Edward Wilberforce - Franz Schubert - A Musical Biography

8/13/2019 Edward Wilberforce - Franz Schubert - A Musical Biography

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FRANZ SCHUBERTA MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY.FROM THE GERMAN OF DR. HEINRICH

KREISSLE VON HELLBORN.

EY

EDWARD WILBERFORCE.AidJior of Social Life in Munich'' One loith Another Sfc.

/LONDON

Wm. H. ALLEN & Co., 13, WATERLOO PLACE, S.W.


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PREFACE.The present volume is considerably condensedfrom the work of Doctor Heiimch Kreissle vonHellborn, published towards the end of last yearby Gerold of Yiemia. On reading that work itstruck me that it contained much informationwhich would be new and valuable to theEnglish public, and Dr. Kreissle kmdly gaveme permission to select what I thought wouldanswer this purpose. His object was to makeSchubert better knoAvn and more duly appre-ciated, and he was aware that an Englishpublic would not derive an equal interest from


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VI PREFACE.

In his Preface Dr. Kreissle remarks on thedifficulty of constructing a Life of Schubertwhich shall be interesting in a purely biogra-phical point of view. What Schindler said ofSchubert, that his life presented neither hill norvalley but an open plain, is perfectly true ; andmany writers who have preceded Dr. Kreisslein attemptmg a biography have withdrawn witha confession of faihu^e. The reader will soondiscover that there is a remarkable scarcity ofincident m this life; that Schubert travelledlittle, mixed little with great contemporaries,or mth the illustrious contemporaries onwhom so many musicians have depended; andthat to him the art of music was all-m-all. Buton the other hand his Kfe is, mdeed, the life ofan artist.

The absence of external affairs makes themusician stand more clearly before us. Greatman himself, he needed not the society of othergreat men to make him remarkable. The


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PREFACE. VUrecords in the course of his life, the genius towhich so many and such great works bear wit-ness, the acknowledgment of that genius bysuch men as Beethoven and Weber, may wellstand in the place of journeys, and theatricals,and quarrels, in which unfortunately so manymusical hves abound, and which detract fromthe real value of artistic biography.Of my own share in this work I wish tospeak with all modesty. The merits belong tothe original author. That I have not adheredeither to his words or his arrangement, and thatI have sometimes put in opinions which willnot be found in tjj^e original, and with whichthe original author might very possibly dis-agree, may perhaps be a fault, but it is almostinevitable if one is to avoid translation, and togive due force to the meaning of a workwithout being servile to the accidents of itscountry.

Edward Wilberforce.


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CONTENTS.CHAPTER I.

Birth and ParentageEarly Years at HomeMusical Pre-cocityThe Little Einger of a aeniusEirst Composi-tionsA Eree School in Vienna-Want of Music PaperThe Corpse EantasiaExactnessPractice Makes Per-fectNarrow CircumstancesA Touching AppealTheBoy composes OperasSalieriCharacter of an ItahanSaheri and MozartSalieri and SchubertThe Master'sPride in his Pupil

CHAPTER II.Beginning of the Second PeriodUsher in a SchoolHopeless

StupidityMost Prolific Year of His LifeSome of Hisbest SongsThe Erl KingMore than Eifty Songs in aYear-OperasConsistent EaureSaheri' s JubileeA Poem by BchubertHis Eirst EarningsWritten fora EestivalA Musical SocietyYalue of AutobiographyDiaries and LettersEntries in Schubert's DiaryEeelings of DespondencyJudgment on PicturesOnSaheri's JubileeGeneral SenthnentsInterim

CHAPTER III.Leaves School-Attempts to Get Post of Teacher-Certificate

Pase

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CONTENTS.Papewise Father who knows His Own CliildYogi's Cor-rectionsIntroduces Schubert to the PubhcFaithful

AdmirersOvertures in the ItaUan StyleThe RossiniFuroreHatred of Pupil TeachingThe Esterhazy Fa-milyEomantic EpisodeLiszt on SchubertStay inHungaryHow to pick up National AirsInfluence ofother ComposersThe Mourning Waltzes . . .47CHAPTER IV.

Unfavourable state of the TimesLetters of Schubert'sThoughts on RossiniTrue Genius excludes EnvySchubert debarred from the OperaSchubert and GroetheDid Groethe know of Schubert ?Not till it was tooLateEffect of the Erl King on its CreatorAnOperettaPlot and MusicNot much InspirationMelodramaDiscovery of Schubertian ManusoriptsAnOratorioOffers of PatronageFirst Pubhc ReceptionA ConcertThe Audience and the Critics ... 69

CHAPTER Y.Appearance of the Erl King Op. 1Transactions with

PubHshersProfit and LossBusiness Men and Men ofG-eniusA Curiosity of LiteratureA PubHsher's HabitsHonour and ProfitsTrading on ReputationsCreatNamesDance MusicAdmission to SocietyCountryExcursionsGrand OperasSchubert and WeberPro-duction of EuryantheCriticism or Hostility?FirstOperas like first PuppiesThe Case against Schubertfrom a Son of Weber 94

CHAPTER YI.A Most Important YearDrama of RosamondThe Wolf,by Mr. So-and-SoAnother Grand OperaAnother

Failure Posthumous SuccessContemporary Treat-mentThe Reception of MSS. by the Yiennese Opera


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XU CONTENTS.CHAPTER X. Page

Schubert's IllnessNothing serious apprehendedThe LastDaysSchubert's DeathProperty he LeftHis Monu-mentSchumann on Fairer HopesSchubert's PersonalAppearanceNothing Remarkable in his FaceA SecondFalstaffHis Character Schindler on his LifePro-digalityAbsence of Practical IndustryInstancesPlaying in CompanyAccustomed to NeglectScliubertwith his FriendsLove of Wine Occasional ExcessesBreaking GlassesLater Feelings Review of his Life . 217

CHAPTER XI.Schubert's WorksSketch of the G-emian SongIts early His-

toryEffect oftheReformationNorth GermanyRiseofGerman PoetryMozartBeethovenSchubertPoetschosen by SchubertCycles of SongsLarger Compo-sitionsMiriamTreatment of the ExodusSchubert'sSongs during his LifetimeHis Posthumous PopularityHis MassesA Pirate at PragueSymphoniesTriosSonatasSchumann on the SonatasA LudicrousEndingCompared with BeethovenOther WorksConclusion 238

Appendix.On Musical Biography ; an Essay . . . 261


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FRANZ SCHUBERT.

CHAPTER I.BIRTH AND PARENTAGEEARLY YEARS AT HOMEMUSICAL

PRECOCITYTHE LITTLE FINGER OF A GENIUSFIRSTCOMPOSITIONSA FREE SCHOOL IN VIENNA WANT OFMUSIC PAPERTHE CORPSE FANTASIAEXACTNESS PRAC-TICE MAKES PERFECTNARROW CIRCUMSTANCESA TOUCH-ING APPEALTHE BOY COMPOSES OPERAS SALIERICHARACTER OF AN ITALIANSALIERI AND MOZARTSALI-ERI AND SCHUBERTTHE MASTER S PRIDE IN HIS PUPIL.

The family of Schubert comes from the neigh-bourhood ofZukmantel in Austrian Silesia. Thecomposer's father left his native village and cameup to Vienna, first as assistant to a brother,who was schoolmaster in the Leopoldstadtsuburb, and then as schoolmaster himself in


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Z FRANZ SCHUBERT.sidered a good master, and his school wasmuch frequented. At the age of nineteen hemarried a countrywoman of his who was threeyears older than himself, and was in service asa cook. Her name was Ehzabeth Fitz. Shebore him fourteen children, of whom only fivesurvived ; and after her death, he married asecond wife, who bore him five more.

The youngest of the four sons by the firstmarriage was Franz Peter Schubert, the sub-ject of this volume. He was born on the 81stof January, 1797, at No. 72, m the suburbHimmelpfortgrund, parish of Lichtenthal.The house in which he was born bears thesign of the Red Crab, and is now No. 54, inthe upper part of the mam street leadmg tothe Nussdorf lines. It is marked by a tabletof grey marble, with the mscription FranzSchubert's Geburtshaus; and with a lyreon the right, and a wreath of laurel with thedate of his birth on the left. This memorial

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EAELY YEARS AT HOME. and was inaugurated in 1858. Besides this, astreet leading into the Nussdorfer Strasse iscalled after the composer.The first years of Schubert's life were spent

at home. The family was large and its re-sources small, but it did not feel the pressureof absolute poverty. From the very earhesttimes, the boy showed a love of music. Hissister relates that he was extremely fond ofthe society of a joiner's apprentice, who was anamesake and connexion of the family. Theyoung Schubert had often the privilege ofvisiting a pianoforte manufactory with him,and here he practised his first exercises with-out any guidance save his own instmct. Butthough orthodox critics are always sceptical onthe subject of self-taught genius, and moreespecially severe on youth which attempts todispense Avith old systems of tuition, the resultin the case of Schubert was marvellous.When he began to have lessons in music at the


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4 FRANZ SCHUBERT.already mastered all the rudiments which wereto be taught him.

