Johann Ludwig Wilhelm Müller (7 October 1794 – 30 September 1827) was a German lyric poet , best known as the author of Die schöne Müllerin (1821) and Winterreise (1823). These would later be the source of inspiration for two song cycles composed by Franz Schubert .
116-572: Wilhelm Müller was born on 7 October 1794 in Dessau , as the son of a tailor. In Dessau, he pursued a distinguished academic career. He received his education at a local gymnasium , and would later attend the University of Berlin , where he specialized in philological and historical studies. In 1813-1814 he took part, as a volunteer in the Prussian army, in the national rising against Napoleon . He participated in
232-414: A heart attack aged only 32. Müller's son, Friedrich Max Müller , was an English orientalist who founded the comparative study of religions; his grandson Sir William Grenfell Max Muller was a British diplomat. Müller's earliest lyrics are in a volume of poems, Bundesblüten , by several friends, published in 1816. That same year he also published Blumenlese aus den Minnesängern ( Flowers harvested from
348-474: A Countess of youthful grace, —A pupil of Galt's; in desperate case Young Schubert surrenders himself to another, And fain would avoid such affectionate pother The setbacks of previous years were compensated by the prosperity and happiness of 1825. Publication had been moving more rapidly, the stress of poverty was for a time lightened, and in the summer he had a pleasant holiday in Upper Austria where he
464-532: A Town Council and a Town Delegation Constitution. Since 1852 the town leader has the title of mayor. During the National Socialist period the mayor was appointed by the party ( NSDAP ). After World War II , the Soviets formed an executive council with a mayor. The town council constitution was elected by the people. Since German reunification this committee has been freely elected. Since 1994 it has been called
580-553: A brief visit to Graz , Austria, in 1827. In 1826, he dedicated a symphony (D. 944, that later came to be known as the Great C major ) to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde and received an honorarium in return. The String Quartet No. 14 in D minor (D. 810), with the variations on Death and the Maiden , was written during the winter of 1825–1826, and first played on 25 January 1826. Later in
696-506: A choir scholarship. At the Stadtkonvikt, he was introduced to the overtures and symphonies of Mozart, the symphonies of Joseph Haydn and his younger brother Michael Haydn , and the overtures and symphonies of Beethoven , a composer for whom he developed admiration. His exposure to these and other works, combined with occasional visits to the opera, laid the foundation for a broader musical education. One important musical influence came from
812-555: A considerable number of secular works for two or more voices, namely part songs , choruses and cantatas. He completed eight orchestral overtures and seven complete symphonies, in addition to fragments of six others. While he composed no concertos, he did write three concertante works for violin and orchestra. Schubert wrote a large body of music for solo piano, including eleven incontrovertibly completed sonatas and at least eleven more in varying states of completion, numerous miscellaneous works and many short dances, in addition to producing
928-565: A critical edition by J. T. Hatfield (1906). Recent research has stressed that Müller, although contemporaneous with German Romanticism , cannot easily be subsumed under that movement. In ‘Die Winterreise’ – which occupies a central position in Müller's lyric output – the wanderer shows a determination not to get lost on the Romantic paths that promise a way out of present dissatisfactions. “ Andreas Dorschel has convincingly argued that ‘Die Winterreise’
1044-483: A different concert on the same day as the premiere of the Overture, his song Der Wanderer (D. 489) was performed. In 1822, Schubert made the acquaintance of both Weber and Beethoven but little came of it in either case; however, Beethoven is said to have acknowledged the younger man's gifts on a few occasions. On his deathbed, Beethoven is said to have looked into some of the younger man's works and exclaimed: "Truly,
1160-420: A few months after we began, that he had no need of any further instruction from me, and that for the future he would make his own way. And in truth his progress in a short period was so great that I was forced to acknowledge in him a master who had completely distanced and outstripped me, and whom I despaired of overtaking. His father gave him his first violin lessons when he was eight years old, training him to
1276-451: A great many songs, became one of Schubert's main proponents in Viennese musical circles. Schubert also met Joseph Hüttenbrenner (brother of Anselm), who also played a role in promoting his music. These, and an increasing circle of friends and musicians, became responsible for promoting, collecting, and, after his death, preserving his work. Heinrich Anschütz wrote in his memoirs that Schubert
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#17328688594861392-535: A hopeless passion for his pupil, the Countess Caroline Esterházy , but the only work that bears a dedication to her is his Fantasia in F minor for piano duet (D. 940). This dedication, however, can only be found in the first edition and not in Schubert's autograph . His friend Eduard von Bauernfeld penned the following verse, which appears to reference Schubert's unrequited sentiments: In love with
1508-492: A large set of works for piano four hands . He also wrote over fifty chamber works, including some fragmentary works. Schubert's sacred output includes seven masses, one oratorio and one requiem, among other mass movements and numerous smaller compositions. He completed only eleven of his twenty stage works. In July 1947 the Austrian composer Ernst Krenek discussed Schubert's style, abashedly admitting that he had at first "shared
1624-825: A long tradition and are very popular in Dessau. The former soccer team SG Waggonbau Dessau won the GDR soccer cup in 1949. The handball team played in the GDR Oberliga and since 1990 they are playing in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga. Currently, Dessau has around 80 sport clubs with over 13,500 members. Next to the traditional sports, Dessau has active sport clubs in the following disciplines: aikido, badminton, basketball, canoeing, chess, climbing, cycling, dancing, fishing, horse riding, karate, judo, jiu-jitsu, motorboat, rowing, speedskating, sailing, skittles, skydiving, squash, swimming, table tennis, water polo, wrestling and others. The borough of Dessau
