the  original  score,  a  copy  of  which  had  been  sent  to  Berlin  for  his 
friend  Dr.  Pachler,  who  was  to  dispose  of  it  as  he  chose,  and  that  gentle- 
man wished  to  bring  out  the  work  before  the  public  at  G-ratz. 


256  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

which  he  so  actively  employs  towards  perpetuating  the 
memory  of  my  deceased  brother. 

'  Your  most  obedient  servant, 

(  FERDINAND  SCHUBERT.' 

In  consequence  of  this  letter,  Herr  v.  Schober,  on 
March  18,  1848,  wrote  a  pressing  letter  to  the  owner 
of  the  score,  which  some  days  afterwards  arrived  at 
Weimar,  addressed  to  Dr.  Liszt.  The  performance, 
however,  was  delayed  until  the  year  1854,  when  the 
opera  was  given  on  June  24,  at  the  end  of  the  season, 
as  a  festival  performance  on  the  birthday  celebration 
of  the  Grand  Duke.1  Liszt  directed  the  opera  for  this, 
the  first  time  it  was  given  at  Weimar.  The  work  had 
been  well  studied,  and  the  representatives  of  Troila  and 
Estrella  were  deservedly  applauded ; 2  the  orchestra 
and  chorus  also  did  their  duty.  The  success,  however, 
of  the  opera  was  not  remarkable.3 

1  For  this  reason  a  '  Jubilee  Overture,'  by  Eubinstein,  was  given  in 
lieu  of  Schubert's. 

2  The  singers   were   Milde  (Troila),  Liebert  (Alfonso),    Mayrhofer 
(Adolfo),  Hofer  (Mauregato),  Frau  Milde  (Estrella). 

3  In  the  '  Neue  Zeitschrift  fur  Musik,'  Grottwald  thus  criticised  Schu- 
bert's opera : — '  I  looked  forward  with  intense  interest  to  the  perform- 
ance of  this  opera  by  our  greatest  song-writer,  as  his  special  strength 
lies  in  the  lofty  tone-poems  adapted  to  every  temperament,  in  clothing 
passion  with  such  appropriate  musical  forms,  that  the  enchantments  of 
his  fancy  still  attract  us  by  their  magic  power.     One  was  justified, 
after  hearing  so  many  of  his  rare  and  dramatically  worked-up  Lieder, 
in  looking  for  very  important  results  when  he  came  to  deal  with  the 
province  of  opera.     Unfortunately,  however,  the  poetical  large-hearted 


SYMPHONY    IN    B    MINOIt.  257 

Of  the  more  important  works  composed  in  this  year 
we  may  cite  : — 

An  orchestral  symphony  in  B  minor,  which  Schubert 
presented,  in  a  half-finished  state,  to  the  Musikverein 
at  Gratz,  in  return  for  the  compliment  paid  to  him 
of  being  elected  an  honorary  member  of  that  society. 
Josef  Hiittenbrenner  is  my  authority  for  saying  that 
the  first  and  second  movements  are  entirely  finished, 
and  the  third  (Scherzo)  partly.  The  fragment  in  the 
possession  of  Herr  Anselm  Hiittenbrenner,  of  Gratz,  is 
said,  the  first  movement  particularly,  to  be  of  great 
beauty.  If  this  be  so,  Schubert's  intimate  friend  would 
do  well  to  emancipate  the  still  unknown  work  of  the 

composer  found  himself  in  company  with  a  thoroughly  prosy  librettist ; 
from  this  reason  Schubert's  opera  will  have  no  vitality  in  it.  The  meagre 
way  the  subject  is  handled,  destitute  of  any  kind  of  interest,  offering 
no  exciting  situations,  no  good  dramatic  effects,  must  necessarily  have 
a  tame  depressing  effect  upon  the  audience,  not  to  mention  the  lyrical 
effusions,  which  are  immoderately  dragged  out  and  extended.  These 
last  are  the  peculiar  features  of  this  opera  (which  one  might  correctly 
designate  a  song-opera)  ;  the  consequence  is  that  Schubert,  with  his  pure 
vein  of  melody,  must  have  felt  a  constant  sense  of  restraint,  and  cannot 
get  beyond  the  simplest  phrases  and  forms  of  his  Lieder.  The  inevitable 
consequence  is  a  kind  of  suicidal  monotony,  which  Schubert  could  never 
succeed,  even  by  his  wealth  of  melody,  in  entirely  dispelling.  This 
is  all  the  more  lamentable,  as  the  composer,  at  any  point  of  the  story 
where  he  could  reckon  on  support  (for  instance,  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  first  act,  the  first  interview  of  Estrella  with  Alfonso,  with,  by 
the  way,  its  most  interesting  instrumentation ;  in  the  conspirator's 
chorus,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  second  act,  besides  the  scene  in  the 
third  act  between  Estrella  and  Adolfo ;  the  march  of  victory,  and 
as  much  besides),  has  given  convincing  proof  of  his  great  powers  of 

VOL.    I.  S 


258  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

master  he  so  highly  honours,  and  introduce  the  sym- 
phony to  Schubert's  admirers.1 

The  Mass  in  A-flat,  one  of  the  most  important  church 
compositions  of  our  master;  the  Cantatas,  '  Volkslied,'2 
by  Deinhartstein,  <Des  Tages  Weihe'  (Op.  146);  the 
Quartett  for  sopranos,  'Grott  in  der  Natur,'3  and  the 
Quartett  for  men's  voices,  '  Geist  der  Liebe'  (Op.  133 
and  11).  The  Lieder  belonging  to  this  period  are 
nearly  all  in  print,  and  are  widely  circulated. 

When  Schubert's  works  were  already  before  the 
public,  Beethoven  was  employed  on  his  two  gigantic 
works,  the  Ninth  Symphony  and  the  D  Mass. 

The  Opera  '  Fidelio,'  composed  and  performed  in  the 

operatic  writing,  had  the  compiler  of  the  book  held  out  to  the  musician 
a  helping  hand.'  This  criticism  squares  precisely  with  the  opinion  I 
have  just  expressed;  here,  however,  too  much  blame  is  attributed  to  the 
compiler.  The  composer,  P.  Cornelius,  who  was  present  at  the  per- 
formances in  Weimar,  told  me  that  the  opera  contains  many  beautiful 
things,  but,  taken  as  a  whole,  the  present  state  of  theatrical  taste  and 
conditions  considered,  could  not  command  any  lengthened  term  of  popu- 
larity on  the  stage.  The  thought  inevitably  suggests  itself,  that  a  deal 
of  valueless  patchwork  in  music  triumphs  in  our  days  in  various  theatres, 
whereas  theatrical  doors  are  persistently  closed  to  any  work  of  Schubert's. 

1  A  pianoforte  duett  setting  of  the  symphony  (which  none  but  a  few 
of  the  '  initiated '  have  seen)  is  in  the  hands  of  Josef  Hiittenbrenner. 

2  Written  at  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  L.  v.  Sonnleithner,  and  performed 
on  February  11,  at  the   Theresianum,  on  the  birthday  festival  of  the 
Emperor  Franz,  under  Sonnleithner's  direction.     In  the  year  1848  it 
appeared,  with  Altered  words,  as  a  '  Constitutionslied'  (Op.  157),  en- 
graved by  the  firm  of  Diabelli.    The  composition  is  written  in  the  spirit 
of  Haydn's  Volkslieder. 

3  Written   for  Frl.  Anna  Frohlich  and   the  pupils  of  the  Conserva- 
torium. 


THE    OPERA    <  FIDELIO.'  259 

year  1805,  but  since  the  year  1806  consigned  to  the 
mouldy  shelves  of  the  theatre  library,  had  once  more 
been  restored  to  the  repertoire  of  the  Opera  House, 
and  from  this  time  up  to  the  year  1823  was  splendidly 
performed  by  the  following  troupe  of  artists  : — Milder- 
Hauptmann  ;  more  recently  by  Campi,  Honig,  and  Frl. 
Schroder,  Michael  Vogl,  Weinmiiller,  and  Eadichi. 

Besides  his  magnificent  orchestral  works,  Beethoven 
had  composed  a  considerable  number  of  masterpieces, 
especially  for  chamber  music,  and  all  of  them  incom- 
parable in  their  way. 

He  was  still,  however,  to  a  great  extent,  unintelligible 
to  the  mass,  but  an  object  of  adoration  to  those  who 
could  fathom  the  great  depths  of  his  genius. 

Coupled  with  the  works  of  the  great  masters  who 
preceded  him,  Beethoven's  compositions  were  omni- 
potent in  musical  circles,  or,  at  all  events,  were  paving 
their  own  way  to  universal  recognition.  Brilliant  offers 
from  abroad  were  made  him ;  and  if  at  home  he  occa- 
sionally had  trouble  with  his  publishers,  he  was  still, 
and  had  been  for  a  long  while,  in  the  happy  position  of 
being  able  to  name  his  own  price  for  his  compositions, 
and  in  cases  where  people  indulged  in  nice  criticisms, 
to  make  his  own  sovereign  will  and  decision  the  arbiter 
of  the  value  of  his  work. 

In  this  respect  matters  fared  very  differently  with 
Schubert.  He  wrote  hurriedly  and  incessantly,  with- 
out the  smallest  hope  of  disposing  of  even  half  of  his 

s  "2 


260  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

writings,  or  seeing  the  rewards  due  to  his  great  mental 
energy.  When  he  died,  some  hundred  or  more  of  his 
songs  had  been  published,  about  one-fifth  of  all  his  vocal 
compositions.  It  was  mainly  from  the  income  derived 
from  the  sale  of  these  Lieder  that  he  was  forced  to  eke 
out  his  existence ;  for  his  other  works,  partly  from  the 
fact  of  their  having  to  stand  a  comparison  with  those  of 
the  old  masters,  but  more  especially  from  the  crushing 
power  of  Beethoven's  position,  were,  with  few  exceptions, 
but  little  esteemed.  Nor  were  the  most  strenuous  efforts 
of  his  friends  and  well-wishers  successful  in  obtain- 
ing, in  Vienna  itself,  much  less  .on  the  Continent,  a 
quick  sale  or  importation  of  his  larger  works,  not  even 
of  his  Lieder.  With  regard  to  the  Lieder,  the  publishers 
observed  a  studied  reserve  and  coyness,  or  made  pro- 
posals to  Schubert  which  he,  in  the  interests  of  the 
art  he  represented,  firmly  declined.1 

For  thirty  years  consecutively  were  two  immortal 
masters  of  music  breathing  the  atmosphere  of  the  same 
city.  During  a  period  of  seven  years  Schubert,  already 
famous,  lived  in  close  proximity  to  Beethoven,  his 
senior  by  twenty-seven  years,  without  either  coming 
into  anything  like  close  personal  relationship.  Schu- 
bert, in  his  early  years,  had  the  deepest  reverence  for 


1  Thus  he  was  desired  to  make  the  pianoforte  accompaniment  to  his 
songs  simpler  and  easier,  as  the  difficulty  of  the  accompaniment  hindered 
any  extensive  sale.  Schubert  disregarded  the  suggestion,  and  wrote 
exactly  as  his  humour  dictated. 


HIS  REVERENCE  FOR  BEETHOVEN.        261 

Beethoven,  and  told  repeatedly,  in  his  Convict  days, 
a  story  about  one  of  his  early  works,  for  the  production 
of  which,  a  few  months  before  he  became  a  pupil  in 
the  Convict,  the  band  had  been  ordered  to  Schonbrunn, 
when  Beethoven  and  Teyber,  the  music-master  of  the 
Archduke  Kudolf,  were  present.1  He  was  at  the  time 
still  a  mere  boy,  and  after  the  performance  of  some 
of  his  ordinary  Lieder  set  to  Klopstock's  poems,  he 
enquired  of  a  friend  who  had  heard  them,  whether  he 
really  thought  that  he  should  ever  do  anything.  The 
friend  replied  that  he,  Schubert,  was  already  something 
first-rate  ;  and  the  latter  answered,  '  Sometimes  quietly 
to  myself  I  think  so  too.  But  who  can  ever  do  any- 
thing after  Beethoven  ? ' 

The  accomplished  Pinterics,  a  constant  associate  of 
Beethoven's,  who  either  acquiesced  with  the  great 
musician  in  their  philological  and  political  discussions, 
or  combated  his  arguments,  as  occasion  served,  was 
well  acquainted  with  Schubert  also,  and  (according  to 
Schindler)  is  said  to  have  had  some  influence  over 
him  ;  it  would  seem,  however,  that  he  never  undertook 
to  interpose  as  a  go-between,  and  to  bring  these  kin- 
dred spirits  together.2  Beethoven  was  difficult  of  access, 

1  Teyber  (Anton)  was  born  in  1754,  and  died,  a  composer  of  chamber 
music,  at  Vienna,  in  1822. 

2  Carl  Pinterics  was  private  secretary  to  Count  Palffy,  of  Vienna  ;  his 
office  was  in  the  Count's  residence  in  the  Josefsplatz.     He  was  a  very 
accomplished  versatile  man,  an  excellent  pianoforte-player,  and  had  a 
curious  facility  in  cutting  out  figures  from  cardboard.     He  lived  at  the 


262  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

and  probably,  until  the  day  when  the  Variations  for 
four  hands  by  Schubert  (Op.  10),  with  the  dedication 
on  the  title-page,  came  into  his  hands,  had  taken  little 
notice  of  the  composer  of  the  '  Erl-King.' 

Their  two  natures  were  essentially  distinct  and  dif- 
ferent. If  Schubert's  easy  disposition,  his  childish 
naivete,  his  guilelessness  in  the  ordinary  dealings  of 
life,  his  delight  in  a  glass  of  wine  and  sociable  habits, 
his  sincerity,  and  a  good  mixture  of  Viennese  geniality, 
remind  one  of  Mozart's  character,  these  very  qualities 
essentially  contrasted  with  and  distinguished  him  from 
the  somewhat  capricious,  mistrustful,  sarcastic,  and 
haughty  Beethoven,  whose  depth  of  intellect  and  great- 
ness of  soul,  coupled  with  his  vast  classical  range  and 
versatilty  of  power,  enabled  him  to  tower,  in  many 
respects,  above  both  Mozart  and  Schubert. 

As  regards  the  Variations  here  mentioned,  Anton 
Schindler  alludes  to  their  presentation  in  the  following 
terms : — '  In  the  year  1822,  Franz  Schubert  set  out, 

time  we  speak  of  at  the  '  Zuckerbackerhaus,'  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Carlskirche.  Thither  came  very  frequently  Vogl,  Schubert,  Schober, 
Gahy,  Von  Asten.  and  many  others,  so  that  music,  as  may  be  supposed, 
nourished  in  his  lodgings.  Pinterics  was  in  the  possession  of  the  most 
complete  collection  of  Schubert's  Lieder ;  but  even  his  catalogue,  which 
contains  505  songs,  did  not  exhaust  the  number.  He  and  Beethoven 
frequently  went  together  to  the  '  Blumenstockl.'  An  officer  of  the 
German  guard  made  a  third  in  the  usual  party.  Pinterics  died  on 
March  6,  1831.  He  too,  like  Vogl,  allowed  himself  to  make  alterations 
in  Schubert's  Lieder,  and  endeavoured,  by  plausible  reasons  made  to  the 
publishers,  to  justify  his  conduct. 


