# A Sort of Primer for Fischer-Dieskau's Book on Schubert's Lieder



## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

This is, however incomplete, a sort of guide or primer to Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's book: _Schubert's Songs - A Biographical Study._ By that I mean to briefly state some of DFD's more interesting remarks, from the book, about the Schubert Lieder. And by incomplete, I mean that I didn't get this idea until I was maybe 60 pages in, also that I didn't always have my notes when I was reading the book. Many of the best known songs are not present here, mainly because I thought they were already well represented elsewhere. If some of the better known songs do turn up, it is because I felt that DFD's comments were too good to miss. I entirely skip over the song cycles, though they are thoroughly gone over in the book. Any [brackets] are my own. Without further ado...

*Der Fischer D.291* (Dedicated to Salieri)

"Schubert manages marvelously to capture the evocation of nature in the poem in a very simple setting with repeated stanzas. This music would be effective without any text."

*Dem Unendlichen D.291*

"This is obviously not a lied but, rather, an aria with accompanying recitative."

*Meeresstille D.216*

"One of the most remarkable [Goethe songs] is Meeresstille."

"...No other composer has managed to picture a windless, oppressive seascape with such convincing, yet obvious means. The graphic imagery of the uncertain broken chords, the gentle almost apprehensive modulations, blend with the text to make a perfect unity."

"...at the heart of the poem, harmonic daring goes as far as it had ever gone."

"Marvelous".

*Nachtgesang* (Goethe) *D.119*

"...was composed on November 30, 1814" [When Schubert was 17]

"Nachtgesang was made into the most delicate serenade and the shortest strophic song. Each of five quatrains is set to fourteen bars of playfulness, sleepiness and eroticism which never get trapped in detail."

*Das Bild D.155* [Anonymous]

"This tiny, much-neglected Schubert song outdoes many a sentimental song or passionate operatic declamation."

*Erwartung D.159* [Schiller]

"...one of his longest songs".

"...dewey-fresh music."

*Nahe des Geliebten D.162* [Goethe]

[Schubert set this poem to music twice]

"With a sensitivity and an emotional awareness which he possessed in unique measure, Schubert transformed otherwise identical versions, and, by an imperceptible rhythmical adjustment, he made a great song out of a beautiful one."

*An den Mond D.296*

"...there is little trace of lyricism in the song, either classical or romantic. Such a miracle could be explained only perhaps by the purity of Schubert's artistic powers. We are shown the strength of music liberated, the essence of love made music."

*Lied (Es ist so angenehm, so suss) D.284*

"Schubert's Genius is reflected in the flawlessness of this jewel."

*Gruppe aus dem Tartarus D.583*

Schubert's composition is full of unrest, drama and violent contrasts, the total effect is frightening; even today, an interpreter will find that, if the song is placed at the end of a program, the listener will be left stunned and terrified.

"...points the way to Wagner and Wolf and is far removed from the conventional lied, even from Schubert's own."

"The voice no longer has a 'song melody', the action is depicted more by the harmonic and rhythmical audacities of the piano than by the song. This does not mean that the vocal and instrumental parts are not in balance, but it _does_ mean that Leopold von Sonnleithner's erroneous generalization that Schubert placed the beauty of the song before the interpretation of the text, is refuted in its entirety."

"Great, profound, deeply emotional..."

*Elysium D.584*

"Because of its length, and the difficult phrases requiring great breath control, it is rarely performed, but it presents a beautiful, subtly characterized vision of heavenly joy,"

*Der Kampf D.594* [Schiller]

"Vogl's favorite song."

*Der Schmetterling D.633*

"...a nature study of unbelievable delicacy, and godfather to Hugo Wolf's _Zitronenfalter im April_."

*Im Walde D.708*

"...perhaps his most through-composed work. The listener marvels at his ability in music to depict every tiny detail."

*An die Entfernte D.765*

"_An die Entfernte_ does not yet enjoy the popularity it richly deserves."

*Greisengesang D.778*

"A wonderful R\'fcckert setting. Dignified resignation is the theme of Greisengesang. Strength and suppleness are the true musical equivalents to this brilliant poem."

"...serious and autere."