1740-640: A marked advance in development and maturity of style. He began the ultimately unfinished oratorio Lazarus (D. 689) in February 1820. This was later followed by the hymn "Der 23. Psalm" (D. 706), the octet " Gesang der Geister über den Wassern " (D. 714), the Quartettsatz in C minor (D. 703), the Wanderer Fantasy in C major for piano (D. 760), and additional smaller works. In 1820, two of Schubert's operas were staged: Die Zwillingsbrüder (D. 647) appeared at
1856-451: A performing member, which helped establish his name among the Viennese citizenry. He gave a concert of his works to critical acclaim in March 1828, the only time he did so in his career. He died eight months later at the age of 31, the cause officially attributed to typhoid fever , but believed by some historians to be syphilis . Appreciation of Schubert's music while he was alive was limited to
1972-494: A relatively small circle of admirers in Vienna, but interest in his work increased greatly in the decades following his death. Felix Mendelssohn , Robert Schumann , Franz Liszt , Johannes Brahms and other 19th-century composers discovered and championed his works. Today, Schubert is considered one of the greatest composers in the history of Western classical music and his music continues to be widely performed. Franz Peter Schubert
2088-614: A role in a falling-out with Mayrhofer, with whom he was living at the time. Schubert, who was only a little more than five feet tall, was nicknamed "Schwammerl" by his friends, which Gibbs describes as translating to "Tubby" or "Little Mushroom". "Schwamm" is "mushroom" in the Austrian and Bavarian dialects of German; the ending "-erl" makes it a diminutive. Gibbs also claims he may have occasionally drunk to excess, noting that references to Schubert's heavy drinking "... come not only in later accounts, but also in documents dating from his lifetime." Schubert's compositions of 1819 and 1820 show
2204-624: A significant amount of music during these years. He completed the Mass in A-flat major , (D. 678) in 1822, and later that year embarked suddenly on a work which, more decisively than almost any other in those years, showed his maturing personal vision, the Symphony in B minor , known as the Unfinished Symphony (D. 759). The reason he left it unfinished – after writing two movements and sketches some way into
2320-460: A third – continues to be discussed and written about, and it is also remarkable that he did not mention it to any of his friends, even though, as Brian Newbould notes, he must have felt thrilled by what he was achieving. In 1823, Schubert wrote his first large-scale song cycle , Die schöne Müllerin (D. 795), setting poems by Wilhelm Müller . This series, together with the later cycle Winterreise (D. 911, also setting texts of Müller in 1827)
2436-492: A wide variety of forms and genres, including opera, liturgical music , chamber and solo piano music, and symphonic works. Perhaps most familiarly, his adventurousness is reflected in his notably original sense of modulation; for example, the second movement of the String Quintet (D. 956), which is in E major, features a central section in the distant key of F minor. It also appears in unusual choices of instrumentation, as in
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#17328688594862552-457: A young soprano named Therese Grob , daughter of a local silk manufacturer, and wrote several of his liturgical works (including a "Salve Regina" and a "Tantum Ergo") for her; she was also a soloist in the premiere of his Mass No. 1 (D. 105) in September 1814. Schubert wanted to marry her, but was hindered by the harsh marriage-consent law of 1815 requiring an aspiring bridegroom to show he had
2668-409: Is a work of Enlightenment .” The cycle depicts the self-determination of a subject who retains the ability to reflect because he is not engulfed by dreams. The realms of dream, death, and nature do not fulfil their promise, and the traveller ultimately rejects “Schein” (semblance) for “Sein” (actual being), or the imagined future for the real present. “As Dorschel points out, the wanderer actively denies
2784-401: Is done, I begin another." During this year, he focused on orchestral and choral works, although he also continued to write Lieder. Much of this work was unpublished, but manuscripts and copies circulated among friends and admirers. In early 1817, Schober introduced Schubert to Johann Michael Vogl , a prominent baritone twenty years Schubert's senior. Vogl, for whom Schubert went on to write
2900-572: Is known for compiling the first comprehensive catalogue of Schubert's works. This was first published in English in 1951 ( Schubert Thematic Catalogue ) and subsequently revised for a new edition in German in 1978 ( Franz Schubert: Thematisches Verzeichnis seiner Werke in chronologischer Folge – Franz Schubert: Thematic Catalogue of his Works in Chronological Order). Confusion arose quite early over
3016-427: Is not a true song cycle like Die schöne Müllerin or Winterreise . ) The Great C major symphony is dated 1828, but Schubert scholars believe that this symphony was largely written in 1825–1826 (being referred to while he was on holiday at Gastein in 1825—that work, once considered lost, is now generally seen as an early stage of his C major symphony) and was revised for prospective performance in 1828. The orchestra of
3132-478: Is pointless to guess at what more [Schubert] might have achieved. He did enough; and let them be honoured who have striven and accomplished as he did", and the pianist András Schiff said that: "Schubert lived a very short life, but it was a very concentrated life. In 31 years, he lived more than other people would live in 100 years, and it is needless to speculate what could he have written had he lived another 50 years. It's irrelevant, just like with Mozart: these are
3248-445: Is supplemented by numerous bus lines. Dessau's public transport is operated by Dessauer Verkehrsgesellschaft [ de ] (DVG), which transports around 6 million people each year. Dessau Hauptbahnhof (main station) has connections to Magdeburg , Berlin, Leipzig , Halle , Bitterfeld and Lutherstadt Wittenberg . The line from Berlin was opened on 1 September 1840. The Dessau-Bitterfeld line (opened on 17 August 1857)
3364-512: Is the main station. This train also stops at the stations Dessau-Waldersee and Dessau-Adria. In 1938 the autobahn A9 (Munich-Berlin) was built southeast of the town area. The two exits to Dessau on the A9 are called Dessau-Ost and Dessau-Süd. Dessau is also crossed by the Bundesstrassen (federal roads) B 184 and B 185. The airfield of Dessau (ICAO: EDAD) is situated northwest of the town between