INTERVIEW  WITH  BEETHOVEN.  263 

to  present  in  person  the  master  he  honoured  so  highly 
with  his  Variations  on  a  French  song,  Op.  10.  These 
Variations  he  had  previously  dedicated  to  Beethoven. 
In  spite  of  Diabelli  accompanying  him,  and  acting 
as  spokesman  and  interpreter  of  Schubert's  feelings, 
Schubert  played  a  part  in  the  interview  which  was 
anything  but  pleasant  to  him.  His  courage,  which  he 
managed  to  husband  up  to  the  very  threshold  of  the 
house,  forsook  him  entirely  at  the  first  glimpse  he 
caught  of  the  majestic  artist;  and  when  Beethoven  ex- 
pressed a  wish  that  Schubert  should  write  the  answers 
to  his  questions,  he  felt  as  if  his  hands  were  tied  and 
fettered.  Beethoven  ran  through  the  presentation  copy 
and  stumbled  on  some  inaccuracy  of  harmony.  He 
then,  in  the  kindest  manner,  drew  the  young  man's 
attention  to  the  fault,  adding  that  the  fault  was  no 
deadly  sin.  Meantime  the  resuljt  of  this  remark,  in- 
tended to  be  kind,  was  to  utterly  disconcert  the  nervous 
visitor.  It  was  not  until  he  got  outside  the  house 
that  Schubert  recovered  his  equanimity,  and  rebuked 
himself  unsparingly.  This  was  his  first  and  last  meet- 
ing with  Beethoven,  for  he  never  again  had  the  courage 
to  face  him.' 

Beethoven's  biographer,  who  is  now  dead,  must  be 
held  answerable  for  the  correctness  of  this  episode, 
with  all  its  rather  improbable  details,  so  humiliating  to 
Schubert.  It  should  be  stated,  however,  that  a  gentle- 
man still  living  at  Vienna,  an  intimate  and  trusted 


264  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

friend  of  Schubert's-  (Herr  Josef  Hiittenbrenner), 
shortly  after  the  presentation  of  his  musical  work,  heard 
from  Schubert's  own  mouth,  that  he  certainly  visited 
Beethoven,  but  that  he  was  not  at  home,  and  that 
Schubert  entrusted  his  Variations  to  the  care  of  the 
housemaid,  or  man-servant,  and  consequently  that  at 
that  time  he  neither  saw  and  still  less  spoke  to  Beet- 
hoven. Hiittenbrenner  remarks,  further,  that  Schubert 
subsequently  heard  with  great  pleasure  of  Beethoven's 
enjoying  these  Variations,  and  playing  them  frequently 
and  gladly  with  his  nephew  Carl. 

In  the  summer  of  1822  Friedrich  von  Kochlitz 
came  from  Leipsic  to  Vienna  to  visit  Beethoven  and 
confer  with  him  on  the  subject  of  some  musical 
compositions,  especially  a  proposed  setting  of  Gothe's 
<  Faust.' 

In  the  second  letter  which  he  wrote  to  Christian 
Hart  el,  in  Leipsic,  on  the  subject  of  his  interview  with 
the  master,  the  following  passage  occurs,  which  we  give 
here,  as  bearing  expressly  on  the  personal  relationship 
and  points  of  contact  between  Schubert  and  Beethoven. 
It  runs  thus  : — '  A  fortnight  afterwards  [after  the  first 
interview  with  Beethoven],  I  was  just  going  to  dinner, 
when  a  young  composer,  named  Franz  Schubert,  an 
enthusiastic  worshipper  of  Beethoven's,  met  me.  Beet- 
hoven had  spoken  to  him  about  me.  "  If  you  want  to 
see  him  cheerful  and  unconstrained,"  said  Schubert, 
"  you  ought  to  dine  in  the  same  room  with  him  at  the 


BEETHOVEN'S  ADMIRATION  OF  SCHUBERT'S  SONGS.  265 

Gasthaus,  where  he  always  goes  to  dine."  l  He  brought 
me  to  the  house.  The  places  were  mostly  taken ; 
Beethoven  sat  surrounded  by  several  of  his  friends, 
who  were  perfect  strangers  to  me.'  The  letter  contains 
no  further  mention  of  Schubert. 

Schubert  was  familiar  enough  with  Beethoven's  works, 
more  especially  with  his  Symphonies,  which  he  heard 
played  at  concerts  and  practised  himself  as  pianoforte 
duetts ;  but  Beethoven  had  taken  very  little  trouble 
about  Schubert's  performances — an  act  of  omission 
which  may  perhaps  be  well  excused  in  Beethoven. 
Absorbed  in  the  composition  of  his  profound  works  for 
the  orchestra  and  chamber,  he  had  neither  time  nor  in- 
ducement to  pay  attention  to  Schubert's  Lieder,  which 
were  only  just  now  beginning  to  emerge  into  public 
notice. 

It  was  not  until  the  close  of  his  life  that  he  learned 
to  know  more  faithfully  the  compositions  of  one  who 
looked  up  to  him  as  his  ideal ;  and  as  Jean  Paul,  who 
was  greatly  attracted  by  Schubert's  genius,  and  found 
in  his  declining  years  of  blind  old  age  a  consolation  in 
Schubert's  Lieder,  and  asked  for  the  s  Erl-King '  only  a 
few  hours  before  his  death,  so  did  Beethoven  also,  in 
the  last  days  of  his  life,  study  Schubert's  songs,  which  up 
to  that  time  had  been  almost  entirely  unknown  to  him. 

Schindler  alludes  to  these  circumstances  thus  : — (  As 

1  Probably  '  Zum  Stern  '  or  '  Zur  Eiche,'  on  the  Brandstatte. 


266  LIFE    OF    SCHUBEKT. 

the  illness,  which,  after  four  months  of  incessant  suffer- 
ing, ended  by  killing  Beethoven,  had  from  the  very  out- 
set made  his  usual  mental  activity  impossible,  they  were 
obliged  to  devise  some  distraction  suitable  to  the  dying 
man's  spirit  and  inclination.  Hence  it  happened  that 
I  laid  before  him  a  collection  of  Schubert's  Lieder 
and  vocal  pieces,  about  sixty  in  number,  and  several  of 
them  at  that  time  in  manuscript.  I  did  this  not  merely 
with  the  view  of  agreeably  entertaining  him,  but  of 
giving  him  an  opportunity  of  fathoming  Schubert,  of 
forming  a  more  favourable  opinion  of  his  gifts,  which 
were  regarded  with  suspicion  and  distrust  by  many  ec- 
centric persons  who  treated  in  the  same  manner  others 
of  their  contemporaries.  The  great  master,  who  up  to 
this  time  knew  but  three  or  four  songs  of  Schubert,  was 
astonished  at  their  great  number,  and  could  not  believe 
that  before  that  time  (February  1827)  Schubert  had 
written  over  five  hundred.  But  if  he  was  astonished  at 
the  number,  his  wonder  was  at  its  height  when  he  ex- 
amined their  contents.  For  several  days  he  could  not 
tear  himself  away  from  perusing  them,  and  he  pored 
for  hours  daily  over  "  Iphigenie,"  "  Grenzen  der  Mensch- 
heit,"  "Allmacht,"  "Junge  Nonne,"  "Viola,"  the 
"Miiller-Lieder,"  and  several  others.  He  exclaimed  re- 
peatedly, in  a  voice  of  rapturous  delight,  "  Certainly, 
a  godlike  spark  dwells  in  Schubert."  "  Had  I  had  this 
poem,  I  too  would  have  set  it  to  music  !  "  He  could 
not  say  enough  in  praise  of  most  of  the  other  poems, 


BEETHOVEN'S  PREDICTIONS  CONCERNING  SCHUBERT.  267 

and  Schubert's  original  way  of  handling  the  subject.  Nor 
could  he  understand  how  Schubert  found  time  and  lei- 
sure "  to  undertake  so  many  poems,  many  of  which  are 
extended  and  subdivided  into  ten  smaller  ones,"  as  he  ex- 
pressed it;  and  of  such  songs  written  in  the  grand  style 
Schubert  alone  has  set  above  a  hundred,  not  merely 
lyrics,  but  lengthy  ballads  and  scenes  full  of  dialogue, 
which,  worked  up  as  they  are  in  dramatic  form,  were 
in  their  proper  element  even  in  opera,  and  were  sure 
of  producing  their  legitimate  effect.  What  would  the 
great  master  have  said  had  he  ever  seen  the  "Songs 
from  Ossian,"  the  "Biirgschaft,"  "Elysium,"  the  "Tau- 
cher,"  and  other  great  songs,  which  have  only  recently 
appeared  for  the  first  time  ?  In  short,  the  esteem 
which  Beethoven  felt  for  Schubert's  gifts  was  so  great 
that  he  wished  to  see  his  operas  and  pianoforte  works  ; 
his  illness,  however,  had  already  so  undermined  his 
constitution  that  he  could  not  gratify  this  wish.  He 
spoke,  however,  frequently  of  Schubert,  and  prophesied 
that  "  some  day  he  will  make  a  great  sensation  in  the 
world,"  and  regretted  that  he  had  not  at  an  earlier 
period  made  his  acquaintance.  As  is  well  known, 
Anselm  Hiittenbrenner,  on  hearing  the  news  of  Beet- 
hoven's dangerous  illness,  hurried  off  from  Gratz,  re- 
mained alone  with  him  during  the  last  hours  of  his 
life,  and  closed  the  eyes  of  the  dying  man.' 

Some  time  before  this  fatal  event,  Schubert,    Josef 
Hiittenbrenner  (who  vouches  for  the  truth  of  this  epi- 


268  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

sode),  and  the  painter  Teltscher  (the  latter  intending, 
unobserved,  to  sketch  in  his  album  the  features  of  the 
great  master),  came  to  Beethoven's  house  and  stood 
a  long  time  around  the  sick  bed  of  the  dying  man. 
Beethoven,  who  had  been  beforehand  informed  of  the 
names  of  his  visitors,  fixed  his  motionless  eye  upon 
them,  and  made  signs  with  his  hand  which  they  failed 
to  understand.  Schubert,  most  deeply  moved,  then 
left  the  room  with  his  companions;  and  this,  his  last 
visit,  may  probably  have  been  the  first  Schubert  ever 
paid  to  Beethoven,  as  several  of  Schubert's  most  in- 
timate friends,  who  are  still  living,  cannot  remember 
any  more  than  a  chance  interview  between  the  two 
composers.1 

Schubert  followed  Beethoven  to  the  grave,  accom- 
panied by  Franz  Lachner  and  Josef   Randhartinger.2 

1  Ferdinand  Schubert,  when  asked  of  his  brother's  relationship  with 
Beethoven,  gave  the  somewhat  vague  answer,  '  They  very  seldom  came 
together.'     Beethoven,  as  is  well  known,  was  often  to  be  met  with  at  the 
'  Fuchshohle,'  in  the  Paternostergasschen,  kept  by  Herr  Steiner,  and  there 
Schubert  often  fell  in  with  him.  Wilhelm  Lenz  remarks,  in  his  biography 
of  Beethoven:  '  Franz  Schubert,  the  Beethoven  of  songs,  knew  Beethoven 
only  a  short  time.     People  had  misrepresented  to  Schubert  the  noble 
spirit  of  Beethoven,  and  purposely  kept  him  away  from  Beethoven.     A 
few  days  before  his  death  he  gave  expression  to  his  recognition  of  Schu- 
bert's value,  exclaiming :   "  Certainly,  there  glows  in  Schubert  a  divine 
spark."  All  Europe  has  confirmed  this  opinion.    On  an  English  piano  at 
Cadiz  I  found  the  "  Winterreise,"  &c.' 

2  In  the  journal  '  Sammler,'  1827,  No.  45,  Schubert  is  named  as  one 
of  the  thirty-eight  torch-bearers  who  stood  around  Beethoven's  bier  at 
his  funeral.     Lachner  and  Eandhartinger  are  not  mentioned. 


SCHUBEBT   AND    HIS   PUBLISHERS.  269 

On  returning  from  the  funeral  he  and  his  friends  went 
to  a  tavern,  '  the  Mehlgrube  ; '  there  he  filled  two  glasses 
with  wine,  and  emptied  the  first  to  the  memory  of  him 
they  had  just  followed  to  the  grave,  but  the  second  to 
the  memory  of  that  man  of  the  three  who  should  be  the 
first  to  follow  Beethoven — never  suspecting  that  he 
himself  would  be  the  man,  and  that,  too,  in  the  year 
following.  His  often-expressed  wish  to  rest  in  a  grave 
by  Beethoven's  side  was  granted  him. 

As  already  mentioned,  after  the  enthusiastic  reception 
given  by  the  public  to  the  '  Erlkonig,'  the  music-pub- 
lishers of  Vienna  expressed  great  interest  for  Schubert's 
compositions. 

Besides  the  firm  of  Cappi  &  Diabelli,  publishers 
appeared  in  the  shape  of  Leidesdorf,  Eder,  Czerny, 
Thaddaus,  Weigl,  Pennauer  and  Artaria,  and  there  ap- 
peared several  works  of  Schubert  in  these  music-pub- 
lishing firms.1  With  Leidesdorf  Schubert  contracted 
for  the  publication  of  songs  for  two  years ;  he  seems, 

1  These  firms  have  been,  for  the  most  part,  since  the  time  we  speak 
of,  superseded  by  others.  Herr  Doppler  told  me  that  Schubert  would 
entrust  none  of  his  compositions  with  the  publisher  Domenico  Artaria, 
because  once  when  Schubert,  whilst  still  a  pupil  of  Salieri's,  presented 
him  with  three  stringed  quartetts,  bearing  as  an  inscription  the  words 
'dedicated  to  Anton  Salieri  by  his  pupil  F.  Schubert,'  the  publisher 
rejected  the  offer  with  the  words,  '  I  never  take  any  pupil's  work,'  and 
yet  in  later  times  he  entrusted  him  with  the  publication  of  several 
compositions,  amongst  others  the  Rondeau,  Op.  70.  In  the  contract,  in 
which  Leidesdorf  surrendered  to  Diabelli  the  right  of  publishing  compo- 
sitions, mention  is  made  of  a  trio  by  Lachner  and  Schubert. 


270  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

however,  to  have  withdrawn  from  the  bargain.  With 
Peters  too,  in  Leipsic,  arrangements  were  made,  by 
the  intervention  of  Josef  Hiittenbrenner,  and  we  shall 
call  attention  to  these  circumstances  by  and  by. 

The  twelve  works  published  by  Cappi  &  Diabelli 
had  brought  in  a  sum  of  over  2,000  gulden,  and  in  the 
first  nine  months  of  the  year  1821  over  800  copies  of 
the  '  Erl-King '  alone  were  struck  off,  and  50  per  cent, 
profit  made  by  the  firm  of  Diabelli. 

Schubert  at  that  time  had  it  in  his  power  to  lay  a 
solid  foundation  for  a  comfortable  livelihood,  and  to 
win  substantial  profits  by  his  published  works.  But 
inexperienced  in  business  habits,  and  only  caring  for 
the  moment,  matched  against  a  capricious  self-seeking 
publisher  (who  afterwards  became  wealthy  by  means  of 
Schubert),  the  man  was  defenceless  and  powerless  to 
adopt  favourable  circumstances  to  promote  his  own 
interests.1 

In  a  weak  moment,  and  probably  when  he  was  in 

1  '  When  I  consider,'  says  J.  Mayrhofer  (in  '  Recollections  of  F.  Schu- 
bert')  '  the  illnesses  and  pecuniary  embarrassments  of  my  poor  friend,  it 
invariably  occurs  to  me  that  he  failed  particularly  in  two  things,  which 
might  have  grounded  his  financial  position  and  made  him  entirely  in- 
dependent. Contrary  to  a  well-digested  scheme,  and  one  actually  in 
the  course  of  operation,  he  disposed  of  the  copyright  in  these  and  other 
works  that  followed,  and  neglected  a  favourable  combination  of  circum- 
stances for  obtaining  a  good  musical  appointment,  with  a  regular  salary- 
attached.  A  love  of  enjoyment,  confirmed  by  deprivations  in  early  life, 
and  ignorance  of  the  world,  may  have  led  him  to  commit  such  errors. 
In  later  times  (1827  and  1828),  he  always  made  modest  offers  to  the 
publishers,  which  they  thought  exorbitant.' 


