Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

782 SYMPHONY
days at the Convict ; but the same spirit as is Schubert, while in all respects in which his
met with in his songs and pianoforte pieces, and style is characteristic it represents quite a later
the best specimens of his chamber music. The generation. His first Symphony (in Eb) was
iirst movement of the B minor is entirely unlike composed in 1811, before Beethoven's 7th, 8th,
any other symphonic first movement that ever and 9th, and when he himself was twenty-seven
was composed before. It seems to come direct years old. This was followed by several others,
from tlie heart, and to have the personality of which are not without merit, though not of
the composer in it to a most unusual degree. sufficient historical importance to require special
The orchestral forces used are the usual ones, consideration. The symphony of his which is
[excepting only that he uses three trombones, best known at the present day is that called the
an unusual thing ill first movements at the
'
Weihe der Tone,' which at one time enjoyed
date,] but in the management of them there great celebrity. The history of this work is as
are numbers of effects which are perfectly new follows. He intended first to set a poem of the
in this department of art, indicating the tendency
of the time towards direct consideration of the setting in 1832, but finding it unsatisfactory
same name by his friend Pfeiffer. He began
what is called colour ' ' in orchestral combinations,
and its employment with the view of en-
as a programme ; in which form they are
he abandoned the idea of using the words except
hancing the degree of actual sensuous enjoyment appended to the score. The full description and
of a refined kind, to some extent independent purpose of the work as expressed on the title is
of the subjects and figures. Schubert's mature
' Characteristisches Tongemiilde in Form einer
orchestral works are, however, too few to give
any strong indication of this in his own person ;
and a printed notice from the composer is appended
to the score directing that the poem is
and what is commonly felt is the supreme
attractiveness of the ideas and general style. to be either printed or recited aloud whenever
As classical models of form none of Schubert's the symphony is to be performed. Each movement
also has its title, like the Pastoral of
instrumental works take the highest rank ; and
it follows that no compositions by any writer Beethoven ; but it differs from that work not
only in its less substantial interest, but also in
a much more marked departure from the
ordinary principles of form, and the style of the
successive movements.
which have taken such hold upon the musicians
of the present time, depend so much upon their
intrinsic musical qualities as his do. They are
therefore in a sense the extremest examples
that can be given of the degree in which the
status of such music altered in about thirty
years. In the epoch of Mozart and Haydn, the
formal elements absolutely predominated in
importance. This was the case in 1795. The
balance was so completely altered in the oourae
of Beethoven's lifetime, that by 1824 the
phenomenon is presented of works in the highest
line of musical composition depending on the
predominating element of the actual musical
sentiment. It must be confessed that Schubert's
position in art is unique ; but at the same time
no man of mark can be quite unrepresentative
of his time, and Schubert in this way represents
the extraordinary degree in which the attention
of musical people and the intention of composers
in the early years of the 19th century were
directed to the actual material of music in its
expressive sense as distinguished from the
external or structural aspect.
The relation of the dates at which more
or less well-known symphonies made their
appearance about this time is curious and
not uninsti'uotive. Mendelssohn's Reformation
Symphony was produced only two years after
Schubert's great Symphony in G, namely in
1830. His Italian Symphony followed in the
next year ; and Sterndale Bennett's, in G minor,
in 1834.
The dates and history of Spohr's productions
are even more striking, as he was actually a
contemporary of Beethoven's and senior to
Sinfonie, naeh einen Gedicht von Carl Pfeiffer '
;
The earlier part of the work corresponds fairly
well with the usual principles of structure. It
opens with a short Largo of vague character,
passing into the AUegi-o, which is a continuous
movement of the usual description, in a sweet
but rather tame style. The next movement
might be taken to stand for the usual slow
movement, as it begins Andantino ; but the
development is original, as it is broken up by
several changes of tempo and time-signatures,
and is evidently based upon a programme, for
which its title supplies an explanation. The
next movement again might be taken as an
alternative to the Minuet and Trio, being
marked Tempo di Mareia,' which would suggest
'
the same general outline of form. But the
development is again independent, and must be
supposed to follow its title. ,
From this point
all connection with the usual outlines ceases.
There is an Andante maestoso, based upon the
plain-song of the Te Deum, a Larghetto containing
a second hymn-tune, and a short Allegretto
in simple primary form to conclude with. From
this description it will be obvious that the work
is an example of thoroughgoing programme
'
music' It is clearly based rather on the
musical portrayal of a succession of ideas in themselves
independent of music, than upon the
treatment of principles of abstract form, and
ideas intrinsically musical. It derives from
this fact a historical importanoewhioh itsmusioal
qualities taken alone would not warrant, as it