SCHUBERT CENTENARY.

Shannon News, 10 August 1928, Page 4

SCHUBERT CENTENARY.

LECTURE ON HJS LIFE AND WORK

GENIUS AND POVERTY.

Appropriately to the Schubert een- : tenary, Which is being celebrated throughout the musical world this year, the subject of the. lecture by Mr Edwin Dennis, A.E.C.M., to the W.E.A. music class in Levin on Monday evening, was" the life of that composer, with a demonstration of some of his work. There was a fair and appreciative attendance.

In his review of the life of the composer, Mr Dennis stated that 'Franz Schubert, who was born at Lichtenthal,. near Vienna, in 1797, was one of a family of fourteen, of which number only five grew up, the others dying young. The father was a schoolmaster, and he wanted Franz to be an assistant to him, but music seemed to be part of the boy's life. A schoolboy acquaintance named Spann took a fancy to him and brought him out of himself. Schubert, .senior, was very much opposed to the idea of Franz becoming a professional, musician, but Spann generously furnished the youth with music-paper, a luxury beyond young Schubert's means, and thus enabled him to further his studies. In 1812, following, the •mother's death, father and son .came together, and no more .obstacles '.'were placed in the way of the latter. In 1813, in order to escape military training, Schubert decided to qualify as a school-teacher, and went to assist his father, ' He taught there until 1816, spending his leisure in studying with Salie'ri, and an composing. At the age of 17 he reached one of his great heights, composing '' The Spinning Wheel," which is. still one of the marvels of music-writing. During' 1815 he wrote 144 songs, two masses And two pianoforte sonatas, and it was in that year that -he wrote the famous song, "The Erl King." It was related, with regard to .this song, that Schubert's friends found him walking up and down'the room excitedly after having read Goethe's poem. Schubert remarked, "Wonderful words, to inspire anybody," and straightway .sat down, and in a few minutes the song was Composed. The same night the piece was sung and was received with great enthusiasm. Mr Dennis mentioned ; that there was a persistent sort of dissonance in the wo'ik, and the critics of the time pointed it out, but th§ Court organist maintained that it was quite in keeping with the words. By the time a pianist had played one or two pages of the triplets his arms would become a little tired. ; Schubert, in playing it for a particular singer, did not play the triplets as such, but as single notes. The singer said, "You. have spoilt it. Why did you not play the triplets?" Schubert replied, "I leave it for the other players. It is too difficult for me;" Up to that time a good deal of Schubert's music had not been heard publicly. 'As was still the case, one needed to have influence, in most walks of life, before one could proceed very far. Schubert did not have much influence on his side, as he had come from a poor family, but his teacher, SaVieri, did his best for him. In 1816 Schubert composed 105 songs, and for about twelve days of that per-, iod Tie wrote a; song a day. "The Wanderer'' was composed at about that time. Some forty of Goethe's poems were put to music by Schubert. Spann wrote a letter to Goethe, sending him "The Erl King" and one or two other pieces, and asking him if he would allow the young .composer to dedicate them to the author. No reply was received, however; Goethe was then. 80 years of age and probably relied a good deal on the advice of others. It was possible that the great writer was besieged by young, composers with ■ requests to be allowed' to- put his words to music. Spann.decided to try the publishers, Breitkopf -arid Hartely a firm who did riot know Schubert. There was another Franz Schubert a fiddler in a

Dresden orchestra, and they sent the manuscripts to him and asked him why they had received them in such a roundabout way. The violinist replied, "I have never composed this 'Erl King,' but will try to find out who sent you this piece of hack-work, and misused my name in the matter." Publishers generally, Mr Dennis coinmented, could not do very much business with the work of an unknown man.' If, -however, a composer wrote one or two songs that became popular, they would take others from him. A few composers there were who had written one song very effectively, while their other works were not great sellers; but the publishers would take them all because the success of the. first song created a market for them.

In due course the publishers to whom Schubert's efforts were submitted tried to secure a noted singer to render the songs. They chose a man named Vogc'l,, who was of the operatic stars of his day. At.first he would not entertain the idea, hut after a long time he was persuaded to meet Schroder, who was introducing Schubert's music; Vogel's interest was awakened, this passed to enthusiasm, and it wars-'not long before he was using Schubert's works at concerts. Towards the end of his life Schuuert composed such songs as "Hark, hark the lark" and "Who is Sylvia 1 '" The overture of "Eosamunde," which appeared .in that period, had evidently been composed for another opera and then revised. Schubert was not a man of business. :Jn One of his weak moments, he sold for 500 gulden (les s than £25) Op. 1 to 18, and the buyer made more than £2OOO on them, "The Erl King" alone realising what he had paid for the whole collection. In 1824 Schubert's finances were very bad, and he decided to give a concert on the lines of those given by Beethoven, but the proposal did not seem to come" to anything. In 1527 it was decided that he should have a concert, but he died before it could be presented. He had only lived 31 years. Schubert and Beethoven were known to have met, but no definite information was available as to what took place at that meeting. It was a fact, 'however, that Schubert was one of the torch-bearers of Beethoven. After the funeral of* Beethoven, some friends returning, from' it. stopped for refreshment,' and "one of them said, "Let us drink- to hhr. whom we. have just buried."' They drank to his soul. Schubert■■•immediately said, "Shall I drink to the one who is to follow-him next?"

He seemed to have a presentiment of his own fate... .It was difficult to say . what he might have left to the world had he not been taken at such an early age. .For. the survival, of the "Eosamunde" overture they were indebted to Sir Arthur Sullir&n and Sir George , Grove, who discovered a'forgotten box , containing the rough score, which they completed. ■ Instrumental renderings of . Schulyert.'ss 'fMarche Militaire"- Q>y an orchestra) and the "Eosamunde" overture (by the violinist -Kreisler) were . given oh the gramophone; and Mr Dennis sang -very'■ effectively -the "Sere--"nade," "Hark, hark, the lark," and "W.ho is. Sylviaf" The "aeeompani-. ■' ments were skilfullv plaved by Mrs E. I'D. Wallace The lecturer called attention to the importance of . creating the right atmosphere in the rendering of Schu-. ■ bert 's songs. So far the general music-, loving public of New Zealand had not been educated up to an appreciation of this class of music. They were pleased . will: what might be termed "iire- . works," in which .the singer finished l on a top'note; but most-of them, if they heard a less noisy, but more classical piece, would give the opinion that it "was very nice, but that they did not care very much for it. J :.'The gramophone and records used were lent by; His Master's Voice Company, for which Mr K. Aitken is thg local agent..