When he was five years old, writes hisfather, I prepared him for elementaryinstruction, and at six I sent him to school,where he was always one of the first amonghis fellow scholars. He was fond of societyfrom early youth, and was never hajDpier thanwhen he could spend his hours of play in acircle of joyous comrades. When he waseight I gave him preliminary instruction onthe violin, and let him practise till he couldplay easy duetts pretty well ; after that I senthun to attend the singing class of HerrMichael Hlzer, choirmaster in Lichtenthal.Herr Holzer often assured me with tears in hiseyes that he had never had such a pupil.'Whenever I want to teach him anythingnew,' he would say, ' I find he knows italready. The result has been that I have notgiven him any real mstruction, but have only


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THE LITTLE FINGER OF A GENIUS. 5But in spite of this modest disclaimer, it is

certain that Hlzer did give him instruction inthorough bass, in playing the pianoforte andthe organ. On one occasion, when he hadgiven his pupil a theme, he was quite inecstacies at the way he worked it out, andexclaimed, The boy has harmony m his httlefinger The same was the experience ofSchubert's elder brother, who had also givenhim lessons. I was astonished, he says, when after a few months Franz told me thathe did not want any more instruction from me,but would make his own way in future. Hemade such progress in a very short time that Ihad to acknowledge him as a master far excel-ling me, and one whom I could no longerdream of overtaking.

Thus Franz Schubert was one of thosegifted beings whom the genius of art hasvisited on their first entrance into life ; one


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b FRANZ SCHUBERT.The case of Mozart is perhaps the only onethat can compete Tvith or surpass that of Schu-bert. Mozart was indeed an mfant pheno-menon, writmg or rather scrawlmg a concertofor the piano at the age of six, and at the ageof eight an orchestral symphony. But, afterMozart, Schubert is unrivalled. His brotherFerdinand says that the fantasia for fourhands, written in 1810, was his first com-position for the piano, and his Lament ofHagar, written in 1811, his first song ; butthere is no doubt that long before this he hadcomposed songs, pieces for the pianoforte, andeven string quartetts; and the catalogue ofpieces given by his brother comprises onlythose which were in his possession, or in thatof the musical publisher, Diabelh.When he was eleven years old, Schubert

sang solos in the choir of the Lichtenthalparish church, or played solos there on theviolm; his beautiful soprano voice and his


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A FREE SCHOOL IN VIENNA. 7membered by those who heard him. Hisfather tried for some time to gam him ad-mission to the Emperor's chapel, and in 1808he was exammed by the two Court chapel-masters, Salieri and Eybler. He acquittedhimself admirably, and was at once enrolled inthe Imperial choir, and admitted as a scholarin the convict^ of the town. In this capacityhe was invested with a luiiform with a goldbordera temptmg boon to a boy of his age,and one which somewhat consoled hun for thedeparture from his home.

Being already a fair player on the vioHn, hewas made a member of the small orchestra ofthe school, which used to practise almost dailythe greater works of instrumental music, suchas the symphonies of Haydn, Mozart, andBeethoven. Schubert was much pleased with

* A kind of free school, or foundation, where poor stu-dents are boarded gratuitously ; the name is derived fromthe Latin, and alludes to the common mess at which the


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8 FRANZ SCHUBERT.

some of the adagios of Haydn's symphonies,and Mozart's symphony in G minor, of whichhe used to say that you could hear the angelssmging in it. Krommer's symphonies, whichwere popular at the begmning of the centuryfrom then' ease and gaiety, but are now for-gotten, found little favour in the eyes ofSchubert, who was grave and not very cordialwith his comrades. But Mozart's overtures tothe ^' Magic Flute, and the Marriage ofFigaro, and Mehul's overtures, were greatfavourites with him ; and the raptures he feltduring the performance of Beethoven's sjm-phonies, caused as much surprise as the worksthemselves, which were still imperfectly un-derstood.

Schubert's proficiency on his instrument,and the zeal mth which he devoted himself tohis art, soon raised him to the rank of firstviolin, a post of some importance, as the taskof conducting was attached to it, Avhenever the


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THE CORPSE FANTASIA. \)influence Schubert was able to exercise overhis companions. His love of composing wasalready active in him, and this was confided tothem in secret. He was urged to compositionby an irresistible impulse; thoughts camethick upon him, and he was often in want ofmusic paper to put them down. His ownfunds were too small to keep him in this, andhe was often indebted to a friend for the meansof preserving his thoughts. Even at the ageof thh-teen, his consumption of music paperwas enormous; he wrote sonatas, masses,songs, operas, and even symphonies; but fewof these early compositions saw the light.

In April, 1810, he wrote a grand fantasia forfour hands, which is generally known by thename of the Corpse Fantasia. It extends tothirty-two closely Avritten sides, and contains adozen pieces varying in character, each endingin a different key from the one in whichit begins. In the years 1811 and 1813 he


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10 FRANZ SCHUBERT.

smaller extent, and in 1811, besides severalinstrumental pieces, he composed the twosongs, Hagar's Lament, and '^ The Parri-cide.

^' Hagar's Lament is remarkable as beingthe first of Schubert's more important vocalpieces. He wrote it at the age of fourteen (onthe 30th of March, 1811), and Salieri was somuch struck by it that he at once orderedfurther mstruction m thorough-bass to developthe boy's smgular talent. The song itself hasnever been engraved, and, though wonderfulin its promise, and even in its effect whenproperly sung by good smgers, is somewhatfaulty. Some passages bear an mimistakeablestamp of Schubert's genius, but the pianoforteaccompaniment remmds us too much ofMozart.

It was Schubert's custom to write on everyone of his compositions their exact date, downto the day of the month, while his larger works


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EXACTNESS. 11

This makes it the more strange that the year-1812 should be marked as witnessing the pro-duction of one song only, A Complaint, asmall and unimportant composition. We canhardly believe that nothmg else of the vocalorder dates from a year of such activity, orthat Schubert was too much occupied with in-strumental music to turn his attention to hismore favourite study. The list of religiousand instrumental pieces durhig this year iscertainly large. It comprises a Salve Reginaand Kyrie, a sonata for pianoforte, violin andvioloncello, two string quartetts, two overtures,an andante with variations, and thirty minuetswith trios, composed for one of his brothers.These last were so much admired by Dr. AntonSchmidt, who had been a friend of Mozart'sand was a first-rate violinist, that he declaredthe boy Avho had written them would be amaster such as few had ever been.When we consider that this activity proceeds


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12 FRANZ SCHUBERT.must suspect that lie occupied himself both inschool and out of it mth music paper morethan lectures and exercises. And this is thecase. He composed secretly m school andwrote overtures and symphonies which wereperformed at the Thursday concerts of thescholars. In the reports to the higher autho-rities his eminent progress in music was dulynoticed, while m other branches he Avas ratherbehmdhand. A friend of Schubert's whojoined the school a few years after, writes : This was the practical school for hun. Everyevenmg symphonies, quartetts, and vocal pieceswere performed ; and the part taken m classicalchurch music had also its effect. When Ijoined the school I found overtures and sym-phonies by Schubert still in existence ; weplayed some of them, and I remember parts ofthem bemg sho^vn me as Schubert's o^vn hand-writing. I copied out a volume of his songs,some of which I have not met mth, either


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NARROW CIRCUMSTANCES. 13Another of Schubert's contemporaries gives

an account of his practising mth friends duringhours of relaxation, and performing Beet-hoven's works mth them. I represented theaudience, says this writer, there was no fire,and the room Avas frightfully cold. That thematerial circumstances of Schubert at thistime were anything but comfortable is provedamong other things, by a letter to his brother,dated November 24th, 1812:''I will say atonce what lies on my heart, and so comesooner to my object, while I spare you longphrases. I have thought much of my situa-tion, and while it is good on the whole, thereare many things in which it might be im-proved. You know from experience that oneoften likes to eat a roll and one or two apples,all the more when one has a small dinner, andthen eight hours and a half to wait for a scantysupper. This msh has so often forced itselfupon me, that I must nolens volens make a


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14 FRANZ SCHUBERT.beginning of every month from my father arespent m a couple of days ; what am I to do therest of the time ? ' Those who hope in Theeshall not be ashamed/ Matthew, chap, ii.,verse 4. So I thought. Supposing you wereto allow me one or two hreuzei^s a month?You would never notice it, while I should behappy and contented m my cell. As I havesaid I rest on the words of the Apostle Matthew,who says, he that has two. coats let him giveone to the poor.While Schubert Avas at school his chief con-

nexion with his home was that the stringquartetts he composed were played m thequartett practice which generally took placethere on the Sunday afternoons. The fatherof Schubert played the violoncello, Franz theviola, and two of his brothers the first andsecond violins. The youngest of the party wasthe quickest to note a mistake. He lookedseriously at the offender, if the offender was


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THE BOY COMPOSES OPERAS. 15passed over the mistake once, but, on a repeti-tion of it, he would smile and say modestly,Father, there must be something wrong,which was quite sufficient.Durmg hohdays Franz was fond of going to

the theatre. Of the operas given at that timehe was much pleased with Weigl's SwissFamily, Cherubmi's Medea, Boieldieu'sJean de Paris; but Gluck's Iphigenia inTauris was to his mind superior to all othershi simphcity and grandeur. One of the resultsof these visits to' the theatre was that the boybegan to compose operas. In 181 3 he set afairy piece of Kotzebue's called The Devil'sCountry Seat; but the completion of it fallsat a rather later time, and will be noticed inanother chapter.