3480-493: Is twinned with: Dessau is part of the EU-URBAN programme. This programme is based on the integrated approach that is used for tackling the environmental, economical and social problems, affecting the deprived urban areas. There are several projects in Dessau sponsored via this subsidy. Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert ( German: [fʁants ˈpeːtɐ ˈʃuːbɐt] ; 31 January 1797 – 19 November 1828)
3596-700: Is used for annual international motorboat racing events. The "Wallwitzhafen" is used as a private pleasure boat harbour and the Elbehafen near the Grain House is used for cruisers. The next harbour for goods is situated in Rosslau . Dessau is located in the flat landscape of the Saxon Lowland . The local bike paths have a length of about 146 km and connect all major parks and sights. Sports like soccer, cycling, handball, volleyball, gymnastics, table tennis and tennis have
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3712-550: Is widely considered one of the pinnacles of Lieder. He also composed the song Du bist die Ruh' ( You are rest and peace , D. 776) during this year. Also in that year, symptoms of syphilis first appeared. In 1824, he wrote the Variations in E minor for flute and piano; Trockne Blumen , a song from the cycle Die schöne Müllerin ; and several string quartets. He also wrote the Sonata in A minor for arpeggione and piano (D. 821) at
3828-672: The Trout Quintet ; the Symphony No. 8 in B minor ( Unfinished ); the Symphony No. 9 in C major ( Great ); the String Quartet No. 14 in D minor ( Death and the Maiden ); the String Quintet in C major ; the Impromptus for solo piano; the last three piano sonatas ; the Fantasia in F minor for piano four hands ; the opera Fierrabras ; the incidental music to the play Rosamunde ; and
3944-622: The Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau World Heritage Site. This includes the Bauhaus Dessau school building, designed by Walter Gropius , which is one of the iconic modernist buildings of the 20th century. In addition to the buildings that are part of the World Heritage Site, other notable Bauhaus architecture in Dessau includes: The Dessau tramway network has three lines and
4060-579: The Elbe . This causes yearly floods. The worst flood took place in the year 2002, when the Waldersee district was nearly completely flooded. The south of Dessau touches a well-wooded area called Mosigkauer Heide. The highest elevation is a 110 m high former rubbish dump called Scherbelberg in the southwest of Dessau. Dessau is surrounded by numerous parks and palaces that make it one of the greenest towns in Germany. Dessau
4176-775: The Minnesingers ). His literary reputation was made by the Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten (in two volumes, 1821–1824), and the Lieder der Griechen (1821–1824). The last collection was Germany's chief tribute of sympathy to the Greeks in their struggle against the Turkish yoke, a theme that inspired many poets of the time. Two volumes of Neugriechische Volkslieder , and Lyrische Reisen und epigrammatische Spaziergänge , followed in 1825 and 1827. Many of his poems imitate
4292-520: The Sonata in A minor for arpeggione and piano (D. 821), or the unconventional scoring of the Trout Quintet (D. 667) for piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass, whereas conventional piano quintets are scored for piano and string quartet . Although Schubert was clearly influenced by the Classical sonata forms of Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart, his formal structures and his developments tend to give
4408-603: The Spanish language . Dessau Dessau is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe , in the Bundesland (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt . Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent city. The population of Dessau is 67,747 (Dec. 2020). Dessau is situated on a floodplain where the Mulde flows into
4524-527: The Tantum Ergo (D. 962) in the same key, the String Quintet in C major (D. 956), the second "Benedictus" to the Mass in C major (D. 961), the three final piano sonatas (D. 958, D. 959, and D. 960), and the collection 13 Lieder nach Gedichten von Rellstab und Heine for voice and piano, also known as Schwanengesang ( Swan-song , D. 957). (This collection – which includes settings of words by Heinrich Heine , Ludwig Rellstab , and Johann Gabriel Seidl –
4640-704: The Theater am Kärntnertor on 14 June, and Die Zauberharfe (D. 644) appeared at the Theater an der Wien on 21 August. Hitherto, his larger compositions (apart from his masses) had been restricted to the amateur orchestra at the Gundelhof (Brandstätte 5, Vienna), a society which grew out of the quartet-parties at his home. Now he began to assume a more prominent position, addressing a wider public. Publishers, however, remained distant, with Anton Diabelli hesitantly agreeing to print some of his works on commission. The first seven opus numbers, all songs, appeared on these terms; then
4756-564: The Zentralfriedhof where they are next to the later graves of Johann Strauss II and Johannes Brahms. Anton Bruckner was present at both exhumations, and he reached into both coffins and held the revered skulls in his hands. The cemetery in Währing was converted into a park in 1925, called the Schubert Park, and his former grave site was marked by a bust. His epitaph, written by his friend,
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4872-458: The numbering of Schubert's late symphonies . Schubert's last completed symphony, the Great C major D 944 , was assigned the numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10, depending on publication. Similarly the Unfinished D ;759 has been indicated with the numbers 7, 8, and 9. The order usually followed for these late symphonies by English-language sources is: An even broader confusion arose over
4988-608: The numbering of the piano sonatas , with numbering systems ranging from 15 to 23 sonatas. Among pianos Schubert had access to were a Benignus Seidner piano (now displayed at the Schubert Geburtshaus in Vienna) and an Anton Walter & Sohn piano (today in the collection of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum ). Schubert was also familiar with instruments by Viennese piano builder Conrad Graf . He appreciated
5104-497: The song cycles Die schöne Müllerin , Winterreise and Schwanengesang . Born in the Himmelpfortgrund suburb of Vienna , Schubert showed uncommon gifts for music from an early age. His father gave him his first violin lessons and his elder brother gave him piano lessons, but Schubert soon exceeded their abilities. In 1808, at the age of eleven, he became a pupil at the Stadtkonvikt school, where he became acquainted with
