Schubert, Franz 1797 - 1828
Author: Takamatsu, Yusuke
Last updated：October 12, 2020
Author: Takamatsu, Yusuke
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)—unlike Mozart and Beethoven, who moved from Salzburg and Bonn to Vienna in search of a base for their activities—was a true Viennese musician. Around the time of Schubert's birth, Vienna had established itself as a "city of music," a foundation nurtured during the period of sole rule by the enlightened monarch Joseph II (1780–1790), and he essentially never left Vienna throughout his life.
Schubert's life, known for its brevity, can be conveniently divided into three periods. Let us trace the trajectory of his activities according to this division.
Early Period (1797–1818)
Schubert was born in Vienna in 1797, the son of a schoolteacher. At that time, Vienna had city walls dating back to the Middle Ages, separating the central and peripheral areas (these walls were demolished starting in 1858 and are now the circular road known as "Ringstrasse"). Schubert was born and raised in a residential area on the periphery, the Lichtental parish. Considering that Vienna had a population of 250,000 in 1810, he lived in the largest urban area in the German-speaking world at the time.
Around 1803, when he enrolled in his father's school, Schubert began to learn music from his father and elder brothers. He displayed his musical talent without reservation, leading him to the organist of the Lichtental parish church, who was also reportedly astonished by Schubert's talent. Schubert passed the examination for a vacant position in the Imperial Court Chapel Choir in 1808 and for over five years received thorough basic and specialized music education at the Imperial and Royal Seminary (Konvikt). He showed outstanding talent even within the Konvikt and seems to have received special lessons. In particular, from 1812, he received composition lessons, including counterpoint, from Court Kapellmeister A. Salieri, and is said to have continued these lessons until around 1816/17 even after leaving the Konvikt.
The first extant completed work, a Fantasia for four hands (assigned the Deutsch catalogue number "D 1"), was created on May 1, 1810. A characteristic of his early works is that they were fundamentally composed with private performances in mind, typically within the family or school setting. For example, piano duets were likely played with friends or family, and string quartets with his father and two elder brothers, making up a family quartet.
Middle Period (1818–1823)
Schubert left his family home at the age of 21 (November 1818) and moved his living area to the center of Vienna. Let us call this the beginning of the "Middle Period." In this period, his circle of friends, rather than his family or school, played a particularly important role in his daily life and creative activities.
Turning to his musical works, most of the pieces composed during this period—with the exception of his trademark Lieder—remained unfinished. For this reason, the years 1818 to 1823 were named the "Jahre der Krise" (Years of Crisis) and were often regarded as a period of creative slump. However, recent research points out that Schubert attempted large-scale stage works during this period and also explored new styles in the instrumental field—especially considering that the Piano Quintet known as Trout (D 667) was completed in 1819—indicating that it was by no means a "slump" where his creative activities stalled.
While Schubert and stage works might seem incompatible, he appears to have been familiar with a wide repertoire from quite early on. Besides studying Italian vocal music through Salieri, he also knew operas by Mozart and Gluck. Moreover, when Weber stayed in Vienna in February-March 1822, he met Schubert, and in the spring of 1822, Rossini's operas were performed in Vienna after leaving Italy, and "Rossini fever" swept through Vienna. Schubert, who had completed his studies under Salieri, is also known to have become deeply engrossed in Rossini. In addition to this background, considering that success in the opera genre was essential for a composer to gain fame and fortune at the time, Schubert's venture into stage works can be seen as a natural progression. However, the opera world at that time was a unique realm rife with intrigues involving the court and patrons, so for Schubert, who could only rely on his friends' connections, there seems to have been inherent limitations. Nevertheless, the fact that he completed at least 11 stage works and left 7 unfinished is remarkable.
In the Middle Period, not only stage works but also instrumental pieces often remained unfinished. While the exact reasons for this are not clear, it is likely that he was experimenting repeatedly to create large-scale compositions for a wider audience, unlike the family or school settings of the early period. According to his friend J. von Spaun, Schubert reportedly lamented, "What can one do after Beethoven?" It is undeniable that the great composer Beethoven stood as a formidable presence before his musical creation. This might have been a period where he struggled daily to establish his own new style capable of sustaining large works, with Beethoven in mind.