Meanwhile he was making progress hi thescience of music, and winning golden opinionsfrom musical superiors. Saheri, as has beenobserved, had ordered him further instruction


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16 FRANZ SCHUBERT.

him soon saw that all efforts were unnecessary.He knows everything already, he said; '^hehas been taught by God. This report madeSalieri still more attentive to Schubert, so thatin a short time the chapel-master himselfundertook the youth's guidance. A briefsketch of the man who played the most pro-minent part m Schubert's education, may beaj)propriate here. Antonio Salieri was born in1750 in the Venetian territory, the son of aprosperous merchant. Left an orphan at theage of sixteen, he was sent* to Venice by afriend of the family, and there he carried onwarmly the musical studies which he had])egun at home. A Court chapel-master whocame to Venice to compose an opera for theFenice was struck with him, and took hhn toVienna, where he composed his first opera in1770. During the next six years he wrote adozen other operas ; but the work by which he isbest known is the Tarare of Beaumarchais,


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SALIEEI. 17

Gluck, and written in open rivalry of Mozart.In 1788 he was made chapel-master, a postwhich he occupied till 1824, the year beforehis death.

Saheri's industry was great (he composedforty operas and twelve oratorios besides amass of other music) ; and his contemporariesesteemed him as an able composer, an amiableand agreeable man. To all, except Mozart, hewas friendly and pleasant; but Mozart's supe-riority was too evident to allow Salieri anyrest; and the intrigues by which he hinderedthe rise of so great a genius reflect lasting dis-credit upon him. It is remarkable that, mspite of his long sojourn m Vienna, Salieri wasnever familiar with German. To the end ofhis days he interspersed his discourse withFrench and Italian words, excusing his ignor-ance of German by saying he had been onlyfifty years m Germany. His shameful conducttowards Mozart was partly atoned for by his


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18 FEANZ SCHUBERT.to the best of his ability, and admired with allhis powers. He tried, indeed, to persuade theyoung genius from following his natural bentmade him leave off setting Goethe and Schiller,and practise Italian stanze ; and told him to beless prodigal of his melodies till he was olderand riper. But with all this he was proud ofhis pupil, and was constantl}^ astonished at theluxuriant ease of Schubert's compositions. Itis said that once Schubert staid away for someweeks on bemo^ told that he knew enouo^h tocomj^ose an opera, and then surprised hismaster by the complete partition of TheDevil's Country Seat. He can do every-thmg, Salieri exclaimed, he is a genius. Hecomposes songs, masses, operas, quartetts,whatever you can think of.

There is no doubt that Schubert derivedgreat benefit from the practical teachmg of oneso familiar with his art as Salieri. But theirpaths were quite distinct. Tlie master was


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THE MASTEE's PEIDE. 19making himself a new path through the thickof German romanticism. Schubert was a de-voted .follower of Beethoven; but Salieri couldnot feel much respect for a man who had cometo him to study operatic composition, and re-fused to listen to his teaching. Schubert lovedand followed Mozart ; Salieri was mexorablefor him. It is said, that m correcting a massof Schubert's, Salieri struck out all the passageswhich savoured of Haydn or Mozart, and thatSchubert refused to have anything more to dowith such a teacher. But though they partedsuddenly, Schubert was always grateful toSalieri, and Salieri watched with interest therapid progress of Schubert. Schubert cele-brated his master's jubilee by a poem. Salieriwas so pleased with the success of his pupil'sfirst mass, that he embraced him, and said,'^ Franz, you are my scholar, one who will dome much honour.


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CHAPTER II.BEGINNING OF THE SECOND PERIODUSHER IN A SCHOOL

HOPELESS STUPIDITY MOST PROLIFIC YEAR OF HIS LIFESOME OF HIS BEST SONGSTHE ERL KINGMORE THANFIFTY SONGS IN A YEAR OPERAS CONSISTENT FAILURE

SALlERl's JUBILEEA POEM BY SCHUBERT HIS FIRSTEARNINGSWRITTEN FOR A FESTIVALA MUSICAL SOCIETY

VALUE OF AUTOBIOGRAPHYDIARIES AND LETTERSENTRIES IN Schubert's diaryfeelings of despon-dencyjudgment on picturesON SAlIERl's JUBILEEgeneral sentiments INTERIM.

The year 1813 may be said to end the firstperiod of Schubert's artist life. He was nowgetting on for seventeen, and his voice wasbreaking, so that he could not be retained as


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USHER IN A SCHOOL. 21Emperor gave permission for him to remain inthe school, but he was not inchned to studythere any longer, especially as it would haveentailed a new examination. Accordingly hereturned home, and took the place of assistantin his father's school.He held this post for three years, and dis-

charged the duties of it zealously and conscien-tiously ; but, as may readily be supposed, theywere far from being pleasant to him. He wasassistant in the lowest class, the ABC class,and the contact with children who (to vary Tal-leyrand's epigram), had learned nothing andforgotten everything, was most repugnant to ayouth of genius. His sister relates that he wasfreqiiently driven into a violent passion, andcorrected the children with his own hands. Itis quite credible. The probability is, that heforgot his own difftculties in learnmg, andhis backwardness hi everything save music,at the spectacle of hopeless and consistent


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22 FRANZ SCHUBERT.But while devotiiig himself to this drudgery,

he did not neglect the work that came naturalto him. His productivity during these threeyears was marvellous. In the year 1814 hecomposed a mass in F, which called forth fromSalieri the enthusiasm just recorded, and whichwas performed in the Lichtenthal parish churchon its centenary jubilee. The same year hefinished the faiiy piece, which has been men-tioned already. The overture was given oncethe rest of the opera has never been performedand the second act has perished. Schubertmade over the manuscript to a friend, in pay-ment of a small debt, and his servants usedthe second act for lighting fires. Why thesecond act particularly, is not recorded.

The year 1815 is noticeable as the most pro-lific of Schubert's life. It mtnessed the pro-duction of more than a hundred songs, half-a-dozen operas and operettas, several symphonies,church music, chamber music, &c., &c., &c.


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THE erl king. 23Salieri, and with his work as usher. We can-not divine hoAV he found time for such a massof composition. He took indifferently balladsfrom Goethe, Schiller, and Krner; songs frompoets who were popular in their day and arenow forgotten ; and even words from Ossian.Some of the songs composed this year rankamong his best, a fact which is stranger thanthat many should be of little value, consideringthat seven were composed one day, and fouranother.

It was either the end of the year 1815, orthe begimiing of the year 1816,* that Schubertcomposed the most popular of all his songs, theErl King. The ballad is one of the most

* As Schubert always wrote the date on the originalmanuscript, this doubt might be cleared up by referring tothe original, which is in the possession of Madame ClaraSchumann. The Erl King is Schubert's Op. 1 ; it appearedin 1828, and was dedicated to Count Moriz von Dietrich-stein. The autograph belonged to Herr Eandhartinger,Chapel-master at Vienna, from whom it passed to Madame


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24 FRANZ SCHUBERT.picturesque and most popular of Goethe's bal-lads ; how much it owes to the setting, may beseen from the pages of Goethe's English biogra-pher.* Schubert wrote the music one after-noon in the room he occupied in his father'shouse m the Himmelpfortgrund. He read thewords over twice with mcreasmg excitement,and during this perusal the music came so fullybefore him, that he dashed it down on thepaper in just the time needed for the mecha-nical work of writing. One of his friends camein while he was in the middle of it ; and thesong was sung the same evening in the Convict.The discord which marks the place where the Erl King seizes the child, was not accept-able to the young hearers, though at present itpasses unquestioned, and the musical directorhad to explain to them, that in such a case itwas quite allowable.

* The Erl King, known to every reader through Schu-bert's music, if through no other source. Lewes's Life of


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26 FRANZ SCHUBERT.