5220-472: The "prince of song", although there was recognition of some of his larger-scale efforts. In 1838 Robert Schumann , on a visit to Vienna, found the dusty manuscript of the C major Symphony (D. 944) and took it back to Leipzig where it was performed by Felix Mendelssohn and celebrated in the Neue Zeitschrift . An important step towards the recovery of the neglected works was the journey to Vienna which
5336-414: The 1860s, 50 instalments with songs published by Diabelli and dozens of first publications Peters ), but the manuscripts of many of the longer works, whose existence was not widely known, remained hidden in cabinets and file boxes of Schubert's family, friends, and publishers. Even some of Schubert's friends were unaware of the full scope of what he wrote, and for many years he was primarily recognized as
5452-704: The Austrian police who, in the aftermath of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars , were on their guard against revolutionary activities and suspicious of any gathering of youth or students. One of Schubert's friends, Johann Senn , was put on trial, imprisoned for over a year, and then permanently forbidden to enter Vienna. The other four, including Schubert, were "severely reprimanded", in part for "inveighing against [officials] with insulting and opprobrious language". While Schubert never saw Senn again, he did set some of his poems, Selige Welt (D. 743) and Schwanengesang (D 744), to music. The incident may have played
5568-793: The German Volkslied . Müller also wrote a book on the Homerische Vorschule (1824; 2nd. ed., 1836), translated Marlowe 's Faustus , and edited a Bibliothek der Dichtungen des 17. Jahrhunderts (1825–1827; in ten volumes), a collection of lyric poems. Müller's Vermischte Schriften ( Miscellaneous writings ) was edited with a biography by Gustav Schwab (three volumes, 1830). Wilhelm Müller's Gedichte were collected in 1837 (4th ed., 1858), and also edited by his son, Friedrich Max Müller (1868). There are also numerous more recent editions, notably one in Reclam 's Universalbibliothek (1894), and
5684-443: The Gesellschaft reportedly read through the symphony at a rehearsal, but never scheduled a public performance of it. The reasons continue to be unknown, although the difficulty of the symphony is a possible explanation. In the last weeks of his life, he began to sketch three movements for a new Symphony in D major (D 936A); In this work, he anticipates Mahler 's use of folksong-like harmonics and bare soundscapes. Schubert expressed
5800-468: The Schubert melody is not an original setting. The original only opens with the greeting "Ave Maria", which also recurs only in the refrain. In 1825, Schubert also wrote the Piano Sonata in A minor (D 845, first published as op. 42), and began the Symphony in C major ( Great C major , D. 944), which was completed the following year. From 1826 to 1828, Schubert resided continuously in Vienna, except for
5916-561: The Stadtrat. Since 1994, the mayor is directly elected by the people. In 2007, Dessau became part of the municipality of Dessau-Roßlau. Peter Kuras (born 1958) was elected mayor of Dessau-Roßlau in June 2014 with 75.82% of the votes for a term of seven years. He is the successor of Klemens Koschig (born 1957, independent), who was elected in 2007 with 56.8% of the votes. Consists of the following parties: (Local elections from 25 May 2014) Dessau
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#17328688594866032-538: The aforementioned indirect references by his friends, and uncritically repeated ever since. Schubert was buried, at his own request, near the grave of Beethoven, whom he had admired all his life, in the village cemetery of Währing on the edge of the Vienna Woods . A year earlier he had served as a torchbearer at Beethoven's funeral . In 1872, a memorial to Franz Schubert was erected in Vienna's Stadtpark . In 1888, both Schubert's and Beethoven's graves were moved to
6148-405: The age of five, Schubert began to receive regular lessons from his father, and a year later he was enrolled at his father's school. Although it is not known exactly when he received his first musical instruction, he was given piano lessons by his brother Ignaz, but they lasted for a very short time as Schubert excelled him within a few months. Ignaz later recalled: I was amazed when Franz told me,
6264-523: The battles of Lützen , Bautzen , Hanau and Kulm . In 1814 he returned to his studies at Berlin. From 1817 to 1819, he visited southern Germany and Italy , and in 1820 published his impressions of the latter in Rom, Römer und Römerinnen . In 1819, he was appointed teacher of classics in the Gelehrtenschule at Dessau, and in 1820 librarian to the ducal library. He remained there the rest of his life, dying of
6380-479: The chief credit of originating the short models of piano forte pieces which the romantic school has preferably cultivated.... Schubert created a new epoch with the Lied.... All other songwriters have followed in his footsteps." When Schubert died he had around 100 opus numbers published, mainly songs, chamber music and smaller piano compositions. Publication of smaller pieces continued (including opus numbers up to 173 in
6496-485: The commission ceased, and he began to receive parsimonious royalties. The situation improved somewhat in March 1821 when Vogl performed the song " Erlkönig " (D. 328) at a concert that was extremely well received. That month, Schubert composed a Variation on a Waltz by Diabelli (D 718), being one of the fifty composers who contributed to the Vaterländischer Künstlerverein publication. The production of
6612-493: The depiction of the spinning wheel and treadle in the piano in "Gretchen" and the furious and ceaseless gallop in " Erlkönig ". He composed music using the poems of myriad poets, with Goethe, Mayrhofer , and Schiller the most frequent, and others, including Heinrich Heine , Friedrich Rückert , and Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff . Of particular note are his two song cycles on the poems of Wilhelm Müller , Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise , which helped to establish
6728-460: The districts Kleinkühnau, Alten, and Siedlung. A destination with a charter airplane is possible. The runway has a length of 1000 m. The Hugo Junkers Technical Museum is situated in the neighbourhood directly east of the airfield, with the eastern end of the modern runway almost directly abutting the historical World War II Junkers factory airstrip's western end. Today the Leopoldshafen (harbour)
6844-463: The early 1820s, Schubert was part of a close-knit circle of artists and students who had social gatherings together that became known as Schubertiads . Many of them took place in Ignaz von Sonnleithner 's large apartment in the Gundelhof (Brandstätte 5, Vienna). The tight circle of friends with which Schubert surrounded himself was dealt a blow in early 1820. Schubert and four of his friends were arrested by