*Auf dem Wasser zu singen D.744*

Pure Schubert. His genius is shown in the conception of the song. This is perhaps the most telling of all Schubertian water studies."

"A dreamlike mood..."

"The song reveals all the charms of a Schubert lied; a blend of the Austrian love of voluptuous melody and the instrumental brilliance found in his piano works."

"No musical composition could equal this Schubertian blending of intimacy and gaiety, warmth and relaxation."

*Der Wanderer an den Mond D.870*

"The typical strolling gait, only found in Schubert, is enchanting."

*Die Allmacht D.852*

"Certainly the most concentrated of all Schubert's religious works."

"...unerringly blended together the most disparate nuances of expression - pathos, longing, and great dramatic tension."

*Nacht und Traume D.827*

"One of the most magical of Schubert's adagio settings."

"So full of a longing for purity and devotion that only the controlled rhythm prevents them from spilling over into unbounded emotion. Melody and rhythm together trace a line, which, when followed by the listener, affords a sensation of inner release."

*Delphine D.857*

"...an enormous song, based on a constant flowing piano theme, and universally condemned as unperformable. On the only occasion that I have ever heard it, however, at a recital by Eleanor Steber, a singer who is always looking for neglected material, I had the impression that it offered a big voice extremely interesting possibilities."

*Im Abendrot D.799*

"...the expression of a devotion which is humbly and piercingly aware of the transitoriness of human happiness."

"In some mysterious way, emotions themselves are given shape, while the religious spirit underlying the music is that of a child of nature, whose gods are the stars, the mountains, the seasons and the flowers. The feeling of enraptured silence in the presence of such natural phenomena as as expressed here by the gentle sighs which accompany the setting of the sun dominates Schubert's purely religious songs."

*Am Fenster D.878*

"It is to be hoped that _Am Fenster_, at present only known to a small handful of devoted Schubertians, will soon become more popular."

*Sehnsucht D.879*

"The chill of Winterreise permeates this song."

"...a preliminary study for _Erstarrung_."

*D.866 nos. 1-4*

"It is a mystery why the romantic music of the first of these four songs, and the cheeky march-like melody of the last, are not better known."

*Im Freien D.880*

"The nocturnal mood of _Im Freien_ is beautifully captured by a delicate melody which is duplicated in the technically very difficult rippling piano accompaniment."

"...it belongs to the best of Schubert."

*An die Laute D.905*

"Delicate and charming."

*Die junge Nonne D.828*

"...far ahead of its time. The piano bass's stormy description of night is reminiscent of Carl Loewe, although the latter does not begin to approach Schubert's artistic power."

"It is yet another indication of what Schubert might have done with a suitable opera libretto."

[For another example of (in my opinion) of DFD's last comment, see Schubert's _Scenes from Faust_.]

*Heimliches Lieben D.922*

"Schubert's cantillena sighs and sobs with an Italiante romantic sweetness, which is just not Schubert, but more Carl Loewe. Further, there is no genuine Schubertian emotion here."

"...except that in this music, there is a touch of genius."

"It is incomprehensible that the song has still not been discovered by singers."

*Vor meiner Wiege D.927*

"A profound earnestness, lightened only now and then by a smile, speaks to us out of this music."

"...the final stanza, surely one of Schubert's loveliest..."

"The delicacy with whcih pain and joy are united in music is uniquely Schubertian."

*Der Wallensteiner Lanzknecht beim TrunkD.931*

"...is a strophic song par excellence."

"...the archaic sound of the music is a rare device in Schubert."

*Fischers Liebergluck D.933*

"...far too rarely heard, captures its muted loveliness by means of its syncopations."

*D.902 nos. 1-3*

"Three wonderful bass studies, three completely untypical, technically skilled works, which stand outside the Schubertian canon."

*Herbst D.945*

"...little masterpiece."

*Auf dem Strom(e) D.943*

"The sole counterpart to _Der Hirt auf dem Felsen_" [D.965]

*Der Zwerg D.771*

"...an extraordinary piece of futuristic music."

"Beethoven's 'fate'-theme, represented mainly in the Fifth Symphony, stalks throughout the accompaniment, but Schubert makes it his own property here."