B flat, a Stabat Mater in B flat, and a Magni-ficat, are also products of this year.Nor was this all. Two symphonies, one of

which was only performed in part, and theother not at all, and six operas or operettas,bear witness to Schubert's fertility. One ofthese operettas is set to words of Krner' s, anda soldiers' chorus from it has been sung at aconcert in Vienna. Another is Goethe's opera, Claudme von Villabella. The manuscripthas been in the hands of the same owner asSchubert's first opera, and has met with thesame fate. The two last acts perished inlighting fires, and the first alone remains. Onthe manuscript of this first act the dates atwhich it was begun and ended are given, so thatwe see its composition occupied eleven days.The same place bears the inscription, Music byF. Schubert, scholar of Herr von Salieri, 1815.Goethe's opera has been set by two othercomposers. What remaius of Schubert's


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MINOR OPERAS. 27Schubert himself attached some importance tothe composition. Of the other operas composedthis year httle is to be said. The libretto ofone has perished, while the music lies amongSchubert's unpublished remains. None of themare worthy of being mentioned among his moreimportant works. They were only attempts onhis part to familiarize himself with operatic anddramatic composition. Many of the greatestmasters have shown a desire to excel in thisbranch at a very early age, and there is no doubtthat Schubert shared that desire in the highestdegree. Even had the music of these operasbeen more important, the naivete of the wordsto which most of them were set would excludethem from the stage. On the other hand itmust not be supposed that they show anytraces of inexperience or immaturity. Thecomposer was already familiar with mstrumen-tation, and had given proof of full acquaintancewith harmony. His melody was inexhaustible


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28 FRANZ SCHUBERT.one of his greatest masses. Thus he moves inthe musical part of these operettas with perfectease and security ; and if any conductor of con-certs should choose to search through the par-titions he would find many charming pieces toreward his labour.

The love of operatic composition clung toSchubert till the end of his days. It is truethat there was often a pause between his com-pleting one and begimiing another, and itmight seem as if the want of an audience, orrather the unkindness of the theatres whichhad virtually accepted his two greatest pieces,and then refused to play them, was drivinghim to other pastures. None of his dramaticworks, save those belonging to the region offarce and melodrama, were given during hislifetime. But this did not discourage him.Just before his death we find him engaged inplans for a new opera.The year 1816 was also marked by ex-


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SALIERfS JUBILEE. 29operatic branch was deserted for songs andcantatas.Of the cantatas, the first in date, though

not the first in merit, was that written forSalieri^s jubilee. The 16th of June, 1816,was the fiftieth anniversary of Salieri's entryinto the Emperor's service. Salieri himselfhad looked forward with great pleasure to theday, and had intended to celebrate it himselfwith due honours. Early in the morning hewent, with his four daughters to the Italianchurch to return solemn thanks, and he hadinvited some of his friends to dine with him atthe early German hour. But the Emperor,who returned that day from Italy, did notleave the composer alone to solemnize the day.At 10 o'clock Saheri was surprised by theappearance of an imperial carriage, which tookhim to the , hotel of the High Steward, PrinceTrauttmannsdorf-Weinsberg. He was thereled into a chamber decked up for the occasion,


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30 FRANZ SCHUBERT.court, presented with the great gold medalof honour of the civil class. From PrinceTrauttmannsdorfs, Salieri drove to the CourtChapel to direct high mass, as it was Sunday,and this was part of his duty. The massgiven was one of his own.At six in the evening all who had been his

pupils assembled in his house, and the musicalpart of the festival began. Salieri himselftook his seat at the piano Avith his fourdaughters around him. On his right fourteenlady pupils formed a half circle; on his leftwere twelve male pupils, including Weigl andSchubert. Hummel and Moscheles wereabsent from Vienna, and could only send someof their music to represent them. Oppositethe circle of pupils stood the bust of theEmperor Joseph IL, Salieri' s first ruler andbenefactor. A chorus, with words and musicl)y Salieri himself, began the festival, and wasfollowed by the pieces composed for the


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FIRST HONORARIUM. 31Schubert's contribution consisted of a vocal

quartett for four male voices, folloAved by anaria with pianoforte accompaniment, and end-in o; with a canon for three voices. ' The wordsas well as the music were his, and while bothare interesting, from the occasion and from thewarmth of feeling displayed, they have littleintrinsic value.The cantata of Prometheus followed soonafter, and was far more important. It wascomposed to order, and earned Schubert hisfirst honorarium^ forty florins Austrian, that isabout 4 The work itself has vanished, butthose who heard it declare without exceptionthat it was extremely good, and Schubert wasso pleased with it, that he etideavoured someyears after to have it performed in public.

Some law students Avere desirous of sur-prising their teacher, the Professor of politicalscience, with a musical celebration on hisbirthday. One of them composed the words


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32 FRANZ SCHUBERT.tain valleys of Baden, near Vienna, and thepoem was confided to Schubert. The rehear-sals took place in the consistorial hall of theuniversity, But the performance which was tohave been on the 12th of July, had to bepostponed on account of the Aveather, till the24th. In spite of this delay, the festivalsucceeded admirably, and the cantata wasreceived with much applause. A poem wasaddressed to Schubert m one of the theatricalpapers. The Musical Union was pressed toperform the cantata at its concerts, butdeclined, as the composer was so young andunknown. Since then, both words and musichave disappeared. When last heard of, theywere in Schubert's own keeping, but theyvanished from his lodging about the time ofhis death. The cantata had not been copied.It was performed in one or two places duringSchubert's lifetime, once in a friend's house,and once at Innsbruck. In the year 1820


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CHURCH MUSIC. 33ance of it in the Augarten at Vienna, but therehearsal went off badly, and he gave up theidea.A third cantata this year was written inhonour of a school inspector, and has beenpubhshed as Op. 128. In church music,Schubert wrote his fourth Mass (in C) aMagnificat, the fragment of a Requiem, and aStabat Mater. The mass is comparativelyunimportant ; the Stabat Mater is far moresuccessful, and has been given more than oncein Vienna. Staudigl sang in it in 1841, andas late as 1863 it was performed in one of theViennese churches. It is ^vritten for solos,chorus, and orchestra, and consists of four arias(one bass, one soprano, and two tenor) a duettfor soprano and tenor, a terzett for soprano,tenor, and bass, and five choruses. Thechoruses form the best part of the whole com-position, and the double chorus ( No. 5) foralternate male and female voices is especially


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34 FRANZ SCHUBERT.have been written by Mozart, it is so tho-roughly Mozartian.

This year Schubert composed two moresymphonies, one of which is known as thesymphony without trumpets and drums. Thissingular title is probably to be interpreted bythe circumstances of the society for which thesymphony was written. The small society offriends and acquaintances which used topractise quartetts at the house of Schubert'sfather had gradually extended. A largerroom had to be found, and by the autumn of1815 smaller symphonies of Haydn andMozart could be performed, and an audiencecould be collected. Again there was a move,and now the performers ventured on thelarger symphonies of Haydn and Mozart, thehrst two of Beethoven, and the overtures ofCherubini, Spontmi, Catel, Mehul, Boieldieu,and others.* It was for this society that Schu-bert wrote the symphonies just mentioned, the


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A POPULAR SONG. 35another symphony in 1818. The perform-ances went on till 1820, when the room thesociety had last occupied was no longer at itsdisposal, and this led to its dissolution. Schu-bert was one of the regular players. We mayconclude that no trumpeter or drummer wasto be found in the society.

A string quartett, a string trio, a concertofor the violin, a rondo for the violin, a sonatafor the piano, an adagio and rondo for thepiano, the beginnmg of another sonata, twomarches for the piano, are some of the rest ofthe instrumental music of this year. In vocalmusic Schubert composed the chorus of angelsfrom Goethe's Faust, which appeared in 1839,and a great number of songs. One of thesongs of this year is '' The Wanderer, anextremely popular one, as we shall learn whenwe come to Schubert's bargains with hispublishers.

One thing which Schubert wrote this year


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36 FRANZ SCHUBERT.view, and it is much to be mshed that otheryears had been equally favoured. We do notknow that they were not. But, owing tovarious causes, the years 1816 and 1824 arethe only ones of which we have a diary or anyautobiographical records from the pen of thecomposer. How valuable the materials fur-nished by letters or diaries are for futureknowledge of great men, has lately beenproved by the pubhcation of Mozart's andMendelssohn's Letters. The biographer isfortunate if he has a story to tell ; if there areany outward events, journeys, adventures,mterviews with great or merely high con-temporaries, to enhven his pages. But theman himself has only to open his heart andthe world listens. His works have opened hismmd to us, and we feel a natural curiosity,rather a much nobler feeling than curiosity, toknow the rest of the man. Was his ownmind the true receptacle of these great


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VALUE OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 37

almost without his feehng them? Was hisheart in fit harmony with such a mind, or wasthe mind a stranger in his body? All thesequestions cannot be answered by the best bio-grapher, because the most intimate knowledgeof another man must in some sense stop at theouter barriers which guard him. With allone's penetration, one cannot get insideanother man, and see the true workings of thesprings which are the man. And the conse-quence is that, judging from words andactions, we are perpetually led astray; we areoften doing foul injustice from a want of thecorresponding link between the inner and theouter man; we exaggerate carelessness intowilful wrong, or elevate a lucky guess into amasterpiece of wisdom.

