Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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1827- SCHUBERT —1828 311
Schubert as op. 81, and published on May 27.
The proposition, however, came to nothing.
Coincident with these communications from
abroad came a gratifying proof of the improyement
in his position at home, in his election as
a member of the representative body of the Mxisical
Society of Tienna. The date of election is
not mentioned : but Schubert's reply, as given
by Herr Pohl,i is dated Vienna, June 12, 1827,
and runs as follows :
The Managing Committee of the Society of Friends
of Music of the Austrian Smpire having thought me
worthy of election as a Member of the Representative
Body of that excellent Society, I beg herewith to state
that I feel myself greatly honoured by their choice, and
that I undertake the duties of the position with much
satisfaction.
Franz Sohdbekt, Compositeur.
We have mentioned the more important compositions
of 1827. There remain to be named
two songs by Schober (op. 96, No. 2) ; and one
by Eeil (op. 115, No. 1) ; a comic trio, 'Die
Hochzeitsbraten ' (op. 104), also by Schober
and an Allegretto in C minor for PF. solo, written
for his friend Walcher, ' in remembrance of April
26, 1827,' and not published till 1870.
The publications of 1827 are as follows :
the Overture to 'Alfonso und Estrella' (op. 69)
Bondeau brillant, for PF., and violin (op. 70) ;
songs—
' Der "W'achtelsohlag ' (op. 68, March 2),
' Drang in die Feme ' (op. 71, Feb.), Auf dem
'
"Wasser zu singen' (op. 72, Feb.), 'Die Rose'
(op. 73, May 10)—all four songs previously published
in the Vienna Zeiischriftfur Kunst ; four
Polonaises, for PF. four hands (op. 75) Overture
to 'Fierrabras,' for PF. four hands, arranged
;
by Czemy (op. 76); twelve 'Valses Nobles,'
for PF. solo (op. 77, Jan.) ; Fantasie, etc. for
PF. in G (op. 78) ; two songs, 'Das Heimweh,'
'Die Allma,oht' (op. 79, 'May 16'); three
songs (op. 80, May 25) ; three ditto (op. 81,
May 28) ; Variations on theme of Herold's (op.
82, Dec.) ; three Italian songs (op. 83, Sept.
12) ; four songs (op. 88, Deo. 12).
We have now arrived at Schubert's last year,
1828. It would be wrong to suppose that he
had any presentiment of his end ;
though, if a
passion for work, an eager use of the ' day,' were
any sign that the night ' ' was coming ' in which
no man could work,' we might almost be justified
in doing so. We hear of his suffering from
blood to the head, but it was not yet enough to
frighten any one. He returned to the extraordinary
exertions, or rather to the superabundant
productions of his earlier years, as the
following full list of the compositions of 1828,
in order, as far as the dates permit, will show.
Jan. Songs, ' Die Steme ' (op. 96, TSo. '
1) ; Der Winterabend.'
Harch. Symphonr In C, No. 9.
Oratorio, Miriam's Siegesgeaanff,
Song, Aul dem Strom,' Voice and Horn ' (op. 119).
May. LebensstUime, FF. dnet (op. 144).
Hymn to the Holy ahost (op. 164), for two Clioira and
Wind.
2 ClavlerstQclce.
Song, Widerscheln.'
'
1 THe BeteUschaift der MtuiTtfrertnde, etc., p. 16.
June. Mass in Eb (begun).
Fugue in E minor, PF. duA, op. 152 ('Baden, Juny,
1828').
Grand Bondeau, FF. duet (op. Vfl).
July. Fsalm 92, in Hebrew, for Baritone and Cborus
*
August. Songs, Schwanengesang,' Nos. 1-13.
Sept. FF. Sonata in C minor.
Uitto in A.
nittoiuBllCSept. 26').
Between August and October. Tantnm ergo in E flat, and Offertorlum
in B flat, for tenor aolo, chorus, and orchestra.
Fubllshed 1890 by Feters.
October. Song. 'Schwanengesang,' No. 14.
New Benedictua to Maasin C.
'
Der Hirt auf den Felsen,' Voice and Clarinet (op. 12B).
'1828 'only. String Quintet in C (op. 163).
This truly extraordinary list includes his
greatest known symphony, his greatest and longest
mass, his first oratorio, his finest piece of
chamber music, three noble PF. sonatas, and
some astonishingly fine songs. The autograph
of the symphony, 218 pages in oblong quarto,
now one of the treasures of the Library of
is
the Musikverein at Vienna. It has no title
or dedication, nothing beyond the customary
heading to the first page of the score Symfonie
'
Marz 1828, Frz. Schubert Mpia,' marking the
date at which it was begun. If it may be taken
as a specimen, he took more pains this year
than he did formerly. In the first three movements
of this great work there are more afterthoughts
than usual. The subject of the
Introduction and the first subject of the Allegro
have both been altered. In several passages an
extra barhas been stuckin—between the Scherzo
and the Trio, two bars ; in the development of
the Scherzo itself sixteen bars of an exquisite
episode—first sketched in the Octet—have been
substituted. The Finale alone remains virtually
untouched.^ But such alterations, always rare
in Schubert, are essentially different from the
painful writing, and erasing, andrewriting, which
we are familiar with in the case of Beethoven's
finestand most spontaneousmusic. This, though
the first draft, is no rough copy ; there are no
traces of sketches or preparation ; the music has
evidently gone straight on to the paper without
any intervention, and the alterations are merely
a few improvements en passant.^ It is impossible
to look at the writing of the autograph,
after Schubert has warmed to his work, especially
that of the Finale, and not see that it was put
down as an absolute impromptu, written as fast
as the pen could travel on the paper.
It seems that Schubert's friends used to lecture
him a good deal on the diffuseness and want
of considpiation which they discovered in his
works, and were continually forcing Beethoven's
laborious processes of composition down his
throat. This often made him angry, and when
repeated, evening after evening, he would say,
'
So you're going to set upon me again to-day !
Go it, I beg you ! ' But, for all his annoyance,
the remonstrances appear to have had some
effect ; and after Beethoven's death he asked
2 See details by the present writer in Appendix to the Life of
Schubert, translated by A. D. Coleridge, Esq., vol. 11. p. 820.
3 The original MS. orchestral parts show at any rate that the
alterations in the score were made before they were copied from it.
C. V. Stanford kindly examined them for me with that view.