6960-599: The end of 1813, Schubert left the Stadtkonvikt and returned home for teacher training at the St Anna Normal- hauptschule . In 1814, he entered his father's school as the teacher of the youngest pupils. For over two years, young Schubert endured severe drudgery. However, he found compensatory interests during this time. For example, Schubert continued to take private lessons in composition from Salieri, who provided him with more technical training than any of his other teachers, until they parted ways in 1817. In 1814, Schubert met
7076-428: The family string quartet, with his brothers Ferdinand and Ignaz on first and second violin and his father on the cello . Schubert wrote his earliest string quartets for this ensemble. Young Schubert first came to the attention of Antonio Salieri , then Vienna's leading musical authority, in 1804, when his vocal talent was recognized. In November 1808, he became a pupil at the Stadtkonvikt (Imperial Seminary) through
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#17328688594867192-526: The first series containing eight symphonies. The publication of the Neue Schubert-Ausgabe by Bärenreiter started in the second half of the 20th century. Since relatively few of Schubert's works were published in his lifetime, only a small number of them have opus numbers assigned, and even in those cases, the sequence of the numbers does not give a good indication of the order of composition. Austrian musicologist Otto Erich Deutsch (1883–1967)
7308-401: The genre and its potential for musical, poetic, and almost operatic dramatic narrative. His last collection of songs, published in 1828 after his death, Schwanengesang , is also an innovative contribution to German Lieder literature, as it features poems by different poets, namely Ludwig Rellstab , Heine, and Johann Gabriel Seidl . The Wiener Theaterzeitung , writing about Winterreise at
7424-450: The impression more of melodic development than of harmonic drama. This combination of Classical form and long-breathed Romantic melody sometimes lends them a discursive style: his Great C Major Symphony was described by Robert Schumann as running to "heavenly lengths". It was in the genre of the lied that Schubert made his most indelible mark. Leon Plantinga remarks that "in his more than six hundred Lieder he explored and expanded
7540-482: The last time in 1933. The town was almost completely destroyed by Allied air raids in World War II on 7 March 1945, six weeks before American troops occupied the town. Afterwards, it was rebuilt with typical GDR concrete slab architecture ( Plattenbau ) and became a major industrial centre of East Germany . Since German reunification in 1990, many historic buildings have been restored. The composer Kurt Weill
7656-479: The means to support a family. In November 1816, after failing to gain a musical post in Laibach (now Ljubljana , Slovenia ), Schubert sent Ms. Grob's brother Heinrich a collection of songs, which was retained by the family into the twentieth century. One of Schubert's most prolific years was 1815. He composed over 20,000 bars of music, more than half of which were for orchestra, including nine church works (although he
7772-439: The meantime, Schubert's talent began to show in his compositions; Salieri decided to start training him privately in music theory and composition. According to Ferdinand, the boy's first composition for piano was a Fantasy for four hands ; his first song, Klagegesang der Hagar , was written a year later. Schubert was occasionally permitted to lead the Stadtkonvikt's orchestra, the first orchestra he wrote for. He devoted much of
7888-505: The members of the Gesellschaft, most notably Ignaz von Sonnleithner and his son Leopold von Sonnleithner , had a sizeable influence on the affairs of the society, and as a result of that and of Schubert's growing reputation, his works were included in three major concerts of the Gesellschaft in 1821. In April, one of his male-voice quartets was performed, and in November, his Overture in E minor (D. 648) received its first public performance; at
8004-592: The music historian George Grove and the composer Arthur Sullivan made in October 1867. The travellers unearthed the manuscripts of six of the symphonies, parts of the incidental music to Rosamunde , the Mass No. 1 in F major (D. 105), and the operas Des Teufels Lustschloss (D. 84), Fernardo (D. 220), Der vierjährige Posten (D. 190), and Die Freunde von Salamanka (D. 326), and several other unnamed works. With these discoveries, Grove and Sullivan were able to inform
8120-469: The orchestral music of Joseph Haydn , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , and Ludwig van Beethoven . He left the Stadtkonvikt at the end of 1813 and returned home to live with his father, where he began studying to become a schoolteacher. Despite this, he continued his studies in composition with Antonio Salieri and still composed prolifically. In 1821, Schubert was admitted to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde as
8236-490: The past. Eva M. Cybulska goes further and says that Schubert's syphilis is a conjecture. His multi-system signs and symptoms, she says, could point at a number of different illness such as leukaemia , anaemia , or Hashimoto's thyroiditis , and that many tell-tale signs of syphilis — chancre , mucous plaques, rash on the thorax, pupil abnormality, dysgraphia — were absent. She argues that the syphilis diagnosis originated with Schubert's biographer Otto Deutsch in 1907, based on
8352-491: The pianist Radu Lupu , who said: "[Schubert] is the composer for whom I am really most sorry that he died so young. ... Just before he died, when he wrote his beautiful two-cello String Quintet in C, he said very modestly that he was trying to learn a little more about counterpoint, and he was perfectly right. We'll never know in what direction he was going or would have gone." However, others have expressed disagreement with this early view. For instance, Robert Schumann said: "It
8468-468: The poet Franz Grillparzer , reads: Die Tonkunst begrub hier einen reichen Besitz, aber noch viel schönere Hoffnungen ("The art of music has here interred a precious treasure, but yet far fairer hopes"). Schubert was remarkably prolific, writing over 1,500 works in his short career. His compositional style progressed rapidly throughout his life. The largest number of his compositions are songs for solo voice and piano (roughly 630). Schubert also composed
