Composer Profile - Activefolio

86 Chapter 8
Likewise, chamber music and solo piano forms that carried over from the Classical
period grew in length and expressive power. String quartets and sonatas were more
popular than ever, and while the structures remained pretty much intact, the dramatic
power and scope of the music increased substantially. The piano sonatas of Liszt, Schubert,
and Chopin are among the most serious and dramatic works of their kind in the literature.
The Trout Quintet of Schubert expanded upon the traditions established by Mozart,
Haydn, and Beethoven in their string quartets.
Rubato
Rubato is the concept of a subtle, gentle fluctuation of tempo in music. The idea of
rubato implies stretching or changing tempi for the sake of dramatic impact. In the
Romantic period, this technique was particularly evident in piano music. Character pieces
and sonatas during the Romantic period used rubato to accentuate the dramatic impact
of musical peaks in the music. Listen to the piano piece by Chopin on the accompanying
disc, and you will notice that the tempo varies considerably throughout the work. By
slightly delaying the resolution of a phrase, or by accelerating into another phrase, the
composer was able to achieve a variety of dramatic effects. Rubato rapidly became a key
feature of Romantic music.
The Lied
A lied is defined as an “art song,” which is a solo vocal composition with piano accompaniment.
The text for the song was a love poem or other secular or sacred poem,
usually written by someone other than the musical composer. Though lieder had been
around for many years, the form found its ultimate expression in the works of Franz
Schubert. His lieder were products of Romantic thought and his own keen imagination.
He elevated the importance of the piano part far above that of mere accompaniment.
Indeed, Schubert’s lieder made the piano an equal partner with the voice. Whereas
earlier lieder might have been beautiful, Schubert’s lieder often had the piano actively
reflecting the mood and even the action of the story that was being told.
Composer Profile
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
F ranz Schubert was born in Vienna, Austria on January 31, 1797. His father
taught Schubert at an early age, and they played duets together when Franz
became proficient. His brother Ferdinand taught him the piano. Franz learned
viola, piano and organ, and also studied voice. Auditioning before Antonio Salieri
for the Chapel School of the School of the Imperial and Royal Court Chapel
when he was only 11, he succeeded in gaining an invitation to enroll. Schubert
was enthralled by the music of Mozart and Haydn, but the music of Beethoven
changed his life. He began composing music and in one year alone composed
146 songs, along with two symphonies, an opera, four operettas, four sonatas,
and two masses, several choral works and some keyboard pieces.
Schubert was small, timid and shy. Friends did not come easily to him, but
the friends he did have supported him throughout his life. Schubert’s admirers
were fiercely loyal and had an insatiable appetite for his music. They even formed