Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

'';
290 18 IT- SCHUBEBT -1818
'— '
which he has marked aa Grand ' Grosse
Sinfonie '—though hardly with reason, as both
in form and orchestra it is the same as the
early ones. It is an advance on the others,
and the Scherzo shows the first decided signs
of Beethoven's influence. Passages may also
be traced to Bossini and the Italian opera.
The catalogue of the instrumental compositions
of this year closes with a string Trio
and a Polonaise for the violin. In the number
of the vocal compositions of 1817 there is an
equal falling off. Eossini's popularity for the
time shut the door against all other composers,
and even Schubert's appetite for bad librettos
was compelled to wait. Not only, however,
are there no operas this year, there is no
church music, and but forty -seven songs.
In quality, however, there is no deterioration
in the songs. The astonishing Gruppe ' aus
dem Tartarus,' and the 'Pilgrim' of Schiller ;
the 'Ganymed' of Goethe; the 'Fahrt zum
Hades,' 'Memnon,' and 'Erlafsee' of May r-
hofer ; and "' An die Musik ' of Sohober, are
equal to any that come before them. Among
the MS. songs is one showing the straits to
which Schubert was sometimes put, either by
the want of materials or by the sudden call of
ment, an excellent pianoforte-player, of whom
The younger
Schubert was for long very fond.
Hiittenbrenner was bewitched by Schubert, much
as Krumpholz and Sohindler were by Beethoven
and Was ever ready to fetch and carry for his
idol, and to praise whatever he did, till the idol
would turn on his worshipper, and be so cruel
1 In Bbi in one niOTement.
2 For ' Sign.' A facsimile ie given by BeiBsmann.
3 So Kreiuie, i. 1S8. But does not the dedication of the song,
• Die Bswartvug,' composed Feb. 27, 3810,—' to hia friend,' J. H.—
Bliow that the acquaintance vaa of much earlier date ? True, it was
not publislied till the April after Schubert's death; and the song
may haye been prepared by him for publication shortly before, and
the dedication added then.
as to get the nickname of ' The Tyrant ' from
the rest of the set.
How Schubert existed since he threw up his
place at the school and left his father's house
is a point on which we are in entire ignorance.
His wants were few, but how even those few
were supplied is a mystery.' We have seen
that he lived rent-free with Schober for a few
months in 1816, but the return of Schober's
brother put an end to the arrangement,* and
from that date he must have been indebted to
Spaun, or some friend better off than himself,
for lodgings, for existence, and for his visits
'
to the theatre, for there is no ' trace of his
earning anything by teaching in 1817, and the
few pounds paid him for the Watteroth cantata
is the only sum which he seems to have earned
up to this date.
In the summer of 1818, however, on the recommendation
of Unger, the father of Mme.
Unger - Sabatier, the great singer, Schubert
accepted an engagement as teacher of music in
the family of Count Johann Esterhazy, to pass
the summer at his country seat at Zselesz, in
Hungary, on the Waag, some distance east of
Vienna, and the winter in town. He was to
be a member of the establishment and to receive
his inspiration. It is the beginning of a setting two gulden for every lesson. The family con^
of Schiller's Entziickung an Laura,' and ' is sisted of the Count and Countess, two daughters,
written on the front page of the second violin Marie, thirteen, and Caroline, eleven, and a
part of a duet-fugue by Fux, the words, Fuga. boy '
of five. All were musical. The Count
Duetto. Violino : Seoundo. Del : Sing : ^ Fux. sang bass, the Countess and Caroline contralto,
appearing in the copyist's formal handwriting Marie had a fine soprano, and both daughters
through Schubert's hasty notes. It is superscribed
' Entziickung an Laura Abschied August intimate friend, slightly older than Schubert,
played the piano. Baron von Schbnstein, their
1817. Schubert Mpia'—interesting as showing
that in
a singer of the highest qualities, with a noble
' Abschied ' he has added his baritone voice, made up the party, which
own comment to Schiller's words ; that he .certainly promised all the elements of enjoyment.
It was a pang to Schubert to part from
dated his pieces at the moment of beginning
them ; and that he sometimes signed his name the circle of his companions, to whom he was
without the ' Franz.'
devoted, but it is not difiicnlt to imagine how
His circle of intimate friends was increased pleasant he must have found the comfort and
about this date by Anselm and Joseph Hiittenbrenner
and Joseph Gahy. Anselm, four years at the same time there would be opportunities
generous living of the Esterhazy house, while
his senior, was a pupil of Salieri's, and there of retirement, and abundant means of diversion
they had met in 1815. With the younger in a beautiful country, a new people, and the
brother, Joseph, he became acquainted in the Hungarian and gipsy melodies.
summer of 1817.' Both were men of independent
means, and Anselm was a musician by probert's
Mass in C,* his fourth, written like the
When they left town does not appear.^ Schufession.
Gahy was in the government employ-
others, for Holzer, is dated 'July 1818' ; but
there is nothing to show whether it was
finished in Vienna or in the country. A set
of MS. Solfeggi for the Countess Marie, also
dated July, is perhaps evidence that by that
time they were settled at ZseUsz. Two letters
to Sohober are printed by Bauernfeld,' and
» E.m 109 (i. 1121.
6 There is an interesting '
autograph copy of the Forelle ' song
dated at A. HUttenbrenner's Lodgings (in Vienna) midnight, Feb. 21,
1816, and besprinkled with ink instead of sand. It has been publish^
in photography. But
'
the Forelle ' really dates from 181*7. (Nottfehohm,
in the Tfwm. >
Catalogue.)
fl
Published in 1826 ae op. 48. Schubert wrote a new and moiit
beautiful Benedlctus to it in 1828, only a few months before hli
death.
7 In ^Me Preue, Vienna, April 17, 1869. Beprinted in the Signatt\
Nov. 16, 1869.