EFFORTS    OF    SCHUBERT'S   FRIENDS. 


271 


actual  want  of  money,  Schubert  suffered  himself  to  be 
persuaded  by  Diabelli  to  part  with  the  copyright  of  the 
first  twelve  sheets  of  songs  for  the  sum  of  800  florins. 
Diabelli,  no  doubt,  paid  him  in  advance  for  his  future 
labours  ;  but  by  taking  this  step  Schubert  lost  his  inde- 
pendence and  the  advantage  which  would  afterwards 
have  accrued  to  him,  had  he  remained  the  sole  owner 
of  his  own  works.  His  anxious  friends,  ignorant  hither- 
to of  these  proceedings,  lamented  the  fact,  but  never 
ceased  on  that  account  to  look  after  him  with  the  same 
care  they  had  always  taken.1 

Franz  v.  Schober  and  Josef  Hiittenbrenner  must  be 
cited  as  persons  who  interested  themselves  in  popu- 
larising and  getting  a  large  sale  for  Schubert's  works, 
not  only  in'  Vienna,  but  elsewhere.  The  first  endea- 
voured for  eight  years,  but  in  vain,  to  get  a  performance 
in  Vienna,  Dresden,  Prague,  Grratz,  Berlin,  or  Pesth,  of 
the  Opera  of  '  Alfonso  und  Estrella.'  A  letter  which 
Schober  sent  to  Schubert  from  Breslau,  on  December 
24,  1824,  shows  how  earnestly  he  thought  of  his  friend's 
welfare,  although  they  were  separated  from  one  another. 
The  passage  alluded  to  runs  thus  : — 


1  The  songs  he  disposed  of  were  '  Erlkonig,'  '  G-retchen  am  Spinnrad,' 

:  Schafers   Klagelied/   'Der  Wanderer,'   'Rastlose   Liebe,'    '  Memnon,' 

1  Antigone  und  Oedip,'  'Ana  Grabe  Anselmos,'  Waltzes  (1-3),  the  Va- 

bions  for  two  performers  (Op.  10),  a  sonata  for  two,  and  three  sonatas 

solo  players  on  the  piano.     The  song  of  '  The  Wanderer '  is  said  to 

ive  brought  to  the  publishers,  from  the  time  it  appeared  to  the  year 

L861,  the  sum  of  27,000  florins. 


272  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

'Now  with  regard  to  your  affairs.  How  are  your 
operas  getting  on?  Have  "  Die  Verschwornen"  and 
C(  Fierrabras  "  been  given?  Are  there  no  tidings  from 
C.  M.  Weber  [respecting  "Alfonso  und  Estrella"]? 
Write  to  him  at  all  events,  and  if  you  don't  get  a  satis- 
factory answer  from  him,  ask  him  to  send  back  your 
work.  I  know  how  to  get  at  Spontini ;  would  you  like 
me  to  make  an  effort  to  get  him  to  put  your  work  on 
the  stage  ? — for  he  is  difficult  to  manage. 

6  My  belief  is,  it  merely  depends  on  something  being 
given  in  its  entirety  to  revive  afresh  your  popularity  with 
the  mass.  No  doubt  the  sooner  it  is  done  the  better. 
Does  it  fare  badly  with  Leidesdorf  ?  I  am  heartily  sorry 
for  that ;  and  your  "  Miillerlieder  "  too,  have  they  made 
no  sensation  ?  The  hounds  have  no  genuine  feeling ;  they 
do  not  think  for  themselves,  and  surrender  themselves 
blindly  to  noise  and  opinions  not  their  own.  If  you 
could  only  get  a  couple  of  noisy  drumming  reviewers, 
who  would  for  ever  prattle  about  you,  all  would  go  well. 
I  know  some  quite  commonplace  people  who  became 
popular  and  praised  by  this  means.  Why  then  should 
not  a  man  avail  himself  of  this  assistance,  who  in  the 
highest  degree  deserves  it  ?  Castelli  writes  in  two  Con- 
tinental papers  that  you  have  set  an  opera  by  him ;  he 
ought  to  noise  this  abroad. 

6  Moriz  has  sent  us  the  "  Miillerlieder ;"  pray  send 
us  all  else  that  has  appeared.  How  glad  I  am  you  are 
quite  well  again.  I  shall  be  well  too,  very  soon.  Thanks 


LETTER   FROM    SCHOBER.  273 

again  and  again  for  your  poem ;  it  is  so  true  and  full  of 
feeling,  and  has  made  a  great  impression  on  me.  Yes, 
verily!  In  crazy  old  age  people  go  crawling  about. 
Farewell,  and  love  me.  We  shall  certainly  meet.  You 
will  read  more  in  Moriz's  letter.  Ever  yours, 

'  SCHOBER.' 

Hiittenbrenner  tried  to  bring  out  on  the  stage  the 
Opera  f  Des  Teufels  Lustschloss'  (its  second  adaptation), 
and  for  this  purpose  applied  to  the  directors  of  the 
Josefstadt  Theatre,  to  Count  Grallenberg  in  Vienna,  to 
Capellmeister  Winter  at  Munich,  and  to  Director  Hol- 
bein in  Prague.  None  of  these  attempts,  however,  were 
crowned  with  success,  and  Schubert,  since  the  year 
1820,  was  not  gladdened  by  seeing  one  of  his  operas 
represented  on  the  stage.  The  directors  of  the  Josef- 
stadt Theatre  let  the  matter  rest,  with  a  promise  to 
bring  out  the  opera;  Count  Gallenberg  declared  he 
would  bring  it  out  in  the  Hoftheater,  if  the  sum  of 
10,000  florins  were  guaranteed  as  an  indemnity  for  costs 
and  contingent  failure.  Matters  proceeded  no  farther, 
at  Munich,  and  Holbein,  the  director,  professed  himself 
only  ready  under  certain  provisoes  to  bring  the  opera 
before  the  public.  On  October  22,  1822,  he  wrote  thus 
to  Josef  Hiittenbrenner  : — 

f  It  gives  me  particular  pleasure  in  any  way  to  smooth 
the  usually  rough  and  difficult  path  for  young  men  of 
talent.  Be  good  enough  to  send  me  tbo  libretto  and  score 

VOL.  i.  T 


274  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

of  "  Teufels  Lustschloss."  If  it  comes  up  to  your  version 
of  its  merits,  nothing  shall  stand  in  the  way  of  its  per- 
formance. I  regret  that  during  my  residence  in  Vienna 
from  September  20th  up  to  October  19th,  I  had  not  the 
pleasure  of  becoming  personally  acquainted  with  you 
and  your  gifted  friend.' 

The  correspondence  resulted  in  nothing  further,  and 
the  opera  up  to  this  very  day  has  never  been  per- 
formed. 

As  a  proof  of  the  guarded  reserve  of  foreign  pub- 
lishers, and  their  timidity  in  dealing  even  with  Schu- 
bert's Lieder,  we  may  appeal  to  the  following  letter, 
written  by  Peters  to  Josef  Hiittenbrenner  :— 

'  Leipsic :  Nov.  14,  1822. 

f  My  constant  occupations  hitherto  must  be  my  apo- 
logy for  the  somewhat  procrastinated  answer  to  your 
favour  of  October  18th  last. 

'  I  am  very  grateful  to  you  for  your  communication 
respecting  Herr  Schubert.  Several  of  his  vocal  com- 
positions are  favourably  known  to  me,  and  strengthen 
my  confidence  in  all  that  you  allege  in  favour  of  this 
artist.  I  will  very  gladly  contribute  to  a  further  ex- 
tension of  the  works  of  this  composer,  so  far  as  the 
firms  in  Vienna  can  manage  it.  Before,  however,  I 
make  any  definite  and  conclusive  answer,  allow  me  to 
lay  before  you  a  short  sketch  of  my  own  business  and 
the  dealings  of  the  firm. 


LETTER   FROM    PUBLISHER.  275 

'  Immediately  on  entering  into  my  present  business,  I 
resolved  to  make  my  name  as  a  publisher  by  never 
printing  anything  inferior,  but  by  publishing  the  very 
best  things  I  could  get  hold  of.  It  is  not  possible 
to  carry  out  my  project  strictly,  since  I  am  unable  to 
obtain  from  first-class  artists  alone  as  many  MSS.  as  I 
want ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  we  publishers  are  often 
constrained  for  the  sake  of  convenience  to  print  a  great 
deal  which  I,  for  one,  would  not  print,  were  I  free  to 
choose.  Certain  it  is  we  are  obliged  to  publish  much 
that  is  superficial,  and  pay  attention  to  every  branch 
of  our  customers ;  for  with  mere  classical  works  our 
business  would  be  but  a  very  small  one,  seeing  that  the 
number  of  classical  connoisseurs  is  now  in  a  minority. 
Nevertheless,  I  have  not  from  a  love  of  gain  suffered 
myself  to  be  seduced  by  the  silly  trifles  now  in  fashion, 
which  are  more  lucrative  as  a  speculation  than  solid 
works,  but  I  have  taken  care  that  our  publications, 
even  for  the  common  tribe  of  customers,  should  never 
be  utterly  bad,  and  I  have  always  worked  upon  my 
favourite  principles,  my  chief  aim  being  the  publication 
>f  first-class  works.  The  result  will,  in  the  course  of 
things,  make  my  efforts  plainer  than  hitherto,  since 
ivery  year  I  am  careful  to  make  only  good  connections, 
the  steady  improvement  in  my  business  allowing  me  ta 

lintain  and  keep  them. 

s  Two  results,  however,  follow  from  this  state  of  things, 
and  I  have  often  felt  myself  a  slave  to  circumstances. 

T    2 


276  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

The  first  is  time,  in  the  employment  of  which  I  am 
almost  invariably  constrained  to  a  stereotyped  usage. 
In  order  to  keep  up  the  largest  possible  stock  of  good 
works,  I  must  make  contracts  with  first-rate  artists,  and 
strengthen  those  alliances  in  such  a  manner  as  not  only 
to  make  the  composers  well  satisfied  with  their  bargain, 
but  present  myself  to  them  always  as  a  willing  and 
cheerful  publisher — a  proceeding  which  acts  for  the 
mutual  benefit  of  composer  and  publisher.  My  inter- 
course with  most  of  the  masters  of  real  value  to  me, 
such  as  Spohr,  Eomberg,  Hummel,  &c.,  &c.,  has  con- 
tributed to  most  friendly  relations  with  them;  I  feel 
doubly  bound  in  point  of  honour  to  take  in  hand  every- 
thing sent  by  such  friends  and  able  artists,  even  though, 
as  is  often  the  case,  I  foresee  that  I  shall  realise  no 
profit  from  a  good  deal  they  send  to  me  for  publication. 
My  time  is  much  restricted  in  consequence  of  these 
obligations ;  for  not  only  do  these  artists  keep  me 
constantly  employed,  but  I  must  also  reserve  some 
moments  for  works  which  come  on  me  unexpectedly. 
This  happens  to  be  the  case  just  now.  What  time  I 
have  to  spare  seldom  suffices  for  publishing  other  things 
necessitated  by  the  demand  ;  so  that  I  am  nearly  always 
hindered  from  forming  new  connections  with  new7  com- 
posers, having  no  time  for  looking  at  their  works. 

'  The  second  point,  necessarily  involved  in  what  we 
have  already  said,  and  aggravating  the  difficulty  of 
making  a  new  alliance,  is  the  novelty,  and,  as  far  as  my 


LETTER   FROM   PUBLISHER.  277 

experience  of  business  goes,  the  still  unknown  name  of 
a  mere  beginner  in  the  composing  line.  I  am  often 
met  with  the  objection  that  I  will  never  lend  a  helping 
hand  to  the  publication  of  works  by  a  new  composer, 
and  that  such  a  one  can  never  become  known,  if  no 
publisher  will  trouble  himself  to  bring  out  his  work. 
But  this  reproof  is  wrongly  grounded.  I  can't  do  every- 
thing ;  a  man  must  follow  one  uniform  plan,  if  an  or- 
dinarily successful  result  is  to  follow.  I  only  want  works 
by  masters  already  recognised  by  the  public.  No  doubt 
I  publish  a  good  deal  besides ;  but  assuming  I  can  get 
a  sufficient  supply  from  these,  I  must  leave  to  other 
publishers  the  introduction  of  the  work  of  new  com- 
posers. These  publishers  are  to  be  had,  and  many  of 
them  are  very  glad  to  be  employed,  as  they  are  afraid 
of  the  money  demands  of  the  older  and  dearer  artists. 
If  the  new  composer  be  of  mark,  and  his  works  stamped 
as  valuable,  I  am  his  man ;  for  the  publication  of  his 
works  squares  with  my  design,  based  rather  on  honour 
than  profit,  and  I  should  prefer  paying  him  for  his 
works  an  extravagant  price,  rather  than  receiving  them 
on  terms  at  the  outset  advantageous  to  myself. 

'You  will  see,  therefore,  that  I  find  a  difficulty  in 
falling  in  at  once  with  your  proposals  respecting  Herr 
Schubert,  my  chief  reasons  being,  as  I  have  alleged, 
the  limited  time  at  my  command ;  whilst,  at  the  same 
time,  after  the  opinion  I  have  formed  of  the  young 
artist,  I  do  not  like  absolutely  refusing  his  wish.  By 


278  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

way  of  compromise,  I  would  therefore  propose  that 
Herr  Schubert  should  send  me  for  examination  some  of 
his  works  he  intends  for  publication,  for  I  print  nothing 
of  a  young  and  little-known  composer  without  having 
first  seen  it.  If  some  great  and  well-known  master  does 
anything  bad,  the  blame  falls  upon  him,  for  his  name 
was  my  surety ;  but  supposing  I  publish  anything  of  a 
new  artist,  and  it  turns  out  unsuccessful,  I  am  blamed ; 
for  who  forces  me  to  print  anything  if  I  am  not  per- 
suaded in  my  own  mind  of  its  worth  ?  Now,  in  this 
case,  the  name  of  the  composer  affords  me  no  protec- 
tion. Without  doubt,  Herr  Schubert  entrusts  his  works 
in  perfectly  safe  keeping ;  he  is  assured  against  any 
possible  abuse  of  trust.  If  I  like  them,  I  will  retain 
all  that  I  can.  On  the  other  hand,  Herr  Schubert  will 
not  take  it  ill  of  me  in  being  perfectly  candid  if  I  do 
not  like  anything,  and  say  so  at  once,  for  such  plain 
dealing  leads  most  surely  to  a  thoroughly  good  under- 
standing. 