An important event for Schubert as a civic composer occurred in the Middle Period: music publication. Previously, Spaun had sent a collection of Lieder, including Erlkönig (D 328) and Gretchen am Spinnrade (D 118), set to Goethe's poems, to the poet himself, but they were returned (1816). These two Lieder, in particular, gradually gained popularity, and when his friends A. Hüttenbrenner and L. von Sonnleithner brought them to a publisher, they were published in 1821 as Op. 1 and Op. 2 respectively. These were initially published on commission, but eventually, Lieder began to be released one after another at the publisher's expense, and Schubert established his position as the "King of Lied."
In the field of instrumental music, he took a step into the music market with the Wanderer Fantasy (D 760) in 1822. Not only does this work possess a virtuosity that overturns the common image of Schubert, but it is also noteworthy that he marketed himself with a "Fantasia" rather than a "Sonata," which was considered a "rite of passage" for composers in the field of piano solo music at the time.
Schubert likely contracted severe syphilis in the autumn of 1822, which would subsequently plague him. In his extant letters, Schubert first mentioned his illness on February 28, 1823, and in the autumn of the same year, he was hospitalized for a relatively long period at the Vienna General Hospital. Thus, for Schubert, the flourishing of his efforts in the instrumental field during the Middle Period, which led to the continuous creation of works beloved today, coincided with his struggle against illness.
Late Period (1823/24–1828)
Around 1823–24, Schubert decided that prospects for success in the opera field were dim and shifted his creative focus from stage works to instrumental works. This marked the beginning of Schubert's (premature) "Late Period." (However, the division by year is merely for convenience. For example, although the aforementioned Wanderer Fantasy was composed slightly earlier, it can be treated on par with other late works given its musical scale, intention for publication, and compositional style.)
Above all, the composer himself expressed his determination to focus on instrumental music to his friends. In a letter to L. Kupelwieser dated March 31, 1824, he explicitly stated his aim for "the path to a great symphony," using the String Quartets (Rosamunde D 804 and Death and the Maiden D 810) and the Octet (D 803) as stepping stones. Furthermore, in this letter, he also mentioned Beethoven's upcoming public concert where the Ninth Symphony would be premiered, expressing his ambition to have his own great symphony performed publicly (Schubert actually attended this concert and later realized his own public concert). The extended length of piano works seen in the Late Period can be understood within this context of exploring large-scale compositions. Moreover, Schubert succeeded in fulfilling the grand forms of his compositions on a different dimension from Beethoven's developmental approach (see "General Survey of Piano Works").
In any case, the Late Period can generally be seen as the time when a stylistic shift in Schubert's music was achieved, as a result of the trials and errors of the Middle Period. Listing representative late works, including piano pieces, reveals that a series of masterpieces indispensable to today's pianists' repertoire were rapidly produced during this period:
- the famous piano sonatas, of course
- the two Impromptus (D 899, D 935) and Three Piano Pieces (D 946)
- Fantasia for four hands (D 940)
- Fantasia for violin and piano (D 934)
- Arpeggione Sonata (D 821)
- two Piano Trios (D 898, D 929)
- Winterreise (D 911)
- Schwanengesang (D 957)
The term "Late Period" itself sounds as if it signifies a composer's mature stage. Listening to the works just mentioned, one certainly feels a certain seasoned style, with temporal structures that expand spatiality, grand epic quality, and the evocation of "death." However, Schubert never considered himself fully mature; he constantly sought new compositional styles and strove to advance until the moment of his death. This is best illustrated by the fact that despite his condition worsening from October 31, 1828, he was invited by his friend W. J. Lanz and attended Simon Sechter's counterpoint lessons on November 4. And even on his sickbed, he was reportedly reviewing the proofs of Winterreise. Unfortunately, the young composer became unable to get out of bed on November 14 of the same year—a development neither his friends nor he himself could have anticipated—and tragically passed away as early as November 19.
Bibliography
Dürr, Walther and Andreas Krause (eds.), 1997, Schubert-Handbuch, Kassel: Bärenreiter & Stuttgart: Metzler.
Hilmar, Ernst, 2000, Große Komponisten: Schubert, translated by Ryōzō Yamaji, Tokyo: Ongaku no Tomo Sha.