Autobiography may, of course, lead us in-tentionally astray, but what we want to beguarded against is unintentional wrong. In-deed, the familiar, careless confidences of a man


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FEANZ SCHUBERT.purpose and consistency as to be dangerous.Even if the man's estimate of himself is un-trustworthy there are means of checking it, andwhen he does not know that he is giving hisown portrait he may be betrayed into valuablerevelations. In the case of Schubert therewould be no reason to fear his playing a part.He never attempts to glorify himself, or makehimself out other than he is. It is the more tobe regretted that so few of his written con-fidences remam. Apparently he was not anextensive letter writer, though here we arereduced to conjecture. All we do know is thatdiaries and letters have shared the fate of muchof his music. An autograph collector had adiary in Schubert's hand, which he cut up anddispersed in small pieces according to thedemand for autographs of the composer. For-tunately a worthier member of the class foundthe diary before the whole of it was . dispersedin distant collections, and gathered up the


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ENTRIES IN DIARY. 39

Some of these leaves are as follows : June 13th, 1816. A clear, bright, beauti-ful clay which I shall remember all my life.Softly, as if from far, the magic tones ofMozart's music echo in my ears. Schlesinger' smasterly play forced them deep, deep into myheart, with such incredible force and yet withsuch softness. Thus these lovely impressionsremain in our soul, from which no time, noevents can erase them, and act beneficently onour being. In the gloom of this life they showus a clear, bright, beautiful far-off, on whichwe rest our hopes with confidence. Mozartimmortal Mozart, how many, how many suchsalutary impressions of a clear and better lifehast thou impressed on our souls This quin-tett may be called one of the greatest of hissmaller works. I had also to produce myselfon this occasion. I played variations of Beet-hoven, sang Goethe's ' Unresting Love,' andSchiller's ' Amelia.' The first was generally


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40 FRANZ SCHUBERT.myself that my ' Unresting Love' is a greatersuccess than the ' Amelia,' it cannot be deniedthat Goethe's musical genius had a great sharein producing the applause.

June 14th, 1816. After an interval ofsome months I took an evening walk oncemore. There can scarcely be anything morepleasant than to pass one's evenmgs in the coolgreen after a hot summer's day, and the fieldsbetween Wahring and Dbling seem made forthis. In the dubious twilight and the com-pany of my brother Carl my heart felt so wellat ease. How lovely, I thought and exclaimed,and then stood still in delight. The neighbour-hood of the burial ground reminded us of ourgood mother. Thus, amid sad and cordial dis-course, we came to the point where the Dob-ling road divides. And, as from a heavenlyhome, I heard a weU-known voice from achaise that Avas stopping. I looked up and itwas Herr Weinmiiller who was just dismount-


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JUDGMENT ON PICTURES. 41Our conversation turned at once on outwardheartiness in human tone and speech. Howmany men strive in vain to express theirhonest hearts in speech equally honest andhearty ; how many would give rise to laughterin the attempt. It is a gift of nature, notone to be obtained by endeavour.

June 15th, 1816. It is very common forus to form too great an idea of what we expectto see. Such was the case with me when Isaw the exhibition of national pictures held atSt. Anna. Among them all a picture of theMadonna with the child (by Abel) pleased methe most. I was much deceived by the velvetmantle of a prince. I see, too, that one mustlook at such things oftener and longer in orderto find and preserve the right impression.

The rather disjointed remarks which followwere written on the evening of the 16th ofJune, on Schubert's return home from Salieri'sjubilee :


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ON SALIERl'S JUBILEE. 43majesty with a gold medal, and invited manyof his pupils, male and female. The composi-tions of his scholars in composition (sic) whichwere made for the occasion, were produced inthe order in which the scholars came to him.The whole was enclosed (sic) by a chorus fromthe oratorio Jesu al Limbo both (sic) by Salieri.The oratorio quite Gluckish; the entertain-ment interesting for every one.

To-day I composed the first time formoney. A cantata for the name day of Pro-fessor Watteroth. The honorarium 100 florins,Viennese currency.*

''Man is like a ball, mth chance andpassions I have often heard writers say the world islike a stage where each man plays his part.Praise and blame follow in the next world.But one part is given you, your part is given

* One hundred florins Viennese, (Wiener Whrung)would equal forty florins Austrian (Conventions Mnze)


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44 PRANZ SCHUBERT.you, and who can say it is played well or ill?A bad theatrical manager who gives his playersparts which they are not able to play. Therecan be no thought of carelessness here. Theworld gives no example of an actor bemg dis-missed for reciting badly. As soon as he hasa part suited to him he will play it well.Whether he receives praise or blame, dependson a public tuned to a thousand differentopinions. In the other world praise or blamedepends on the manager of the world. Therecan, therefore, be no blame.

Natural disposition and education deter-mine the mind and heart of man. The heartis ruler, the mmd ought to be.

Take men as they are, not as they oughtto be.

'' Happy he who finds a true fi:'iend; happierhe who finds a true friend in his wife. Tothe freeman at this time marriage is a fearfulthought ; he confuses it either with dulness or


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CYNICISM. 45 Light tongue, light heart : too light a

tongue often hides too heavy a heart. Man bears sorrow without complaint, but

he feels it all the more bitterly. Why didGod give us sympathy?

Town politeness is a powerful opponent ofintegrity on the part of men towards eachother. The greatest misery of the wise andthe greatest happiness of fools is based uponpropriety.

Now I know no more. To-morrow I shallcertainly know something more. Why is this ?Is my mind better to-day than it will be to-morrow ? Because I am full and sleepy ?Why does not my mind think when my bodysleeps? Probably it goes out walking. Cer-tahily it can't sleep.

Most readers will conclude from these latterthoughts, that Schubert was now in that stateof mind spoken of by Keats, as coming betweenthe healthy imagination of boyhood and the


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46 FRANZ SCHUBERT.

seems the case, and it is quite explained by theyoung composer's circumstances. Condemnedto the stool of an assistant in a rudimentaryschool, and finding that his prodigal genius wasnot sufficient to give him bread, he might wellask if the fault lay with the actor or themanager, and if he could not act much betterin a far higher capacity. Discontent is almostinevitably attached to drudgery, but it doesnot always imply that the mhid is above itswork, or that there will be no drudgery in thehigher capacity to which it aspires.


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48 FRANZ SCHUBERT.

musical appointment far from home andfamily, he did not scruple at the sacrifice.

In December, 1815, the central organizingcommission had resolved to attach a school ofmusic to the normal school at Laibach, and thepost of teacher was thrown open to competi-tion. Small as was the salary500 florinsViennese, that is 20 a yearSchubert puthimself forward as one of the candidates.The examination was conducted by Salieri,who testified to Schubert's merits in the fol-lowing certificate :

lo qui Sottoscritto affermo, quanto nellasupplica di Francesco Schubert m riguardo alposto musicale di Lubiana sta esposto.

Vienna, 9 Aprile, 1816.Antonio Salieri,

Primo maestro di cappella della CorteImp. reale.


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SCHOBER. 49

A report from the district authority throughwhich Schubert's apphcation was sent, dweltvery strongly on this recommendation ofSalieri's, and added that the Inspector ofSchools spoke favourably of Schubert'smethod in the treatment of young people.But, m spite of this, the post was given toanother, and this plan of escape had failed.

However, help came from another quarter.A student of the name of Schober, who hadbeen born in Sweden, whither his father hademigrated, but who had returned to Germanyon his father's death and taken up his quartersin Vienna, was much struck by some of Schu-bert's songs, and desired to make his acquaint-ance. He found the composer absorbed in hisduties as usher, correcting the exercises ofchildren, and so fully occupied, that it was amarvel how he could find time for such pro-digious masses of composition. Further ac-quaintance with Schubert and his new pro-


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50 FRANZ SCHUBERT.for the yormg genius lay in removal fromdrudgery and his present round of repulsiveduties. With the consent of his own motherand Schubert's father, he gave Schubert aroom in his lodgings. It is said that theconsent of Schubert's father was assisted by aringing box on the ear, given by the son to astupid gu4, which called up the head master,and led to the dismissal of the hasty assistant.But whether this story is true, or a merevariation on facts already stated, we cannotdetermine.

After livhig for some time with Schober,the arrival of a brother of his host made itnecessary for Schubert to move. Accordinglyhe took up his abode with a poet named Mayr-hofer, many of whose verses he had set tomusic. The friendship and intellectual inter-course between these two had begun already.Mayrhofer was ten years older than Schubert,and was employed in the Austrian censorship.


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YOGL. 53spoke warmly and enthusiastically of Schu-bert. The songs grew upon him more andmore; he came to Schubert uninvited andstudied his compositions; and he soon com-municated to others the raptures they awokein him.