CI  must  further  request,  that  he  only  sends  me  his 
most  successful  works.  Of  course  he  will  publish 
nothing  which  he  does  not  reckon  successful :  be  this 
as  it  may,  one  work  turns  out  better  than  another, 
and  I  must  have  the  best — I  repeat,  I  must  have  the 
best,  if  I  am  to  introduce  a  new  composer  before  an 
extended  and  large  public,  not  for  the  certainty  of 
profit,  but  for  my  own  credit.  I  have  laboured  tooth 
and  nail  to  make  my  business  as  perfect  as  possible, 


LETTER  FROM  PUBLISHER.  279 

and  am  already  reaping  my  reward  in  the  confidence 
and  preference  given  on  all  sides  to  my  firm.  People 
are  accustomed  to  the  fact  of  my  publishing  several 
good  works,  and  if  occasionally  I  succeed  with  a  new 
composer,  he,  in  his  turn,  wins  a  greater  amount  of 
public  confidence  than  before;  people  believe  he  must 
be  good,  because  I  take  him  in  hand.  No  doubt  I  have 
sometimes  been  deceived,  but  I  have  now  become  more 
careful  to  maintain  and  establish  the  credit  I  have 
gained  with  so  much  difficulty.  For  this  reason  I  de- 
sire a  new  composer  to  let  me  have  his  most  successful 
works,  that  I  may  with  propriety  at  once  recommend 
him,  and  my  recommendation  be  justified.  A  first  suc- 
cessful impression  often  paves  the  way  for  the  whole  of 
a  man's  subsequent  career ;  consequently  a  good  lesson 
can  never  be  too  often  repeated  in  the  ears  of  youthful 
composers — that  in  the  matter  of  publishing  their  works 
they  should  proceed  as  cautiously  as  possible.  They  can 
venture  much,  but  only  have  a  few  of  their  works  pub- 
lished, until  their  reputation  be  first  well  established. 
Spohr  has  only  published  fifty-eight,  Eomberg  sixty- 
six,  and  Bernhard  Eomberg  thirty-eight  works,  whereas, 
it  present  time,  several  other  artists,  who  are  much 
7ounger,  have  already  had  over  100  published.  These 
well-known  and  recognised  artists  have  written  much 

tore,  but  have  not  published ;  and  if  I  am  met  with 
the  argument  of  a  prolific  and  yet  solid  Mozart,  Haydn, 

teethoven,  &c.,  I  say  these  are  rare  phenomena,  and 


280  LIFE    OF    SCHUBERT. 

though  they  must  be  taken  as  patterns,  yet  experience 
alone  will  show  if  a  man  is  the  equal  of  these  men; 
and  what  a  number  of  the  earlier  works  of  Mozart,  &c., 
have  never  appeared  in  print  at  all ! 

'  Have  the  goodness  to  communicate  with  Herr  Schu- 
bert upon  the  subject  of  my  letter,  and  to  act  further  in 
the  matter  as  you  think  fit.  As  regards  the  conditions 
to  be  made  on  his  side,  please  let  me  know  of  them  ;  it 
is  an  unpleasant  feeling  for  me  to  be  huckstering  and 
bargaining  for  a  work  of  genius.  For  the  rest,  we  shall 
not  quarrel  as  to  terms,  for  the  constancy  with  which 
my  employers  stick  by  me,  proves  that  I  deal  with  them 
on  fair  terms — that  is  a  praise  which  I  can  allow  my- 
self. Besides  this,  the  conditions  made  by  the  young 
artist  will  not  be  on  so  high  a  scale  as  to  make  their 
acceptance  a  difficult  matter  to  myself. 

'  That  300  copies  of  one  work  of  Schubert's  might  be 
disposed  of  in  Vienna  alone,  is  quite  possible,  as  soon 
as  it  is  printed;  but  I  should  scarcely  get  rid  of  100 
copies,  although  I  am  in  business  dealings  with  every 
musical  firm.  You  will  easily  understand  this;  nor 
will  I  enter  into  reasons  for  such  a  fact,  but  you  will 
readily  believe  it  is  so  ;  experience  only  too  readily 
confirms  this,  and  there  are  but  very  few  exceptions  to 
the  rule.  With  best  respects,  I  remain,  with  great 
esteem, 

'  Your  most  obedient  servant, 

<B.  V.  PETERS- 


OFFER   OF   THE   POST   OF   COURT-ORGANIST.  281 

4  P.S. — If  Herr  Schubert  sends  vocal  compositions,  let 
them  be  songs  with  a  name,  such  as  Beethoven's  "  Ade- 
laide," or  the  like.  These  I  prefer  to  mere  Lieder ;  for 
so  many  songs  and  cantatas  appear,  that  people  do  not 
pay  sufficient  attention  to  their  titles.' 

Even  these  efforts  on  the  part  of  Hiittenbrenner 
remained  barren  of  result.  Subsequently  Schubert 
entered  into  direct  communication  with  publishers  in 
Leipsic  and  Mayence,  and  these  were  partly  successful. 

Herr  J.  Hiittenbrenner  is  my  authority  for  stating 
that  an  opportunity  was  given  to  our  composer,  about 
this  time,  by  the  acceptance  of  an  office,  the  duties  of 
which  would  have  infringed  but  little  upon  the  use  of 
his  time — of  winning  an  assured  and  safe  position, 
which,  some  years  later,  might  have  been  of  great 
advantage  to  him.  The  acting  Hofmusikgraf,  Moriz 
v.  Dietrichstein,  made  Vogl  the  medium  of  offering  to 
the  composer,  to  whom  he  had  formerly  been  much 
attached,  the  post  of  organist  to  the  Court  Chapel 
choir.  Huttenbrenner  brought  the  news  to  Schubert's 
father,  at  that  time  a  schoolmaster  in  the  Kossau,  who 
was  vastly  delighted  at  the  idea.  But  Franz,  to  the 
grief  of  his  father,  refused  the  place,  doubtless  from  a 
distaste  and  dread  of  sinking  into  a  dependent  position, 
which  would  deprive  him  of  his  entire  liberty.  Some 
years  afterwards,  he  good  humouredly  assured  his  friends 
that  the  absolute  requirement  of  his  art  called  on  the 


282  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

Government  to  support  him,  in  order  that  he  should 
be  able  to  write  freely,  and  without  worldly  anxieties ; 
but  this  aid  not  forthcoming,  he  stood  of  his  own  free 
choice  as  candidate  for  the  office  of  Hofcapellmeister, 
which,  as  we  shall  have  occasion  hereafter  to  point  out, 
was  given  to  another. 

We  mast  here  mention  a  letter  of  thanks  which  he 
received  from  the  Bishop  Dankesreithner,  in  St.  Polten, 
for  the  dedication  of  the  '  Harfnerlieder'  (Op.  12).  It 
runs  thus : — 

'Noble  Sir, — You  have  conferred  on  me  a  most  unde- 
served and  special  honour  in  dedicating  to  me  the  twelfth 
volume  of  your  universally  esteemed  and  favourite  mu- 
sical compositions.  For  this  distinction  and  politeness 
receive  my  best  thanks,  as  also  for  the  copies  you  have 
sent  of  your  admirable  work,  with  your  kind  dedicatory 
letter,  for  all  which  I  confess  myself  largely  indebted  to 
you.  I  have  presented  my  secretary,  Herr  Griessrigl, 
with  one  copy,  and  Herr  Professor  Kastl  with  another. 
God,  from  whom  every  good  gift  comes,  has  singled 
you  out  in  endowing  you  with  rare  and  noble  musical 
talents,  and  has  enabled  you,  by  continued  industry  and 
proper  use  of  your  gifts,  to  lay  firm  foundation  for 
your  future  success.  Wishing  you,  from  my  heart,  all 
prosperity  in  life,  believe  me,  with  every  assurance  of 
deep  respect  and  obligation, 

'  Your  devoted  servant, 

'  JOHANN  NEP.,  m.p.y  Bishop.' 


THE    '  GESELLSCHAFT   DEB,   MUSIKFREUNDE.'  283 

Schubert  applied  about  this  time  to  the  '  Gresellschaft 
der  Musikfreunde '  for  admittance  as  a  practising  mem- 
ber (as  a  player  on  the  viola),  but  was  refused,  in 
consequence  of  a  clause  in  the  standing  orders  of  the 
society,  which  enacted  that  only  amateurs  could  be 
admitted,  and  not  professional  musicians. 


284  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

(1823.) 

THE  DEAMA  '  BOSAMUNDE  ' THE  THEATEE  '  AN  DEB  WIEN  ' WILHELM 

VOGEL — HELMINA    VON     CHEZT THE      OPEEA      '  FIEERABEAS  ' THK 

OPEEETTA     '  DIE   VEBSCHWOBNEN  ' CASTELLI     AND    SCHUBEET PEB- 

FOBMANCE    OF    THE     OPEEETTA    AT    VIENNA   AND    FEANKFOET CEITI- 

CISMS — OEIGIN    OF    THE    FIEST     '  MULLEELIEDEE  ' '  DEE    ZWEEG  ' 

SCHUBEET   IS    MADE  MEMBEB   OF   THE   MUSICAL   ASSOCIATION   AT   LINZ. 

THE  year  1823  is  conspicuous  as  one  of  the  most  pro- 
ductive, and  in  a  musical  point  of  view  most  important, 
in  Schubert's  life.  He  passed  this  time  in  Vienna,  ab- 
sorbed in  work  as  a  .composer,  several  grand  works  in 
various  kinds  speaking  in  eloquent  testimony  to  his 
ceaseless  activity.  His  splendid  attainments  as  a  song- 
composer,  proved  at  an  early  period,  were  now  employed 
in  new  vocal  works,  and  culminated  in  the  series  or 
chain  of  songs  entitled  'Die  schone  Miillerin.'  To  the 
same  period  belongs  the  ripest  and  most  successful 
works  of  our  tone-poet  in  the  province  of  dramatic 
music,  besides  the  music  to  Helmina  Chezy's  Drama 
6  Rosamunde,'  the  Opera  '  Fierrabras,'  and  without 
doubt  the  Operetta  '  Der  hausliche  Krieg.'  Helmina 
Chezy,1  an  authoress  much  read  at  that  time,  but  now 

1  Wilhelmine   Christine  Chezy,  whose  maiden  name  was-  Klencke, 
was  born  at  Berlin,  in  1783,  and  married  in  1805  to  the  French  Oriental 


THE    DRAMA    '  ROSAMUNDS.'  285 

only  remembered  as  composer  of  the  libretto  to  Weber's 
'  Euryanthe,'  paid  her  first  visit  in  the  summer  of  1823 
to  the  Austrian  capital,  where  she  had  some  literary 
patrons.  The  odd  and  capricious  lady  had  intended  to 
leave  Dresden,  her  last  place  of  residence,  and  revisit 
the  North ;  but  on  setting  off,  and  feeling  her  pocket, 
she  missed  her  Prussian  passport;  the  Austrian  one, 
however,  was  safe,  and  Helmina,  looking  on  the  inci 
dent  as  a  warning  of  fate,  ordered  the  coachman  to  go 
by  way  of  Prague  to  Vienna.  She  stayed  there  only  a 
few  days,  and  then  started  with  her  two  sons,  Wilhelm 
and  Max,  for  Baden,  where  she  lodged  at  Count  O'Don- 
nel's.  At  Baden  Helmina  wrote  the  Drama  '  Rosa- 
munde.'  A  young  friend,  of  the  name  of  Kupelwieser 
(brother  of  the  painter  Leopold  K.,  and  compiler  of  the 
libretto  of  f  Fierrabras ')  asked  her  for  a  dramatic  poem, 
which  Franz  Schubert  was  to  set  to  music.  The  piece 
was  intended  to  be  given  as  a  benefit  performance  for 

scholar  Antoine  Leonhard,  in  Paris.  They  separated  in  1810.  Hel- 
mina then  left  France  with  her  two  sons  Wilhelm  and  Max,  and  stayed 
in  various  German  towns,  for  different  lengths  of  time,  living  entirely 
on  her  literary  efforts.  After  many  wanderings  through  various  parts  of 
Germany,  the  restless  lady  came,  in  the  year  1823,  to  Vienna,  where  she 
remained  up  to  1828,  during  which  interval,  however,  she  made  ex- 
tensive excursions ;  for  instance,  in  the  mountainous  country  of  Upper 
Austria.  Her  autobiography  appeared  a  short  time  before  her  death, 
with  the  title,  '  Unvergessenes,  Denkwiirdigkeiten  aus  meinem  Leben,' 
Leipsic:  Brockhaus,  1858,  in  two  Parts.  Quite  lately  (1863),  her  son 
Wilhelm  published  '  Erinnerungen  aus  meinem. Leben.'  I  have  drawn 
from  both  these  memoirs. 


286  LIFE    OF   SCHFBE11T. 

Fraulein  M.  Neumann  (afterwards  Madame  Lukas),  a 
beautiful  actress  at  Vienna,  for  whom  Kupelwieser  had 
conceived  a  tender  passion.  The  part  of  the  heroine, 
which  Helmina  selected  for  herself,  does  not  belong  to 
historically  known  characters  of  that  name,  but  an  ideal 
Princess  of  Cyprus,  and  the  plot  of  the  story  is  borrowed 
from  a  Spanish  drama.  The  work  was  finished  in  five 
days,  and  sent  straight  off  to  Wilhelm  Vogel,  at  that 
time  director  of  the  theatre  in  Vienna.1 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  prevailing  taste  in  the 
Opera  House  at  Vienna  was  not  quite  favourably  disposed 
to  such  an  undertaking  as  was  now  proposed  for  Frau 
Chezy  with  Schubert  for  a  coadjutor.  The  owner  of 
the  theatre  was  Count  Ferdinand  PalfTy,  the  conductor 
and  irresponsible  comptroller  the  aforesaid  Vogel,  whose 
influence  on  the  institution  was  of  the  most  marked 
kind,  as  he  provided  the  theatre  with  a  stock  of  farces 
and  dramas  of  his  own  invention,  all  of  which  satisfied 
in  a  high  degree  the  naive  spectacle-loving  public.2 

It  happened  that,  without  Chezy's  knowledge,  there 

1  Wilhelm  Chezy  mentions  this  extraordinarily  short  interval. 

2  Helmina  Chezy  thus  speaks  in  her  '  Denkwiirdigkeiten : ' — '  Count 
Palffy  surrendered  to  his  director,  Vogel,  the  entire  management  of  the 
theatre,  a  man  thoroughly  understanding  the  public,  and  knowing  how 
to  supply  what  it  wanted.     He  was  specially  entrusted  with  the  pre- 
paration of  pieces  sure  of  a  long  run  and  crowded  audiences,  sure  also 
to  be  remunerative  to  the  treasury.     Directly  they  ceased  to  draw,  the 
plays  were  superseded  by  new  ones.     There  was  the  usual  stage  villain, 
then  a  doleful  love-story,  a  stalwart  knight  and  champion,  a  few  clap- 
trap effects,  and  the  drama  was  sure  to  please.     The  author  received, 


THE    DRAMA    '  ROSAMUNDE.'  287 

was  also  in  preparation  for  the  benefit  of  Frl.  Neumann 
( Der  bo'se  Krollo,'  a  piece  by  Vogel,  of  the  pungent 
sensational  character  which  seemed  to  have  such  special 
charms  for  the  visitors  of  the  theatre.  '  Krollo '  fol- 
lowed after  'Rosamunde,'  and  completely  carried  off 
the  palm  from  the  Cyprian  Princess.  Helmina,  who 
could  not  remain  ignorant  of  these  facts,  gave  her 
poem  to  the  composer  with  an  undisguised  feeling  of 
anxiety.1  Schubert,  in  his  usual  easy  way,  poured  out 
the  streams  of  his  beautiful  melody  over  the  libretto, 
which  were  at  the  first  performance  immediately  ap- 
preciated by  the  discerning  part  of  the  public,  and 
were  received  with  the  loudest  applause.  The  first 

whether  the  pieces  failed  or  not,  100  florins.  If  but  a  scanty  audience 
appeared,  extravaganzas  were  tried,  and  other  means  of  attraction.' 
Wilhelm  Chezy  draws  the  following  picture : — '  The  Theatre  an  der 
Wien  was  at  that  time  specially  distinguished  for  the  completeness  of 
its  mechanical  effects  and  scenery.  Magic  disappearances  under  ground, 
shifting  scenery,  and  metamorphoses  were  wonderfully  managed. 
The  piece  which,  in  the  winter  1823-24,  drew  the  largest  houses  at 
Vienna,  was  a  melodrama,  "  Der  "Wolfsbrunnen,"  founded  on  the  story 
connected  with  the  well-known  place  of  resort  for  parties  of  pleasure 
at  Heidelberg.  The  play  was  one  of  a  class  called  a  "  Viehstiick,"  in 
which  a  wild  beast  plays  an  important  part,  the  animal  being  repre- 
sented not  by  one  of  his  own  species,  but  by  'a  man.  The  wolf  was 
played  so  admirably,  and  was  so  boisterously  received,  that  after  the 
second  performance  the  actor  insisted  on  his  name  appearing  in  the 
playbill — if  not,  he  decided  he  would  not  appear  again.  His  request 
was  granted.' 