Murata, Chihiro, 2004, Schubert, Tokyo: Ongaku no Tomo Sha (Composer: Person and Works Series).
Maeda, Akio, 2004, Franz Schubert, Tokyo: Shunjusha.
Hori, Tomohira, 2016, The Birth of "Franz Schubert": An Odyssey of Loss and Rebirth, Tokyo: Hosei University Press.
Hinrichsen, Hans-Joachim, 2017, Franz Schubert: Ein musikalisches Porträt eines Realisten, translated by Tomohira Hori, Tokyo: Artes Publishing (Bibliomusica Series).
Author : Takamatsu, Yusuke
Last Updated: October 12, 2020
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Author : Takamatsu, Yusuke
Understanding Schubert's Piano Music
When confronting Schubert's piano works—unless one is an ardent fan of Schubert—it is not uncommon to harbor negative impressions such as "lengthy and seemingly endless" or "prone to memory slips." Alternatively, one might consider them difficult to achieve performance effect compared to the dramatic and brilliant compositions of Romantic composers like Chopin. Let us pause for a moment and consider what Schubert's piano music truly aims for.
"Heavenly Length" and Schubert's Musical Thought
It is well-known that Robert Schumann, who paved the way for music criticism, described Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in C major, "The Great" (D 944), as having "heavenly length." This extraordinary length for its time can be observed not only in his symphonies but also, characteristically, in his late piano and chamber works. This length was almost indispensable to Schubert's musical thought.
Comparison with Beethoven and "Anti-Teleology"
In discussions concerning Schubert's music, comparisons with Beethoven have always been a subject of debate. For instance, while Beethoven's music is generally said to aim for "development" based on logical forms that utilize tension, Schubert's music, in contrast, is pointed out to aim for "anti-teleology" (or "non-purposiveness"). This implies the dismantling of tension within classical formal principles through the frequent use of mediant keys (for a specific example, refer to the section on the first movement of the Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat major, D 960). In other words, Schubert's aim in music-making was not to create a "drama" filled with tension, but rather to be found in the loss of tonic-dominant tension through modulations to mediant keys. Consequently, in Schubert's sonata forms, examples where the exposition has three key areas are often observed. These modulations to mediant keys not only serve to reduce tension but also make the listener feel an infinite sense of transition. This is because using enharmonic equivalents to exploit mediant relationships facilitates modulations to distant keys.
Implications for Performance and Historical Context
This pursuit of the antithesis of logic and development, and the foregrounding of transition, likely contributes to the difficulty of memorization and the impression of being "endless." Viewed in the light of music history—recalling, for instance, that he was a precursor to Schumann and Bruckner—these characteristics are by no means to be regarded negatively; rather, they are precisely why Schubert profoundly influenced Romantic music.
Characteristics of Piano Works
Looking at the compositional characteristics of his piano works, it is noteworthy that many of them remained unfinished in his early period—with the exception of 1817, which could be called the "year of the piano sonata"—differing from his chamber and symphonic works. While many works from his middle period also remained unfinished, he expanded his activities into the sheet music market, as mentioned above, starting with the Wanderer Fantasy (1822). Consequently, in his late period, alongside his piano sonatas, he also composed collections of shorter pieces such as the Moments Musicaux (D 780) and the Impromptus (D 899, D 935). A distinctive feature of his late piano works is the eerie-sounding trills, particularly in the bass (e.g., Piano Sonata No. 21 and Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3).
Author : Asayama, Natsuko
Last Updated: May 1, 2007
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Author : Asayama, Natsuko
A Viennese composer. He left works in all genres, but his Lieder (songs) and piano pieces are of paramount importance in music history. He began his compositional activities while working as a schoolteacher to support himself. Eventually, he was blessed with many friends who recognized his talent, enabling him to become an independent musician, but he died prematurely at the age of 31.
His piano solo works can be broadly categorized into character pieces of free form such as impromptus and fantasies, dance pieces like waltzes, and piano sonatas. He also left excellent works in chamber music featuring the piano, such as the Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667, 'Trout' (1819), and the Arpeggione Sonata, D. 821 (1824). Furthermore, in his Lieder, he broke away from traditional accompaniment that merely harmonically supported the vocal melody, imbuing the piano part with profound musical expression, thereby establishing modern German Lied, which can be described as an ensemble of voice and piano.