Yogi himself was a singular character. Atan early age his clear voice and perfect into-nation attracted the notice of the leader of thechoir of his parish church, and led to hisreceiving a thorough musical education. Inhis eighth year, he became a paid sopranosinger, and at the same time he was carefullyinstructed in the school of a monastery. Thiseducation made him contrast favourably withthe general run of opera singers. To the endof his days he was a constant student of theOld and New Testaments, Marcus Aurehus,Epictetus, and Thomas a Kempis. Whilewaiting in the theatre he would often occupyhimself with a Greek classic, and his learning


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54 FKANZ SCHUBERT.Nor was this learning the only benefit he hadderived from his monastic training. It hadtaught him a habit of religious contemplation,by which he endeavoured to rule his life, andwhich contrasted still more strongly with thecareless ways of theatrical companies. Amoral sceptic, he was always anatomising him-self and others ; and when his strong excitablenature exposed him to the mfluence of pas-sions, his repentance was deep and agonizing.He sang in the Viennese opera for twenty-

eight years, after which he retired from thestage and devoted himself to ballads. Hisbest performances in opera were the parts ofOrestes m the '' Iphigenia, Count Almaviva inthe Marriage of Figaro, Cheron in Cheru-bim's Medea, and Jacob in Weigl's SwissFamily. His judgment of Schubert's songsis rather singular, and one expression in it isexplained by a curious anecdote. Nothing,he says, ''has shown the want of an efficient


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56 FRANZ SCHUBERT.leisure, he looked through the songs and foundone which particularly pleased him. This one,however, was written too high for him, hetransposed it for his own voice, and had hisversion copied. About a fortnight afterwardsthe two friends were practising together, andsome new pieces were produced. Yogibrought out Schubert's song as he had trans-posed it, and laid the copy on the piano.After Yogi had sung it, Schubert took up thecopy, and said in a Yiemiese dialect; H'mnot a bad song, who's it by?

The friendship between Schubert and Yogibegan in 1817, and exerted a beneficial in-fluence on the young composer. Yogi guidedthe choice of Schubert as to the poems whichhe was to set to music, and recited them tohim with great power of expression before-hand, so that the music might do full justice tothe thought of the poet. Schubert generallycame to Yogi's lodging in the morning, and


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vogl's corrections. 57

songs with him. He attached much im-portance to Vogl's judgment, and often ac-cepted his corrections. That these correctionswere not always improvements appears fromthe manuscripts of some of Schubert's songs.A new or admirable inspiration of genius didnot always promise to catch the public tastebut a practised singer is generally a betterjudge of the public taste than he is of theinspiration of genius. Yogi who had blamedSchubert for having too little of the charlatanin him, and not beating out his thoughts fine,was hardly the kind of corrector needed ; and itis a pity that some one does not consult theSchubertian MSS., and restore the originalreadings.

In another respect Yogi's influence on Schu-bert is to be taken without any drawbacks.He it was who first made Schubert knownto the world of art, and to the larger worldwhich supports that- small world. In life he


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FAITHFUL ADMIRERS. 59Hlittenbrenner possesses many of Schubert'sMSS., and was such an enthusiastic admirer ofSchubert's genius that he was proud of beingrepulsed. Some one relates that Schubert wasnicknamed tyrannus, from the cruelty withwhich he repelled this indiscreet worshipper.He Avould say, ironically, that fellow likeseverything of mine. But he was glad of hisservices in arranging his symphonies for thepiano, in attending to his works being en-graved, and in corresponding with foreignpublishers; and the letters of Schubert toHlittenbrenner, which are carefully preservedby the latter, are more those of a friend thanof a tyrant.

Hlittenbrenner' s attempts to procure Schu-bert's genius due recognition will often appearin this narrative. It is, surely, a bitter ironyof fate that it was m his house and in his keepingthat such misadventures happened to theSchubertian MSS.


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60 FKANZ SCHUBERT.positions for four hands with him on the piano,his own works and the symphonies of Beet-hoven. The purity and expressiveness ofGahy's play, and the quickness mth which heread music at sight, were the points whichespecially commended him to the composer.Schubert was not a wtuoso m the modernsense of the word, but he accompanied his ownsongs admirably, and his short thick fingerswere not beaten by any of the difficulties of hismost difficult sonatas. One of his pieces alonemust be excepted, the Fantasia, (Op. 15),which he never could master. He was onceplaying it m a circle of friends and stuck in thelast movement ; on which he sprang from hisseat and said the devil may play it Onthe other hand a musician before whom Schu-bert played one of his sonatas, exclaimed in de-light, Schubert, I admire your playing on thepiano more than your compositions Gahybore witness to the pure and ready play, the


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Rossmi ruRORE. 61guished his short, fat friend. Not onlydid he learn much from Schubert, but he foundSchubert's sociality so much increased in thecourse of playing that he was a most deHghtfiilcompanion.The year 1817 is chiefly marked by the

composition of the two overtures in theItalian style. Rossini's operas were thencausing a furore in Vienna (second only tothat produced by the Swan of Pesaro himselfon his visit a few years later), and Schubertwas one of their many admirers. Himself amaster of melody, he could not fail to wonderat the facility with which Eossini poured forthsuch an exulting and abounding stream, thoughhe was not unconscious of the faults whichattended it. But he was often at the theatre,and one nio:ht returnino; with some friendsfrom a representation of Tancredi, he foundtheir praise of Rossini's overtures was pitchedtoo high. He declared it would be easy for


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62 FRANZ SCHUBERT.speed, and his friends took him at his word.The result was that he composed two, whichwere often given at concerts during his hfe-time, and earned great applause. One of themwas played in 1818, and the Wiener Theater-Zeitung of the time characterised it as wonder-fully delicious. Though the motive wassingularly simple, he developed from it a storeof the most astonishing and most attractiveideas, worked out with skill and force.No less than five sonatas, as well as number-

less songs, were composed the same year. Inthe follo^dng one Schubert consented to take astep which he had always viewed with thegreatest dishke to give lessons in music.This dislike was fully shared by Mozart andBeethoven; by the latter to such an extentthat he only twice overcame his reluctance.The bitterness with which Mozart alludes tothe necessity of earning his bread by teachingis familiar to the readers of his letters, yet it


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64 FRANZ SCHUBERT.summer on their estate in Hungary, whereSchubert's connection with them began. He wasthen twenty-one ; the Count's two daughterswere thirteen and eleven.

This sojourn with the Esterhazy familyforms the only romantic episode in Schubert'slife. As a rule we know singularly little ofhis love adventures. He never seems to havethought of marriage. He never mixed himselfup in any serious or lasting engagement.Although he was certamly susceptible as re-garded the fair sex, he did not show hisfeelings as openly as would most men of likeimaginative power. It is certain that with hismost intimate friends he was very reserved onthe subject. Still we have reason to believethat he was often in love. Without alludiuo:to miuor and more varying attachments, theone he formed for the youngest daughter ofthe Esterhazy family may well detain us. Itlasted the rest of his life, though perhaps it


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LISZT ON SCHUBERT. 65countess Caroline valued Schubert and hisgenius, but she did not return his love, and itis probable that she was not aware of its extentor reality. Though if she had chosen to see it,Schubert's manner and a phrase which once fellfrom him must have revealed it. On her com-plaining that he had dedicated nothing to herhe replied, What would be the use of mydoing so? Everything is dedicated to youalready.We learn these facts about Schubert's life from

the sole survivor of the company. Baron Schn-stein. It was to him that Schubert owed theintroduction of his songs into the higher circlesof Viennese society. In 1838 Liszt heardBaron Schnstein, and wrote in the GazetteMusicale the following account of his smging :'' Dans les salons j'entends avec un plaisir tres-vif, et souvent une emotion qui allait jusqu' auxlarmes, un amateur le Baron Schnstein direles Lieder de Schubert. La traduction fran-


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66 FRANZ SCHUBERT.de ce qu'est runion de ces poesies presque toutesextremement belles avec la musique de Schu-bert, le musicien le plus poete qui fut jamais.La langue allemande est admirable dans l'ordredu sentiment, peut-etre aussi n'y-a-t-il qu'unAllemand qui sache bien comprendre la naiveteet la fantaisie de plusieurs de ses compositions,leur charme capricieux, leur abandon melanco-lique. Le Baron Scli. les declame avec lascience d'un grand artiste, et les chante avec lasensibilite simple d'un amateur qui se laisse aller ses emotions sans se preoccuper du public.What with the pieces written for the Ester-

hazy family, and with other sudden inspirations,Schubert's stay in Hungary was most prolific.It is not strange that he was attracted by theHungarian and Sclavonian national airs, whichhe heard sung by the servants, or by passinggipsies, and reproduced them m a more artisticform. The divertissement a la Hongroise (Op.54) consists of several of these airs wrought


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HOW TO PICK UP NATIONAL AIRS. 67by Schubert in the kitchen of Count Esterhazy'scastle. Returning from a walk with BaronSchnstein, he heard a maid-servant singing anair as she bent over the kitchen fire. The airstruck him, and he hummed it as he went on;next winter it appeared as the motive of thedivertissement. Besides this, he wove nationalairs into many of his works, and Hungarianmelodies appear even in parts of his sym-phonies.One symphony was composed this year,the

sixth in C. It forms the transition fromSchubert's earlier symphonic works, which beartraces of the older masters, to his great seventhsymphony, which is purely his own. In thescherzo of this sixth symphony the hifluence ofBeethoven is not to be mistaken. Anotherwork of this year is the series of waltzes, calledthe '' Mourmng Waltzes, which enjoyed greatpopularity, and have given rise to variationswithout number. According to a note of Jo-


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68 FRANZ SCHUBERT.waltzes while staying at a bath mth the otherbrother, Aiiselm, and Anselm Httenbrenneris in possession of the original. But the waltzeshave constantly passed as Beethoven's. Severalof the variations based on them named Beetho-ven as their author, and in spite of many dis-cussions in musical papers, the point is not yetdecided. The hypercritical acuteness of onewriter discovers thek motive in a graduale ofHaydn's; in Op. 7, Op. 40, and in the Adelaideof Beethoven; m amass of Schnabel's; in theoverture to the Vestal Virgin of Spontini ; in aquartett of Mendelssohn's, andin a thousandother places.