1  '  I  felt,'  says  Chezy,  in  her  notes,  '  that  the  book  was  out  of  place  ;  for 
the  Theatre  an  der  Wien  had  its  own  particular  public,  and  not  know- 
ing this  public,  I  could  not  have  written  anything  likely  to  please  them.' 


288  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

performance  of  the  play,  with  band,  chorus,  and  dance 
music,  took  place  on  December  20,  1823.1  The  treat- 
ment of  the  story  is  as  follows : — '  The  Princess  Rosa- 
munde,  from  some  fancy  of  her  father's,  has  been 
brought  up  as  a  shepherdess.  When  she  has  com- 
pleted her  eighteenth  year,  her  nurse  reveals  her  real 
condition  and  rank  to  the  whole  nation,  and  they  enter 
upon  the  government.  Their  term  expires  on  June  3. 
A  great  deal  that  is  wonderful  is  connected  with  this 
circumstance — such  as  the  arrival  of  the  Prince  of 
Candia,  who,  from  his  childhood  enamoured  of  Eosa- 
munde,  rushes  off  to  Cyprus  after  the  receipt  of  a 
mysterious  letter,  but  suffers  shipwreck  on  the  coast, 
and  is  the  only  one  saved  of  the  crew.  Fulgentius,  the 
Stadtholder  of  Cyprus,  has  in  the  interval  ruled  for 
sixteen  years  over  Cyprus,  and  is  so  little  tired  of  go- 
verning, that  be  hears  with  indifference  of  the  exist  - 

1  On  December  18,  1823,  there  appeared  in  the  literary  journals  of 
Vienna  the  following  notice : — '  Frau  Helmina  v.  Chezy  has  supplied 
the  director  of  the  Imperial  Theatre  an  der  "Wien  with  a  new  Drama 
with  choruses,  "  Eosamunda  Ton  Cypern."  The  music  is  by  the  popular 
talented  composer  Herr  Franz  Schubert,  and  the  first  performance, 
which  was  given  on  Saturday,  December  20,  was  for  the  benefit  of  an 
actress  in  that  theatre,  Fraulein  Neumann.  The  names  of  the  authoress 
and  the  composer  are  a  guarantee  to  this  artist  of  the  wisdom  of  se- 
lecting a  work  safe  of  an  honourable  reception — a  work  which,  from  its 
solid  character,  claims  a  place  amongst  the  most  remarkable  of  modern 
times.'  The  bill  at  the  theatre  was  as  follows : — '  Rosamunde,  Princess  of 
Cyprus.  Romantic  play  in  four  acts,  with  choruses,  musical  accompani- 
ments, and  dances,  by  Helmina  Chezy,  nee  Klencke.  The  music  by 
Herr  Schubert.' 


THE   DKAMA    '  ROSAMUNDE.'  289 

ence  of  Eosamunde,  believed  by  the  people  to  have  been 
dead  a  long  time  since.  Eosamunde  has  already  seen 
the  disguised  Prince  of  Candia,  and  the  two,  by  a  sym- 
pathetic and  romantic  understanding,  are  recognised  as 
the  loving  pair  intended  for  each  other.  The  Prince, 
who,  to  prove  the  loyalty  of  his  lady-love,  will  not  dis- 
cover himself,  and  perhaps  also  because  his  travelling 
companions  are  tipsy  and  he  cannot  rely  on  any  pro- 
tection, enters  the  service  of  Fulgentius  and  wins  his 
confidence,  having  rescued  his  daughter  from  the  hands 
of  banditti.  Up  to  this  point  everything  goes  on  pros- 
perously ;  but  Fulgentius  falls  madly  in  love  with 
Eosamunde,  and  she  not  reciprocating  his  flame,  he 
pursues  her  with  cruel  vindictive  hatred,  accuses  her  of 
having  caused  his  daughter's  misfortune,  and  has  her 
thrown  into  prison.  Not  satisfied  with  this,  he  dips  a 
letter  into  the  strongest  and  most  deadly  poison,  and 
orders  the  disguised  Prince,  who  is  initiated  in  the 
secret  of  this  murder,  to  deliver  the  letter  to  Eosa- 
munde. She,  however,  has  in  the  interim  found  the 
means  of  escape,  and  withdraws  to  the  hut  of  her  old 
protectress.  There  the  Prince  of  Candia  finds  her,  and 
tells  her  of  the  murderous  purpose  of  Fulgentius.  By 
bad  luck  the  loving  pair  are  surprised  by  Fulgentius, 
and  disasters  are  imminent,  prevented  only  by  the 
Prince  persuading  the  tyrant  that  Eosamunde  had 
swooned  away  the  first  moment  she  looked  at  the 
poisoned  letter — a  necessary  myth,  which  the  lady 
VOL.  i.  u 


290  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

shows  by  her  gestures  she  perfectly  understands,  and 
acts  up  to.  The  credulous  Fulgentius  now  entrusts  his 
friend  with  the  care  of  Kosamunde,  and  once  again  all 
seems  to  be  going  well.  Now,  however,  comes  a  letter 
from  the  head  citizen  Albanus  (the  man,  by  the  way,  who 
wrote  the  mysterious  letter  to  the  Prince  of  Candia,  and 
is  proclaimed  every  year  on  the  2nd  of  June,  the  birth- 
day of  the  Princess),  who  is  likewise  discontented  with 
Fulgentius'  regime.  Unhappily  Fulgentius  surprises  the 
Prince  as  he  is  reading  this  letter;  his  incredulity  is 
now  at  an  end  ;  the  hypocritical  friend's  life  is  forfeited, 
he  must  give  up  the  letter  and  die.  But  the  Prince 
prefers  life  and  marriage,  gives  with  quick  instinct  the 
poisoned  letter  instead  of  Albanus's  letter  to  Fulgen- 
tius :  he  scents  the  letter  and  dies. 

The  musical  part  consists  of  vocal  and  instrumental 
pieces.  In  the  first  of  these  is  a  Romance  (in  F  minor, 
for  alto),  a  simple,  beautiful  strophe  song  of  genuine 
Schubert  stamp,  and  three  choruses  — a  hunting,  a  shep- 
herd, and  a  spirit  chorus,  the  first  of  which  (inD  major, 
for  mixed  voices)  is  fresh  and  melodious ;  the  second 
(in  four  parts,  B-flat  major  |.)  is  like  the  spirit  chorus 
(four  parts,  for  men's  voices,  D  major  £),  a  deep  and 
thoughtfully  written  composition.1 

•  l  The  above-mentioned  pieces  appeared  with  pianoforte  accompani- 
ment, the  ghost  chorus  also,  with  horn  and  trumpet  obligate,  printed  as 
.Op.  26,  at  Diabelli's.  The  choruses,  too,  were  often  performed  in 
public  at  Vienna.  Dr.  Schneider  possesses  a  copy  of  the  instrumental 


REMARKS   ON   SCHUBERT'S  WORKS.  291 

The  instrumental  movements,  according  to  the  state- 
ment of  competent  judges  who  were  present  at  the 
performances  at  the  time,  are  for  the  most  part  weighty 
and  beautiful,  so  that  a  revival  of  the  musical  part  of 
'Kosamunde,'  should  it  ever  be  found  in  a  complete 
state,  may  yet  be  advertised  in  the  concert-room. 

The  overture  to  the  play  was  that  of  '  Alfonso  und 
Estrella,'  by  Schubert,  and  (according  to  Josef  Hiit- 
tenbrenner)  it  pleased  the  audience  so  much  that  it 
was  repeated  twice.  The  romance,  sung  by  Frau  Yogel, 
and  one  of  the  choruses,  were  greatly  applauded  ;  Schu- 
bert himself  met  with  a  more  friendly  reception  than 
was  usually  given  him  on  occasions  of  his  earlier 
dramatic  displays.  This  was  arranged  by  a  compact 
phalanx  of  Schubert's  allies,  who  made  it  a  point  of 
honour  to  do  battle  at  all  hazards  for  the  genial  tone- 
poet. 

That  the  artistic  freedom  and  peculiarities  of  Schu- 
bert's music,  so  effective  to  musicians  of  our  own  day, 
should  originally  be  found  fault  with  and  called  c  bizar- 
rerie,'  will  not,  after  the  experiences  common  to  all 
times,  excite  wonder.  The  same  thing  has  happened 
even  in  our  own  time.1  Certain  it  is  that  the  drama 

music  of  the  first  act ;  the  music-publisher  Spina  has  the  original  MS. 
of  the  ballet  music. 

1  Thus  a  critic  wrote  (in  the  periodical  '  Der  Sammler ')  : — '  Herr 
Schubert  shows  originality  in  his  compositions,  but  unfortunately 
"  bizarrerie  "  also.  The  young  man  is  in  a  period  of  development ;  we 
hope  that  he  will  come  out  of  it  successfully.  At  present  he  is  too 

VOL.  i.  *  u  2 


292  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

being  found,  spite  of  the  beautiful  music,  wearisome, 
survived  only  two  representations,  to  give  place  to 
the  more  longlived  '  bosen  Krollo,'  l  which,  by  the 
brilliancy  of  spectacle  and  the  sensational  acting,  had 
those  powers  of  attraction  for  the  public  which  the 
director,  Vogel,  was  most  anxious  to  cater  for.2 

much  applauded  ;  for  the  future,  may  he  never  complain  of  being  too 
little  recognised.'  On  the  other  hand,  Chezy  (in  the  'Denkwiirdig- 
keiten  meines  Lebens ')  remarks  that  the  final  failure  of  '  Eosanuinde' 
must  be  in  part  ascribed  to  the  fact  that  Schubert  had  quarrelled 
with  "Weber  on  the  subject  of  the  'Euryanthe'  performance,  and  the 
hangers-on  to  Weber,  enraged  against  Schubert,  had  either  kept  away 
from  the  performance  of  'Eosamunde,'  or  prejudiced  it  as  much  as 
possible  by  their  non-appearance. 

1  Chezy  thinks  that  the  third  representation  of  '  Eosamunde '  would 
have  gained  full  recognition  for  the  piece,  but  '  Der  bose  Krollo '  would 
not  allow  of  its  being  given.    Accordingly  the  play  was  performed  only 
twice,  and  then  disappeared. 

2  'On  the  whole' (remarks  Chezy  in  the  '  Denkwiirdigkeiten ')  '  the 
Viennese  were  so  well  disposed  towards  me,  that  I  soon  got  over  my 
disappointment  at  the  small  success  of  my  piece.     The  "Eosamunde" 
had  been  very  poorly  put  upon  the  stage.     Madame  Vogel,  as  Aja, 
could  produce  very  little  effect.     The  public  is  very  gracious  to  mammas 
in  the  best  years  of  their  lives,  but  they  ought  to  look  young ;  they 
like  to  hear,  too,  the  romances  of  Schubert,  and  have  always  been  well 
disposed  to  accept  my  own,  but  they  require  a  fresh  voice.     Madame 
Vogel   sang   bravely,  and  the  accompaniment  with  wind  instruments 
could  not  fail  to  be  effective.     "Fulvius  could  not  have  been  better  se- 
lected ;  Herr  Eott  played  the  part.     The  talent  of  Frl.  Neumann  was 
only  just  beginning  to  bloom.'  Wilhelm  Chezy  says  of  Madame  Vogel : — 
'  If  her  husband   was   poor,  mean-looking,  the  wife  was  round   and 
stately  ;  he  a  dry  hedge-stake,  she  a  large  butt ;  he  pale  and  sallow,  she 
glowing  red ;  he  sickly,  she  bursting  with  health,  although  having  long 
passed  her  teens.     On  the  stage,  where  her  make-up  was  always  good,  she 
played  older  parts  with  much  skill,  and  looked  the  character  to  the  life.' 


PERFORMANCE  OP  <  ROSAMUNDE.'          293 

With  regard  to  the  performance  of  e  Rosamunde,'  the 
authoress  of  the  libretto  inserted  in  the  (  Wiener  Zeit- 
schrift '  of  the  13th  January,  1824,  the  following  absurd 
and  exaggerated  description  : — 

'  The  orchestra,  which  had  only  been  able  to  play 
twice  through  Schubert's  fine  music,  and  that  in  a 
single  rehearsal,  did  wonders,  and  the  overture  and 
most  of  the  other  numbers  were  given  with  spirit  and 
precision.  A  majestic  flow  of  melody,  reflecting  and 
glorifying  the  poetry  by  the  subtle  intricacies  of  music, 
captivated  the  hearts  of  all  who  were  present.  It 
matters  not  that  certain  members  of  the  public  who, 
ever  since  autumn  began,  have  been  hunting  stage 
wolves  and  leopards  on  the  boards  of  "  an  der  Wien," 
lost  their  way  in  the  labyrinths  of  "  Rosamunde,"  it 
matters  not  that  a  party  had  secretly  influenced  the 
mass  of  the  listeners,  this  stream  of  harmony  would 
have  swept  victoriously  over  every  obstacle. 

'  H.  CHEZY. 

'  Vienna :  January  4,  1824.' 

Schubert's  second  grand  opera — or,  reckoning  the 
two  unfinished  works  ('  Die  Biirgschaft '  and  *  Sakon- 
tala,')  his  fourth — is  the  heroic  romantic  Opera  in  three 
acts,  c  Fierrabras.'  This,  too,  was  destined  for  public 
performance  in  the  theatre.  The  libretto  had  been 
commissioned  in  the  year  1822,  by  Barbaja,  manager  of 
the  Imperial  Opera,  and  compiled  by  Josef  Kupelwieser 
(at  that  time  secretary  of  the  Josefstadt  Theatre,  and 
*u  3 


294  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

my  authority  for  this  information),  who  received  a 
handsome  sum  for  his  pains.  Two  years  later,  however, 
the  administration  was  dissolved.1  Nothing  more  was 
heard  about  any  performance  of  the  opera,  or  payment 
on  account  of  the  libretto.  Schubert  composed  the 
music  at  Vienna,  and,  as  it  would  seem,  the  greater 
part  of  it  was  written  at  his  father's  house  in  the 
Eossau. 

Of  the  ease  and  swiftness  of  Schubert's  work,  the 
score  of  this  opera  gives  the  most  convincing  testi- 
mony. Hardly  had  he  received  the  libretto  when  he 
unlocked  his  ceaseless  streams  of  musical  invention,  and 
assuming  the  correctness  of  the  dates  which  head  the 
copy  of  the  score,  the  300  pages  of  the  first  act  were 
composed  in  seven  days. 

The  entire  opera  (filling  1,000  pages  of  written  score) 
was  finished  in  the  interval  between  May  23  and 
September  26 — about  four  months'  time ;  and  yet  he 
had  the  energy  and  found  time  to  write,  in  addition 
to  this  work,  an  operetta,  some  songs,  and  pianoforte 
pieces. 

