Schubert's Style of Song...

1. Schubert’s
Style of Song

2. I n 1 8 1 6 ,
V a n B e e t h o v e n
p u b l i s h e d
[ T o t h e D i s t a n t
B e l o v e d ] - - t h e
a r c h e t y p i c a l
R o m a n t i c
s o n g c y c l e
( vo i c e a n d p i a n o )
o f i n n o v a t i v e
ima gi native value
v i s - à - v i s s h a p e
a n d s t y l e , f o r m
a n d c o n t e n t .

3. W i t h V a n
B e e t h o v e n ’ s
An die ferne Geliebte
a s m o d e l ,
S c h u b e r t
a s p i r e d t o
further elevate
t h e g e n r e o f
s o n g i n t o a n
i m p o r t a n t
v e h i c l e o f
e x p r e s s i o n .

4. I n h i s s o n g s ,
S c h u b e r t
concentrated to
t h e p u r e s t
distillated essence
his refinement of
melody, harmony,
r h y t h m , m o o d ,
s y m b o l , a n d
heart-felt
sincerity.

5. As highl y-polished gem-stones, Schuber t’s
songs ar e mi niatur e master pieces for the
d i o r a m a - s t a g e o f t h e s m a l l e r s e t t i n g .

6. Nähe des Geliebten [Nearness of the Beloved] (Gb-major) D162
[1815]--“An unassailable masterpiece, perfectly balanced; a
perfection of form and expression, with complete integration of
p i a n o a n d v o i c e ; a g r e a t a c h i e v e m e n t . ” §

7. Die Forelle [The Trout] (Db-major) D550 [1817]--displays
Schubert’s “instinctive feeling for folksong melody with its
rounded inevitability, while the pictorial quality of the piano
w r i t i n g g i v e s i t i t s i r r e s i s t i b l e v i v a c i t y. ” §

8. “T he unit y of
m o o d i s
c o m p l e t e ;
m e l o d i c a n d
h a r m o n i c
s t r u c t u r e
impressive; rich
a n d v a r i e d
s y m b o l i c
associations...a
locus classicus
of Schuber t’s
m u s i c a l
l a n g u a g e :
e n c a p s u l a t e s
the essence of
R o m a n t i c
n o s t a l g i a . ” §
Erlafsee
[ L a k e E r l a f ]
(F-major) D586
[ 1 8 1 7 ] - -
“atmospheric
a n d
impressionistic
. . . h e r e t h e
e s s e n t i a l l y
p i c t o r i a l
q u a l i t i e s o f
S c h u b e r t ’ s
m u s i c a l
language are
w o n d e r f u l l y
demonstrated.”

9. Der Fluß [The River] (B-major) D693 [1820]--“marks a new stage in
the evolution of Schubert’s art...the long-breathing melodic line,
the rhapsodic key, the unexpected emotional weight...contribute to
the realisation of a single moment and a single mood.” §

10. Nachtviolen
[ D a m e ’ s V i o l e t s ]
(C-major) D752
[ 1 8 2 2 ] - - “ A
‘ m a s t e r p i e c e
o f m y s t e r i o u s
i n t i m a cy ’ w i t h
o v e r t o n e s o f
y e a r n i n g
t e n d e r n e s s
t h a t s o u n d s o
i n e v i t a b l e . ” §

11. Auf dem Wasser zu Singen [Song of the Water] (ab-minor)
D774 [1823]--Each “line, with its heart-easing shift to the major,
brings a sensuous shock of delight, so that each verse increases
our pleasure and sense of anticipation. As always, it is a sensuous
i m a g e w h i c h f i r e s S c h u b e r t ’ s i m a g i n a t i o n
a n d g i v e s h i m t h e r h y t h m i c a l f i g u r e . ” §

12. Nacht und Träume [Night and Dreams] (B-major)
D827 [1822]--“the unconscious, and [cognizance] of
the night, with mystery and with dreams is here in
this most Romantic song [with] gibbous moons
and moon-haunted...imagination [and] deeply felt
ex p r e s s i o n o f s e n s e o f t h e i n f i n i t e . ” §

13. Das Zügenglöcklein [The Tolling Bell] (Ab-major) D871 [1826]--
“ S c h u b e r t k e e p s t h e b e l l t o l l i n g t h r o u g h o u t t h e s o n g ,
while the ‘melody and very choice harmony move on quite freely’.
Within this unifying figure, the melodic and harmonic variations reach
o u t b e y o n d t o a d e e p e r h u m a n i t y a n d c o m p a s s i o n . ” §

14. Das Lied im Grünen [Song of the Greenwood]
(A-major) D917 [1827]--“This is Schubert’s loveliest spring song.
T he steady, unhur ried movement gives an ef fect of
timelessness that matches the mood of the song.Ӥ

15. Des Fischers
Liebesglück
[F i s h e r ' s L ove -
B l i s s ]
(a-minor) D933
[ 1 8 2 7 ] - - T h e
“long-breathed
strophe moves
with sensuous
[delight] from
minor to major
[ w i t h ] a n
evocative tune
that matches
t h e b l i s s o f
the lovers in
their private
h e a v e n . ” §

16. §All quotations
from John Reed,
The Schubert
Song Companion
(Palgrave: New
York NY USA,
1997).