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That's about all of my notes. At one point in typing this, up to and including right now, I lost my internet connection. Then I had the devil of a time with the formatting. The software screwed up all my umlauts and also anywhere I had a line break.

I'll add one last thing from the DFD book. I didn't want to go into individual songs from the cycles, but regarding the Heine songs from Schwanengesang, DFD said "No other prematurely deceased artist ever produced such startling innovations in the last months of his life." He also added that the last three Heine songs in particular, _Die Stadt_, _Am Meer_, and _Doppelganger_ are three of Schubert's greatest masterpieces.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Interesting to see that comment on D857 - Lacrimas. As far as I know Fischer Dieskau recorded just one part of it, and there’s no recording of any of it by Eleanor Steber. I know it through a recording with Christine Schaefer and others on Hyperion. The last part, part 3, is a great favourite of mine.


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## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

Yeah, I think DFD only recorded the second part. It could be that the the other parts were intended for the female voice, though that's only a guess. It would.make sense though, considering he specifically wrote about not recording such songs. The first part has been recorded many times, all for female voice, as far as I can tell. The third part is very rarely recorded. I don't think I've heard it. Is it online anywhere that you know of?


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

EnescuCvartet said:


> Yeah, I think DFD only recorded the second part. It could be that the the other parts were intended for the female voice, though that's only a guess. It would.make sense though, considering he specifically wrote about not recording such songs. The first part has been recorded many times, all for female voice, as far as I can tell. The third part is very rarely recorded. I don't think I've heard it. Is it online anywhere that you know of?


My mistake, I was confusing Mondenschein D875 with D 857. Just ignore me!


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Thanks. Very informative.
You should blog this to make it easier to find again. I recall only some of the songs mentioned but will try to listen to all of them. There are so many good ones that are very little known, it is not easy to keep aware of all of them.
I should maybe get this book anyway but I wonder if Fi-Di was neglecting the "mostly female" songs or if you skipped some that are quite famous anyway, such as Suleika I/II (D 717 and 720).


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## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

Mandryka said:


> My mistake, I was confusing Mondenschein D875 with D 857. Just ignore me!


I was wondering, as I could only find 2 scenes from Lacrimas. Mondenschein is great. There is a great collection with that song, The Complete Secular Choral Works by the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (sic).

Also, kind of an aside, but there is a really good Schubert lieder album from last year called, for some reason, Where Only Stars Can Hear Us, with tenor Karim Sulayman and Yo-Heng Yang on fortepiano. A very clear articulation by both artists. This affords a song like Alinde D.904 new life, or so it seems to me.


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## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

Agreed about the amount of good ones. DFD said, at time of publication, that only a sixth, roughly, of the 600-odd songs were really known and performed. That has probably changed some, what with all the sundry labels recording now... But the times I have heard Schubert lied performed live, it's always a handful of the usual suspects.

Your idea of a blog sounds intriguing, though I don't really know what that means. I've never done that and wouldn't know how to begin. I am open to suggestions though.

F-D does mention the female songs and relates some of his experiences hearing them performed, as well as his thoughts on the songs themselves. He gives a contextual analysis of each song, allowing the reader to better understand Schubert:s development. I did mention one of the songs for female voice, Der Hurt auf dem Felsen D.965, but only by proxy. He gives an interesting account if that one and the diva it was written for - as a showpiece. Schubert out off writing it for a couple years, I believe. The diva didn't get it until after his death.

Agreed, I skipped many of the famous songs. There are too many if them and I need parameters... I'm a busy man. Plus, in many cases, DFD relates long anecdotes about the famous lied, which, taken in small quotes would take away from their anecdotal interest.

Thanks for the response.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

You can just click on your long post above at the bottom left where it says "Blog this post". Then it will be shown additionally at another section of the Forum and that is easier to access for others from your username or profile and associated with it. For more details some of the moderators has to explain them.


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## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

Thanks, I just blogged it. I had to truncate it a little in order to fit it into one blog, eliminating the paragraph about the computer issues ruining my umlauts and special characters.


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## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

One harmless bump for all the many, thankless hours spent researching, compiling and typing this thread.


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