The  plan  of  the  opera  (which,  like  *  Fernando,'  '  Die 
Freunde  von  Salamanka,'  'Claudine  von  Villabella,' 
and  '  Alfonso  und  Estrella,'  is  supposed  to  take  place  in 
Spain)  is  as  follows  : — 

1  "Barbaja's  lease,  and  the  administration  of  the  theatre,  came  to  an 
end  on  March  31,  1825.  Carl  then  made  his  first  appearance  as  an 
actor  under  the  new  management. 


THE    OPERA    6  FIERRABRAS.'  295 

King  Charles  has  in  hard-fought  battle  overcome  the 
Prince  of  the  Moors  and  taken  his  son,  Fierrabras, 
prisoner. 

Four  years  before  this  time  he  and  his  sister,  Flo- 
rinda,  had  been  in  Kome,  and  there  met  Emma,  the 
daughter  of  King  Charles.  Without  knowing  anything 
about  her,  he  has  been  madly  in  love  with  her  ever 
since.  But,  in  the  meantime,  Florinda  has  cast  sheep's 
eyes  at  Koland,  a  knight  in  Emma's  train,  and,  more 
fortunate  than  Fierrabras,  finds  her  passion  for  him 
reciprocated.  Both  parties  then  leave  the  holy  city  to 
return  to  their  respective  homes — Fierrabras  with  the 
set  purpose  of  abjuring  the  faith  of  his  fathers. 

The  imprisoned  Moors  are  led  before  the  king ; 
Fierrabras  sees  Emma  amongst  the  crowd,  and  is  told 
by  Eginhardt,  a  knight  in  the  Court  of  Charles,  that 
she  is  the  daughter  of  his  father's  conqueror.  Egin- 
hardt, selected  by  his  master  to  go  with  an  embassy 
entrusted  with  offering  the  conditions  of  peace  to  the 
Prince  of  the  Moors,  appears  in  the  garden  of  the 
brilliantly  illuminated  castle,  serenading  his  beloved 
Emma  with  his  lute,  and  telling  his  parting  tale  of 
love.  During  the  song  she  appears  on  the  balcony,  but 
soon  vanishes  again;  the  door  of  the  castle  is  opened, 
and  Eginhardt  admitted.  Soon  afterwards  Fierrabras 
appears  on  the  scene ;  startled  by  a  commotion  going 
on  in  the  house  before  him  and  the  cry  of  people,  who 
seem  to  be  looking  for  somebody,  he  steps  aside, 


296  LIFE    OF  SCHUBERT. 

to  wait  for  what  may  happen.  Suddenly  the  door 
opens,  Emma  leads  Eginhardt  out,  and  covers  the  fu- 
gitive with  her  veil.  Fierrabras  then  enters,  prepared 
to  avenge  with  his  sword  the  injured  honour  of  the 
family.  Yielding  to  Emma's  entreaties,  he  allows 
Eginhardt  to  continue  his  flight  undisturbed,  and  offers, 
with  noble  resignation,  his  arm  to  the  king's  daughter 
(beloved  by  him),  in  order  to  lead  her  back  into  the 
castle.  But  King  Charles  appears  at  the  gate  with  his 
attendants,  and  on  seeing  his  daughter  resting  on  the 
Moor's  arm,  harbours  a  cruel  hatred  against  him  for 
violating  the  laws  of  hospitality,  and  orders  his  trusty 
Eginhardt  (ignorant  of  his  passion  for  Emma)  to  throw 
Fierrabras  into  prison.  Fierrabras  victimises  himself 
for  his  rival,  and  is  led  away  in  fetters.  Meanwhile 
the  horsemen  intended  for  the  ambassador's  attendant 
train  collect  themselves  together,  with  waving  flags, 
palm  branches,  and  other  symbols  of  peace,  to  start  for 
the  palace  of  the  Moorish  Prince. 

The  opening  of  the  second  act  introduces  us  once 
more  to  the  knights,  who  have  just  passed  the  boundaries 
of  their  native  land.  Eginhardt  and  Eoland  bid  fare- 
well to  their  fatherland  in  a  lovely  duett,  which  is  after- 
wards taken  up  by  the  chorus  of  knights. 

Eginhardt,  dreamily  followed  by  his  companion,  and 
longing  to  be  at  home  again,  is,  by  his-  own  desire, 
left  behind  by  his  knights,  and  charges  his  comrade, 
in  case  of  impending  danger,  to  blow  his  horn,  so  that 


THE    OPERA   e  FIERRABRAS.'  297 

his  friends    may   run   to    his   assistance.     They   have 
only  just  quitted  the  scene,  when  the  Moors  appear, 
take  Eginhardt  prisoner,  and  carry  him  away.      The 
knights,   hurrying   forward    at    the   signal   given    by 
the  horn,  disperse  in  different  directions  to  look  for 
him.     Eginhardt   is   brought  into   the   camp    of    the 
Prince  of  the  Moors,  who  enquires  of  his  son's  fate, 
and,  on  hearing  that  he  is  pining  in  prison,  vows  de- 
struction upon  the  whole  tribe  of  Franks.     Florinda 
learns  that  Eoland  is   amongst  the  ambassador's  fol- 
lowers.   The  knights  arrive,  Eoland  tells  the  Prince  his 
army  has  been  beaten,  and  Fierrabras  embraced  the 
Christian  faith.     The  Moorish  Prince  curses  his  son, 
and  orders  them  to  confine  the  ambassador's  retinue 
in  the   tower,   and   give   them   up  to   the   vengeance 
of  his   soldiers.      Florinda   determines   she   will   save 
Koland  and  his  friends.     With  a  sword  in  one  hand, 
and  a  light  in   the    other,  she  rushes   into  the  dark 
chamber  where  the  knights  are  assembled,  in  order  to 
tell  them  of  an  impending  attack  of  the  Moors.     The 
muttering  of  drums  is  heard,  mingled  with  the  clang 
of  trumpets  and  the  cries  of  the  enemy.     The  knights 
seize  their  arms  in   hot   haste  to  defend  themselves. 
Eoland    and  Eginhardt  undertake   to    cut   their  way 
through  the  enemy  and  rejoin  their  companions  and 
relieve  the  citadel.     Eginhardt,  mounted  on  the  horse 
of  a  fallen  Moor,  succeeds  in  passing  the  boundary ; 
Eoland  is  taken  prisoner. 


298  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

The  third  act  opens  in  the  castle  of  King  Charles. 
Emma  is  busy  with  a  party  of  maidens,  weaving  gar- 
lands for  the  returning  victors.  King  Charles  enters, 
and  his  daughter,  tormented  with  pangs  of  conscience 
at  the  fate  of  her  knight  Fierrabras,  confesses  to  her 
father  her  love  for  Eginhardt,  and  the  treachery  he  has 
practised.  Fierrabras  is  forthwith  set  at  liberty.  Egin- 
hardt  rushes  in,  relates  all  that  has  passed  in  the 
Moorish  camp,  and  implores  help.  Carl  gives  orders 
that  everyone  capable  of  holding  a  weapon  should 
prepare  for  a  rush  at  the  enemy,  and  bids  Eginhardt, 
if  he  would  redeem  his  life — already  forfeited — to  save 
his  friends. 

The  knights  still  hold  out  in  the  citadel,  hoping  for 
aid  which  they  believe  to  be  near  at  hand.  The  Moors 
raise  a  pile  of  faggots  to  burn  Eoland  upon.  Florinda, 
when  viewing  the  agonising  scene  from  a  battlement, 
raises  her  veil  on  the  point  of  a  lance,  and  gives  the 
Moors  a  signal  that  she  will  surrender  the  citadel. 

The  gate  opens,  Florinda  and  the  knights  come  for- 
ward. The  daughter  of  the  Moorish  Prince  falls  at  her 
father's  feet,  and  confesses  to  him  her  love  for  Eoland. 
He,  however,  orders  her  and  the  knights  to  be  con- 
demned to  death. 

Brutamonte  then  rushes  in  with  the  announcement 
that  the  army  of  Franks  is  advancing  in  full  marching 
order.  The  Moors  rush  upon  the  knights  with  drawn 
sabres,  but  Eginhardt  and  Fierrabras  have  already 


THE   OPERA   *  FIERRABRAS.'  299 

attacked.  Roland  tears  away  Florinda  from  her  father, 
who  is  about  to  take  her  back  to  the  citadel,  and  on 
the  point  of  stabbing  the  Prince  of  the  Moors,  when 
Fierrabras  seizes  the  already  uplifted  arm,  calling  out 
to  him  to  spare  his  father.  King  Charles  and  Emma 
appear ;  the  vanquished  Prince  of  the  Moors  is  called 
on  to  finish  the  dispute ;  Eginhardt  falls  prostrate  at 
the  King's  feet.  The  latter  forgives  him,  and  leads 
him  to  Emma,  his  affianced  wife;  but  the  Prince, 
softened  by  the  intercession  of  the  son,  joins  Florinda's 
hand  with  Roland's.  Fierrabras  prevails  on  King 
Charles  to  be  allowed  to  follow  from  henceforth  his  vic- 
torious standard.  The  opera  ends  with  a  universal 
chorus  of  joy  and  exultation. 

The  music,  including  the  overture,  contains  twenty- 
three  numbers.1  The  first  is  an  orchestral  introduction 
(in  F  Andante  |),  a  genuine  Schubertian  movement, 
full  of  interest,  linked  to  which  is  the  constantly  recur- 
ring subject  (F  Minor,  Allegro  ma  nontroppo  -J-),  which 
runs  through  the  overture  like  a  silver  tissue. 

The  opera  commences  with  a  chorus  of  Court  bed- 
chamber-women, occupied  in  spinning  at  the  loom  in 
Emma's  apartment  at  the  King's  castle  (Andantino 
C  major  -|).  There  are  short  solo  passages,  and  the 
chorus  takes  up  again  the  first  strophe.  After  a  short 
spoken  dialogue  Emma  sings  the  same  melody  (in  Gr 
minor) ;  the  chorus  afterwards  concludes  the  piece  with 

1  The  original  overture  is  in  the  hands  of  Herr  Spina,  at  Vienna. 


300  LIFE   OF    SCHUBERT. 

the  introductory  air  (in  C  minor),  which,  with  its  melo- 
dious and  tuneful  character,  is  admirably  adapted  to 
the  situation.1  To  this  first  chorus  succeeds  another 
for  the  virgins,  crowning  with  garlands  the  returning 
heroes,  and  a  short  and  not  very  striking  love-duett 
between  Emma  and  Eginhardt  (Andantino  A-flat 
major  f ).  The  scene  changes  to  the  state  apartments 
of  the  King's  castle.  A  march  (Allegro  mod.  D  major  f ) 
is  followed  by  a  fine  chorus  for  the  knights,2  beau- 

1  Chor. 

Der  runde  Silberfaden 
Lauft  sinnig  durch  die  Hand, 
Znm  Frommen  wie  zum  Schaden 
Webt  sich  ein  Liebespfand. 

Solo. 

Wie  er  die  "Welt  begrusset, 
Der  Saugling  neu  belebt, 
Die  Hiille  ihn  umfliesset, 
Von  Spinnerhand  gewebt. 
Chor  (erste  Strofe). 

Solo. 

Zur  Hiille  selbst  im  Grabe, 
Zur  Klag'  im  Treuebruch, 
"Webt  sich  als  Spinnergabe 
Von  Spinnerhand  gewebt,  &c. 
Chor  (erste  Strofe). 

2  Eitter. 

Zu  hohen  Euhmespforten 
Klimmt  er  auf  schroffem  Grleis  (sic), 
Nicht  frohnt  er  hohlen  Worten, 
Die  That  nur  1st  sein  Preis. 


THE    OPEKA   '  FIEEKABRAS/  301 

tifully  interwoven  with  the  alternate  strains  for  the 
wives  and  daughters.1  Both  these  movements  culmi- 
nate in  a  general  chorus,  in  which  the  march  is  again 
introduced.  Next  in  order  follow  recitatives  for  the 
King,  fresh  from  the  honours  of  his  coronation ;  alter- 
nate choruses  of  great  beauty,  and  a  general  chorus ; 
then  recitatives  for  Fierrabras  and  Roland,  and  a 
charming  chorus  for  virgins,  with  a  soprano  solo.2 
These  movements  introduce  an  ensemble,  in  which  the 
King,  Roland,  Ogier,  Fierrabras,  Eginhardt,  Emma, 
and  the  knights  all  take  part. 

The  introductory  march  and  chorus  are  again  heard, 
followed  by  a  melodious  but  not  otherwise  remarkable 
duett  for  Roland  and  Fierrabras  (Allegro  maestoso  con 
sforza  A  major  -£-)  and  the  finale.  This  opens  with 

1  Frauen. 

Den  Sieger  lasst  uns  schmiicken, 
Von  frischem  Kranz  umlaubt  (sic), 
Muth  strahlet  aus  den  Blicken, 
Der  Lorbeer  urn  das  Haupt ! 


Der  Landestochter  fromme  Pflichten 
Weih'n,  Edler,  Dir  die  Heldenzier ; 
Mir  war  des  Amtes  zu  verrichten, 
Ich  reich'  fiir  sie  den  Kranz  uur  Dir. 

Ckor. 

Vaterhuld  und  milder  Sinn 
Schmiickt  den  hohen  Helden, 
Seiner  Tugenden  Grewinn 
Bleibt  der  Dank  der  Welten. 


302  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

Eginhardt's  farewell  serenade  in  front  of  the  terrace 
at  the  castle — a  beautiful  romance,  consisting  of  an 
Andante  in  A  minor  -f ).  A  few  plaintive  chords  accom- 
pany the  entry  of  Fierrabras,  who,  in  a  recitative  and 
beautifully  accompanied  air,  bewails  his  untoward  fate. 
A  shout  is  heard  along  the  corridors  of  the  royal 
castle,  and  the  cry,  fWo  ist  sie?'  'Verfolget  die  Spuren,' 
&c.,  strikes  on  the  ear ;  this  leads  to  a  series  of  powerful 
dramatic  scenes,  set  to  beautiful  and  expressive  music. 
The  trio  that  follows,  and  a  quartett  preceded  by  a 
recitative  and  air  for  Emma,  are  one  and  all  numbers 
of  high  musical  value.  A  loud  blast  from  the  horn  gives 
the  signal  for  the  knights  to  rise.  The  alternate  strains 
of  the  knights  and  troopers  (Allegro  vivace  C  major  -J)? 
concluding  with  a  quartett l  (Emma,  the  King,  Egin- 

1       Emma,  EginJiardt  und  Fierrabras.       >  . 

Dulden  nur  und  schweigen 
Ziemt  um  solchen  Preis, 
Und  kein  Blick  darf  zeigen, 
Was  die  Seele  weiss. 

Carl. 

Ernst  und  Strenge  zeigen 
Ist  mein  Pflichtgeheiss, 
Vor  des  Frevlers  Zeugen 
Werd'  der  Schmach  er  preis  (sic}. 

Char. 

Fort  zum  Siegesreigen, 
Fort  auf  sein  Machtgeheiss, 
Eures  Ruhmes  Zeugen 
Bringt  des  Finders  Preis. 


THE    OPERA    (  FIERRABRAS.'  303 

hardt,  and  Fierrabras),  admirably  worked  up^  bring  the 
first  act  to  an  elaborate  close. 