8584-484: The point where he could play easy duets proficiently. Soon after, Schubert was given his first lessons outside the family by Michael Holzer, organist and choirmaster of the local parish church in Lichtental. Holzer would often assure Schubert's father, with tears in his eyes, that he had never had such a pupil as Schubert, and the lessons may have largely consisted of conversations and expressions of admiration. Holzer gave
8700-416: The potential these early nineteenth-century instruments possessed for both intimate and extrovert, virtuosic playing. A feeling of regret for the loss of potential masterpieces caused by Schubert's early death at age 31 was expressed in the epitaph on his large tombstone written by Grillparzer: "Here music has buried a treasure, but even fairer hopes." Some prominent musicians share a similar view, including
8816-527: The potentialities of the genre, as no composer before him." Prior to Schubert's influence, Lieder tended toward a strophic , syllabic treatment of text, evoking the folksong qualities engendered by the stirrings of Romantic nationalism . Among Schubert's treatments of the poetry of Goethe , his settings of " Gretchen am Spinnrade " (D. 118) and " Der Erlkönig " (D. 328) are particularly striking for their dramatic content, forward-looking uses of harmony, and use of eloquent pictorial keyboard figurations, such as
8932-631: The press in Vienna and abroad. Schubert spent the summer of 1818 as a music teacher to the family of Count Johann Karl Esterházy at their château in Zselíz (now Želiezovce , Slovakia). The pay was relatively good, and his duties teaching piano and singing to the two daughters, Marie and Caroline , were relatively light, allowing him to compose happily. Schubert may have written his Marches Militaire in D major (D. 733 no. 1) for Marie and Caroline, in addition to other piano duets. On his return from Zselíz, he took up residence with his friend Mayrhofer. During
9048-492: The public of the existence of these works; in addition, they were able to copy the fourth and sixth symphonies, the Rosamunde incidental music, and the overture to Die Freunde von Salamanka . This led to more widespread public interest in Schubert's work. From 1884 to 1897, Breitkopf & Härtel published Franz Schubert's Works , a critical edition including a contribution made – among others – by Johannes Brahms , editor of
9164-451: The rest of his time at the Stadtkonvikt to composing chamber music, several songs, piano pieces and, more ambitiously, liturgical choral works in the form of a "Salve Regina" (D 27), a "Kyrie" (D 31), in addition to the unfinished "Octet for Winds" (D 72, said to commemorate the 1812 death of his mother), the cantata Wer ist groß? for male voices and orchestra (D 110, for his father's birthday in 1813), and his first symphony (D 82). At
9280-565: The same day, the former at a tavern where he broke his afternoon's walk, the latter on his return to his lodging in the evening. The works of his last two years reveal a composer entering a new professional and compositional stage. Although parts of Schubert's personality were influenced by his friends, he nurtured an intensely personal dimension in solitude; it was out of this dimension that he wrote his greatest music. The death of Beethoven affected Schubert deeply, and may have motivated Schubert to reach new artistic peaks. In 1827, Schubert wrote
9396-551: The sets of poems of the same name by Müller. He also influenced Heinrich Heine 's lyric development. Composer Pauline Volkstein (1849-1925) set Müller’s text to music in her lieder. Andrés Neuman wrote a novel, El viajero del siglo ( Traveller of the Century , 2009), inspired by the poems of Winter Journey ( Wanderlieder von Wilhelm Müller. Die Winterreise. In 12 Liedern ), giving life to several of its characters. Neuman had previously translated Müller's Winter Journey poems to
9512-563: The son of a Moravian peasant, was a well-known parish schoolmaster , and his school in Lichtental (in Vienna's ninth district ) had numerous students in attendance. He came to Vienna from Zuckmantel in 1784 and was appointed schoolmaster two years later. His mother was the daughter of a Silesian master locksmith and had been a housemaid for a Viennese family before marriage. Of Franz Theodor and Elisabeth's fourteen children (one of them illegitimate, born in 1783), nine died in infancy. At
9628-560: The song cycle Winterreise (D. 911), the Fantasy in C major for violin and piano (D. 934, first published as op. post. 159), the Impromptus for piano, and the two piano trios ( the first in B-flat major (D. 898), and the second in E-flat major, (D. 929); in 1828 the cantata Mirjams Siegesgesang ( Victory Song of Miriam , D 942) on a text by Franz Grillparzer , the Mass in E-flat major (D. 950),
9744-423: The songs by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg , an important composer of Lieder . The precocious young student "wanted to modernize" Zumsteeg's songs, as reported by Joseph von Spaun , Schubert's friend. Schubert's friendship with Spaun began at the Stadtkonvikt and lasted throughout his short life. In those early days, the financially well-off Spaun furnished the impoverished Schubert with much of his manuscript paper. In
9860-415: The songs, could be performed in the evening concerts. He was rejected on the basis that he was "no amateur", although he had been employed as a schoolteacher at the time and there were professional musicians already among the society's membership. However, he began to gain more notice in the press, and the first public performance of a secular work, an overture performed in February 1818, received praise from
9976-407: The spark of divine genius resides in this Schubert!" Beethoven also reportedly predicted that Schubert "would make a great sensation in the world," and regretted that he had not been more familiar with him earlier; he wished to see his operas and works for piano, but his severe illness prevented him from doing so. Despite his preoccupation with the stage and subsequent official duties, Schubert wrote
10092-532: The symptoms of his final illness do not correspond with tertiary syphilis. Six weeks before his death, he walked 42 miles in three days, ruling out musculoskeletal syphilis. In the month of his death, he composed his last work, " Der Hirt auf dem Felsen ", making neurosyphilis unlikely. And meningovascular syphilis is unlikely because it presents a progressive stroke-like picture, and Schubert had no neurological manifestation until his final delirium, which started only two days before his death. Lastly, his final illness
10208-586: The time when there was a minor craze over that instrument. In the spring of that year, he wrote the Octet in F major (D. 803), a sketch for a "Grand Symphony," and in the summer went back to Zseliz . There he became attracted to Hungarian musical idiom and wrote the Divertissement à la hongroise in G minor for piano duet (D. 818) and the String Quartet in A minor Rosamunde (D. 804). It has been said that he held