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CHAPTER IV.UNFAVOURABLE STATE OF THE TIMESLETTERS OF SCHU-BERt'sTHOUGHTS ON ROSSINITRUE GENIUS EXCLUDESENVYSCHUBERT DEBARRED FROM THE OPERASCHU-BERT AND GOETHE DID GOETHE KNOW OF SCHUBERT?NOT TILL IT WAS TOO LATEEFFECT OF THE *' ERL KING ON ITS CREATORAN OPERETTAPLOT AND MUSICNOTMUCH INSPIRATION A MELODRAMA DISCOVERY OF SCHU-BERTIAN MANUSCRIPTSAN ORATORIOOFFERS OF PA-TRONAGE FIRST PUBLIC RECEPTIONA CONCERTTHEAUDIENCE AND THE CRITICS.

It was at the beginning of the year 1819, thatone of Schubert's songs was first brought beforea Viennese public. But the time for any pub-He recognition of his genius was not yet. Thisvery year he was striving m vam to have some


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70 FRANZ SCHUBERT.he could make no way against the private oppo-sition of cliques, and the public adoration ofRossini.Many of his letters testify to the unfavour-

able state of the times, and the impossibility ofgetting hearers for a German opera. In onedated May 19th, 1819, he breaks out openlyagainst the cabals which hindered the produc-tion of his works. In spite of Yogi, it is diffi-cult to manoeuvre against the canaille of Weigl,Treitschke, &c. Instead of my operetta, theygive stuff which makes one's hair stand on end.The same letter speaks of Rossini's Otello ashavuig been lately given. This opera is farbetter, that is, more characteristic than Tan-credi. It is impossible to deny it extraordinarygenius. The mstrumentation is often extremelyoriginal, and so is the vocal part; there is nofault to be found with the music, except theusual Italian gallopades, and several reminis-cences of Tancredi.^^


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THOUGHTS ON ROSSINI. 71the finest traits in his character. It is remem-bered by everbody who knew him, and appearsin several of his letters. Yet a composer ofsuch genius as Schubert might well have beenexpected to struggle against the popular stream,to note the weaknesses of Eossini rather thanhis attractions, and to point to his own powersas by no means inferior. When he saw thewhole of Vienna runnmg after an Italian, hemight have reminded it of the native genius itwas neglecting. He did nothing of the sort.He went to the Italian opera frequently; didnot disdain to listen, and did not disdain tolearn. Nay, more, he acknowledged that hehad learnt much in the art of instrumentationfrom the light-wmged Itahan, and he would notlisten to those pedants who censured Rossini asthe destroyer of musical taste.The Eossinian frenzy which seized early onVienna, and reached its climax in 1823, was no

doubt galhng to native composers, and especially


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72 FRANZ SCHUBERT.To see an audience bitten by a tarantella (asthe biographer of Beethoven describes thescene), and shouting for the composer's appear-ance at the end of each act, cannot be pleasantwhen it wounds so many feelings of patriotismand rivalry. The effect it had on Beethovenhimself is much to be regretted ; he refused tosee Rossini, called him a scene-pamter, andadmitted grudgingly that he would have beena good composer if his master had flogged himmore. Schubert, however, had even morecause to complain. With a facility only secondto Rossini's (as he had shown by the composi-tion of his overtures in the Italian style), apower of melody hardly second to him, and anatural turn for the opera, he found himselfentirely excluded. One of his operas had ac-tually passed the censorship, which, in thosedays might have been considered the last, as itwas, perhaps, the most difficult, tunipike-gateon the way to performance.


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DID GOETHE KNOW OF SCHUBERT? 73for Other recognition. Of the many songswhich he had hitherto composed, the most per-fect in form and musical treatment were thoseof Goethe, and some one of Schubert's friendsapparently suggested that he should send aselection of these compositions to the poethimself. The retiring modesty of the youngmusician had never led him to think of thisexpedient. But he adopted the suggestion,and sent a sheet of his settings of Goethe's songsto Weimar, with a letter conveying his mostrespectful homage. Neither songs nor letterproduced any effect. We cannot tell whetherGoethe laid them aside with the mass of similartributes he received daily, or declined to enterinto nearer relations with a composer personallyunknown to him, and unknown to fame. Somesuch fate must have happened to them. What-ever conjectures we may form, it is certain thatthe name of Schubert does not occur in Goethe'sworks, in his correspondence with Zelter, or in


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74 FRANZ SCHUBERT.not pretend to be ajudge of music ; in a letter toMadame linger he said, that he could onlyspeak of the effect it produced on him when hegave himself up to it wholly and again andagain. Yet, as Mendelssohn's letters show us,he was a willing and appreciative listener. Hemust often have heard Schubert's compositionsperformed by first-rate artists. But it was nottill the year 1830, two years after the death ofSchubert, and two years before the death ofGoethe, that the Erl King was sung to himin such a way as to take absolute possession ofhim. Wilhelmine Schrder-Devrient was pass-ing through Weimar on her way to Paris, andsang some songs before Goethe. Among thesesongs was the Erl King, which affectedGoethe so much, that he took Schroder's headwith both his hands, kissed her on the forehead,and exclaimed, A thousand thanks for thisgrand artistic performance. I heard thecomposition once before, he added, and


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EFFECT OF THE ERL KING ON GOETHE. 75given like this, the whole becomes a livinopicture.Where it was that Goethe heard the Erl

King sung so as not to please him, is not re-corded. We know that Madame Milder sano-four little songs to him at Marienbad in 1823,and as she was a great friend of Schubert's,and produced pieces of his at her concerts, it isnot unlikely that some of these were of hiscomposition. Madame Mder was then in cor-respondence with both Schubert and Goethe,which makes it the more strange that the poetshould not have known of the composer. Andthe songs which Madame Milder sung him hadsuch an effect, that the mere remembrance ofthem forced tears from his eyes.But though Goethe showed such indifference

to Schubert till an early grave had closed overhim, Schubert never wavered in his attachmentto Goethe. He set some sixty of Goethe'ssongs, and among these many of the most


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PLOT AND MUSIC. 79leaves the stage for that purpose, and thelovers, who have returned, are collared by-Franz. Lieschen reminds Franz of his wifeand son; Franz denies their existence. Franzasks for the breakfast he ordered ; the mayorreminds him that he has just eaten it. Thesteward returns and calls on Franz to sign areceipt for the money he has just given himFranz declares that he has not received anymoney. The case becomes very suspicious.The steward remarks that Franz has shifted hisbandage from the left eye to the right, andtakes him up as a spy. No sooner has Franzbeen taken oiF to trial, than Frederick appearswith the money. New questions and new en-tanglements. But all is solved by the newsthat Franz, when brought before the tribunal,has given up his claims on Lieschen; thebrothers meet and embrace, and the lovers setthem the example.

Schubert was not much inspired by this


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80 FRANZ SCHUBERT.his other works. Still the operetta succeeded.The opening chorus was encored, some of thearias were applauded, and the composer wascalled at the end. The operetta survivedsix performances, and then vanished from therepertoire. What the critics said on the subjectwas, on the whole, encouraging. They calledthe piece a pretty little thing ; told the youngcomposer that the pure style of the operashowed he had made proper studies, and wasno novice in harmony. However, the musicwas antiquated and unmelodious in j^arts, andit was to be hoped the composer would notattach too great importance to the complimentpaid him by his friends m calhng him beforethe curtain. This hope was probably realised.Schubert was not present at the performance,and did not answer to the call.A short time after (1820) he finished

another composition for the stage, a work of amelodramatic nature, but of much more im-


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A MELODRAMA. 81Count Palfiy, the proprietor of the Theatre ander Wien^ gave a benefit to three of the artistsof his theatre, whose engagements did notentitle them to claim one. Schubert was re-quested to furnish the music for a melodramain three acts, called the Magic Harp, thelibretto of which was on a par with the lastlibretto. He consented to do so, and wrotethe music in a fortnight. But, though thereception accorded to the Magic Harp wasnot as flattermg as that given to the T^vins,though the critics fell foul of the senselesslibretto and did not spare the composer, thereis much genuine music in Schubert's partition.The overture appeared later for the pianoforte,as his Op. 26, and has been given since hisdeath mth another of his operas. A man isnot always the best judge of his own produc-tions, but he is sometimes a better judge thanthose who criticise them off-hand without at-tempting to study their meaning. Anyhow it


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82 FRANZ SCHUBERT.music of the Magic Harp as one of hismore successful compositions.At the very same time as this melodrama

was being ^vritten, the composer was engagedon a reho;ious work which ranks hio^h amono;his productions of that class. This was theoratorio of Lazarus, or the Feast of theResurrection, which Schubert called anEaster cantata, and which was written inFebruary, 1820. While all his friends, eventhe most intimate among them, supposed himfully occupied with the music of his melo-drama, he was devoting his leisure hours mthe profoundest secrecy to the composition ofthis oratorio. Mayrhofer who lived mth him,Schober who constantly visited him, knew no-thing about it. Its author, a Professor ofTheology in Halle, Avho had published it sixyears before, and lived eight years after itscompositiondymg the same year as Schubertnever knew of it. It was not till thirty


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AN ORATORIO. 83sent biographer discovered it in a pile ofSchubertian MSS., and brought it before thepublic.