The  second  act  begins  with  a  pretty  duett  for  Eoland 
and  Eginhardt  (Andantino  C  major  -J-),  as  they  gaze 
for  the  last  time  on  their  fatherland.  The  chorus  of 
knights  repeat  the  melody.  They  depart,  and  a  cha- 
racteristic march  announces  the  advance  of  the  Moors. 
Eginhardt  blows  a  blast  on  his  horn,  and  the  challenge 
is  answered  by  his  friends.  In  a  powerful  wild  cho- 
rus, the  Moors,1  who  scent  treason  in  the  horn-blast, 
threaten  the  betrayer  with  death.  After  taking  Egin- 
hardt with  them,  a  second  trumpet-blast  is  heard,  the 
knights  return  to  look  for  him  they  have  left  behind, 
and  the  next  chorus  (an  Allegro  molto  vivace  in  F 
major  -|)  is  full  of  energy  and  interest.  Still  finer  is 
the  lovely  duett  that  follows  for  Florinda,  with  violon- 
cello obligate  (Andante  con  moto  in  A-flat)  :2 — 

Muth  und  Besinnung  schwinden, 
Ein  diistres  Todesgrau'n 
Lasst  mich  nur  Qualen  finden, 
Zerstort  ist  mem  Vertrau'n. 


Chor  der  Mauren. 
Was  mag  der  Euf  bedeuten  ? 
Seid  wohl  auf  eurer  Hut, 
Mog'  er  Verrath  bedeuten, 
So  strome  bald  sein  Blut. 

Florinde. 

Weit  iiber  G-lanz  und  Erdenschimmer 
Kagt  meiner  Wiinsche  hohes  Ziel, 


304  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

The  third  act  begins,  like  the  first,  with  a  chorus  of 
virgins  collected  at  the  royal  castle,  and  occupied  in 
twining  garlands.  In  this  chorus  the  solo  part  of  Emma 
is  heard  prominently  above  the  other  parts.  A  duett  for 
the  king  and  his  daughter  follows,  with  a  recitative  and 
a  lovely  trio  (Emma,  Eginhardt,  Fierrabras),  in  which 
Eginhardt  takes  leave  of  his  beloved  (Allegro  mod. 
in  C).  The  scene  changes  to  the  interior  of  the  tower, 
which  the  Moors  are  besieging.  The  knights  are  busily 
occupied  about  Florinda.  The  air  which  follows  for 
Florinda,  accompanied  by  chorus  (Andante  con  moto 
F  -|),  a  fine  air  of  a  plaintive  character,  is  one  of  the 
most  successful  pieces  of  music  in  the  opera.1 

Und  jedem  G-liick  entsag'  ich  immer, 
Lohnt  mich  der  Liebe  suss  G-efiihl,  &c. 

1  Florinde. 

Des  Jammers  herbe  Qualen 
Erfiillen  dieses  Herz, 
Zum  Grrabe  muss  er  wallen, 
0  unnennbarer  Schmerz !  &c. 

Chor  (als  Mittelsatz). 
Lass  dein  Vertrau'n  nicht  schwinden, 
Noch  leuchtet  uns  ein  Hoffnungsstrahl, 
Noch  kann  sich  Kettung  finden, 
Und  spurlos  flieht  der  Leiden  Qual. 

Florinde. 

Und  seines  Todes  Wunde 
Bringt  mir  Verderben  auch. 

Chor. 

Des  Herzens  tiefste  Wunde 
Heilt  froher  Hoffimng  Hauch. 


THE    OPERA    <  FIERRABRAS.'  305 

A  funeral  march  is  heard  close  at  hand,  the  pre- 
lude to  another  orchestral  movement,  and  then  comes 
a  lively  dramatic  scene  (Florinda  and  the  knights), 
in  which  Florinda  orders  the  gates  to  be  opened,  and 
the  knights  desire  to  die  with  their  friend.  They  are 
answered  by  the  wild  energetic  chorus  of  the  Moors, 
an  ensemble  (Tempo  di  marcia  D  minor  £),  accom- 
panied by  beats  on  the  great  tomtom.  Florinda  rushes 
into  her  father's  arms,  recitatives  follow,  and  an  ensem- 
ble (Admiral,  Florinda,  chorus  of  knights  and  Moors), 
and  a  finale  (Allegro  moderate  B  major  £).  Warlike 
signals  are  heard  in  the  distance,  succeeded  by  recita- 
tives, a  short  chorus  of  the  knights,  more  recitatives 
interspersed  with  choral  passages,  and  the  final  chorus 
with  a  quartett  for  the  principals  (Allegro  vivace  -J)  : — 

Vereint  durch  Bruderbande 
G-edeiht  nur  Menschengliick, 
Es  weilt  im  Vaterlande 
So  gern'  der  Sohne  Blick. 

The  libretto  of  this  opera  belongs  to  that  class  of  the 
'  heroic-romantic '  kind  in  which  valour  and  chivalry 
contend  for  the  palm.  Every  character  is  more  or  less 
heroic,  the  passive  Fierrabras  excepted,  who,  however, 
lends  his  name  to  the  opera  ID  which  he  plays  so 
poor  and  contemptible  a  part.  His  delight  in  self- 
sacrifice  knows  no  bounds  ;  and  yet  he  thanks  the  King 
when  the  latter  orders  him  to  be  shut  up  (instead  of 
Eginhardt).  There  is  no  lack  of  brilliancy  in  the  piece, 

YOL.  I.  x 


306  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

and  the  warlike  processions,  war  cries,  and  heroic 
deeds  in  battle,  contrast  with  the  soft  lyric  element 
introduced  by  Emma  and  the  choruses  for  women. 
The  tuneful  burden  of  the  Lied  makes  itself  heard 
here  and  there  in  the  opera ;  whilst  ever  and  anon  an 
opportunity  offers  for  the  development  of  dramatic 
musical  effects,  which  Schubert  never  fails  to  avail 
himself  of.  The  choruses  for  men  are  vividly  coloured, 
and  those  for  the  Moors  well  in  keeping  with  the 
national  character.  Song  alternates  with  spoken  dia- 
logue, which,  with  the  melodrama  and  recitatives,  occu- 
pies a  conspicuous  place  in  the  work. 

The  opera  was  never  performed  in  public.  Some 
years  after  the  death  of  Franz,  his  brother  Ferdinand 
introduced  fragments  of  the  work  in  his  concerts;  in 
the  year  1858,  at  a  concert  given  by  the  Mannergesang- 
Verein  at  Vienna,  the  overture,  the  first  scene  of  the 
second  act  (for  tenor,  bass,  and  men's  chorus),  and  the 
scene  in  the  citadel  (for  soprano  and  chorus)  from 
the  third  act,  were  given,  and  in  the  year  1862  th< 
chorus  '  0  theures  Vaterland,'  from  the  second  act, 
performed  with  marked  success.  Should  a  revival  o 
'  Fierrabras '  ever  be  contemplated  on  the  stage,  it 
would  be  found  to  contrast  unfavourably  with  *  Alfonso 
und  Estrella.'  In  the  former  the  spoken  dialogue  is 
diffuse  and  wearisome ;  in  the  latter,  musical  recitative 
supplies  the  place.  A  remedy  must  be  found,  either 
by  improving  the  text  and  shortening  the  recitatives, 


THE    OPERETTA   '  DIE   VERSCHWORNEN.'  307 

or  inserting  new  ones.  From  the  more  judicious  ar- 
rangement and  connection  of  the  different  numbers, 
and  a  more  lively  dramatic  treatment,  one  would  feel 
disposed  to  augur  confidently  a  greater  stage  success  for 
this  opera  than  for  the  lyric  and  monotonous  drama 
'Alfonso.'  We  have  yet  to  mention  a  small  but  delicate 
and  lustrous  jewel,  which  some  years  ago  was  disco- 
vered and  extracted  from  Schubert's  e  Casket,'  in  the 
shape  of  an  operetta. 

In  the  eighth  yearly  series  of  the  dramatic  '  Strauss- 
chen,'  published  by  J.  F.  Castelli,  will  be  found, 
amongst  other  compositions,  chiefly  borrowed  from  the 
French,  the  one-act  Opera  '  Die  Versch women.'  The 
author  wrote  the  following  preface  to  his  work  : — '  The 
complaint,  generally  speaking,  of  the  German  com- 
posers is  this  : — "  Well,  we  should  be  very  glad  to  set 
operas  to  music,  only  get  us  proper  words  to  write  to  !  " 
Now  here  is  one,  gentlemen  !  If  you  will  accompany 
it  with  music,  pray  let  my  words  have  fair  play,  and 
don't  spoil  the  intelligibleness  of  the  plot,  whilst  you 
only  look  after  roulades  and  nourishes  in  preference 
to  musical  characteristics.  In  my  opinion,  the  opera 
should  be  a  dramatically  worked  piece,  accompanied 
with  music — not  music  with  a  text  specially  adapted  as 
an  after-thought ;  and  the  general  effect  and  impres- 
sion, according  to  my  view,  are  of  more  importance 
:  than  that  of  giving  an  opportunity  for  some  individual 
singer  of  displaying  the  elasticity  and  power  of  his 

x  2 


308  LIFE    OP   SCHUBERT. 

vocal  organ.     Let  us  do  something,  gentlemen,  for  the 
bona  fide  German  opera  1 ' 

This  preface,  which  is  to  be  read  in  the  'Strausschen' 
for  the  year  1823,  whereas  the  musical  accompaniments, 
according  to  a  statement  on  a  copy  of  the  original 
score,  are  said  to  have  been  composed  as  early  as  the 
year  1819,  leads  me  to  expect  that  the  compiler  of  the 
libretto  was  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  his  verses  had 
already  been  clothed  in  musical  dress,  and  by  no  less 
a  composer  than  Franz  Schubert.  Castelli,  in  his  old 
age,  remembered  once  to  have  heard  that  Schubert, 
whom  he  knew  personally,  had  taken  in  hand  a  setting 
of  his  operetta ;  l  but  that  as  the  opera  never  was 
represented,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  it  having  been 
whispered  to  him  that  the  composer,  so  far  from  master- 
ing the  author's  humour,  had  put  together  a  gloomy, 
sentimental,  colourless  toned  picture,  he  had  ceased  to 
take  any  further  interest  in  the  matter.  With  regard 
to  the  actual  point  of  time  when  the  musical  part  of  the 
work  first  originated,  he  could  not,  at  such  a  distance 
of  time,  give  any  further  information.2 

It  is  strange  that  Ferdinand  Schubert  (who  seems  to 

1  This  I  had  in  a  short  conversation  with  Castelli  immediately  after 
a  performance  of  the  operetta  at  the  Concert  Hall. 

2  The  information  would  certainly  be  supplied  by  the  original  score,  on 
which  Schubert,  as  his  habit  was,  would  have  written  the  day  he  began 
and  the  day  he  finished  the  work.     The  manuscript,  however,  is  not 
forthcoming,  and  has  probably,  with  other  of  Schubert's  compositions, 
been  sold  by  Ferdinand  Schubert. 


CASTELLI   AND    SCHUBERT.  309 

have  assigned  the  year  1819  as  the  date  on  the  copy  of 
the  work  made  by  him)  has  always  in  his  catalogues 
given  the  year  1823  as  the  date  of  the  origin  of  the 
opera.  The  music  of  the  opera  itself  speaks  in  favour 
of  the  latter  period — a  time  which  synchronises  with 
the  best  period  of  Schubert's  power  as  an  original  com- 
poser.1 It  is  a  characteristic  feature  with  regard  to 
Schubert's  conduct  in  this  matter,  that  he  never  makes 
the  slightest  mention  of  the  compiler  of  the  libretto, 
whilst  the  old  Castelli  seems  to  have  been  glad  to 
retaliate  for  such  reserve,  seeing  that  after  the  first 

1  Bauernfeld,  in  his  'Sketches,'  compiled  in  1829,  fixes  1824  as  the 
year  when  Schubert  wrote  the  work.  Josef  Hiittenbrenner  affirms  confi- 
dently that  Schubert  did  not  play  the  opera  to  him  on  the  piano  before 
1824  or  the  year  after;  and  his  memory  is  all  the  clearer  on  the  matter, 
as  the  composer  himself  was  pleased  with  his  own  music  and  wished  the 
opera  to  be  performed  at  the  theatre — an  event  which  both  he  and 
Hiittenbrenner  made  several  ineffectual  efforts  to  bring  about.  In  a 
memorandum-book  (in  the  possession  of  the  latter)  there  is  the  follow- 
ing notice  in  the  year  1824: — '  "Der  hausliche  Krieg,"  written  at  my 
father's  house,  reviewed  and  passed  for  representation  at  the  Royal 
Opera  House.'  Schubert,  in  a  letter  to  Kupelwieser  in  the  year  1824, 
mentions  the  operetta.  In  a  notice  of  the  '  Augsburg  Allgemeine  Zeit- 
ung'  for  October  1862,  relative  to  a  performance  of  'Die  Verschwor- 
nen'  at  Munich,  the  following  words  appear: — CA  year  after  Schubert 
had  given  his  opera  to  the  managers  of  the  Opera  House  at  Vienna,  he 
thought  the  time  had  arrived  for  him  to  make  some  enquiries  after  the 
fate  of  his  work.  Whereupon  he  got  back  his  score  from  the  library, 
rolled  up,  tied,  and  fastened — in  short,  in  exactly  the  same  state  as  he 
had  sent  it  thirteen  months  before  to  his  wise  judges  and  reviewers.' 
If  this  be  true,  or  if  any  part  of  the  story  be  true,  I  have  never  ascer- 
tained :  J.  Hiittenbrenner  has  no  memory  of  the  circumstance  here 
narrated. 


310  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

performance  of  the  musical  part  of  the  operetta,  he 
hazarded  the  extraordinary  assertion,  e  It's  impossible 
that  all  the  music  should  have  come  from  Schubert!' 
However,  as  to  the  question  of  the  composer's  thoroughly 
grasping  the  author's  meaning,  his  prejudices  were 
entirely  removed.  The  original  title,  f  Die  Verschwor- 
nen,'  was  fixed  on  by  a  committee  of  censors,  who 
were  for  a  period  of  twenty  years  in  the  ascendant, 
and  this  title  became  afterwards  fused  in  the  less 
threatening  name  of  '  Der  hausliche  Krieg.'  The  ope- 
retta consists  of  eleven  numbers  of  different  kinds, 
interspersed  with  spoken  dialogue.  The  treatment  of 
the  subject — radically  nothing  more  nor  less  than  an 
adaptation  of  the  '  Lysistrate'  of  Aristophanes  into  me- 
dieval Viennese,  may  be  thus  described. 