10324-411: The time, commented that it was a work that "none can sing or hear without being deeply moved". Antonín Dvořák wrote in 1894 that Schubert, whom he considered one of the truly great composers, was clearly influential on shorter works, especially Lieder and shorter piano works: "The tendency of the romantic school has been toward short forms, and although Weber helped to show the way, to Schubert belongs
10440-429: The two operas turned Schubert's attention more firmly than ever in the direction of the stage, where, for a variety of reasons, he was almost completely unsuccessful. All in all, he embarked on twenty stage projects, each of them failures that were quickly forgotten. In 1822, Alfonso und Estrella was rejected, partly owing to its libretto, written by Schubert's friend Franz von Schober . In 1823, Fierrabras (D 796)
10556-888: The value of dreaming in ‘Im Dorfe’ (‘Was will ich unter den Schläfern säumen?’ [‘What do I want to waste my time among those who are asleep?’] [...]), and [...] death eludes him. This is not merely chance, however, for when ‘Der Lindenbaum’ calls him temptingly back with the promise of eternal rest, he actively chooses to keep walking away from its lure. Dorschel aligns the wanderer with Kant's enlightened subject who sets off on an ‘Ausgang [. . .] aus seiner selbstverschuldeten Unmündigkeit’ (‘emergence [...] from his self-imposed immaturity’), avoiding ‘die Wege, / Wo die andren Wandrer gehn’ [‘paths / where other wanderers walk’] (‘Der Wegweiser’ [...]) as he charts his own path.” Müller excelled in popular and political songs that attracted great composers, notably two of Franz Schubert 's song cycles , Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise , which are based on
10672-451: The wide-spread opinion that Schubert was a lucky inventor of pleasing tunes ... lacking the dramatic power and searching intelligence which distinguished such 'real' masters as J. S. Bach or Beethoven". Krenek wrote that he reached a completely different assessment after a close study of Schubert's pieces at the urging of his friend and fellow composer Eduard Erdmann . Krenek pointed to the piano sonatas as giving "ample evidence that [Schubert]
10788-411: The wish, were he to survive his final illness, to further develop his knowledge of harmony and counterpoint, and had actually made appointments for lessons with the counterpoint master Simon Sechter . On 26 March 1828, the anniversary of Beethoven's death, Schubert gave, for the only time in his career, a public concert of his own works. The concert was a success popularly and financially, although it
10904-447: The year came the String Quartet No. 15 in G major, (D 887, first published as op. 161), the Rondo in B minor for violin and piano (D. 895), Rondeau brillant , and the Piano Sonata in G major , (D 894, first published as Fantasie in G , op. 78). He also produced in 1826 three Shakespearian songs, of which " Ständchen " (D. 889) and " An Sylvia " (D. 891) were allegedly written on
11020-504: The young Schubert instruction in piano and organ as well as in figured bass . According to Holzer, however, he did not give him any real instruction as Schubert would already know anything that he tried to teach him; rather, he looked upon Schubert with "astonishment and silence". The boy seemed to gain more from an acquaintance with a friendly apprentice joiner who took him to a neighbouring pianoforte warehouse where Schubert could practise on better instruments. He also played viola in
11136-470: Was "chasing women". The theory of Schubert's sexuality or "Schubert as Other" has continued to influence current scholarship. Biographer Lorraine Byrne Bodley is sceptical "...of Solomon’s "outing" of Schubert, saying this misunderstands the passionate "homosocial" friendships of 19th-century Europe." Significant changes occurred in Schubert's life in 1816 when Schober, a student from an affluent family, invited him to lodge at his mother's house. The proposal
11252-623: Was Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 ; Holz commented: "The King of Harmony has sent the King of Song a friendly bidding to the crossing". Schubert died in Vienna, aged 31, on 19 November 1828, at the apartment of his brother Ferdinand. The cause of his death was officially diagnosed as typhoid fever, though other theories have been proposed, including the tertiary stage of syphilis . Although there are accounts by his friends that indirectly imply that he had contracted syphilis earlier,
11368-547: Was an agnostic ), a symphony, and about 140 Lieder. In that year, he was also introduced to Anselm Hüttenbrenner and Franz von Schober , who would become his lifelong friends. Another friend, Johann Mayrhofer , was introduced to him by Spaun in 1815. Throughout 1815, Schubert lived at home with his father. He continued to teach at the school and give private musical instruction, earning enough money for his basic needs, including clothing, manuscript paper, pens, and ink, but with little to no money left over for luxuries. Spaun
11484-426: Was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a vast oeuvre , including more than 600 secular vocal works (mainly Lieder ), seven complete symphonies , sacred music , operas , incidental music , and a large body of piano and chamber music . His major works include the art songs " Erlkönig ", " Gretchen am Spinnrade ", and " Ave Maria ";
11600-529: Was an active member of the 1817–1818 Unsinnsgesellschaft (Nonsenses Society), and various scholars agree with this. In late 1817, Schubert's father gained a new position at a school in Rossau , not far from Lichtental. Schubert rejoined his father and reluctantly took up teaching duties there. In early 1818, he applied for membership in the prestigious Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde , intending to gain admission as an accompanist, but also so that his music, especially
11716-522: Was born in Himmelpfortgrund (now a part of Alsergrund ), Vienna, Archduchy of Austria , on 31 January 1797, and baptized in the Catholic Church the following day. He was the twelfth child of Franz Theodor Florian Schubert (1763–1830) and Maria Elisabeth Katharina Vietz (1756–1812). Schubert's immediate ancestors came originally from the province of Zuckmantel in Austrian Silesia . His father,
11832-593: Was born in Dessau. Since 1993, the city has hosted an annual Kurt Weill Festival. Dessau was also the birthplace of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (in 1729), and Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau ( der alte Dessauer ) (on 3 July 1676), a lauded field marshal for the Kingdom of Prussia . In January 2005, Dessau gained notoriety for the mysterious death of a Sierra Leonean convicted drug trafficker and failed asylum seeker, Oury Jalloh . There are several examples of Bauhaus architecture in Dessau, some of which are part of