Schubert, born a full generation after Beethoven yet dying around the same time, is difficult to categorize as either purely Classical or purely Romantic. Currently, he is more often discussed as part of the Viennese Classical school than as a Romantic composer. Indeed, in terms of form, he adhered to classical principles, and Schubert himself did not attach Romantic-style programmatic titles to his instrumental works. Furthermore, his uniquely beautiful melodies are not far removed from the Classical idiom. However, for instance, in his sonatas, rather than the contrasting themes and motivic development championed by Beethoven, Schubert focused on the subtle changes in harmonic color itself as a central concern, and his method of reaching distant keys with an almost casual ease already reveals the world of Romantic music. This tendency to emphasize 'timbre,' so to speak, is more pronounced in the music of composers like Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms. However, while these composers approached the traditions of Classical forms with longing and reverence, for Schubert, these forms were not yet 'alienated' but rather somewhat contemporary. Schubert's Romanticism, hidden within the beauty of Classical forms and consonant harmonies, does not create tension for the listener. It is truly music that forms a nexus between two eras.
Works(205)
Piano Solo (17)
sonata (21)
Sonate für Klavier Nr.18 'Fantasie' D 894 Op.78
Key: G-Dur Composed in: 1826 Playing time: 40 min 30 sec
pieces (3)
inpromptu (3)
fantasy (4)
variation (5)
13 Variationen über ein Thema von Anselm Huttenbrenner D 576
Key: a-moll Composed in: 1817 Playing time: 14 min 18 sec
Variation über einen Walzer von Anton Diabelli D 718
Key: c-moll Composed in: 1821 Playing time: 1 min 30 sec
menuetto (6)
waltz (10)
Ländler (7)
other dances (22)
16 Ländler und 2 Ecossaisen(Wiener Damen-Ländler) D 734 Op.67
Composed in: 1822 Playing time: 11 min 30 sec
character pieces (15)
Various works (2)
Piano Ensemble (13)
sonata (3)
rondo (2)
fantasy (5)
variation (4)
8 Variationen über ein franzosisches Lied D 624 Op.10
Key: e-moll Composed in: 1818 Playing time: 17 min 20 sec
8 Variations sur un theme original D 813 Op.35
Key: As-Dur Composed in: 1824 Playing time: 10 min 00 sec
Variationen über ein Thema aus Oper 'Marie' von Herold D 908 Op.82-1
Key: C-Dur Composed in: 1827 Playing time: 13 min 30 sec
Introduktion, 4 Variationen über ein Originalthema und Finale D 968A(603) Op.82-2
Key: B-Dur Playing time: 10 min 00 sec
polonaise (2)
other dances (1)
divertimento (3)
Divertissement sur des motifs originaux française D 823
Key: e-moll Composed in: 1826 Playing time: 34 min 10 sec
Divertissement sur des motifs originaux français D 823 Op.63,84
Key: e-moll Composed in: 1827 Playing time: 34 min 10 sec
march (5)
funeral (1)
Various works (6)
Chamber Music (7)
sonata (5)
Sonate für Pianofore und Violine D 384 Op.137
Key: D-Dur Composed in: 1816 Playing time: 12 min 40 sec
Sonate für Pianofore und Violine D 574 Op.162
Key: A-Dur Composed in: 1817 Playing time: 21 min 30 sec
Sonate für Pianoforte und Arpeggione oder Violoncell D 821
Key: a-moll Composed in: 1824 Playing time: 24 min 30 sec
Sonate für Pianofore und Violine No.2 D 385 Op.137-2
Key: a-moll Composed in: 1816 Playing time: 21 min 15 sec
Sonate für Pianofore und Violine No.3 D 408 Op.137-3
Key: g-moll Composed in: 1816 Playing time: 15 min 25 sec
variation (1)
nocturne (1)
Various works (6)
Lied (2)
pieces (4)
4 Gesänge aus 'Wilhelm Meister' D 877 Op.62
Key: D-Dur Composed in: 1826 Playing time: 13 min 40 sec
Various works (40)
etc (3)
Symphony (4)