Count  Heribert  von  Liidenstein,  a  feudal  lord,  Astolf 
von  Eeisenberg,  Grarold  von  Nummen,  Friedrich  von 
Trausdorf,  vassals  of  Heribert,  and  several  knights 
with  them,  have  gone  forth  in  the  crusade  against  the 
Saracens.  Their  wives,  Ludmilla,  Helena,  Luitgarde, 
Camilla,  and  those  of  the  rest  of  the  knights  are  lament- 
ing for  their  husbands,  and  yearning  for  their  return. 
Ludmilla,  angry  with  her  husband  for  listening  to  the 
call  of  honour  rather  than  the  obligations  of  love,  and 
for  his  determination  to  endure  a  long  separation,  in- 
vites the  wives  of  all  those  knights  who  have  gone  to 
the  wars  to  assemble  at  her  castle,  there  to  persuade 
them  of  the  advisability  of  treating  their  husbands  on 


THE    OPERETTA    c  DIE   YERSCHWORNEN.'  311 

their  return  home  with  indifference  and  coldness.  The 
page  of  the  Count,  Udolin,  who  has  hurriedly  preceded 
the  knights  on  their  return  home,  hears  of  this  plot 
from  his  lady-love  Isella,  the  waiting-maid  of  the 
Countess,  and,  disguised  in  woman's  attire,  attends  the 
fore-appointed  wives'  parliament.  Ludmilla's  proposal 
is  unanimously  voted.  The  knights  arrive  at  the  castle. 
Udolin  secretly  informs  his  master  of  the  vote  of  the 
women.  The  knights  speedily  resolve  to  enter  the  lists 
with  the  same  weapons,  and  to  meet  their  seemingly 
indifferent  wives  with  still  greater  coldness  on  their 
part.  In  the  great  hall  of  the  castle  the  knights 
meet  their  ladies.  The  hypocrisy  of  both  sets  is  ad- 
mirably acted,  only  the  knights,  without  ever  having 
first  saluted  their  wives,  go  off  at  once  to  a  state 
apartment,  there  to  hold  banquet  and  revel.  The 
Countess  is  amazed  at  her  husband's  behaviour,  the 
other  wives  already  begin  to  make  objections  to  the 
plot  of  their  own  contrivance.  Isella  then  appears  in 
the  scene,  and  tells  the  Countess  that  her  husband 
filled  his  drinking-cup  to  the  brim  at  dinner,  and  pro- 
posed as  a  toast,  s  Here's  to  war  and  the  glory  of  war ! ' 
adding,  '  Let  us  only  rest  a  little,  and  then  once  more 
to  the  field  of  honour  in  search  of  fresh  laurels.  Un- 
til that  hour  let  us  keep  apart  from  our  wives.'  Lud- 
milla's consternation  and  that  of  the  other  women  is 
at  its  fever -point.  The  state  of  things  begins  to  be 
unbearable ;  the  Countess  is  already  asking  for  a  secret 


312  LIFE    OF   SCHUBERT. 

interview  with  the  Count,  the  other  women  appoint  a 
meeting  with  their  husbands.  Helena  is  the  first  to  be 
seen  together  with  Astolf ;  the  Countess  suspects  her 
cause  has  been  betrayed,  and  meets  her  husband  very 
affectionately,  whilst  he,  scarce  able  to  master  his  feel- 
ings, only  escapes  by  lying,  to  the  effect  that  he  and  his 
fighting  companions  have  sworn  a  fearful  oath  to  return 
again  to  the  field.  He  bids  a  last  adieu  to  the  Countess, 
and  withdraws.  Udolin  and  Isella  then  enter.  The 
first  of  these  confides  to  the  Countess  the  intelligence 
that  the  knights,  surrounded  by  Saracens  without  any 
hope  of  escape,  had  taken  a  vow  on  themselves  of  once 
more  enduring  a  campaign  for  the  sake  of  their  own  de- 
liverance, and  further,  of  showing  no  symptom  of  the 
smallest  affection  for  their  wives,  unless  they,  from  pure 
devotion  to  their  husbands,  would  buckle  on  armour, 
fight  side  by  side  with  them,  and  do  battle  for  the  faith. 
The  Countess  declares  she  will  never  do  such  a  thing. 
Isella  takes  a  suit  of  armour  down  from  the  wall,  puts 
it  on,  but  only  in  jest  she  says.  The  Count  appears; 
touched  by  the  sight  of  his  own  wife,  he  summons  all 
the  knights.  The  Countess  wishes  to  put  off  the  armour, 
when  the  other  ladies  step  in,  all  of  them  clothed  in 
armour,  and  compel  their  leader  to  remain  so  in  a  war- 
like capacity.  The  men  now  give  in  as  being  mastered, 
the  Count  tells  the  story  of  the  vow  as  having  been  a 
pure  invention,  Isella  and  Udolin  exchange  greetings, 
and  all  come  to  terms. 


THE   OPERETTA   c  DIE   VERSCHWORNEN.'  313 

Schubert's  music  contains  a  duett  for  Isella  (so- 
prano) and  Udolin  (tenor,1  Allegro  A  major  f),  a  ro- 
mance for  Helena  (Moderate  F  minor  -|),  a  chorus  of 
the  knights'  wives  (Allegro  moderato  C  major  %),  con- 
sisting of  several  movements  differing  in  key  and  rhythm 
from  each  other ;  the  plot  chorus  for  the  wives  (Allegro 
D  minor  -J),  with  a  final  movement  (Andantino  D  major 
-|),  a  march  and  chorus  of  knights  (Allegro  moderato 
B  minor  -J),  a  chorus  of  knights  (Allegro  moderato  E- 
flat  -f),  a  chorus  of  knights  and  wives  (Andantino  C 
major  -J),  and  a  duett  for  the  Count  and  Countess  (F 
major  -J),  a  duett  between  Astolf  and  Helena  (Andan- 
tino B  major  -|),  with  the  concluding  movement  (Allegro 
vivace  J),  an  air  for  the  Count  (Allegro  moderato  A 
major  -|),  another  for  the  Countess  (Allegro  moderato 
C  major  •§•),  and  the  finale  (Allegro  giusto  D  •£•),  a  move- 
ment in  several  parts  very  varied  in  tone  and  character, 
of  which  the  march  and  chorus  of  women  (Gr  major 
-J),  the  solo  of  the  Countess  accompanied  by  men  and 
women's  voices  (Andante  C  major  -J),  and  the  final 
chorus  (Allegro  moderato  C  major  -|)  are  conspicuous 
features.  This  charming  musical  vaudeville  is  a  subject 
of  special  interest,  as  it  was  the  first  of  a  series  of 
Schubert  performances  in  the  way  of  dramatic  music, 
and  gave  the  first  stimulus  to  further  efforts  in  this 
direction. 

1  The  part  of  the  page  Udolin  is  composed  in  the  duett  (No.  1)  for 
tenor,  in  the  other  numbers  throughout  the  work  for  soprano. 


314  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

After  the  operetta  had  slept  over  forty  years  by  the 
side  of  other  unknown  and  unused  treasures,  the  music 
was  given  for  the  first  time  at  Vienna  on  March  1, 1861, 
at  a  concert  of  the  Musikverein,  and  obtained  a  brilliant 
success  before  a  numerous  and  eager  audience.1  The 
freshness  and  beauty  of  the  melodies,  coupled  with  the 
marked  individuality  of  each  character  in  the  piece, 
worked  upon  the  attention  of  the  hearers  in  the  same 
degree  as  the  power  and  facility  of  treatment  shown 
in  the  vocal  and  instrumental  parts  called  forth  de- 
light and  astonishment  on  the  part  of  those  who  were 
incredulous  of  Schubert's  gifts  in  this  particular  branch 
of  art.  Our  tone-poet  showed  his  lyric  power  here  most 
remarkably.  The  entire  libretto  gives  no  opportunity 
for  genuine  dramatic  effects,  although  there  are  certain 
portions,  as,  for  example,  the  finale,  which  might  well 
excite  the  envy  of  artists  still  living  amongst  us.  We 
have  now  before  us  a  series  of  eleven  vocal  numbers, 
each  of  which  is  more  charming  than  its  predecessor.2 

1  Herr  Johann  Herbeck,  director  of  the  society,  conducted  at  this 
performance,  and  we   were   much  indebted  to  his  knowledge  of  the 
operetta  in  question.     The  singers  who  took  part  were  Frl.  Hofmann 
(Countess),  Frl.   Ottilie   Hauer   (Helena),    Frl.   Bertl    (Isella),    Herr 
Mayerhofer  (Count),  and  Herr  Olschbauer  (Udolin  and  Astolf).     At  the 
second  performance  (March  22)  the  chief  singer  at  the  Theatre  Koyal, 
Frl.  Kraus,  sang  the  part  of  the  Countess,  and  Herr  Walther  the  tenor 
part. 

2  In  the  spring  of  1862,  a  pianoforte  edition,  by  Dr.  Schneider,  was 
published  at  Spina's  with  and  without  the  words,  and  other  arrange- 
ments of  the  operetta  have  appeared. 


PERFORMANCE  AT  FRANKFORT.         315 

With  respect  to  the  stage  performances  of  the  '  Ver- 
sch  women,'  Frankfort  on  the  Maine  got  the  start  of  all 
other  cities  of  Germany.  It  was  in  that  Imperial  city, 
on  the  29th  of  August,  1861,  that  the  first  representa- 
tion was  given  with. marked  success,  and  other  per- 
formances followed  soon  afterwards.1 

1  The  '  Frankfurter  Museum  '  contained  the  first  notice  of  the  per- 
formance, and  expressed  itself  to  the  effect  that  '  the  charming  little  work, 
the  sweet  music  of  which'  combined  in  a  wonderful  way  the  soothing, 
melting,  southern  strains  with  the  rough  energy  of  German  music,  was 
greeted  by  the  critics  and  public  with  a  very  friendly  reception,  and  will 
be  valued  as  an  important  acquisition  to  the  repertoire  of  the  theatres. 
The  music,'  it  goes  on  to  say,  'is  as  delicate,  lovely,  and  charming  as  one 
would  have  expected  at  the  hands  of  the  famous  and  versatile  Schubert. 
Each  number  is  more  beautiful  than  the  other.  The  opera  was  admi- 
rably put  upon  the  stage,  the  scenery  good,  the  players  took  great  pains ; 
one  felt  that  they  liked  the  work.  The  applatise  was  hearty.'  In  the 
'  Didaskalien '  of  the  'Frankfort  Journal'  this  theatrical  event  was  thus 
alluded  to  : — 'Our  directors  have  done  a  good  stroke  of  business  in 
taking  in  hand  the  "  Hauslicher  Krieg,"  a  one-act  opera  left  by  the  genial 
Lieder-composer  Franz  Schubert  (words  by  Castelli).  This  charming 
•work  has  already  been  given  twice  with  marked  applause,  and  ought  to 
keep  a  lasting  place  in  our  repertoire.  The  theatre  here  is  the  first  to 
produce  this  opera  before  the  public,  although  the  music  has  been  first 
familiarised  to  Vienna  by  a  concert  performance  given  in  the  spring  of 
this  year  by  the  "  G-esellschaft  der  Musikfreunde."  A  lapse  of  forty-two 
years  was  necessary  to  pave  the  way  on  the  stage  for  this  valuable  and 
poetical  work,  and  in  the  interim  what  a  quantity  of  vapid  colourless 
music  has  supplanted  it.  Castelli's  libretto  invites  a  characteristic  and 
energetic  treatment  on  the  part  of  the  musician,  it  is  full  of  lively 
situations  throughout.  Schubert  has  understood  and  identified  himself 
with  the  various  lyrical,  sentimental,  and  comic  situations  offered  by 
the  text ;  the  music  is  very  animated  and  dramatic,  the  wealth  of  fresh 
melody  is  extraordinary,  and  the  tunes  are  many  and  original.  Each 
separate  number  has  its  special  charm.' 


316  LIFE   OF   SCHUBERT. 

On  October  19,  1861,  the  opera  was  given  for  the 
first  time  at  the  Court  Theatre.  The  performance  of  the 
music  was  not  on  the  same  scale  of  excellence  as  that 
which  had  preceded  it  in  the  Concert  Hall,  but  the 
reception  of  the  novelty  on  the  part  of  the  public  was 
very  favourable.  That  f  Die  Verschwornen'  should  have 
kept  its  place  in  the  repertoire  for  only  a  short  time, 
is  attributable  to  circumstances  which  have  nothing 
to  do  with  the  intrinsic  value  of  Schubert's  compo- 
sition, but  rather  the  management  of  the  theatrical 
programmes,  and  the  desire  of  the  public  to  have  the 
entire  evening  filled  up  with  some  grander  operatic 
performance  and  more  brilliant  scenic  delusions.1 

At  a  very  recent  periQd  (October  1862),  the  operetta 
was  given  at  the  chief  theatre  at  Munich  and  also  at 
Salzburg,  where  it  enjoyed  a  genuine  triumph.  As 
already  stated,  the  charming  series  of  Lieder,  'Die 
schone  Mullerin,'  belongs  to  this  period. 

One  day  Schubert  visited  the  private  secretary  of 
Count  Seczenyi,  Herr  Benedict  Eandhartinger  (at  pre- 
sent Imperial  Hofcapellmeister),  with  whom  he  was  on 
terms  of  great  intimacy  and  friendship.  He  had  only 
just  entered  the  room  when  the  secretary  was  sent 
for.  He  withdrew,  after  giving  the  composer  to  under- 

1  The  '  Hauslicher  Krieg '  was  given  with  a  dance  divertissement,  or  a 
second  operetta.  At  the  Court  Theatre  in  Vienna,  Frl.  Fischer  sang  the 
part  of  Isella  and  Herr  Erl  that  of  Astolf ;  the  other  parts  were  filled 
by  those  who  had  sung  there  at  the  second  concert  performance. 


<DER  ZWERG,'  ETC.  317 

stand  that  he  would  return  in  a  short  time.  Franz 
went  to  the  writing-table,  and  found  a  volume  of 
poetry  lying  there ;  after  reading  one '  or  two  of  the 
poems  through,  he  seized  the  book  and  went  away, 
without  waiting  for  Kandhartinger's  return.  The  lat- 
ter, when  he  came  back,  missed  his  volume  of  poems, 
and  went  next  day  to  Schubert  to  fetch  away  the 
book.  Franz  alleged  his  great  interest  in  the  poems 
as  an  excuse  for  his  predatory  performance ;  and,  as  a 
proof  that  his  theft  had  not  been  barren  of  results, 
he  presented  the  astonished  secretary  with  the  first 
6  Miillerlieder,'  which  he  had  partly  finished  in  the 
small  hours  of  the  night.  The  well-authenticated  fact 
of  Schubert's  writing  several  '  Miillerlieder '  and  '  Der 
Einsame '  whilst  lying  as  a  patient  in  the  hospital,  is  a 
convincing  proof  that  his  powers  as  a  musical  composer 
were  in  no  way  impeded  by  his  bodily  ailments.  Of 
the  songs  which  first  saw  the  light  at  this  time  were 
( Viola,'  '  Der  ziirnende  Barde,'  '  Drang  in  die  Ferae,' 
6  Pilgerreise,'  '  Auf  dem  Wasser  zu  singen,'  and  '  Der 
Zwerg  '  (properly  ( Treubruch '),  fragment  of  a  poem 
by  H.  Collin,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  Schubert's 
compositions  in  the  way  of  songs.  f  Der  Zwerg '  is  al- 
lowed to  be  one  of  the  most  animated  dramatic  com- 
positions— a  masterpiece,  which  the  composer,  when 
pressed  by  his  publisher  to  write  a  song  off-hand, 
dashed  down  upon  paper  in  hot  haste,  without  any  pre- 
paration, keeping  up  a  conversation  all  the  while  with 


318  LIFE    OP    SCHUBERT. 

a  friend  who  had  come  to  take  him  out  for  a  walk — a 
worthy  parallel  to  the  calm  collectedness  of  mind  with 
which  Mozart,  in  the  midst  of  a  noise  going  on  in 
the  house,  wrote  down  the  glorious  concerted  things 
in  the  (  Hochzeit  des  Figaro.'  In  this  year,  too,  was 
written  a  sonata  for  piano  and  arpeggione  (unpub- 
lished), and  the  beautiful  Sonata  in  A  minor  (Op.  143) 
dedicated  by  the  publishers  to  Mendelssohn. 

After  Schubert's  early  nomination  to  an  honorary 
membership  of  the  Musikverein  at  Gratz,  both  he  and 
Vogl — probably  at  the  instance  of  Albert  Stadler,  at 
that  time  officially  connected  with  the  Musikverein  at 
Linz  as  secretary,  or  still  more  from  the  proper  recog- 
nition they  met  with  as  artists — were  admitted  hono- 
rary members  of  the  Musical  Institute  at  Linz. 


END   OF   THE    FIRST   VOLUME. 


LONDON:    PHINTED   BY 

SPOTTI8WOODE    AND    CO.,    NEW-STREET    SQUABS 
AND    PABLIAMENT    STBEET 


0 


BINDING  SECT.  FEB  2  7  W9 


ML  Kreissle  von  Hellborn, 

410  Heinrich 

S3K83      The  life  of  Franz  Schubert 

v.l 

Music 


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