11948-488: Was characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms (namely vomiting). These issues all led Robert L. Rold to argue that (although he believed Schubert had syphilis), the fatal final illness was a gastrointestinal one such as salmonella or indeed typhoid fever. Rold also pointed out that when Schubert was in his final illness, his close friend Schober avoided visiting him "out of fear of contagion". Yet Schober had known of his earlier possible syphilis and had never avoided Schubert in
12064-543: Was electrified in 1911, the first fully electrified long-distance railway in Germany. Dessau was part of the InterCity long-distance network until the year 2002. Regional trains also stop at the stations Dessau-Süd, Dessau-Alten, Dessau-Mosigkau and Rodleben. The Dessau-Wörlitzer-Eisenbahn (railway) connects Dessau to Wörlitz , a town situated 15 km to the east, and the Wörlitzer Park . The starting point of this railway
12180-585: Was first mentioned in 1213. It became an important centre in 1570, when the Principality of Anhalt was founded. Dessau became the capital of this state within the Holy Roman Empire . In 1603, the state was split into four – later five – Anhalts, Dessau becoming the capital of the mini-state of Anhalt-Dessau . In 1863 two of the noble lines died out, and the Duchy of Anhalt became reunited. From 1918 to 1945, Dessau
12296-486: Was first mentioned in 1372. The head of the town of Schultheiss was appointed by the count. Together with a few assessors, the Schultheiss formed the town council. As of 1372, the town council was divided into two agencies, as of 1600 into three agencies, and as of 1785 again into two agencies. The Schultheiss of Dessau changed nearly every year until the town council constitution was cancelled in 1832. Afterwards Dessau became
12412-486: Was much more than an easy-going tune-smith who did not know, and did not care, about the craft of composition." Each sonata then in print, according to Krenek, exhibited "a great wealth of technical finesse" and revealed Schubert as "far from satisfied with pouring his charming ideas into conventional moulds; on the contrary he was a thinking artist with a keen appetite for experimentation." That "appetite for experimentation" manifests itself repeatedly in Schubert's output in
12528-499: Was overshadowed by Niccolò Paganini 's first appearances in Vienna shortly after. In the midst of this creative activity, his health deteriorated. By the late 1820s, Schubert's health was failing and he confided to some friends that he feared that he was near death. In the late summer of 1828, he saw the physician Ernst Rinna, who may have confirmed Schubert's suspicions that he was ill beyond cure and likely to die soon. Some of his symptoms matched those of mercury poisoning ( mercury
12644-522: Was particularly opportune, for Schubert had just made the unsuccessful application for the post of Kapellmeister at Laibach, and he had also decided not to resume teaching duties at his father's school. By the end of the year, he became a guest in Schober's lodgings. For a time, he attempted to increase the household resources by giving music lessons, but they were soon abandoned, and he devoted himself to composition. "I compose every morning, and when one piece
12760-474: Was probably Schubert's first visit away from home or school. Schubert's unhappiness during his years as a schoolteacher possibly showed early signs of depression , and it is virtually certain that Schubert suffered from cyclothymia throughout his life. In 1989, the musicologist Maynard Solomon suggested that Schubert was erotically attracted to men, a thesis that has been heatedly debated. The musicologist and Schubert expert Rita Steblin has said that he
12876-506: Was rejected: Domenico Barbaia , impresario for the court theatres, largely lost interest in new German opera due to the popularity of Rossini and the Italian operatic style, and the failure of Carl Maria von Weber 's Euryanthe . Die Verschworenen ( The Conspirators , D 787) was prohibited by the censor, apparently because of its title, and the play Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern , for which Schubert had written incidental music (D 797),
12992-629: Was the capital of the Free State of Anhalt . Dessau is famous as the second site of the Bauhaus school. It moved here in 1925 after it had been forced to close in Weimar . Many famous artists were lecturers in Dessau in the following years, among them Walter Gropius , Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky . The Nazis ’ control of Dessau city council forced the closure of the Dessau Bauhaus in 1932. The school moved to Bernau bei Berlin and closed its doors for
13108-439: Was then a common treatment for syphilis, again suggesting that Schubert suffered from it). At the beginning of November, he again fell ill, experiencing headaches, fever, swollen joints, and vomiting. He was generally unable to retain solid food and his condition worsened. Five days before Schubert's death, his friend the violinist Karl Holz and his string quartet visited to play for him. The last musical work he had wished to hear
13224-640: Was welcomed with enthusiasm. It was during this tour that he produced the seven-song cycle Fräulein am See , based on Walter Scott 's The Lady of the Lake , and including " Ellens Gesang III " ("Hymn to the Virgin") (D. 839, Op. 52, No. 6); the lyrics of Adam Storck's German translation of the Scott poem are now frequently replaced by the full text of the traditional Roman Catholic prayer Hail Mary ( Ave Maria in Latin), but for which
13340-511: Was well aware that Schubert was discontented with his life at the schoolhouse, and was concerned for Schubert's development intellectually and musically. In May 1816, Spaun moved from his apartment in Landskrongasse (in the inner city) to a new home in the Landstraße suburb; one of the first things he did after he settled into the new home was to invite Schubert to spend a few days with him. This
13456-442: Was withdrawn after two nights, due to the play's poor quality. Despite his operatic failures, Schubert's reputation was growing steadily on other fronts. In 1821, the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde finally accepted him as a performing member, and the number of performances of his music grew remarkably. These performances helped Schubert's reputation grow rapidly among the members of the Gesellschaft and established his name. Some of
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