In the year 1859, when he was writing thebiographical sketch of Schubert which precededthis volume, he found the first part of the cau-tata of '' Lazarus in a collection of Schubert'sautographs. In the biographical sketch, hestated that this part was the only one Schu-bert had composed, and he thought himselfsafe in making that statement, as the collectorin whose possession he had found the first partwas an ardent enthusiast for everythmg thatregarded Schubert, and was not likely to passover any of his compositions. Moreover, thebrother of Schubert speaks of one part only mhis recollections of the composer. But in1861 the writer was uivited by AlexanderThayer of Boston, (whose fame as an authoron musical subjects, and especially on Beet-hoven, is very great, and who was then


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84 FRANZ SCHUBERT.his house, to see a collection of Schubert MSS.Among these, the partition of the opera '' Al-fonso and Estrella was discovered; that ofthe operetta ''The Twms; many stringquartetts, pieces for the pianoforte and songs;and the second part of Lazarus. Thelatter was unfortmiately not quite complete,but another sheet of it was found in the houseof a brother's widow.The origiual oratorio was in three parts, of

which the third is the longest. But we haveno means of knowmg whether the third partwas set at all by Schubert. He seems to havemade some alterations in the words, and sub-stituted in some places more energetic expres-sions. The monotony of the origmal justifiedhim in domg so, but this is far more success-fully overcome by the dramatic excellence ofthe music. Recitative abomids throughoutthe work, and the general character is de-clamatory. The composer has been self-deny-


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AN ORATORIO. 85his melodies, and trust to a new and lessalluring kind of attraction. To prove thishere by a detailed description of the musicwould be like analysing moonlight. But wemay particularise the opening recitative of Lazarus, for its deep feeling and tenderness;the first aria, which receives a peculiar colourfrom the wind instruments that accompany itthe recitative of Lazarus which comes next,and is most touching in its expression; therecitative of Mary and the air which follows it,iDoth of which are marked by the utmostcharm of melody. The second part beginsvnth. an orchestral dirge where the effect of thetrombones is especially powerful. The recita-tive and aria which come next, and are sungby the Sadducee Simon, are of a dramaticpower mth which few would credit the gentleand tender Schubert.

About the same tune or soon after, he begananother great work, the opera of Sacontala,


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86 FRANZ SCHUBERT.

we possess of it is a sketch of the music of thetwo first acts, which certainly promises muchbut does not perform. It is said that thecomposer's friends dissuaded him from settingsuch an impracticable hbretto, and all theauthor's efforts to procure a more favourablehearing were in vain. Besides the worksalready mentioned, he composed this year astrmg quartett, the chorus of water-sprites,some Italian canzoni, several songs, and somereligious music.

The story of this rehgious music is curious.Schubert's brother, Ferdhiand, had been justappointed leader of the choh' in the church ofthe Alt-Lerchenfeld suburb. The people ofthat district were offended at the appointmentof a stranger, and refused him all musicalhelp. In this extremity he called for the aidof his brother and his friends in the Lichten-thal suburb. Franz at once wrote the anti-phons for Pahn Sunday, and some other pieces,


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FIRST PUBLIC RECEPTION. 87

ing them with black chalk on a sheet of blot-ting paper.

The chorus of water spirits was per-formed next year in a concert given in theKanithner-Thor Theatre, the opera-house ofVienna. This first pubhc appearance of Schu-bert's more important compositions makes theyear 1821 an epoch in his hfe. It had anothereffect on the composer himself, as it greatlyfacilitated his search for a publisher. Itbrought him into sudden fame. Men ofabihty and influence gave his genius thewarmest recognition. It seems that it de-pended on himself alone to profit by thisopportunity, and that he neglected it. This isthe only explanation we can find for his failingto derive any lasting advantage fi^om suchappreciation and such success. He let hischances go by. He demanded perfect freedomof action, and to tliis he sacrificed everything.But he forgot that freedom of action is im-


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88 FRANZ SCHUBERT.It has always been said that Mozart's mis-

fortunes were caused by the neglect of theViennese public, but this has been satis-factorily refuted by Otto Jahn. In the sameway it is not true that Schubert's misfortuneswere caused by false friends who surroundedhim, and to whose vnll he was subservient.There are many other causes for his want ofsuccess. In addition to the one we have juststated, he had to fight agahist the short-sighted selfishness of musical pubhshers, theindifi'erence of the pubhc, and the half-recog-nition of musical societies. But he was neverdeserted by true friends, or exploite by falseones. During the greater part of his life hewas never once in want of warm admu'ers whorecognized his talent, and did their utmost tobrmg it before the public. That he did notesteem his friends according to their power ofhelping him, may have been unmse, but wasnot unnatural. He was often cold towards the


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TESTIMONIAL TO SCHUBERT. 89heart to others who valued him as a friend, butcared little for him as a composer. Or heneglected the men who could best have servedhim, and joined himself to those who werethemselves engaged in a constant struggle forexistence.

At the beginning of 1821 Count Dietrich-stem, who held the post of director of music tothe court, sent Schubert a testimonial en-dorsed by himself and signed by Weigl,director of the opera, Salieri, court chapel-master, and others of equal rank in office, butof less distinction now, as a means of pro-curing him some appointment. The counthimself spoke of Schubert as a young, vigor-ous, and extremely promising composer. Heconsidered it his duty, as it was a pleasureto him, to declare publicly that Schubert hadgiven the strongest proofs of native genius,severe study, and of the union of taste andfeeling; and he hoped that an oj)portunity


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90 FRANZ SCHUBERT.lences to the benefit of art and dramaticmusic. Weigl and Salieri said much thesame. All of them dwelt on Schubert'seminent services to the opera, his merits incomposition, his mastery of theoretical andpractical harmony.

The public was soon to have a chance ofjudging if these statements were correct. Dr.Sonnleithner, an advocate and professor inViemia, had periodical meetings of musicalfriends at which several of Schubert's pieceswere performed. The approval they met withwas such that the host's brother, LeopoldSonnleithner, ventured on the expense of en-graving the Erl King. He had alreadytaken it round to the chief musical publishers,but they would not run the risk, even thoughthe song was offered them as a gift. Theydeclared that the composer was unknoT^oi, andthe pianoforte accompaniment was too difiicult.However, the success of the piece at his


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SCHUBERT AND THE PUBLISHERS. 91leithner, and on the piece being engraved, theguests at those meetings at once subscribed fora hundred copies. This defrayed the expenseof the second sheet, and thus twelve sheetswere gradually engraved and sold by Diabellion commission. Schubert got money enoughto pay his debts, and have a small sum re-maining.When once the publishers saw that therewas a chance of makmg something out ofSchubert, they made up for their former cold-ness. In March, 1821, he was brought beforetheir notice and that of the pubhc by a concertat the Viennese Opera. Yearly, on Ash Wed-nesday, there was a performance of music, de-clamation, and dancing, got up by a society ofnoble ladies, of which society one of the Sonn-leithners was secretary. It was by his permis-sion, and at the mstance of his nephewLeopold, that three of Schubert's piecesthe'^ Erl King, the chorus of water sprites, and a


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92 FRANZ SCHUBERT.gramme. The '' Erl King was sung by Vogl,and was encored with boisterous applause.But the ''chorus of water sprites, (words byGoethe), though it had been rehearsed severaltimes, and was sung to perfection, did not pro-duce any effect on the public. As the pub-lisher had said, it was too difficult. Thesingers had become penetrated with the beautyof the work durmg their rehearsals, and ex-pected the public to be equally impressed afterone hearmg. They were disappomted. Insteadof the ap]3lause they expected there was a deadsilence, and they retu^ed with an uncom-fortable feehng as if a cold douche had beendischarged suddenly on then- heads. Schuberthimself was no less indignant, and the choruscertainly did not deserve such a fate.

Later times have reversed that popular ver-dict. Dr. Sonnleithner gave the chorus threeweeks afterwards at one of his meetings, andthe applause was general. In 1858 the leader


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THE AUDIENCE AND THE CRITICS. 93work, which had been slumbering in the m

Documents

Edward Wilberforce - Franz Schubert - A Musical Biography