Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1866 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER IX. LAST YEAR OF SCHUBERT'S LIFE--MUSICAL ACTIVITY-- SEVENTH SYMPHONY--JUDGMENT OF SCHUMANN--SCHUMANN'S VISIT TO VIENNA--THE SIX SYMPHONIES A GERMAN CRITIC AND AN ENGLISH POET--THE DANUBE-- ANALYSIS OF THE SYMPHONY-- WONDERFUL TALENT-- ETERNAL YOUTH POSTERITY AND CONTEMPORARIES TOO HARD TO BE PERFORMED--OTHER WORKS OF THE SAME YEAR LATEST SONATAS--SCHUMANN'S RECEPTION OF A DEDICATION--SCHUBERT AND HIS FAMILY--SCHUBERT'S ONLY CONCERT GREAT SUCCESS THE SPRING--THOUGHTS OF A TOUR--ABANDONED FOR WANT OF MONEY BEGINNINGS OF ILLNESS--LACHNER AT PESTH--LETTER FROM SCHINDLER SCHUBERT TOO ILL TO TRAVEL. We now enter on the last year of Schubert's earthly life. He had returned from Styria with new strength and steeled to new exertions. Another trip was meditated for this SEVENTH SYMPHONY. 191 autumn of 1828, to revive the pleasant days which he had passed with friends, and to restore his health, which was somewhat weakened by constant headaches. His indisposition had grown in the last few years, but there were no signs to forebode the catastrophe which came so suddenly upon him. If not so fertile this year as in many others, Schubert's genius was riper, and his compositions were daily gaining in value. The most important work of this year is the great Symphony in C. But it would be impertinent to describe this afresh after the words in which Robert Schumann has conveyed his appreciation of it. It is true that Schumann visited Vienna at a sad time of musical stagnation, and that his account is written under that impression. Still his eloquent words are the best tribute to Franz Schubert, "the painter rich in fancy, whose brush was dipped equally deep in moonshine and in the flame of the sun." On his return from the churchyard of Wahring, it...